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s Sue Monk-Kidd wrote in The Secret Life of Bees, "Most people don't have any
idea about all the complicated life going on inside a hive. Bees have a secret life we
don't know."
Whether they fascinate or terrify you, there is no denying that bees are a curious and misunderstood
creature. We watch them bounce and float among the flowers and then hasten to their hives. While they
may seem mysterious, calm beekeepers who watch over them get occasional glimpses into their secret life.
While honeybees aren't native to Montana, our state is usually in one of the top five honey-producing
states in the nation. According to a 2013 Department of Agriculture survey, Montana ranked second
with nearly 15 million pounds of honey produced that year. All of this sticky sweetness stems from the
approximately 5,532 current beekeeper sites and 188,026 colonies scattered about those sites, explains
Cam Lay, natural resources section program manager for the Department of Agriculture. Lay also veri-
fied that there are about currently 158 registered beekeepers and 107 registered hobbyists.
Montana's beekeeping has primarily been an agricultural activity, but increasing numbers of hobby-
ists are taking up the practice on a smaller scale. Whether it's fascination with bees, being in tune with
nature, craving that sweet nectar, or wanting to increase pollination, more and more people are taking
up beekeeping. ey say if you ask 10 beekeepers a question you'll likely get at least 16 different answers,
but here are a few do's and don'ts of the business to get you started.
Beekeeping:
by laCEy miDDlESTEaD
a HONEy OF a BuSiNESS
Hives in Clancy, Montana
CAM LAY
