By LINDA CHION KENNEY
The drive is on to get enough pre-sale vouchers to begin production of a Florida specialty license plate that pushes the cause to “save the bees.”
At the forefront of the effort is the Florida State Beekeepers Association (FSBA), in attendance at the Florida State Fair in Hillsborough County, where volunteer Susan Harris on Feb. 8 said it is essential to get 3,000 pre-sale vouchers to begin production of the plates.
Judi Whitson, Florida’s 2016 Woman of the Year in Agriculture, left, with beekeeper Astrid Hartleb
“It’s a pretty plate, and it’s important,” Harris said. “I know how important bees are to farmers and for the food we eat, and we need funds to help educate the public and to support research projects.”
Florida legislators in 2020 authorized 41 new specialty plates — including “Save the Bees” sponsored by the Florida State Beekeepers Association — for which 3,000 pre-sale vouchers were needed to jump-start production. In charge of securing that investment for its proposed plate, FSBA had two years to reach the voucher threshold, a deadline that has been extended two years in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Pre-sale data for the FSBA specialty license plate, as of Feb. 12, showed 564 vouchers sold, leaving a shortfall of 2,436, according to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
With the Oct. 16, 2024, deadline looming, Harris, at the fair, took time to discuss the drive for pre-sale vouchers and the purpose for the effort overall, including what the money will fund and why bees in general need to be saved.
“If we didn’t have honey bees, the pollination that they do for our fruits and crops would be lost, and that is essential to our food supply,” Harris said. “Bees are in danger primarily from pests and disease, habitat loss from development, poor nutrition, stress by the way we manage bees and the quality of the queen bee.”
Joann Gill, at the Florida State Beekeepers Association exhibit at the Florida State Fair, is outfitted with beekeeping tools and protective gear.
According to Harris, plate proceeds are set to fund the association’s grant program, which can be used for “anything honey bee related” in respect to research, education, outreach and husbandry. The money aims to help bee clubs and associations, youth groups, citizen scientists, teachers and novice beekeepers cover start-up expenses, new equipment, educational materials, mentoring, apiary supplies and speaker expenses.
Moreover, funds raised would support the Lawrence Cutts Scholarship fund, named for a third-generation Florida beekeeper who started his first business raising queen bees at age 16. Born in 1935, Cutts lived most of his life in Chipley. He died in 2022.
Specialty plate proceeds as well would help fund the FSBA annual conference and meeting and provide for each presale voucher buyer a free, one-year FSBA membership. Funded research projects could include larger efforts as well, including at the Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab at the University of Florida. Visit www.entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/.
When it comes to beekeeping, the more the merrier, as the number of lost bees has become critical.
According to the Bee Informed Partnership, the percentage of bee colony loss over the winter deemed “acceptable” by beekeeepers was on average 21.3 percent in 2022-23, which was on par with the previous nine years. In 2022-23, more than 60 percent of the surveyed beekeepers reported winter loss above this threshold. In the year ending April 1, 2023, beekeepers nationwide lost an estimated 48.2 percent of their managed honey bee colonies.
“Anybody can become a beekeeper and have bees on their property, residential or agriculture, unless they’re part of a homeowners association that specifically says no bees,” said beekeeper Astrid Hartleb, who discussed beekeeping with Judi Whitson, Florida’s 2016 Woman of the Year in Agriculture, at the Florida State Fair on Feb. 11. Throughout the fair’s run, Whitson has been in the Ag Hall of Fame Building to interview farmers for “Thank a Florida Farmer.” The fair ends Feb. 19.
Hartleb said state registration is necessary to ensure beekeepers follow best management practices. These include having a water source for bees on the property, such as a bird bath or chicken feeder, and having a fenced-in area for the bees, to prevent small children and others from running into hives unexpectedly. Among the other requirements, Hartleb added, “a flyaway, which can be a hedge or your fence, and a restriction on the number of bees allowed based on the property’s size.”
Susan Harris, a volunteer with Florida State Beekeepers Association, at the Florida State Fair, holds a photo of the specialty license plate to emphasize the push for pre-sale vouchers.
Aside from the cost of state registration, which Hartleb said starts at $10 for up to 10 hives, expenses include those for necessary equipment, such as a smoker to calm the bees, hive tool, protective gear for face and body and bee box.
Astrid said education is key as well, which is available online via beekeepers and through state and local bee clubs, such as the Tampa Bay Beekeepers Association, which meets monthly in Seffner, at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Hillsborough County Extension office. The Tampa Bay club meets the second Thursday of the month and offers services that include introductory courses, advice for purchasing equipment, support and mentoring through the first year of beekeeping, and networking with experienced beekeepers. Visit www.tampabaybeekeepers.com/.
Linda Chion Kenney Photos
The drive is on to secure pre-sale vouchers for the FSBA’s ‘Save the Bees’ specialty license plate.
Harris, who has been a beekeeper for about 10 years, said she enjoys working with bees and recommends it to like-minded individuals. “They’re fascinating and interesting creatures, with a complex life cycle,” Harris said. “They surprise me mostly every time I go in to inspect them.”
For more, visit www.flstatebeekeepers.org/. For specialty license plate information, visit Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles at https://www.flhsmv.gov/motor-vehicles-tags-titles/personalized-specialty-license-plates/.