Midlands’ bees are still buzzing after historic flooding

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — Midlands’ bees are still buzzing despite challenges brought on by historic flooding in October. Tom Ballou is President of the South Carolina Mid-State Beekeepers Association. Association members reported tough losses after the flood. “Hives getting swept away, and that doesn’t happen too often, but certainly devastating for the bees and beekeepers themselves,” Ballou says. Ballou’s hives, thankfully, stayed put on his porch at his house in the Coldstream subdivision. Though so much rain all at once damaged his bee-catered garden. “A lot of that rainfall happened during the crucial blooming period for a lot of the fall blooming of plant species that honey bees rely on for their food resources,” he says. That leads to a third big problem. Bees are most active when it’s nice outside. “When it’s raining, they really don’t fly and so they’re ability to forage for nectar was certainly decreased by all the rainfall.” That’s where the beekeepers step in. “We have to be be attentive to make sure they have enough food to last over the wintertime coming up.” It’s something they watch for every year, but this year, Ballou says, is especially important. “If they don’t have enough honey stored, they can actually starve to death.” Ballou has set up a feeder with sugar solution inside. The bees are not complaining. If you’re wondering how you can help the bees without investing in a hive, Ballou says you can garden for the bees, so have a diverse garden with plants blooming year-round. Another tip he gives is to be careful how you use those pesticides.