HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Ryan Hogan has had bees on the brain for the past three years, learning everything he can about these curious insects, and helping others safely remove swarms to add to his growing collection of thousands of bees.
With the intention of eventually filling his farm with hives, Hogan has utilized forums, books, online videos, and a lot of trial and error to slowly gain knowledge about the complex world of beekeeping. “You learn best from making mistakes. I don’t really call them mistakes, I call them learning opportunities,” Hogan told Christian County Now. “This is the first year I’ve gotten any honey, because the first two years I was just playing around with the bees.”
Speaking of honey, Hogan has over 100 pounds of it sitting in his garage, waiting to be jarred. While getting fresh, local honey is a definite plus, he has also been sharing his knowledge with his 9-year-old son, who has his own hive that he maintains, and has become very talented at spotting queen bees.
When he can, Hogan offers up his services to rehome swarms that invade people’s homes or are found in trees. These removals each have their own unique challenges and risks, but Hogan and his trusty van of tricks and tools are prepared for any situation.
He proudly demonstrated several self-made tools including a Ghostbusters style backpack he hooked up to a shop vac to safely suck up bees from a swarm, and a cage that was carefully created to prevent captured bees from being injured.
Reality of beekeeping
Removing hive beetles and checking on comb development are just a few of the day-to-day tasks necessary to owning bees. To keep them calm, natural smoke is pumped into the hives as the burning smell triggers an innate response to a forest fire, “They start to gorge themselves on honey because they think they are going to have to leave,” said Hogan. “It’s like you eat a bunch of sugary stuff and have a sugar crash.”
The swarms stay surprisingly calm as Hogan pokes and prods around, but increased buzzing gives a clear warning when they want to be left alone. Basic tips like not swatting at bees and remaining calm can make living alongside these fascinating incents more tolerable.
Hogan continued to explain complex behaviors of bees, including how they rob other hives if they need resources, and the complicated monarchy system in place for bees to select a queen. At the end of the day, there is so much to learn and discover simply by observing a hive.
Through his beekeeping journey, Hogan has gone through the Hives for Heros program, and has become the vice president of the Pennyrile Beekeepers Association. He said a great first step for people interested in bees is coming to a meeting and talking to local beekeepers, “Beekeeping in general is the same, but locally we have different nectar flows and environmental and climate differences.”
The Pennyrile Beekeepers not only are a great resource, but they have also created their own tight knit community, bringing people together from all walks of life to share in their shared interests. To get started with beekeeping and meet people like Ryan Hogan, contact the Pennyrile Beekeepers Association on Facebook, or attend one of their monthly meetings at the Christian County Extension Office.
DON’T MISS A STORY: Click here to sign up for Christian County Now’s free weekly email newsletter