You can be the solution for helping bees (2024)

A grant program by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is now open to individuals who would like to get started or expand a beekeeping operation.

The Beehive Distribution Program was created in 2018 by the General Assembly for the purpose of promoting the establishment of new beehives in Virginia.

Applications are now open and must be submitted online or postmarked by Sept. 6 in order to be considered. If selected, an applicant may receive up to three beehive units from VDACS.

The city of Martinsville officially became a “Bee City” in 2021. Martinsville Garden Club member Cindy Edgerton told the Martinsville City Council at a meeting where the designation was adopted by a resolution, that 75% of crops and 95% of flowers are the result of working pollinators.

Beekeeping also provides an important source of income for many rural livelihoods. According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, there are more than 80 million honey bee hives producing an estimated 1.6 million tons of honey every year.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says a third of the world’s food production depends on bees.

“When animals and insects pick up the pollen of flowers and spread it, they allow plants, including many food crops, to reproduce,” says the United Nations Environment Program. “Birds, rodents, monkeys and even people pollinate, but the most common pollinators are insects, and among them, bees.”

Starting a beehive operation is not to be taken lightly, according to Beekeeping for Newbies. The cost of a standard beehive is between $120 and $200, but the overall cost of maintaining one bee hive for the first year is about $800.

A set of hive components costs around $270, a bee package is approximately $180, protective gear and basic tools cost about $200 and miscellaneous costs for supplies and sales taxes are about $150.

If you haven’t been dissuaded, here’s how the Beehive Distribution Program works:

Applications can be submitted using the Department’s online Beehive Distribution Program system or by postal mail during the application period and all applications should include a valid email address.

You will be encouraged to signup at VA.BeeCheck.org, a online communication tool that allows beekeepers and pesticide applicators to work together to protect apiaries through an online mapping program.