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The Livermore Amador Valley Garden Club will feature beekeeper Peter Schumacher, a member of the Mt. Diablo Beekeepers Association, at its next Zoom meeting, 7 p.m. Thursday (May 13). Schumacher will provide basics for those who might be considering beekeeping.
“We have many of our members considering placing a hive in their backyard and have inquiries from others regarding the same subject,” said publicity chairwoman Dolores Bengtson. “It seems the national publicity regarding the critical role bees play in food production has hit home with many people.”
Schumacher became a beekeeper in 2008 after a swarm of bees settled in his backyard and he decided to try to keep them. He had to hastily track down how to capture the swarm and to gather the resources needed to keep it.
He sought the aid of members of the Mt. Diablo Beekeepers Association plus viewed forums and videos online to gather the basic information needed to set up his first hive. Schumacher has reported that the swarm was patient and waited for the several days it took for him to provide them their new home.
Next, Schumacher did intense research on how to become an effective beekeeper, with uncertainly and mistakes being part of the learning process. He now keeps 15 bee hives and, depending on weather conditions, harvests from 150 to 350 pounds of honey a year.
Schumacher’s talk, “The ABCs of Beekeeping,” also will cover best practices on how everyone can help bees thrive.
Despite not meeting in-person, the garden club continues its many work parties, following COVID-19 safety guidelines. Both Eden Garden and Clare’s Fare Garden are well on their way to again providing healthy vegetables to food pantries, and the Hansen Park Rose Garden in Livermore and the Sensory Garden in Pleasanton are serviced regularly. Other sections of the club meet on Zoom.
For more information, go to www.lavgc.org. To attend Thursday’s Zoom meeting, email president@lavgc.org.
