The transition from winter to spring is a critical time for Michigan’s $2 billion agriculture industry, where honeybees pollinate roughly half of all crops, including apples, cherries, blueberries, and cucumbers.
“So, it's bee season. We're working with backyard beekeepers, small farmers, big farmers to make sure that there's plenty of bees here in Michigan to pollinate crops.”
Genji Leclair, owner of the Great Lakes Bee Company in Fremont, says timing is everything.
The nectar flow when flowers produce at peak moves like a wave from the Indiana border in mid-April to the Upper Peninsula by June.
"It’s a race to catch the nectar flow... beekeepers are wanting bees over a long period of time, which is a challenge for people like us bringing bees in."
Great Lakes Bee Company sells beekeeping equipment, bee products and the insects themselves.
Thousands are about to arrive to replace those lost during Michigan’s volatile winters when fluctuating temperatures can decimate hives by 40-60%.
“They’re going to get a package, which is a box of bees. It's got a queen in there, and they're going to shake those bees into their existing hives that didn't overwinter. And then they'll be off and running again.”
Large-scale Michigan apiaries—some managing over 7,000 colonies—winter their bees in California, Florida, or Georgia.
Warm climates keep hives active and growing, ensuring a healthy return for the Michigan spring.
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