Farmers and avid backyard gardeners alike arrived at IFA Country Store in Cortez early Tuesday morning, eager to pick up their bees from the back of a dusty white trailer.
A few stragglers that had strayed from their wooden boxes buzzed about the store’s office manager, Jayne Hopkins, as she confirmed with customers the variety of box they’d come to pick up.
“Spring is bee time,” Hopkins said. “It's a good thing. I'm glad people are getting into these little guys.”
Hopkins has worked at IFA Country Store for more than two decades and overseen the bee operation since its inception in 2018. The bees come from Utah, staying at California’s almond groves through the winter, then returning for distribution.
They’ve accumulated a loyal customer base, with some coming from as far as Texas to expand their hives or replace ones lost over the winter.
“These guys here are pretty much repeat offenders -- repeat customers,” Hopkins said with a chuckle.
But beekeeping in high elevations with variable climates can be challenging, and beekeepers work to combat forces beyond their control to sustain their hives.
“Season’s really short, especially where we’re at,” James Andersch, a Mancos farmer who came to collect his box of bees, said.
His farm, which produces mushrooms, CBD, flowers and now honey, lies at 7,700 feet of elevation. It can be difficult for bees to acclimate to the high environment, Andersch said.
He and his wife saw one of their two hives survive the winter, so Andersch ordered a nuc — a ready-to-go five-frame hive with a queen and worker bees — for $219.99, as a replacement.
“You just take those frames out, put them in your hive and you're off and running,” Hopkins said.
Kristine Curtis also experienced the death of one of her hives this winter -- but she’s back for more. Curtis traveled from Monticello for her bees, enjoying their presence in her garden along with the benefits they provide to her wildflowers.
“It’s kind of fun just to watch them,” Curtis said. “Having multiple hives, you see how each hive has its own personality.”
David Sessions, a Santa Fe resident and ornamental gardener, agrees.
“They’re just very pleasant and really productive,” Sessions, who endured the four-hour-long commute for his new batch of Italian honeybees, said. “They’re like having chickens or ducks, you know? Very social.”
As customers stepped up to Hopkins’ table to ask for their order, she handed them marshmallows and instructed them how to release their queens, which were contained in little mesh and wood boxes sealed with a small cork. The bees need time to acclimate and accept the queen, so the marshmallow can be very important.
“You have to take the cork out and put a piece of candy or nougat or I give them a marshmallow if they need it,” Hopkins said. “They'll eat that candy and get her out of there, and then they'll be one big happy family.”
Doug Laes, the media officer with the Western Colorado Beekeepers Association in Grand Junction, said bees provide an essential service, particularly to agricultural operations.
“They basically are responsible for pollinating about one third of what we eat,” Laes said.
Our World in Data researchers estimate that 35% of crop production depends on pollinators.
Laes added that the warm winter and temperature fluctuations afflicting Colorado this year can harm hives.
“It can throw them off,” Laes said. “Once it gets above 55 degrees, they think it’s time to go out for food.”
The biggest colony loss in Laes’ region happens in February and March, when bees get active too early and consume more of their hive’s food supply before they can access pollen and nectar from still-dormant flowers.
Another worry for beekeepers is a prolonged freeze. Cortez and surrounding areas are gearing up for a cold snap this week as late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning could see temperatures ranging from the 30s to the mid-20s.
“If you’ve got a big colony and the freeze lasts too long, they could burn through all of their stores and run out of food,” Laes said.
But, he assured beekeepers, a bee colony should make it through a short freeze.
“As long as they’ve got enough numbers and enough space to keep heat, to keep warm, they’re good,” Laes said.
Beyond unpredictable weather patterns, honeybees also face a significant threat from the Varroa mite.
“It transmits viruses to adult bees,” Emily Lockard, director of the Colorado State University Extension in Montezuma County, said.
She added the mites can weaken a hive’s immunity, making it more vulnerable to collapse.
“When anything is stressed it’s just susceptible,” Lockard said.
However, despite the challenges, there are resources. Lockard pointed to CSU’s online course called Beekeeping in the Mountain West, which teaches beekeepers how to adequately nurture their honeybee colonies through high elevations and harsh climates.
While many hives don’t survive the winter, bees can be resilient and a source of hope for their caretakers.
“Even if honeybees can struggle, that’s an optimistic thing for folks to do in the springtime,” Lockard said.
avanderveen@the-journal.com
