SPANISH FORK — What started as a trip to the library has now turned into a family-owned business that a local husband and wife team are hoping will encourage others in Utah County to want to take on their love of bees. Amy and Riley Beck from Spanish Fork own a family business specializing in bee sales, pollination services and honey production.
Both the Becks have a history working with bees. Amy grew up in Tridell, Utah, on a farm that raised bees and Riley started helping a friend’s grandpa raise bees when he was 15 years old.
A few years ago, when Riley was working for the National Guard while finishing school at Utah Valley University, his schedule made it possible for him to tend their new daughter during the day. He would go to the library to find books to read and saw a “Beekeeping for Dummies” book on a table and thought it would be a good hobby. He checked out book after book, until he had read everything he could about beekeeping. He ended up purchasing a large amount of bees and equipment, unknown to his wife.
“One day I came home and overheard a conversation about the bees he had purchased,” Amy said.
So, the couple talked about the new project and a year later decided they wanted to turn their hobby into a business.
Their new business, Abeez Honey, is named after their daughter, Abby. They sell professional packages, beginner’s kits or other separate items on a commercial level. The Becks wanted to fulfill some needs in the community by offering quality bees and enough bees to fill orders when other companies sold out.
“You breed queens specifically for their ability to lay eggs and their ability to make a strong colony,” Amy said. “If you get a weak queen, you won’t get as much honey. We have top-quality queens in our packages.”
At this time of year, the Becks’ hives are contracted to the almond tree growers in California to help with the production of an abundant crop. Then the hives are shipped back to Utah where the bees will pollinate this area and start making honey.
Amy said beekeeping benefits families and the whole community. It teaches children where honey comes from and it is also a great hobby for the whole family. Raising bees locally will help produce a larger crop in local gardens and trees, and Utah County has a need for bees in the area since a large colony died a few years ago. There is also a belief that eating local honey can help with allergies.
The Becks are excited to bring their new business to the area and offer free beginner classes to those interested in raising bees with the purchase of equipment or bees. Their first classes will be on Saturday, March 26. At 2 p.m. they will teach about hive equipment and at 4 p.m. will teach about making nucs, or nuclear hives. On Saturday, April 9, they will teach a class at 2 p.m. about hive inspection.
For more information, contact Riley Beck at (801) 471-6910 or visit their website, which is still under construction, at www.abeezhoney.com.
Posted in Spanish-fork on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 4:00 pm | Tags: Spanish Fork, Bee, Beehive, Honey, Pollination
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