Derrick Shields has been beekeeping for six years. He started with two bee colonies. It is a small business he started with his brother. A few years ago, they became “bee-busters.” They are well-known for their bee removal skills. But they don’t just remove the bees; they re-queen them and then relocate them. “Most of the ferel bees that wind up around someone’s home are somewhat Africanized,” he told me. “They are very defensive.” What the Shields brothers do is kill the Africanized queens and replace them with their Italian queens — which are much more docile. Using her pheromones, her hive and her offspring become gentle and docile.

I asked him how he could tell the difference between an Africanized bee and a more docile one. “You can’t tell by the naked eye,” he explained. “They have the same coloring but you can tell by their behavior.” If they are defensive coming out of the box and fly around his face, then they are not docile bees. “I can tell within the first ten minutes.” he said. 

He emphasized that we need to be concerned about the survival of bees. The populations fluctuate from year to year. They are finding that many bees are just leaving their hives, just leaving their young and they have no explanation for it. They do, however, have a strong suspicion that it is a reaction to the pesticides that are being used and to encroachment — losing their foraging areas to larger human populations. There are also two specific mites that affect honeybees -- the Varroa and the Trachael. Both are very destructive to the bees and are a major contributor in bee die-offs during the winter.

Derrick says that there are a lot of things that we can do to help the honeybees.

Keep the dandelions in your yard. they provide nectar when other plants are not blooming.

Grow a garden full of flowers, herbs and perennials.

Plant at different times — spring, summer and fall

Lighten up or completely quit using pesticides. They aren’t healthy for any living creature.

Use organic methods to remove weeds or keep pests away.

Derrick and his brother continue to raise bees and business is good in the East Valley where he lives. He has been the onsite beekeeper for the Chicago Cubs Spring Training Facility for the last three years and has placed First in professional class honey at the Arizona State Fair. He also manages the honeybee colonies at three East Valley farms.

 on November 16th, 2019 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Join them for a day of bee-themed fun! The Arizona Honeybee Festival is a FREE, family-friendly event featuring talks by local beekeepers, delicious food, live music, kids’ activities and more. Whether you are an experienced beekeeper, just starting out or want to know what plants are helpful to plant to support bees, there is something for everyone at this fun “Buzzing Event.” 

For more information, go to azhoneybeefest.org. 

Date: Saturday, November 16th, 2019, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Location: North Phoenix Baptist Church,

5757 N Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85012

This festival is promoted by the Arizona Backyard 

Beekeepers Association, 

a 501c3 not-for-business organization