Beekeeper Peter Schumacher will address the Livermore Amador Valley Garden Club at his May 13 meeting. (Post photo)
At the Livermore Amador Valley Garden Club, beekeeper Peter Schumacher, a member of the Mt. Diablo Beekeepers Association, will attend his next Zoom meeting on Thursday (May 13th) at 7pm. Schumacher provides basics for those who might consider beekeeping.
“We have many of our members considering putting a beehive in their backyard and have inquiries from others on the same subject,” said Public Relations Chair Dolores Bengtson. “It seems that national outreach has caught on in terms of the vital role bees play in food production.”
Schumacher became a beekeeper in 2008 after a swarm of bees settled in his backyard and he decided to keep her. He had to rush to figure out how to capture the swarm and gather the resources needed to keep it.
He sought help from members of the mountain. Diablo Beekeepers Association as well as forums and videos viewed online to gather the basic information needed to set up his first beehive. Schumacher reported that the crush was patient and waited a few days before giving them their new home.
Next, Schumacher did extensive research on how to become an effective beekeeper, with uncertainties and mistakes being part of the learning process. He now holds 15 beehives and harvests 150 to 350 pounds of honey per year depending on weather conditions.
