Murphy – Introducing Matthew Van Horn, a man who likes the sweet buzz of his honeybees.
Van Horn is president of the Appalachian Beekeepers Association. He invites others to experience the joy of learning about the little creatures that do a lot of good.
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The club helps people learn about honeybees while promoting positive and beneficial practices in Cherokee County.
Honey is a sweet fluid made by honeybees, who use the nectar of flowering plants. There are about 320 varieties of honey, which vary in color, odor and flavor.
According to the Mayo Clinic, honey contains mostly sugar as well as a mix of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, iron, zinc and antioxidants. In addition to being a natural sweetener, honey is used as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial agent. People commonly use honey orally to treat coughs and topically to treat burns and promote wound healing.
It does not take a lot of land to keep honeybees – just an area set aside that is not interrupted by foot traffic, as the bees need a direct flight path.
Van Horn’s passion came from gardening.
“I realized that I had a low number of pollinators,” he said. “I thought that I would get a couple of hives and help promote my local pollinators, and now we have many.”
He harvests his honey in June and late July into August. Van Horn does not just walk up to his hives and scoop out the honey; he dons protective gear, as bees can sting.
“If you play with bees, you’re eventually gonna get stung,” he said. Since 2021, Van Horn has been stung just shy of 20 times.
Protective equipment includes face and head protection, such as that offered with a beekeeping veil, as well as gloves and a jacket that covers arms, torso and head. Keeping bees involves physical work, such as lifting and moving 15-25 pounds. The effort can be worthwhile, as hives can multiply each year.
According to Van Horn, most honey comes from trees, and the bees love tulip poplar. Bees also enjoy sourwood and fruit trees, as well as many other varieties of trees and flowers.
The Appalachian Beekeepers Association meets meetings on the first Monday of every month at Konehete Veterans Park in the Cherokee County Parks & Recreation office building, 699 Connahetta St. Meetings start at 7 p.m. Meetings are free, and membership is $12 yearly for those interested.
Topics include how to source and install bees, beekeeping in different seasons and common nectar sources in the area. The classes are open to everyone regardless of beekeeping experience and owning bees is not required.
Each year, folks can attend a beekeeping school for 2-3 days that offers hands-on experience.
Details: Call 828-557-9696.