Bees Are The Buzz

At Matthew Curtiss House Program

By Andrew Gorosko

Beekeeper Gordon Brainerd of Branford described the world of honeybees to the public last Sunday, May 20, on the front lawn at the Matthew Curtiss House on Main Street.

Mr Barinerd and his wife operate Doubloon Apiaries, and have their beehives located across New Haven County, many of which are situated near organic farms.

The open-air session on bees was held in conjunction with the Newtown Historical Society giving tours of the historic saltbox Curtiss House, which serves as the group’s museum and headquarters.

Mr Brainerd explained that he keeps 110 bee colonies, where millions of honeybees live. He harvests wildflower honey from those colonies, which Doubloon Apiaries then bottles and sells to the public.

Mr Brainerd discussed the recent phenomenon of “colony collapse disorder,” which has resulted in a major die-off of honeybees across the world. The cause of the problem is being intensively investigated by scientists, he said.

Suggested causes of the bee die-off are viral infections, exposure to pesticides, and microwave radiation, he said, adding that the cause of the problem is yet unclear.

In colony collapse disorder, bees fly away from their hives and never return, said Mr Brainerd, who noted that he has lost many honeybees due to the problem.

Without bee pollination, agricultural crops would suffer, because bees are prime pollinators of many plants, he said. Among crops pollinated by bees are apples, pears, peaches, melons, squash, clover and alfalfa, he said.

Besides its many uses in baking and cooking, honey is used as a topical treatment for infected wounds, Mr Brainerd said.