UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- There are millions of workers in Pennsylvania who annually play a direct and vital role in the production of more than $50 million worth of fruit and vegetable crops. And the fruit of their labor isn't just fresh produce. They also manufacture a sweet and nutritious treat that's used as a topping or ingredient for a number of foods.

These workers are honey bees, and without them -- and the people who keep and manage them -- Pennsylvania's bountiful crops of apples, peaches, soybeans, pears, pumpkins, cucumbers, cherries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries would not be possible.

Many of Pennsylvania's 2,000 registered beekeepers belong to the Pennsylvania Beekeepers Association, which is marking its 100th anniversary in 2004. In recognition of the centennial and the importance of bees and beekeepers to the state's agricultural economy, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives designated April 12 as "Pennsylvania Beekeepers Day."

To celebrate the occasion, about 100 beekeepers, decked out in beekeeping attire, will converge on the Capitol in Harrisburg from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 13 to greet legislators and visitors and pass out jars of honey and pieces of Beekeepers Association birthday cake. "Despite many challenges, Pennsylvania's beekeepers continue to provide critical pollination services to the state's fruit and vegetable industries," says Maryann Frazier, Penn State Cooperative Extension apiculture (bee and beekeeping) specialist. "In addition, state beekeepers each year produce more than 500 tons of honey, valued at more than $1.3 million."

In recent years, the beekeeping industry has had to overcome the introduction of foreign parasitic mites and other pests and diseases that have contributed to a drop in the number of managed honey bee colonies from more than 80,000 in 1982 to just 30,000 in 2000. This reduction not only has led to a drop in honey production, but poses a serious threat to the state's bee-pollinated crops.

"Without an organization such as the Pennsylvania Beekeepers Association to share information and expertise and raise awareness of the importance and plight of honey bees, producers and consumers alike would suffer," Frazier says. EDITORS: Maryann Frazier can be reached at 814-865-4621.

###

Chuck Gill Office 814-863-2713 FAX 814-863-9877