Pennsylvania beekeepers’ day

Pennsylvania beekeepers seem to be doing a great PR job in celebrating their centenary. In recognition of beekeeping's contribution to the State's agricultural economy, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has designated today as Pennsylvania Beekeepers’ Day. Tomorrow about 100 beekeepers, decked out in beekeeping attire, will converge on the Capitol in Harrisburg to greet legislators and visitors and pass out jars of honey and pieces of Beekeepers Association birthday cake.

Bee colonies in Pennsylvania have decreased from 80,000 in 1982 to just 30,000 in 2000 — a reduction that not only has led to a drop in honey production, but also poses a serious threat to the state's bee-pollinated crops.