Millions of honeybees return to Michigan, picked up by beekeepers

If the parking lot looked empty, it was because business had been booming — er, buzzing.

On Saturday, backyard and commercial beekeepers picked up honeybees from The Great Lakes Bee Company as the pollinators returned to Michigan after spending their winter down south.

"We're ready, said owner Genji LeClair. "Beekeeping is definitely here to stay."

LeClair began beekeeping "for the honey," but fell in love with the "magical things that come out of the beehive" soon after, becoming an advocate for the striped insect.

"You want to protect them. We have to protect them," LeClair said, speaking on behalf of the state's blueberry, apple, cherry, and other agricultural crops that depend on bees for pollination.

"My mission now is to make that sure we get as many bees out into backyards as we can," LeClair said.

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During the annual pick-up event, LeClair said an estimated 1,000 colonies went home with beekeepers from across the state looking to start from scratch or add to their apiaries.

These hobbyists have contributed to the honeybee's seeming comeback in recent years, with a recent census from the USDA citing a 31% increase in bee colonies in the United States from 2017 (2,876,496) to 2022 (3,800,015).

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"The backyard beekeepers are like, 'We got it.'" LeClair said, referencing a past rash of colony collapse disorder, a phenomenon which decimated certain bee populations across the country. "We didn't know what was happening. We just knew it was an emergency."

Pollinating almond fields in California and rebuilding hives in Georgia, the countless honeybees available at The Great Lakes Bee Company on Saturday were shipped by climate-controlled truck to the Fremont-based business.

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In addition to supplying beekeepers with bees and beekeeping supplies, GLBC also sells honey under the Hasselman Michigan Honey brand.

"If we can [protect pollinators] and still get a little honey on the side," LeClair said, "Then that's a good day."

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