Green Dynamix Spring / Summer 2023 Newsletter

TEAM HIGHLIGHT:
A Unique Hob-bee
4
ur Senior
OAccount
Executive, Abby Brooks, is
deeply passionate about horticulture
and the Green Industry. We
recently learned she extends that
passion to the vital pollinators
that make our industry possible.
When she was 19 years old,
Abby and her father took a class
on beekeeping, a common
intrigue they shared. The class eventually
led to a family hobby of beekeeping and last
year, Abby and her husband began the venture of
starting their own hive in their backyard in Savannah,
Georgia.
While she was in horticulture school, she
had her first opportunity to fully suit up and get
hands-on with a beehive during her summer internship.
This could pose as a daunting challenge
for some, but Abby’s fascination with these amazing
pollinators allowed her to handle the
hive without getting stung.
“It’s almost a meditative state. You
have to control your breathing. They can
sense if you’re afraid or anxious. They’re
just trying to protect their hive and they’ll
only sting if they feel you’re a threat,” Abby
explained. Beekeepers check on their hives
for more than honey collection. They make
sure the hive is healthy and thriving, look
for any pests that could harm them, make
sure the bees are drawing out new combs,
that they’re having new babies and ensure
there is adequate space to continue growing.
Plenty of space is crucial to a happy hive,
“It’s
almost a
meditative state.
You have to control
your breathing. They
can sense if you’re
afraid or anxious.”
- ABBY BROOKS
as Abby and her husband witnessed firsthand. Bees go through a natural
phenomenon known as “swarming” in springtime. If the hive gets too
large and not enough of the pheromone is distributed to all the worker
bees, they think it’s time to make a new queen. The swarming pro-