PORT TOWNSEND — People often seek to save the world by curing cancer or bringing about world peace, but Laura Ferguson feels the best method can easily reside in anyone’s backyard.
“If we lost our bee population in the United States and plants were not pollinated, there would be a worldwide famine in four years,” she said. “I think it is the smaller beekeepers that will make the difference.”
Ferguson, 45, is now attempting to transform the beekeeping hobby she embraced three years ago into a profession by teaching classes, providing services and spreading the beekeeping message.
She has three hives in her backyard housing approximately 60,000 to 100,000 bees, where she provides information about bee behavior and hands-on instruction about how to start one’s own colony.
Ferguson has lived in Port Townsend for 21 years, has owned several businesses and has worked in a handful of jobs, sometimes simultaneously.
“Like everyone else here, I have worn a lot of hats,” she said.
She’s been fascinated with bees since childhood, when she visited the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and saw the bee exhibit, pressing her ear to the glass so she could hear the commotion.
She now offers her own guidance to beginners.
“Mentorship is a very important part of beekeeping,” she said.
“You can learn how to do this from a book or video, but the most benefit happens when there is someone there to help you learn.”
Ferguson said the art of beekeeping doesn’t follow a consensus: If you ask one question of two beekeepers, you will get three different answers.
There are also different approaches.
Ferguson wears a bee veil, gloves and long pants when handling bees while some of her students, such as 18-year-old Melissa Allen, wear shorts and inspect the hives barehanded.
Allen said she has never been stung and could re-evaluate her apparel but feels that if a bee stings her, it’s her own fault.
“If you go slow and send out love vibes, they won’t mess with you,” she said.
The cost of entry to beekeeping is far less expensive than other outdoor endeavors, such as gardening, Ferguson said.
The hive kits can cost between $150 and $300, while a bee starter kit —including the queen — costs in the neighborhood of $80.
If a fledgling beekeeper (or “newbee”) hooks up with other beekeepers, he or she might get the bees for free, Ferguson said.
Once everything is set up, hive maintenance costs around $50 and require about an hour a week to keep things healthy.
Ferguson’s two-day class costs $100.
Beekeeping is cheaper than running a garden, but there is more responsibility, Ferguson said.
“You aren’t dealing with plants but are taking care of small creatures who are growing and are susceptible to disease,” she said.
“You can help them to thrive in a way that some of the larger beekeeping operations do not.”
Ferguson has learned how to spot disease, which is best accomplished by inspecting any dead bees in front of the hive.
She then can isolate the sick bees before the disease spreads.
This is more difficult in large operations as the bees are often kept in semitrucks, where diseased bees can easily mix with the population at large.
Moving the bees to different locations can also traumatize them and result in less healthy hives, she said.
Ferguson charges for her services but will share her knowledge and pick up swarms for free.
“If someone has a swarm on their property, they should call me rather than spraying,” she said.
To contact Ferguson, phone 360-379-3269 or email laurafergusonabc@gmail.com.
Other local resources include the East Jefferson Beekeepers Association, www.ejbees.org, and Tarboo Valley Bees, 1171 Dabob Road, Quilcene, 360-774-6052, which sells equipment and supplies.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
