Bill Owens

  

I first learned about beekeeping when I was a young boy from my father. Growing up we always had a few hives on the farm. The bees we kept when I was young were more for the family and I don't believe my father ever sold a jar of honey. 

Owens Apiaries, (the company) didn't officially start until 2005. That was the first year we actually bought insurance and a business license. However, it was in 2000 that I bought my first package of honey bees and conducted my first bee removal. Since then my little hobby has turned into a small business that is known for its service and dependability.

I have held several official positions in local, state, and regional beekeeping associations. Starting in 2001 I enrolled in the Georgia Master Beekeeper program through the University of Georgia. In 2006 I became the first person in Georgia to complete the highest level of the program, Master Craftsman Beekeeper.  To learn more about the Master Beekeeper program you can visit the University of Georgia Honey Bee Program.

By 2005 we added Georgia Bee Removal as a subsidiary to Owens Apiaries. There is no doubt that apiaries, is a difficult word for most people to pronounce much less spell, (Apiaries is plural for Apiary, which means bee farm). It was difficult for us to tell people about our web site, (without spelling it all out) so to prevent confusion we made the addition.

Today Georgia Bee Removal has grown into the largest full-time full-service bee removal company in Georgia and much of the southeast.

Certificates & Accomplishments
2016     Georgia Beekeeper of the year
2010     Co-Author book, Honey Bee Removal  

2009     Published research in Apidologie, The Leading Journal Devoted to Bee Science  

2006     Certified Master Craftsman Beekeeper  

2004     Certified Master Beekeeper 

2003     Certified Journeyman Beekeeper  

2002     Certified Beekeeper

Positions

2011 - 2016 Newsletter Editor Georgia Beekeepers Association

2006 - 2006  Vice President of the Eastern Apiculture Society 

2005 - 2016  Webmaster for the Georgia Beekeepers Association  

2005 - 2006 President of the Georgia Beekeepers Association 

2005 - 2007 Treasure of the Eastern Piedmont Beekeepers Association  

2004 - 2006 Chairman of the Eastern Piedmont Beekeepers Association 

2004 - 2006 Newsletter Editor, Eastern Piedmont Beekeepers Association.