Beekeeper

Beekeeper at Pal's Apiaries, Inc. in Fellsmere, FL.

Crops/Commodities: honey. Primary duties (performed the majority of workdays): Worker must be familiar with working with bees in all stages, from the egg through fully developed workers, drones and queens; must work all aspects of commercial bee keeping, including assessing a colony to determine if it needs food or medicine, feeding and medicating bees, maintaining hives in a healthy state, increasing number of hives, raising and replacing queens, making divides, making, painting and cleaning boxes, supering hives. Run queen breeding yard and produce queen bees. Manipulate and service hive structures and haul bees to and from different hive locations to ensure healthy and productive honeybee colonies. Must respond correctly to bees to harmonize with their natural cycle and keep them in the healthiest state possible for survival and profitability. Assemble frames and build, paint and repair honey boxes. Load, unload and move bees/boxes. Extract honey and process honey beeswax. Prepare hives for pollination. Perform general maintenance of equipment and facility. May operate small farm equipment such as small light duty forklift and riding mowers.

Work is to be done for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Workers may assist in loading trucks with product weighing up to and including 60 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet. Workers should be able to work on their feet in bent positions for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, insect spray, related chemicals, etc. may affect workers' ability to perform the job. Workers need to have no fear of bees and be non-allergic to bee stings, pollen, honey or other products of the hive. Workers are exposed to wet weather early in the morning through the heat of the day. Temperatures may range from 10 to 110 F. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop operations. Workers should be physically able to do the work required with or without reasonable accommodations.

Employer-paid post-hire drug testing upon suspicion of use.

Valid driving license and clean driving record (no major moving violations such as but not limited to Driving While Intoxicated or Reckless Driving) may be asked to drive company vehicles and to drive other workers in a pick-up truck.

Employer assures that workers will be provided transportation from living quarters to work site every day (for workers who must be provided housing under the applicable regulations).

Persons seeking employment as experienced Beekeeper must be available for the entire period requested by the employer. Job opportunity is Skill Level I. All primary duties are entry-level and require close supervision and/or a short demonstration of the task by a more experienced worker.

Employer may request, but not require, workers to work more than the stated daily hours and/or on a worker's Sabbath or federal holidays. Worker must report to work at designated time and place each day. Daily or weekly work schedule may vary due to weather, sunlight, temperature, crop conditions, and other factors. Employer will notify workers of any change to start time. Workers will have an unpaid lunch break.

TERMINATION. Prior to any termination for cause, employer evaluates workers' performance of required tasks and compliance with Work Rules and other employer policies. Employer may terminate a worker for cause if the worker's performance consistently and/or substantially fails to satisfy the employer's reasonable expectations (in accordance with the criteria set forth herein), or otherwise engages in serious or egregious misconduct that endangers health, safety, or property.

Work begins January 5, 2027 and ends November 5, 2027.

Pay is $15 per hour.

Housing is provided.

Typical schedule: about 45 hours per week.