Beekeeper

Beekeeper at Boston Honey Company, Inc. in Hortense, GA.

The Beekeeper performs essential manual and mechanical tasks in commercial beekeeping, focusing on honey production and colony health. Workers will manage bee colonies at all stages, from eggs to mature workers, drones, and queens. Responsibilities include operating a queen breeding yard, raising and replacing queens, and performing divides as needed to support colony growth. Workers will assess colonies to determine food and medical needs, applying necessary feed and treatments to control diseases, pests, and parasites. When required, hives will be sterilized, and diseased colonies properly disposed of.

The role includes constructing, painting, and cleaning hive boxes; assembling hives with hand tools; and inserting honeycombs into frames. Workers will manipulate and maintain hive structures, transport and set up hives for pollination, and relocate hives to different sites as necessary. During honey harvest, workers will uncap and extract honey from combs, operate mechanized extraction equipment, and separate wax from honey. Honey will be transported to the extraction facility, filtered, and prepared for final packaging through moisture reduction. Wax is also processed and packaged, and workers will assist in maintaining and cleaning extraction equipment.

In addition to beekeeping, workers will conduct general farm maintenance and field work, including mowing, cutting, weeding fields, ditching, shoveling, hoeing, and preparing the ground for beekeeping activities. Basic repairs and maintenance on farm structures and fences will be performed using hand tools such as hoes, shovels, shears, and clippers. Physical and environmental requirements include the ability to lift and carry heavy objects up to 75 pounds regularly and engage in repetitive bending, stooping, and kneeling. The work is performed outdoors in varied weather conditions, including rain, snow, high humidity, and extreme temperatures, and involves prolonged periods of standing or walking.

Workers must be willing to travel and work in New York as part of the beekeeping season. Housing will be provided in New York, and all job duties described here will remain the same during that period.

Workers must have no fear of bees and no allergies to bee stings, pollen, honey, or other hive products. They are expected to wear assigned personal protective equipment when necessary and must report to work each day wearing durable footwear and appropriate work clothing as described (no uniforms are provided). Adherence to safety protocols and work attire standards is mandatory. Daily work schedules may vary based on weather, crop conditions, and other environmental factors. Workers are expected to report to designated locations on time each day and may occasionally be required to work during inclement weather. A five-day trial period will evaluate proficiency in essential job duties.

Work begins January 15, 2027 and ends November 10, 2027.

Pay is $16.49 per hour.

Housing is provided.

Typical schedule: about 44 hours per week.