Beekeeper

Beekeeper at Hurley Apiary & Honey LLC in Moss Point, MS.

Crops/Commodities: Bees. Primary duties (performed the majority of workdays): Perform manual and mechanical duties related to commercial beekeeping and honey production. Must be familiar with working with bees in all stages, from egg through mature workers, drones and queens. Must work all aspects of beekeeping.

Make, paint and clean boxes. Assemble hives using hand tools. Inserts honeycombs into hive. Access colony to determine if food or medicine is needed. Feed and medicate bees for diseases, parasites, and pests. Sterilize hive and burn diseased hive or bee colony.

Run queen breeding yard. Raise and replace queens. Make divides. Prepare bees and bee equipment for pollination.

Harvest/extract honey. Collect royal jelly. Uncap harvested honeycombs and extracts honey. Remove frames covered with bees and shake into cages. Manipulate and service hive structures. Haul bees to and from different hive locations.

Must have no fear of bees and be non-allergic to bee stings, pollen, honey or other products of the hive.

Perform mechanized extraction. Must be familiar with mechanized extraction equipment. Cap and handle combs. Mechanically separate wax from honey. Maintain extraction equipment. Assist with refining wax and processing honey. Prepare honey by filtration and/or moisture reduction before final packaging. Blend and filter wax before final packaging for sale.

Install/maintain irrigation systems and water lines. Move and install irrigation pipes and equipment. Dig and maintain ditches. Install and remove levee gates.

Apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other crop protectants. Apply fertilizers, plant growth chemicals, conditioners, and other plant related treatments at the correct times depending on plant type, growth, climate and crop conditions.

Mow, cut, and weed fields. Perform ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, ground preparation, and other manual tasks. Bending, stooping and kneeling required. Use hand tools including but not limited to hoes, shovels, shears, clippers, loppers, and saws. Lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies. Assist with farm building/field maintenance and repairs. Repair fences.

Must wear assigned personal protective equipment when required. Must report for work daily wearing work clothing and boots or other durable foot wear. Workers wearing clothing inappropriate for work will not be permitted to start work.

Outdoor work required in variable weather conditions (e.g., rain, snow, wind, direct sun, high humidity, etc.). Temperatures in fields during working hours may vary. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a worker's ability to perform the job. Work may involve prolonged periods of standing/walking, repetitive movements, and frequent bending and/or stooping. Workers must be able to handle, lift, and carry heavy or bulky objects (tools, equipment, etc.).

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

Supervisor(s) will provide instructions and directions to workers. Workers must be able to comprehend and follow instructions and communicate effectively to supervisors. Unusual, complex or non-routine activities will be supervised. Workers expected to perform basic duties in a proficient manner without close supervision. 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.

Work begins January 20, 2027 and ends October 20, 2027.

Pay is $9.95 per hour.

Housing is provided.

Typical schedule: about 40 hours per week.