Doc Wild's Apiary
Sustainable Beekeeping
In 2019, Lee started Doc Wilds. His aim is to counter the decline of the honeybee through selective breeding. All of the profits are dedicated to continued research.
Doc Wild's Apiary and Royal Nursery, LLC
Research
The honeybee is in decline. Many attribute the decline to pesticides and mono-cropping, but the truth is that the Western honeybee is under attack. Two new-ish pests, the Varroa destructor (an ectoparasitic mite from Asia) and the small hive beetle (from sub-Saharan Africa) are responsible for their decline world-wide. The Varroa research aims to identify those traits that will give the bee a fighting chance. Dr. Bushong is an international and national honeybee speaker.
Bee Production
Dr. Bushong's apiary produces 200-300 new colonies every year. Doc Wild's is a vendor to a local university, where the bees are studied as well as their environmental stressors. Colonies are sold to the public at a fair market value and the proceeds from these sales are reinvested in more research.
Services
Some services provided include mentorship to new beekeepers, pollination services to area farmers, and select equipment sales.
Doc Wild's Apiary and royal nursery
Visit Doc Wild's website at www.docwildsbees.com.
Publications
Bushong, L. C., & Diedrick, W. (2020). The small hive beetle in North Florida. American Bee Journal, 160(10), 1139-1142.