Beekeeping Laborer

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
honey and bees.
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 and beeswax. Prepare hives for pollination. Perform general maintenance of equipment and facility.
Work is to be done for long periods of time. Workers may assist in loading trucks with product weighing up to and including 80 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 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.
Persons seeking employment as experienced Beekeeper must be available for the entire period requested by the employer.

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. In assessing whether workers' performance meets reasonable expectations, employer evaluates, among other reasonable criteria, whether the worker: (1) has adequately complied with the Work Rules and any other policies or procedures; (2) has complied with all health and safety guidelines, including the use of tools or equipment in accordance with best practices to protect the employer's property, crops, and in a manner that avoids injury or damage; (3) has treated company property (tools, equipment, crops, fixtures, etc.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of three months of prior experience working on a honeybee farm handling both manual and machine tasks associated with commercial beekeeping. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Workers must be able to perform manual and mechanized tasks with accuracy and efficiency. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 80 lbs. Workers must have no fear of bees and be non-allergic to bee stings, pollen, honey or other products of the hive. No minimum education or High School diploma/equivalent is necessary for the position. Employer-paid post-hire drug testing is required post-accident and upon reasonable suspicion of use.