Beekeeper

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
beekeeping.
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 accessing 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. Prepare and transport hives to winter storage facility and almond orchards. Provide care and maintenance of hives in almond and pit-fruit orchards. Harvest Owari Satsuma mandarin oranges - specialty fruits that require hand-picking, using small curved pruning shears (less than five percent of total job duties performed). Assemble frames and build, paint and repair honey boxes. Load, unload and move bees/boxes. Extract honey and process honey beeswax. Prepare hives for spring pollination. Perform general maintenance of equipment and facility. Perform general orchard, garden and/or honey house maintenance.

Employer has a strict prohibition on tobacco usage. No smoking or tobacco use of any kind will be permitted in the fields, in worker housing, or anywhere on company premises. This is necessary to protect against disease, which is transmitted by hands and tools contaminated with tobacco by-products. Employer reserves the right to discharge any employee found smoking or found in possession of smoking materials including cigarettes, cigars, snuff, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco or smoking paraphernalia.

Workers with a clean driving record (no major moving violations such as but not limited to Driving While Intoxicated or Reckless Driving) and able to obtain an insurable driver's license may drive company vehicles. Workers with appropriate licenses and a valid doctor's certificate may transport other workers.

Work is to be done for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Workers are expected to perform duties including boxing, weighing and loading of product. 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. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, insect spray, related chemicals, etc. may affect workers’ ability to perform the job. Workers must 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 100 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.

An applicant for this job must be available to work for the entire duration of the itinerary. An applicant referred to the employer after the labor certification has been granted, but before 50 percent of the work contract period for the entire itinerary has elapsed, must be available and willing to join the employer at whatever place the employer is located at the time and remain with the employer for the duration of the beekeeping itinerary.
An applicant for this job must be available to work for the entire itinerary.

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 beekeeping. Workers must be able to perform all duties with accuracy and efficiency. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Workers must have no fear of bees and be non-allergic to bee stings, pollen, honey or other products of the hive. . Employer-paid post-hire drug and alcohol testing is required after a worker has an accident at work or upon suspicion. No minimum education or High School diploma/equivalent is necessary for the position.