ROSEVILLE, Calif. — Everyday Heroes are all around us and ABC10 wants to highlight the work they do. Every week our viewer nominates people and organizations making a difference in our community.
This week we want to introduce you to Daniel Schonthole. Few people can handle his job, but this beekeeper removes swarms of bees for free. Then he finds the bees a new home.
Social distancing is part of Schonthole’s job because when there’s a bee swarm, few people want to be close to him. Schonthole runs Blue Green Horizons, a free honeybee removal and relocation service. He’s often called out to deal with swarms.
“We are getting twice as many calls as last year,” Schonthole said.
Swarms happen during the bee’s reproductive stage. The insects are looking for a place to nest. Most of the time the swarm nests in trees or bushes, but sometimes they make a home in a manmade object.
“With everyone home right now many people are experiencing bee swarms going through their back yards,” said Schonthole.
He also removes bees that have made homes in people’s houses.
Honeybees are a very important species because they pollinate food crops. But the bee population worldwide has significantly declined due to disease and pesticides.
When Schonthole removes the bees, he educates people about the importance of honeybees, then finds the bees new homes.
“It’s really important because over 30% of our food crops require pollination. If we lose that we will lose or at least raise the cost of food,” Schonthole explained.
After recovering the honeybees, Schonthole gives them to non-profit groups like 4-H or the Girl Scouts. And he teaches them to become beekeepers.
Daniel Shonthole is an Everyday Hero for saving honeybees during the pandemic. Click here to learn more about Blue Green Horizon and the services they provide.
If you would like to nominate an Everyday Hero email John Bartell jbartell@abc.com.
Read more Everyday Hero stories on ABC10
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