Beekeeper

Crops/Commodities: Bees.

Primary duties (performed the majority of workdays): Raise honeybees to produce honey and maintain colony health. Find and cage queens and install queen cells. Split bee colonies. Monitor, maintain and increase beehives. Workers will clean and scrape beehives removing wax buildup and debris. Force bees from hives, uncap harvested honeycombs and extract honey from honeycombs. Operate honey extracting equipment and misc. tools used to work with honey bees. Harvest, extract and package honey. Medicate, feed, and maintain beehives. Treat beehives for mites. Identify and detect common brood diseases. Build and repair bee boxes and other beekeeping equipment. Sterilize all honey extraction equipment and facilities daily. Winterize all beekeeping facilities and equipment and prepare all beehives to be shipped at the end of the season. Load and unload flatbed trucks.

Secondary duties (performed on less than half of the workdays in the contract period): May raise honeybees to produce bees and queen bees for resale. Remove frames covered with bees from beehives and shake into packages for customers. Find and destroy superfluous queen bee cells to prevent division of colony by warming. Mow around bee yards. Worker's with a valid license may transport bee boxes from hives to extracting facility and drive farm vehicle to obtain supplies. Perform minor daily and incidental upkeep to equipment, worksite, and colony boxes. Prepare bees and beekeeping equipment.

A veil will be provided to protect the face from stings. Wear gloves while working with the beehives. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a worker's ability to perform the job. Persons seeking employment in this position 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.

Requirements: 1 months of experience. One month of experience in beekeeping required. Work outside in inclement weather. Lift 60 lb. beehives. Push, pull and perform repetitive movements.