Farmers across South Georgia will be doing some babysitting for the next few months. But, there’s no diapers to change or bottles to make.

Bee keepers from places as far away as Michigan and North Dakota are loading semi-tractor trailers and shipping their hives south. They bring them here to avoid freezing temperatures and increase the bee’s chances of survival.

Bob Binne with the Blue Ridge Honey Company in North Georgia says his bees spend the winter on a farm in Unadilla.

“Once you get south of Macon the weather patterns change. They like to over winter on the Coastal Plain because it’s simply more mild.”

Binne says most farmers look after the bees in exchange for jars of honey. Many of the bees will leave for California in February where they will pollinate the almond crop. After that they’ll head back up north.

Tags: Georgia agriculture, South Georgia, honeybees