Today we’d like to introduce you to Charlie Agar.
Hi Charlie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am the original “reluctant beekeeper.”
While living in Southern Idaho in 2012, I was dragged to a beekeeping presentation against my will and something just clicked when I heard a beekeeper spin the tale of how a beehive works — “These are incredible creatures! I have to learn more!” I said.
I bought all the gear and a first hive of bees and have never looked back.
I moved back to Texas from Idaho in 2014 and began doing nuisance bee removals to increase my number of hives, really just driven by my interest in these fascinating little critters. That work has blossomed into a business that includes more than 100 honey be hives in yards all across the Hill Country, lease agreements with landowners to help them qualify for Ag valuation, a teaching apiary in New Braunfels where I offer intro classes and fun adventures and friendships that have transformed my life.
My work with bees is now the subject of an 8-episode series on PBS called “Charlie Bee Company.” The show premiered on PBS Austin and will continue its run with American Public Television and PBS affiliates across the US in the spring of 2022.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
“Ouch, I got stung by a bee!” I say that at least once every day. But that’s just part of #beelife.
My bee removal work is hot, dirty, and exhausting. Wearing a full-length bee suit in 100-degree heat and crawling under mobile homes or through sweltering attics is brutal. And the often-Africanized feral bee colonies I capture are rarely very happy to see me. But all the aches and pains of the work is worth it when I get to solve someone’s bee problem and rehab a colony that might have otherwise been exterminated.
Beekeeping itself is a challenge as well because honey bees are plagued by pests and viruses with no real silver-bullet solution. My work raising bees and growing my apiaries can be heartbreaking as I try to solve the riddle of keeping my bees healthy and productive.
Balancing the time requirements of my growing bee business with my other work (I’m a freelance photographer and videographer) and finding time for a “normal” home life with my wife, our fur babies, friends and family can be a challenge. But we get there!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Charlie Bee Company?
My business is driven by my passion for bees and beekeeping.
I’m not a scientist – in fact, my background is in media and writing – but I get to play scientist on a daily basis, and through social media, public presentations, and our TV show on PBS I am able to preach the gospel of the bees. For me, it’s all about combining some entertainment with education and bringing folks along on my bee journey. I hope to raise awareness about the importance of honey bees and all of our vital pollinators.
What sets me apart is my obsession with rescuing bees and going to just about any length to remove a nuisance colony from a wall or tree or any danger to humans. I then take removal hives to my rural “beehab” area where I set them up, requeen them, and get them back to full strength.
Next, I lease my rehabbed bee colonies to landowners to help them qualify for Ag valuation on their property through the 1-D-1 Open Space law in Texas. And at the end of it all, I harvest delicious “liquid sunshine” in July and sell at the New Braunfels Farmer’s Market.
So much of my work with bees, from removals to managing my colonies and even teaching new beekeepers, is a wild adventure and, with the help of my media partner Ashely Davison at Iniosante Studios, we chronicle my work in our PBS series and on social media.
Beekeeping is also a life-long journey of learning and there are lots of incredible people in this industry just as passionate as I am about this work. I take every opportunity to connect with other beekeepers at local bee clubs, the Texas Beekeeper’s Association, and national organizations.
Any big plans?
As my bee colonies continue to grow and my work with bees expands, I plan to establish a rural home base for the business and a create hub for pollinator education.
Contact Info:
- Email: takethesebees@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.charliebee.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charliebeeco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/takethesebees
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/RealCharlieBee
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CharlieBeeCompany
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@charliebeeco?
