Hunter Grove, science and technology reporter
A toddler in a bee suit being during an educational event at the farm
“We understand the impact bees and our farm have on the environment and our community, which is why we want to keep it going long after we are gone.”
The importance of bees to our environment, farms and overall livelihood is something many people understand, but often only in the abstract. We hear that bee populations are declining. We are told they are responsible for pollinating much of the food we eat. But it is easy to recognize that these small insects matter without ever really seeing the work they do.
At Birdsong Farms, a small scale beekeeping operation in West Virginia, that work is visible.
Owners Deano and Patti Chlepas started their apiary as a personal project in 2005. What began with four hives has since grown into a full operation, including an online store and a steady presence at local markets. But the growth of the business has not changed its focus. The priority, they say, has always remained the same. The bees come first.
At first glance, you might not think the countless rows of wooden boxes along the farm contain anything other than air, but inside, thousands of bees are working in a manner so precise and efficient, it seems robotic. The low, harmonic buzzing of their efforts represents a calculated rhythm to their operation, not unlike the trading floor of a stock exchange.
For Deano and Patti, that rhythm is not something to control, but something to understand. Their role is less about directing the bees and more about responding to them. They watch for changes in hive weight, population, behavior and honey production. Each shift can signal something different, from a strong nectar flow to a struggling queen or the presence of disease.
Over time, that attention has shaped how they run Birdsong Farms. They emphasize natural beekeeping practices, limit chemical use and place hives where bees have access to diverse forage, including wildflowers and native plants. The goal is not just productivity, but resilience.
“We put the bees first in everything we do,” said Deano Chlepas. “I treat them like my children.”
Both manage the business side while also helping translate the work of the farm to the public. Whether through their online store or face to face conversations, they help bridge the gap between what happens inside a hive and what customers see in a jar of honey.
Together, the couple has built an operation that exists as a farm, a business and an educational space.
The fields of wildflowers and vibrant trees around the farm serve as monuments to the success of the bees and the owners who care for them, each blooming a quiet record of pollination that happened weeks before anyone noticed. What looks like untouched countryside is actually the result of constant, invisible labor.
That labor can be seen outside the fields of Birdsong Farms too. On any given Saturday morning, rows of raw honey jars, whipped honey coffee, and pastries can be seen lining the table of their booth at the Main Street Farmers Market. Transactions between customers are thoughtful and deliberate, as if each purchase carried more value than what the price tag says.
People want to know what flowers were in bloom, why one jar is darker than another or how the season affected production. The answers are rarely simple. Weather patterns, rainfall, plant diversity and timing all influence the final product.
As a result, each jar of honey represents more than a single ingredient. It reflects a set of environmental conditions, a season and the work of thousands of bees.
“So many different honey related products have become more popular lately, like raw and hot honey,” said Patti Chlepas. “We would like to make sure we can give people the best, unprocessed versions of all of these.”
A small subsection of the hive where the bees lay their brood
For Deano and Patti, selling honey is only a small part of what they do. The products on the table are a byproduct of a much larger process, one that depends on maintaining healthy colonies over time.
The real work happens in the hives.
Beekeeping requires constant attention to factors that are often unpredictable. Weather can shift flowering cycles. Parasites such as varroa mites can weaken or destroy colonies. Changes in land use can reduce available forage. Each of these variables affects how bees behave and whether a hive can survive.
Beekeepers have to notice subtle changes and respond quickly. A drop in activity, a change in brood patterns or a decline in honey production can all signal larger issues. Managing those problems requires balance. Beekeepers must help the bees without disrupting the natural systems they rely on.
“It can be really dangerous for the bees if it gets super warm in winter,” said Patti Chlepas. “The bees might think it is spring and start laying their brood without having all the resources they need to survive.”
That kind of unpredictability has become more common. Warmer winters, shifting seasons and increased exposure to chemicals all affect how and when bees can function. Because of this, bees are often seen as indicators of environmental health. When colonies struggle, it usually points to broader issues in the ecosystem.
Birdsong Farms also works to make those connections clearer to the public.
The farm participates in outreach efforts tied to Virginia Tech, helping bring scientific concepts into more accessible settings. Through demonstrations and conversations, they connect everyday experiences, like buying honey, to larger ideas about ecology and agriculture.
One of the most visible examples is Hokie BugFest, where students and families can interact with insects in an educational environment. For Birdsong, events like BugFest are an opportunity to change perception.
Bees, they say, are often misunderstood. For many people, they are something to avoid or just write off. In reality, they are essential to systems that support food production, plant life and biodiversity.
Pollinators like honeybees and native bee species are responsible for the reproduction of a wide range of flowering plants. Many crops, including fruits, vegetables and nuts, depend on pollination to produce food. Without it, yields decline and food systems become less stable. Bees also support the growth of plants that stabilize soil, regulate water and provide habitat for other species. Entire ecosystems rely on the plants bees help reproduce.
“Even smaller apiaries can make a huge difference,” said Jay Wade, a certified golf course superintendent. “They can help increase local pollination and give bees safe managed spaces to reproduce and thrive.”
Additionally, bees pollinate foods rich in vitamins A and C, folate and antioxidants. Reduced access to pollinated foods can contribute to weakened immunity, higher rates of chronic malnutrition and greater risk of infectious diseases.
Many medicinal plants fall into this category, and without bees, their populations will shrink over time. This will lead to a decrease in genetic diversity, making medicinal compounds less potent and harder to source. This can cause problems not only for herbal medicine, but also for biomedical research and future drug discovery.
What makes that role more significant is how vulnerable bees are to change. Temperature shifts, pesticide use and habitat loss all affect their ability to survive. Because of that, their health often reflects the condition of the environment around them.
For Birdsong Farms, that reality reinforces the importance of both their beekeeping practices and their outreach.
What started as a small project has grown into something with wider impact. Through their work, Deano and Patti are not just producing honey. They are maintaining a system, one that connects land, insects and people in ways that are easy to overlook.
“We understand the impact bees and our farm have on the environment and our community, which is why we want to keep it going long after we are gone.”
Many people assume their individual efforts would not have an overall impact, but they can make a meaningful difference. Plant flowers that bees can use. Choose native flowering plants whenever possible. Plant flowers that bloom at different times of the year. Good examples of flowers you can plant in Virginia include cornflowers, milkweed, bee balm, asters, lavender and sunflowers. Of course, supporting local farms and apiaries is a great way to help too.
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