Ryan Piatt of Brandon became interested in bees a few years ago after watching a pest control company remove a nest of yellow jacket bees from his mother’s home.
“It was very interesting to watch,” Piatt said. “The gentleman from the pest control company told me he was also a beekeeper, and we started talking about beekeeping.”
That conversation led to Piatt becoming a beekeeper. He spent the next few years learning all he could about bees and keeping them.
“I read tons of books and watched many YouTube videos,” Piatt said. “When I had the opportunity to buy a hive, I jumped on it.”
From there, Piatt Homestead was born.
Beekeeping is a lot like farming. Some years are good and some years are not so good. Beekeeping offers environmental, economic, personal and health benefits, from pollination and honey production to stress reduction and educational opportunities. Bees are essential pollinators, supporting the growth of fruits, vegetables and wild plants. By keeping bees, you enhance local biodiversity and help maintain healthy ecosystems.
“I have 25 hives but lost a few due to weather conditions,” Piatt said. “My goal is to have 40 hives and make beekeeping a full-time job for me and my family. I currently work in construction during the week and do my beekeeping on the weekends.”
Piatt’s beekeeping business provides services such as honeybee hive installation, honeybee hive removal, swarm rescue, pollination and honey extraction, and he offers honey, wax and of course bees.
“The thing I love most about my business is the conversations I get to have with my clients,” Piatt said. “They are very interesting and I love to educate them on the importance of bees.”
Piatt hopes to continue to grow his beekeeping business and educate his clients about bees.
“There are so many health benefits from bees and their honey,” Piatt said. “My hope is Piatt Homestead stands out as the kind of beekeeper people look for when they need responsible, humane solutions that preserve the hive, protect allergic household members and potentially allow someone else to care for the bees and harvest the honey.”
If you are in need of his services, would like more information or are interested in raising bees, contact Piatt at piatthomestead@gmail.com or call 813-898-3801.
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