There are only a few people the city turns to in the thick of bee-swarming season. Three guys are on a very short list of who to call when honeybee colonies seem to appear out of nowhere. They're like the Ghost Busters of the local bee world. They get called to quickly go solve a problem that scares a lot of people. They may use strange-looking, jury-rigged tools. Some dress in the white jumpsuits worn by many beekeepers. One of them — bee catcher Brian Fishback — said they even roll out like New York's fictional spook collectors. "It's like a fire call. We're off and rolling," he said. These beekeepers are equipped to handle swarm calls and more. They're professionals who use an array

Among many local beekeepers, Nancy Stewart is the queen bee, and her shop, Sacramento Beekeeping Supplies, is the hive. Stewart has spent a quarter of a century selling bees, local honey and all sorts of equipment needed to raise Apis mellifera ligustica in Sacramento backyards. And she has dispensed plenty of advice, starting with the fact that Sacramento city regulations allow two hives on any size lot. Now 72, Stewart gets help at the shop, 2110 X St., from her daughters, Pam Hill and Donna Stewart, and her retired husband Fred — an operation Brian Fishback, president of the Sacramento Area Beekeepers Association, compared to a colony of honeybees. "The workers all have the same goa

Kenneth Haff, President of the American Honey Producers Association (AHPA) sweeps a glance around the full event room at Hilton Sacramento Arden West and smiles. He is pleased with the turnout for AHPA’s 41st Annual National Convention, a three-day event hosting speakers and vendors from all across the country.   This is the second year Sacramento has served as the convention’s host city. Haff estimated that around 600 people registered for the convention, and about 37 vendors. Seminars included “The Honey Revolution – Restoring the Health of Future Generations” with Dr. Ron Fessenden of Colorado and The Sierra Club’s “Working to Protect Pollinators” with Dr. Neil Carman of Texas, to nam