Beekeeper
Employer: Sanders Honey Co. LLC
Location: Waycross, GA
Workers needed: 3
Pay: $16.49/hour
Season: Jan 15, 2027 – Oct 15, 2027
Experience: 3 months
Employer-provided housing; Transportation provided/reimbursed
The job
The Beekeeper performs essential manual and mechanical tasks in commercial beekeeping, focusing on honey production and colony health. Workers will manage bee colonies at all stages, from eggs to mature workers, drones, and queens. Responsibilities include operating a queen breeding yard, raising and replacing queens, and performing divides as needed to support colony growth. Workers will assess colonies to determine food and medical needs, applying necessary feed and treatments to control diseases, pests, and parasites. When required, hives will be sterilized, and diseased colonies properly disposed of. The role includes constructing, painting, and cleaning hive boxes; assembling hives with hand tools; and inserting honeycombs into frames. Workers will manipulate and maintain hive structures, transport and set up hives for pollination, and relocate hives to different sites as necessary. During honey harvest, workers will uncap and extract honey from combs, operate mechanized extraction equipment, and separate wax from honey. Honey will be transported to the extraction facility, filtered, and prepared for final packaging through moisture reduction. Workers will also bottle and jar honey produced from the employer’s own colonies, including filling, capping, labeling and boxing containers, and will clean and maintain bottling equipment. Wax is also processed and packaged, and workers will assist in maintaining and cleaning extraction equipment. In addition to beekeeping, workers will conduct general farm maintenance and field work, including mowing, cutting, weeding fields, ditching, shoveling, hoeing, and preparing the ground for beekeeping activities. Basic repairs and maintenance on farm structures and fences will be performed using hand tools such as hoes, shovels, shears, and clippers. Physical and environmental requirements include the ability to lift and carry heavy objects up to 75 pounds regularly and engage in repetitive bending, stooping, and kneeling. The work is performed outdoors in varied weather conditions, including rain, snow, high humidity, and extreme temperatures, and involves prolonged periods of standing or walking. Workers must have no fear of bees and no allergies to bee stings, pollen, honey, or other hive products. They are expected to wear assigned personal protective equipment when necessary and must report to work each day wearing durable footwear and appropriate work clothing as described (no uniforms are provided). Adherence to safety protocols and work attire standards is mandatory. Daily work schedules may vary based on weather, crop conditions, and other environmental factors. Workers are expected to report to designated locations on time each day and may occasionally be required to work during inclement weather.
Housing: Employer-provided (including mobile or range)
Meals: Housing will be clean and meet the applicable Federal and State Housing Standards. Workers
will be responsible for maintaining housing in a neat, clean manner. Reasonable repair cost of
damage, other than that caused by normal wear and tear, may be subject to court action for
workers found to have been responsible for damage to housing or furnishing. Housing and
utilities are provided at no cost to workers who are unable to return to their place of residence
the same day. The employer will furnish free cooking facilities so workers may prepare their
own meals. Free transportation will be provided once a week to grocery store so workers can
purchase their groceries.
Transport: Inbound: Workers who complete 50% of the contract period will be reimbursed reasonable transportation and daily subsistence from their place of origin, or sooner as required by the FLSA. Subsistence is no less than $16.78/day, up to $68/day with receipts. Outbound: Workers who complete the contract or are dismissed without cause will receive return transportation and subsistence, unless a subsequent H-2A employer provides it. Not owed to workers who abandon the job or are fired for cause.
Experience wanted: 3 months
This position requires a minimum of three months of agricultural experience on a honeybee farm, handling both manual and mechanized tasks. Applicants must provide a verbal or written statement verifying relevant prior work experience. Applicants must be able to lift and carry up to 75 pounds.
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