LEWES, Del. - Farmers and beekeepers across Delmarva say the ongoing drought has already taken a toll on crops and honey production. While recent rainfall offered some relief, many are still dealing with the effects of weeks of dry conditions.
Patrick Carey of Carey Apiary said the lack of spring rainfall reduced the amount of nectar available for bees, hurting honey production.
"April showers bring May flowers, but there was no rain," Carey said.
Without enough moisture, flowers struggled to produce nectar, leaving bees with fewer food sources.
"If the flowers aren't able to produce nectar, then the bees aren't able to make the honey," Carey said. "I thought I had about 1,000 pounds of honey that I was looking at, and the bees actually ate their own honey."
The drought has also created challenges for crop farmers.
Christian Coody of Cosmic Dog Farm said dry conditions have pushed deer onto his property in search of food and moisture, resulting in crop damage.
"We had some deer starting to come out to the farm and starting to eat all the crops because of the lack of moisture," Coody said.
After a dry couple of weeks, Delaware finally experienced rain earlier this week, bringing hope to farmers and beekeepers.
Carey said he and his wife watched the storms roll through and were grateful for the rainfall.
"My wife and I actually watched the lightning storm, and we're very thankful for it," Carey said. "Hopefully the bees will start to bounce back this week."
While the recent storms provided relief, farmers and beekeepers say more consistent rainfall will be needed to help crops, flowers and honey production recover from the drought.
