Page One

George And Audrey DeLange

George and his friend Al Weichold kept bees in the Phoenix, Arizona area from about 1966 to about 1992. During that time they learned a lot about how to produce honey in Arizona. George learned most of what he knew about beekeeping from Al. George shared what he learned by teaching beekeeping for several years. This page shows a little bit of what that beekeeping experience was like. As the years passed the Phoenix area became less agricultural and more urban. The killer bees were migrating into the area from Mexico and the trachea mite began to become a problem. More and more citrus trees were being destroyed for homes and more and more laws were being passed that restricted where bees could be kept. George and Al both decided to abandon the beekeeping business and to move on to other interests. Of course, once a beekeeper, always a beekeeper and the love of beekeeping is still there. Al moved on to El Paso, Texas and started keeping bees as a hobby in that area until his passing after a short illness a few years ago. George still lives in the Glendale area, in a urban neighborhood about a quarter mile from where he kept his bees. George never thought that this would have happened as it did! Glendale and Peoria have certainly grown, but George often wonders; what will be their future without the bees?