Hiliary L Caison

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: 1930, Beards Creek, Long, Georgia, USA
• Residence: 1986, Warner Robins, Houston, Georgia, USA

Notes:

Macon Telegraph, The (GA)
March 30, 2004
Edition: HOME
Section: A
Page: 1

BUZZ GROWING FAINTER
BEEKEEPERS WORKING TO KEEP HONEYBEES FROM DISAPPEARING

Author: S. Heather Duncan, Telegraph Staff Writer

Hiliary Caison eats at least a spoonful of honey a day "for allergies" --- and for the sweet taste of home. Every drop began among the flowers and bushes around his house, where almost 30 hives of bees collect their nectar.

In the spring morning, Caison's bees spin in beams of sunlight dusted a deeper gold by the pine pollen. As these ambassadors of pollen loop in and out of the humming hives, they pass upended mason jars full of corn syrup. It's a natural nectar for feeding the brood and producing wax.

Beekeepers such as Caison are becoming more rare even as they become more important to the survival of honeybees, which are disappearing in the wild.

The buzz about honeybees is: They're buzzing less.

The docile bees, which were brought to North America from Europe 300 years ago, have been hard hit in the last four years by exotic pests such as mites and hive beetles. Historically, they were also killed by pesticides intended to kill boll weevils and other insects.

The effect of harming honeybees goes far beyond honey.

"There's been a big impact," said Keith Delaplane, a professor of entomology at the University of Georgia's College of Agriculture. "For the first time, pollination is a limiting factor in crop production."

Honeybees are important pollinators for high-value specialty crops such as blueberries, cucumbers and watermelon. They are also important to cotton, Georgia's most valuable field crop.

Dwight Hirschinger of Macon has seen Japanese hive beetles lay eggs in his honeycomb, which their larvae eat. This destroys the honey and the bees' home. The pest infestations can be discouraging, but Hirschinger knows he can fight the problem with chemical strips in the hive. Wild bees have no such help.

"It's kind of like a dying art," he said, just as wild honeybees may be a dying breed in North America.

"When I grew up in Wisconsin, the lilacs would bloom and there'd just be clouds of bees," recalled Hirschinger. "You never see that now."

But there is hope. Delaplane said European honeybees have been introduced all over the world, including eastern Russia. There, the bees have been competing with hive mites and beetles for 60 years, and some have developed resistance. Delaplane said many Georgia beekeepers have introduced the Russian bees to their hives.

Delaplane said pesticides also damaged honeybee populations in the past, but the chemicals have become less toxic over time.

Another bonus has been the success of Georgia's boll weevil eradication program: There is less need to spray insecticide around cotton fields.

"One of the cardinal rules of beekeeping was to keep your bees away from cotton because so many chemicals were used," Delaplane said. "Now we're seeing beekeepers move their bees to cotton for cotton honey," a rich, dark honey made by bees that frequent cotton flowers.

But some pesticides can still kill bees. Bibb County extension agent Aaron Lancaster said although most farmers are aware pesticide may pose a threat to bees, many homeowners are not. Because bees are key pollinators, gardeners should use pesticides carefully to avoid harming bees, Lancaster said.

Although Warner Robins and Bibb County both spray for mosquitoes, Delaplane said municipal pesticide trucks don't usually kill bees because they drive in the evening when bees are less active. Hirschinger and Caison post signs about their bees so the spray trucks skip their houses.

Caison, 79, has been a beekeeper since he retired from a toolmaking job at Robins Air Force Base in 1978.

"Bees keep you young," said Caison, who must stay fast on his feet to keep out of their way. He sells his honey locally, where some residents believe taking a dose made with local pollen reduces allergies at this time of year.

Caison is one of about a dozen beekeepers in Houston County. There are only a handful in Bibb County.

Friday, Caison was scraping browned wax from the frames of a hive after the bees had died off. Ants swarmed over the edges, gorging themselves on honey residue. Bees use the frame's honeycomb of wax as a nest for the brood and a honey storage area.

Caison installs new "starter homes" for the bees by inserting paper-thin sheets of dimpled wax into the wood frame. The bees will build upon it inside wooden boxes painted white, green and red.
When the combs are drenched in gooey honey, Caison lights pine twigs in a small tin with a bellows attached, then smokes the bees into a stupor. He removes the honeyed frames, placing them in a large metal drum where they are spun with a hand crank. The honey flies off so he can strain it into gallon jugs and mason jars.

Caison has had problems with both mites and beetles, but he's hoping scientists will come up with something like the boll weevil-eradication program for these pests. "Bees are endangered," he said. "But they're a survival creature."

--- To contact Heather Duncan, call 744-4225 or e-mail hduncan@macontel.com
Caption:
Hiliary Caison, 79, prepares to gather honey Friday from a hive at his home in Houston County. Caison has about 30 hives at his house. Below, Caison shows off some of the honey he gets from the hives.
Hiliary Caison fires up pine twigs to smoke bees into a stupor when he removes honey from a hive.
Photo (3) by Robert Seay

Copyright (c) 2004 The Macon Telegraph

Died:
Warner Robins, GA- Hiliary Caison, 94, passed away on Sunday, August 18, 2019. A Graveside Service will be held at 2:00PM on Thursday August 22, 2019 at Magnolia Park Cemetery. Reverend Micah Emery will officiate. Visitation will be held one and a half hours prior to service from 12:30PM to 2:00PM at Heritage Memorial Funeral Home.

Hiliary was born on September 13, 1924 in Ludowici, Georgia to the late Willie and Lanie Caison. He retired as Civil Service from Robins Air Force Base after 30 plus years of dedicated service. Hiliary enjoyed beekeeping, woodworking and tending to his vegetable garden. He was a loving husband, dad, and grandfather who will be greatly missed.

Along with his parents he is preceded in death by 2 brothers and 2 sisters.

His loving memory will forever be cherished by his wife of 66 years, Christine Lewis Caison; 3 children, Kathy Giddens (Craig), Warner Robins; Robin Caison, Warner Robins; Tammy Mackai (Corey), Wisconsin; 4 grandchildren, Tyler Giddens, Ivy Giddens, Kimberly Giddens and Jordan Filipiak.

Please sign the registry online at www.heritagemfh.com.

Heritage Memorial Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

https://heritagemfh.com/tribute/details/143890/Hiliary-Caison/obituary.html#tribute-start

Hiliary married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Living
2. Living
3. Living

Other Events and Attributes:

• Also Known As: Willie
• Residence: 12 Sep 1918, Donald, Liberty, Georgia, USA
• Residence: 1930, Beards Creek, Long, Georgia, USA
• Residence: 1962, Long, Georgia, USA

William + Lanie E Todd. Lanie was born on 25 May 1905 in Georgia, USA; died on 27 Dec 1988 in Evans, Georgia, USA; was buried in Beards Creek Church Cemetery, Tattnall, Georgia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Lanie T Caison
• Social Security Number: 256-26-1883
• Residence: 1930, Beards Creek, Long, Georgia, USA
• SSN issued: Bef 1951, Georgia, USA
• Residence: 1988, Long, Georgia, USA
• Death: 27 Dec 1988, Glennville, Tattnall, Georgia, USA
• Vital: 9 Jan 1989; Certificate number: 050245.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: 1870, Lockwoods Folly, Brunswick, North Carolina, USA
• Residence: 1880, Lockwoods Folly, Brunswick, North Carolina, USA
• Residence: 22 Jun 1900, Militia District 16, Liberty, Georgia, USA
• Residence: 1910, Militia District 1672, Liberty, Georgia, USA

Edward married Fannie Flowers on 16 Aug 1888 in Liberty, Georgia, USA. Fannie was born on 20 Jun 1870 in Georgia, USA; died on 3 Aug 1956 in Tattnall, Georgia, USA; was buried in Bethel Cemetery, Tattnall, Georgia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Race: White
• Name: Fannie Caison
• Name: Fannie Waters
• Residence: 1900, Militia District 16, Liberty, Georgia, USA
• Residence: 1910, Militia District 1672, Liberty, Georgia, USA
• Residence: 1920, Militia District 1672, Liberty, Georgia, USA
• Residence: 1935, Mendes, Tattnall, Georgia, USA
• Residence: 1 Apr 1940, Mendes, Tattnall, Georgia, USA; Age: 69; Marital Status: Widowed; Relation to Head of House: Head

Notes:

Married:
Groom's Name: D. S. Caison
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Bride's Name: Fannie Flowers
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Marriage Date: 16 Aug 1888
Marriage Place: , Liberty, Georgia
Groom's Father's Name:
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Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M71319-1
System Origin: Georgia-EASy
Source Film Number: 175152
Reference Number:
Collection: Georgia Marriages, 1808-1967

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: 1860, Lockwoods Folly, Brunswick, North Carolina, USA
• Residence: 1870, Lockwoods Folly, Brunswick, North Carolina, USA
• Residence: 1880, Lockwoods Folly, Brunswick, North Carolina, USA
• Residence: 1900, Lockwoods Folly, Brunswick, North Carolina, USA

Isaac married Nancy A Moore on 5 Mar 1857 in Brunswick, North Carolina, USA. Nancy (daughter of Joab Lawrence Moore and Margaret Patton) was born in Apr 1837 in Macon, North Carolina, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Nancy A Caison
• Residence: 1860, Lockwoods Folly, Brunswick, North Carolina, USA
• Residence: 1870, Lockwoods Folly, Brunswick, North Carolina, USA
• Residence: 1880, Lockwoods Folly, Brunswick, North Carolina, USA
• Residence: 1900, Lockwoods Folly, Brunswick, North Carolina, USA
• Residence: 5 May 1910, Lockwoods Folly, Brunswick, North Carolina, USA