AIKEN --- A few beehives can cost about $300, but area beekeepers say the taste of fresh honey is well worth the investment.

Started in 2003, the Aiken Beekeepers Association has built a steady following, with about 120 active members.

"When people get involved, it's not as dangerous or complicated as it seems," group President Jonathan Hanger said. "It's fun and very satisfying to produce a crop of honey."

Beekeeping has become a family affair at the Hanger home, with even his 9-year-old daughter, Clara, taking care of her own hives. Last year, five of the Hangers' hives produced about 20 gallons of honey.

Carey Mathison wanted bees around to pollinate his vineyard. Eight hives later, he says it's an addictive hobby.

"It's a fascinating thing once you get into all the quirks and details of how a bee colony works," he said. "It's a real society that's hard to describe and no one knows about unless they're keeping bees."

An estimated 2,000 beekeepers manage about 25,000 colonies in South Carolina, and interest is at a high, according to Clemson University statistics.

Though starting a hive isn't cheap, Mr. Mathison said, bees are usually low-maintenance.

"Most people want to keep their hands in them too much," he said. "It's not something you have to deal with every day, except certain times in the years."

Mr. Mathison has his quirks. For example, he won't open the hive unless it's at least 70 degrees and nice weather. Even then, he's careful not to disturb it too much because it will stress out the bees.

"You might get stung, but it's because you got in their flight path and they accidentally hit you," he said. "They're not aggressive unless you try to go into their home."

Group newcomers attend lectures and lessons on hive upkeep, equipment use and other topics, including extracting honey.

"Extracting is one of the most fun parts of beekeeping," Mr. Hanger said. "We don't do any pasteurization or heating of the honey, so it retains all the flavors. It tastes very different from what you buy in the store."

Beekeepers recommend starting two hives at the same time -- but don't expect honey the first year. Most bees spend the first months creating wax and storing up for the winter, Mr. Hanger said.

This time of year, established keepers said, they just sit back and watch the hives go to work to keep beautiful blooms in the area alive.

"Some of the benefits of having so many more beekeepers in Aiken are increased productivity of flowers and plants," Mr. Hanger said. "About 30 percent of food we get from the grocery store is benefited by bee pollination."

Clemson University estimates that South Carolina cash farm receipts are about $24 million for five commercially grown crops dependent on honeybees for pollination: apples, cantaloupe, cucumber, squash and watermelon.

"Albert Einstein even said that if we lost the bees, we would fall in four years because there wouldn't be pollination of the food we eat," Mr. Mathison said.

Over the past few years, larger colonies have been dying from Colony Collapse Disorder. The mysterious problem usually hurts commercial beekeepers, Mr. Mathison said. One day the hives will be OK, and the next most of the bees are gone, but they aren't lying dead on the ground nearby.

"We haven't experienced any problems with that," he said. "The largest problem for us has become insecticides because the bees will bring it back to the hive. I can do the same thing with soap and water."

The group has asked the city and county to spray for mosquitoes and other bugs after dark during the summer. By that time, the bees are home for the evening.

Roaming bear populations have also endangered hives in the Upstate and coastal regions, Mr. Hanger said, but that probably won't become an issue in the Augusta-Aiken area.

Reach Julia Sellers at (803) 648-1395, ext. 106, or julia.sellers@augustachronicle.com.