Mississippi honey bee specialty license plate now available for pre-order

Mississippi honey bee specialty license plate now available for pre-order











SAUCIER, Miss. (WLOX) - A new state specialty car tag is now available for pre-order and for bee lovers – it just may be the right fit for you.

Beekeeper Elizabeth McCaffrey is the president of the non-profit Magnolia HoneyBee Education Exchange.

“I looked around and saw all kinds of other states that have pollinator car tags, and I’m like, why can’t we have one?” she said.

She says the tag would help beekeepers and others show support for honey bees and their important role in the ecosystem.


“They’re irreplaceable when it comes to pollinating our crops, our food crops, and providing resources for us. We just don’t even think about it. We are so blessed that we have no idea what they do,” she said.

McCaffrey is no stranger to the buzzing and has had an apiary for 15 years. She’s noticed something in the beekeeping industry.

“We have many women in there. They’re actually removing colonies from structures as well, so it’s not just tending the bees; they are actually relocating these feral colonies,” she said.

McCaffery and fellow beekeepers Cindy Hansen and Bettina Jones are members of the Mississippi Beach Beekeepers Association.


“This is something that women can get involved in, get interested in, they can be involved with their husband or their significant other,” Hansen said.

“It is a little daunting at the beginning, but once you start, it’s a little bit addictive. You just want to get more bees, you want to help more bees, you realize how smart they are. I think for women, especially, it’s an incredible confidence booster,” Jones said.

While the governor signed the bill to authorize the bee car tag, the Magnolia Honey Bee Education Exchange needs 300 people to commit to buying one of the specialty tags before the state will make it.

If you want to order, you can visit the website at Magnolia-honeybee.org or you can request an application from Elizabeth McCaffrey at Magnoliahoneybee.ed@gmail.com.


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