Bees, to many, were once thought of as just another summertime annoyance, just like ants and sunburn.

But as the number of the buzzing and beneficial insects continues to decline, one local beekeeper is setting out to change the misconceptions and share the importance of maintaining colonies in North America.

Bill Kopar, owner of Kopar Honey Farm in Natrona Heights, will be participating in this year's May Mart in Sewickley for the first time.

Kopar Honey Farm raises honey bees, which they distribute to farms on pollination contracts.

They pollinate everything from fruit to vegetables to pumpkins over the course of the year and are brought back in the fall.

"Different farms require different pollination," Kopar said.

Currently, his bees are out on pollination contracts in about five counties in the region.

Kopar, who has been in the business for about 10 years, said he has witnessed a steady decline in the overall bee population.

What people may not realize, he said, is that the absence of honeybees greatly affects what you pay at the supermarket.

"The prices at the market are directly affected by bees," he said. "It's been quite a shock to a lot of people."

From the early 1970s to 2006, the United States saw a dramatic decrease in the number of feral honeybees, according to wikipedia.org.

Kopar, who is 47 years old, remembers a time when you couldn't go out in the yard barefoot without getting stung. These days, however, bees are rarely seen during the summer.

In 2006 and 2007, things got even worse and the term, "Colony Collapse Disorder" was coined to describe the dramatic disappearances.

Kopar said there are several reasons for the disappearance of bees, but one of the biggest factors is the use of pesticides.

Many people, he said, don't heed the warnings not to spray it on flowering plants.

Another contributing factor are Varroa, parasitic mites that affect honey bees, which were brought to the United States by Asian bees.

"Varroa mites from Asian bees really hurt us bad," he said, adding that recently more than 1,800 colonies had been lost in the Erie area alone.

"It is illegal to bring bees in from anywhere but Canada."

Kopar and his wife, Jen-nifer, will be on-hand at May Mart this Saturday to answer questions about bees and provide samples and sale items of bee-related products including honey, beeswax, candles, hand cream and more.

They also plan to bring an observation house to view the bees -- if weather permits.

Other vendors at May Mart -- from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday on Broad Street, Sewickley, -- include:

• Riverfront Park: annuals, petunias, marigolds, vines.

• Sewickley Tree Commission: free tree giveaway and tree memorial info.

• Allegheny Land Trust: Sycamore seedlings to the first 50 visitors.

• Village Garden Club of Sewick-ley: herbs, exotic geraniums and tomatoes.

• Trowel & Error Garden Club: impatiens and deer resistant plants.

• Grapevine Garden Club: nu-merous heirloom tomatoes.

• Garden Club of Allegheny Coun-ty: salad bowls, tomatoes, zinnias, herbs and gloves.

• My Mother's Garden: red worms, herbs and bouquets.

• Sweetwater Center for the Arts: flower pinwheels.

• Chris Nagel-Evergreens: conifers and Japanese maples.

• Crow Flowers: silk flower ar-rangements.

• Neighborhood Home Tenders: business information.

• Cathy Kelly Photography: flower note cards and ceramic tiles.

• Fern Hollow Nature Center/Na-ture Guides: field guides, bookmarks.

• Gala Garden Tour: Sewickley Civic Garden Council information.

• Little Garden Club: assorted tropicals and orchids.

• Edgeworth Garden Club: salvia, marguerites, Queen Ann's lace, zinnias, exotic grass and garden gloves.

• Little Athens Restaurant: breakfast and early lunch snacks.

• Sand Hill Berry Farm: berry plants, jams, jelly and pies.

• Beaver Swing: garden furniture.

• Reilly's Summer Seat: hanging baskets and flower containers.

• Glade Run Lutheran Services: mom's baskets, house plants, vegetables and herbs.