Colony Collapse Disorder is causing a 34% loss of our bees annually — help save the bees by learning how to keep them! The Maine State Beekeepers Association is sponsoring the York County Bee School, a five-week introductory beekeeping course on Tuesdays, starting October 18th:
York County Bee School
Maine State Beekeepers Association & UMaine Cooperative Extension
Anderson Learning Center, 21 Bradeen Street, Springvale, MA
Tuesdays, October 18–November 15, 2011
6–8:30 p.m.
Course fee: $90
How many pounds of honey can one bee colony produce in a year? Prospective beekeepers will be buzzing with questions like this at the Fall Bee School starting on October 18, at the Anderson Learning Center in Springvale. The five-week introductory beekeeping course is sponsored by the Maine State Beekeepers Association and UMaine Cooperative Extension in York County.
Classes run on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 to 8:30, October 18 through November 15. Larry Peiffer, Vice President of the Maine State Beekeepers Association and Richard McLaughlin, President of the York County Beekeepers Association, will instruct students on such topics as the Honey Bee Colony, Constructing Hives, Pests and Disease, Medications and Honey Production. Students will also have the opportunity to visit local hives at a later date for observation and hands-on experience, through the York County Bee Club.
Enrollment is limited, and the class usually fills quickly. Participants must register by October 11. The course fee is $90, which includes a beginning beekeeping textbook, related materials and a one-year membership in the York County Beekeepers Association.
For more details and to register, please see Bee School registration form (to print and mail in). For more information and to register by phone with charge card payment, contact UMaine Extension in York County at 1-800-287-1535 (in state) or 207-324-2814 or email: [email protected]. Any person with a disability who needs accommodations for this program should contact Frank Wertheim at 800-287-1535 (in-state) or 207-324-2814 to discuss their needs at least 7 days in advance.
And in case you were wondering, one bee colony can produce from 60 to 100 pounds of honey in a year.
For more information: www.mainebeekeepers.org
Note: Seacoast NH Beekeepers is also offering Bee School in Lee, NH, a six week course on Wednesdays, beginning October 5th.