Buzz up your spring
Beginning beekeeping workshop coming to Lockeford
LOCKEFORD — Spring is just around the corner, which means it’s the time of year when bees begin pollinating and making honey.
And with the success of it beekeeping workshops last year, the Big Valley Beekeepers Guild is inviting novice keepers to its latest two-part class next month.
The first part of the Beginning Beekeeping workshop will be held in-person on Feb. 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lockeford Grange Hall, 19727 Cotton St., and will introduce attendees to the basics and what they will need to be successful during their first year.
“Beekeeping can have a high learning curve when you start with your first hive,” guild founder Cherie Sintes-Glover said said. “We want to help educate those who are getting their first bees this year, or those who have already had bees but maybe weren’t as successful as they had hoped.”
While beekeeping might sound intimidating to newcomers, Glover said that having just one or two hives in the backyard is both manageable and can help pollinate flower and vegetable gardens.
“No matter what you are growing, having bees locally will help with higher yields of your fruits and vegetables,” she said. “And in exchange, you are helping the bees find valuable pollen and nectar for the colony.”
While the workshop is designed for the “absolute beginner,” Glover said it also serves as a refresher course for those who only recently took up the hobby over the last few years.
Participants will learn everything from experts and instructors, including how to pick the proper equipment and tools, to the basics of a bee’s biology.
No prior beekeeping knowledge is required to enroll. All class participants will receive a copy of the workshop outline that includes a list of available resources, and a box lunch is included.
The classroom portion of the workshop will use a multiple group format where students will rotate between sessions and meet with fellow beekeepers.
Students will also be invited to attend an optional, hands-on field day at a date to be announced later this spring.
During the field day, the guild’s experts will demonstrate how to approach a bee hive, open and inspect frames, how to install the bees, and how to work among the bees using gentle movements and understanding bee biology.
“This class will give people the chance to see if beekeeping is for them, as well as prepare them for what they might need to know in those first couple of years, after they bring home their bees,” Glover said. “The classroom session will be staged in groups, so students can learn from a variety of instructors. The field day will then give students a hands-on opportunity to try on their bee suit, do
a mite wash, and work in a bee yard (or Apiary) with real live, flying and buzzing bees.”
The class will only be offered once, and enrollment will be limited to 50 students.
While registrations are final with no refunds, those who enroll but are unable to attend can request another individual take the course instead, Glover said.
Registration for non-guild members is $110, but current members receive $25 off the class.
Visit bigvalleybeekeepersguild.org/ beekeeping-class to join as a member or register for the workshop.
“What I love most about new beekeepers, is their excitement and their hesitancy in the beginning,” Glover said. “It’s normal to feel nervous around flying insects that can sting you, even if those honey bees are cute. We’ll give them the pointers and tools to help them be successful in their first year. Beekeeping is often a learned art, and takes some practice. Understanding those many variables helps us take a more proactive approach to beekeeping.”