Published on 06/16/16

UGA Extension hosts beekeeping basics workshop as part of "Saturday at the Rock"

By Merritt Melancon

A burgeoning interest in the benefits of delicious, local honey and increased concern for pollinator health has led more and more Americans to start keeping their own bees.

Bees can be raised successfully across the state of Georgia due to the state's long growing season and relatively mild winters. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension has the tools to help the novice beekeeper get started.

Putnam County Extension agent and beekeeping expert Keith Fielder will host a beekeeping basics workshop on Saturday, June 18, as part of the “Saturday at the Rock” educational series at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, Georgia. The workshop will include information on how to start and maintain a bee colony, as well as provide the chance to meet other novice and experienced beekeepers.

The beekeeping basics workshop is recommended for those 14 and older, but organizers will also host a child-friendly program for the junior beekeeper. Rock Eagle’s environmental education team will lead an exploration of the inner workings of a beehive and basic bee biology. Educators will share ways in which participants can attract honeybees to their yard, as well as discuss the many benefits bees can provide to the garden.

Both programs will run from 9:30–11:30 a.m. Doors will open at 9 a.m. Guests will convene in the center’s Natural History Museum preceding the program. Advanced registration for this program is required, and the cost is $5 per person.

For more information or to register, please contact Jessica Torhan at 706-484-4838 or by email at jtorhan1@uga.edu. A complete list of “Saturday at the Rock” sessions can be found online at rockeagle4h.org/ee/community/SaturdayattheRock.html.

Merritt Melancon, a public relations manager for the UGA Terry College of Business, previously served as a public relations coordinator for the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Extension.

Authors:

Merritt Melancon

Experts/Sources:

Keith Fielder

First-year honey bees from the hive of backyard beekeeper Calvin King of Albany.

While bee populations have been declining for the past several decades, urban beekeeping and public awareness of pollinators are on the rise.

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