Enjoy the sweet life: Become a beekeeper with WSU Snohomish Extension

A beekeeper lifts the lid of a wooden hive.From urban skyscrapers to backyards in Western Washington, there’s a movement afoot to raise honeybees not only for the sweet honey they create, but their positive effect on our local food crops.

To help rebuild, maintain, and expand our resource of local pollinators and honey producers, WSU Snohomish County Extension hosts a Beginning Hobbyist Beekeeper course, starting Monday, February 25, in Everett.

Part of the Washington State Beekeepers Association’s Master Beekeeper Program, the five-week course is designed for people with no previous experience with beekeeping, and for anyone wanting more information about beekeeping before making the decision to acquire a hive.

Building basic beekeeping skills, course topics include bee biology, equipment, seasonal management requirements, identification and management of pests, as well as honey removal and processing. Sessions focus on the unique challenges and benefits to beekeeping in the Pacific Northwest.

Each session is taught by local Journeyman Beekeeper and WSU Snohomish County Extension entomologist Dave Pehling. As a beekeeper and entomologist, Pehling’s unique skills and knowledge provide students with a localized and practical approach to keeping healthy bees.

Participants completing the course and passing the Washington State Beginning Beekeeper level exam will receive a certificate as the first step towards the Apprentice, Journey, and Master Beekeeper levels.

The course runs from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Monday evenings, and is held at WSU Snohomish County Extension’s Cougar Auditorium, 600 128th St. S.E., Everett.

Cost for the five-week series is $110 per person. To register, visit BeeBeginner.eventbrite.com.

For more information on the course, visit snohomish.wsu.edu/beebeginner or contact Kate Ryan, Snohomish County Extension Agriculture Program Coordinator, at kate.ryan@wsu.edu or (425) 357-6024.