A majority of the foods we grow and eat depend on honey bees for pollination. Without them, Washington’s fruit and vegetable industries would not exist, nor would backyard gardeners be able to harvest an abundance each year.
To help rebuild, maintain, and expand the local resource of pollinators and honey producers, WSU Snohomish County Extension is sponsoring a session of the Beginning Hobbyist Beekeeper course in the Washington State Beekeepers Association’s Master Beekeeper Program starting Monday, February 24, 2020, 6:30pm to 9:30pm at WSU Snohomish County Extension’s Cougar Auditorium in McCollum Park, 600 – 128th St SE, Everett.
The five-week course is perfect for anyone with no previous experience with beekeeping as well as anyone wanting more information about beekeeping before making the decision to acquire a hive.
Designed to build basic beekeeping skills, topics covered include bee biology, equipment, seasonal management requirements, identification and management of pests, as well as honey removal and processing. Overall focus will home in on the unique challenges and benefits to beekeeping in the Pacific Northwest.
A workshop manual complements the lectures. Participants completing the course and passing the Washington State Beginning Beekeeper level exam (open book test) will receive a certificate as the first step towards the Apprentice, Journey, and Master Beekeeper levels. Each session is taught by local Journeyman Beekeeper and retired WSU Snohomish County Extension zoologist 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.
Class size is limited and usually sells out in advance of the course. Cost for the five-week series is $125 per person. To register, visit the event website. For more information on the course, visit the Extension event site or contact Kate Ryan, kate.ryan@wsu.edu, (425) 357-6024.