Bee School
At a recent meeting of the Board of Directors of the Barnstable County Beekeepers Association, it was voted to put the annual Bee School on hiatus for 2023. The decision was not an easy one considering all the interest. The Board of Directors have made a decision to further/concentrate the association’s efforts in pollination and pollination resources for honeybees’ and native pollinators’ survival. Cape Cod has a short growing season with changeable weather conditions creating a food source scarcity. Efforts will be made for classes after 2023. When that decision is made, dates and times will be found on our website.
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Each year the Barnstable County Beekeepers Association (BCBA) offers Bee School specifically designed for beginning beekeepers. The course runs from early January to mid-May, progressing through the key points of a hive’s lifecycle. The sessions start in the winter when new beekeepers learn basic information about the bees themselves, the proper equipment they will need, and how to assemble their hives. As the season progresses, new beekeepers learn how to introduce bees to their new hives, how to monitor the progress of their bees, when to add new components to their hives, and so on to pest control, and, finally, harvesting the honey! The course is taught by senior members who are always willing to mentor the new beekeepers.
Bee School tuition is $50 and includes a textbook, handouts, instruction, a mentoring program, and a one-year family membership (a $20 value) in the BCBA. Space is limited and fills up quickly.
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Did You Know?
Honeybees will visit about two million flowers and fly around 50,000 miles to make a one pound jar of honey.