Keeping Bees in Kentucky

February 3, 2010

Amanda Sears The Richmond Register Wed Feb 03, 2010, 07:52 AM EST

Honey bees serve a vital role by pollinating fruits, vegetables, nuts and seed crops. Livestock, including horses and cattle, consume bee-pollinated crops such as alfalfa.

Up to one-third of the food we consume depends in some way on honey bees. You also can raise these beneficial insects for the fresh honey and wax they produce. Hives located and managed on farm property help pollinate crops that keep Kentucky agriculture thriving.

Some beekeepers raise bees simply as a fun family activity or hobby.

In recent years, reports of disappearing pollinators have fueled a growing interest in beekeeping. The steady increase in the number bee schools each year and the Kentuckians attending them is evidence of that. Beekeeping supply companies have reported an increase in sales. The number of beekeeping associations in Kentucky has doubled over the past 10 years.

Whether you are a veteran beekeeper or a beginner eager to get started, bee schools offer you a wealth of information on the subject. Kentucky State University and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture team up each winter and spring to offer bee schools in several different locations around the state. These daylong educational workshops offer sessions for beginning beekeepers, comprehensive step-by-step programs that include everything from where to buy equipment to tips on harvesting your first honey crop. Experts from North Carolina State University and University of Georgia will address current issues and deliver talks on a variety of specialized subjects at the Frankfort and Bullitt County events.

The series of bee schools kicked off Jan. 23 with the Eastern Kentucky Beekeeping School in Hazard. Additional schools are scheduled in Scottsville, Whitley City, Morehead, Henderson, Bullitt County and Graves County. The largest event is the Bluegrass Beekeeping School at KSU in Frankfort on March 13, which drew nearly 400 beekeepers and six vendors last year. For a complete list of dates, log onto the Kentucky State Apiarist Web site at www.kyagr.com/statevet/bees. For more information about beekeeping, call the Madison Cooperative Extension Service at 623-4072.

(Sources: Thomas Webster, apiculture research and extension specialist, Land Grant Program, Kentucky State University; Phil Craft, Kentucky State Apiarist, Kentucky Department of Agriculture)

Women in Agriculture Lunch

The Women in Agriculture Lunch will be Saturday, Feb. 20 at 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The speaker will be Mike Reed, Powell County Agriculture Agent. He will be speaking about designing flower arrangements using unique containers. The cost is $5 at the door and you must preregister by Feb.17. All proceeds will go towards Markey Cancer Center Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

Correction

The 2010 Madison County Energy Expo will be held on Saturday, March 13, not March 14.

Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

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