Ontonagon County Michigan State University Extension is once again

teaming up with Les McBean owner of White Birch Apiary in Bruce Crossing

to offer two Backyard Beekeeping Workshops. 

The Beginning Beekeeping workshop will be held Saturday, March 13^th at

the Ewen-Trout School, 144 Airport Road in Ewen from 10 am to 4:30 pm

EST.  McBean will focus on a year in the life of a beekeeper and will

cover what equipment is needed to get started, equipment easily made at

home, inspecting colonies and recognizing a queen-right colony, a laying

worker or queen less colony.  Also covered will be the different races of

bees, types of queens and requeening, building bear fences, making

splits (divides), the latest in beekeeping news, new treatments for

mites, emergency feeding-what to use and how, spring medications and

spring inspection of over-wintered hives, making comb honey and how to

get started with a package in cold weather.  Time will be allotted for a

question and answer session. Registration deadline is Thursday, March

11th . 

The Advanced Beekeeping workshop will be held Saturday, March 27^th from

10 am to 4:30 pm EST at the Ewen-Trout Creek School, 144 Airport Road in

Ewen. McBean will discuss the 2009 season highs and lows, testing your

honey for water content and storing your honey.  There will be a

demonstration and discussion on how to get a package through a cold

spring with various types of emergency feeding. Also covered will be

when to re-queen, building bear fences, making splits (divides), the

latest in beekeeping news, spring/fall medications, new treatments for

mites, the importance of Integrated Pest Management, making various

kinds of comb honey, storing comb honey, selling your honey, state

regulations and license requirements.  Participants interested in a

honey exchange can bring a 12-16 ounce jar of their own honey to

exchange with others. Time will be allotted for a question and answer

session. Registration deadline is Thursday, March 25th . 

Pre-registration is required.  The registration fee of $25 for adults

and $15 for youth 12-18 years old includes lunch.  A minimum requirement

of 20 participants must be pre-registered for the session to be held.

For more information or for a registration form, contact the Ontonagon

County MSU Extension office at 906-884-4386 or email msue66@msu.edu

<mailto:msue66@msu.edu>.