Members of the Chilton County Beekeepers Association are sharing their knowledge during a beginner beekeeping class that will begin on Jan. 15.

A series of classes will be held on Monday nights Jan. 15 through March 5 from 6-8 p.m. at the Clanton Recreation Center located at 305 Lay Dam Road in Clanton.

During the eight-week course a variety of topics will be discussed involving the care of bees and the best ways to get started as a beekeeper.

All facets of beekeeping will be addressed, from acquiring bees to harvesting honey. Each class will be approached from a beginner’s point of view and designed for those interested in becoming beekeepers.

 

The following is a list of the class schedule of topics and who will be teaching for each day:

• January 15 – Who is a beekeeper? What is a “standard” honey bee hive?
  Instructor: Larry Wyatt
• January 22 – What is the honey bee life and contribution to pollination? Stings.
  Instructor: Don Short
• January 29 – How do you acquire honey bees? What tools & safety do beekeepers use? How does one get the honey bees into the hive?
  Instructor: Terry Collier
• February 5 – How do the frames and comb change to allow honey bee survival?
  Is there excess honey to extract?
  Instructor: Bill Evans
• February 12 – How can beekeepers assist honey bees in feeding, housing and water?
  Instructor: Gary Farmer
• February 19 – What Pests, Parasites, Diseases can harm honey bees?
  Instructor: Beth Taylor
• February 26 – How do beekeepers determine when to harvest honey, pollen, wax or propolis?
  Instructor: Gary Farmer
• March 5 – Test & Certificate Presentation, Instructors available for Question/Answer Forum.

The instructors of the classes are some of the most experienced beekeepers in the association.

Bill Evans is the founder of the Chilton County Beekeepers Association and Larry Wyatt is the president.

According to Wyatt, he hopes the classes will inform the people of Chilton County, as well as develop a renewed interest for beekeeping, especially among the younger generation.

Registrations for the class are still being accepted and a $50 fee is required per person. Included in the fee is a one-year membership to the Chilton County Beekeepers Association.