Description

Members of the UF Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab have organized a first-of-its-kind event featuring the 1st annual Bee College and Honey Show and the start of the University of Florida Master Beekeeper Program, both to be held at the Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka.

The Master Beekeeper Program is designed to enhance beekeeper education and requires that participants complete written and practical examinations and fulfill public service credits. The program consists of four levels of advancement from apprentice beekeeper to master craftsman beekeeper. Examination and training for the apprentice level will he held on March 13th.

The Bee College is a two-day event featuring two educational tracks, one for beginners and another for experienced beekeepers. Both tracks consist of workshops and lectures presented by nationally-recognized experts and sought-after speakers such as Dr. Jim Tew and Dennis vanEnglesdorp. This program promises to be useful to beekeepers, pest control operators, master gardeners, county agents, and anyone interested in honey bees. The beginner's track has been designed to teach people with limited/no bee knowledge how to keep bees; beginner classes include bee biology, rules for keeping bees in Florida, and clipping/marking queens. Experienced track classes include the latest information on Colony Collapse Disorder, fundamentals of pollination ecology, and how to diagnose bee diseases in one's own colonies (using microscopes).

All Bee College students are encouraged to participate in the 1st Annual Bee College Honey Show which will be judged by a decorated, world-class Welsh honey judge. There will be 13 show classes that include several types of honey, mead, candles, bee-related art, photography, and beekeeping gadgets. Awards will be given to winners in each class.

For more information about the Bee College, Master Beekeeper Program, or Honey Show visit the UF Honey Bee Lab website at http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/honeybee/.

Contact Person

Gentry, Nancy
Email: farmbees@gmail.com
Phone: 386-684-3433
Mobile Phone:
FL

Date and Time

3/13/2008, 8:00AM - 5:00PM

Location

At the UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka, Florida.

Sponsoring Organization

Event Type

meeting

Target Audience

Beginner And Experienced Beekeepers

Web Site
http://pestalert.ifas.ufl.edu/bee_college.htm