Public Invited to Beekeeping Workshop
Slideshow
This slideshow contains 4 slides that will change every 8 seconds. The first button is to play and pause the slideshow, followed by buttons to go to the previous slide, next slide, or choose individual slides.
What’s the buzz about bees?
Find out at a beekeeping workshop on Saturday, Nov. 11, at Cal Poly Pomona.
The six-hour workshop is open to anyone in the public interested in becoming a beekeeper. Sponsored by the university’s Huntley College of Agriculture, the workshop will feature industry experts and hands-on training for participants.
“Now is the perfect time to learn about beekeeping if you are interested,” workshop organizer and Cal Poly Pomona lecturer Mark Haag said. “You can plan and plant forage for the bees for the spring.”
The workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the AGRIscapes Center, 4102 S. University Drive. The cost is $75 and includes lunch and snacks. Space is limited to 50 participants. RSVP to Mark Haag at mjhaag@cpp.edu.
Bees are critical to farming and agriculture: they are responsible for pollinating about $15 billion in U.S. crops a year, according to Haag. Lately, bee populations have declined with the mysterious collapse and deaths of many colonies and hives.
At the same time, however, urban beekeeping is on the rise as many cities, such as Los Angeles, have repealed beekeeping bans. But many new and aspiring beekeepers don’t know the regulations or best practices
The university’s Department of Plant Science has long taught a bee science course to its students and used hives to help pollinate the crops it grows at Spadra Farm on campus. But now the university is offering its knowledge to the public.
“We are here as a resource and educational institution to help people learn and get started,” Haag said. “The workshop is just the first step.”
In the future, Haag hopes to offer a course to the public through the university’s College of the Extended University. The course would include training on pest and parasite treatments and an integrated pest management
Plans also are underway to create an on-campus apiary with beehives, a classroom, observation room, and forage for the insects. The apiary would be accessible by the public.