If you’ve always dreamed of beekeeping but didn’t know where to start, the Forest Preserve District of Will County is offering an Introduction to Successful Beekeeping Workshop this winter.
The weekly beekeeping course will be held from 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesdays, February 21 through March 28, at Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township. The course is for ages 18 or older, costs $75 per person, and registration is required by Friday, February 17. Program details and a registration link are available on the Event Calendar listing for the workshop.
“This course can get you ready to start a hive this spring. That is why we offer it when we do,” said Bob Bryerton, an interpretive naturalist for the Forest Preserve. “By the end of the course, you will be ready to start your own hive at the time of year when hives should be started.”
Or you could take the course this year and start a hive in a future year, Bryerton added.
The course will be led by Mike Rusnak, who has 18 years of experience as a beekeeper and is a member of the Will County Beekeepers Association.
“There are a lot of one-day beekeeping classes out there, but this course is spread out over six weeks,” Rusnak said. “This way, every week, you can come back with questions, and that’s good for new people who are just getting started.”
Spring is around the corner, so don’t delay in signing up, Bryerton advised.
“You want to be ready to start your bees when the weather warms up for your best chance at success,” he noted. “This course will give you the tools needed to do that.”
In addition to providing the basic knowledge needed for beekeeping, the course also will provide resources and connections to other beekeepers, which are invaluable for beginning beekeepers, Bryerton added.
While beekeeping can be more involved than some people realize, “the bees do most of the work,” Bryerton said. “This workshop will give you a heads up on what you are getting into and how to start as smoothly as possible,” he explained.
Topics covered during the course include: The history of beekeeping, anatomy of a honeybee, equipment and stock, hive management, and colony dynamics.
The workshop fee includes “The Backyard Beekeeper,” by Kim Flottum. Weather permitting, an optional off-site field day will be planned to correspond with the installation of a package of honeybees in a Langstroth hive.