Online beekeeping course slated in October

Beekeeping is going digital. Beekeepers across the state will have the opportunity to participate in an online beekeeping course series designed for both hobby and small commercial beekeepers. The workshop, conducted by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, will cover several topics of information important to the industry.

Tony Glover, an Alabama Extension county coordinator in Cullman County, said there are three sessions of the workshop planned.

“These webinars are free and accessible to anyone with a computer, tablet or phone that has internet access,” Glover said.

The hour-long sessions will be on consecutive Tuesday evenings beginning at 6 p.m. Oct. 15.

• Oct. 15: Equipment Tips from an Apiarist — Tammy Horn-Potter, Kentucky state apiarist, will offer equipment tips based on her equipment successes and failures.

• Oct. 22: Making More Money With Your Honey — Kevin Burkett, Alabama Extension Farm and Agribusiness Management agent, will discuss ways to maximize profits.

• Oct. 29: Honeybee Breeds: Choosing the Right Bee for Your Area — Jack Rowe, Alabama Extension’s beekeeping program lead, will share the pros and cons associated with various honeybee lines.

For information or to register for the online beekeeping course, visit www.aces.edu.

Allyson Shabel, an Alabama Extension home grounds agent, who also serves on Alabama Extension’s beekeeping program leadership team, said it is important the people pre-register for the course.

“Once people pre-register, we will be able to provide them with instructions on how to connect to the webinar,” Shabel said.

The webinars display through Zoom, a web conferencing service. “People will want to download and install the Zoom software before the meeting to ensure they don’t have any difficulties connecting to the meeting,” Shabel said.

Participants can download the free Zoom application from the Zoom website.

For more information on this topic and many others, contact the Etowah County Extension Office.

Upcoming Extension Programs

• Northeast Alabama 4-H Chick Chain Show and Auction: 11 a.m. Saturday, DeKalb County VFW Fairgrounds, Fort Payne

• Rain Barrel Workshop: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 1, Etowah County Extension Office; participants must register in advance and pay $40 to receive a rain barrel; call the Extension Office for more details

• Etowah/Cherokee County Master Gardener Class: Begins on Jan. 28; contact the Extension Office for more details or an application

• Enroll young people ages 9-18 in the 4-H program at www.alabama4h.com.

For more information on this topic and many others, contact the Etowah County Extension Office, 256-547-7936 or 3200 A W. Meighan Blvd., Gadsden. Amy Burgess is extension coordinator for the Etowah County Extension Office.