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2017 Spring Beginning Beekeepers Class!
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Mid-State Beekeepers Association
2017 Spring Beginning Beekeepers Classes

 
If you have already received a copy of this update please disregard. It is being resent due to a technical problem resulting in multiple non deliveries.

You are receiving this email because you are registered for the Beginning Beekeeping course offered by Mid-State Beekeepers Association. Please read this important pre-class update.

Hello
<<First Name>>,

Welcome to our Association! We hope you are excited about taking the Beginner Beekeepers class. Some new members have already started to attend our monthly meetings.  We are excited to have all  new beekeepers attend association gatherings. We try to offer an educational component at every monthly meeting to keep you up-to-date with what's happening locally in Midlands' bee yards and to prepare you for what to expect each month and each season. We hope you will begin to make attendance at  monthly association meetings a part of your continuing education program over the coming year and beyond.

Your classes are scheduled to start on Saturday, January 21st, 9AM to 4PM (classroom), with a second class on Saturday, February 18th, 9AM to 4PM (classroom), and a trip to a local bee yard on Saturday, March 18th (half day - field day in a local bee yard).  The optional Certified Beekeeper written test is planned for those that wish to take it but is not yet scheduled. Our classes this year will be at our regular monthly meeting place at McGregor Presbyterian Church in Irmo.  A map showing the location of the classroom is available on our Association webpage and  here:  Google Maps.

So we are all speaking the same language, it would be very useful for students to familiarize themselves with some basic beekeeping terms prior to class. To that end we thought it would be helpful to send out a vocabulary list for your study. Download the vocabulary list here.

You will receive a hard copy of Dr. Keith Delaplane's book First Lessons in Beekeeping as a part of your class materials. Until then, if you would like to browse a couple online books written for beginning beekeepers, here are two for your holiday reading:
Backyard Beekeeping by Alabama A&M and Auburn University
Beekeeping Basics by Penn State University

Can't wait for class to start? We have put together a couple of web pages for those wanting to start a little early. The first is our Fellowship Page which offers you ways to stay in the loop and get better connected with your peers (bee buddies) and beekeeping subject matter.  And for those eager to jump into content, the second web page is titled Beekeeping Tips and is a little more advanced.  Don't be overwhelmed by either of these web pages. All of this material will be covered during your beekeeping classes. We present it here because we know some of you are eager to get started gathering information. Now would also be a good time to pay an online visit to the many beekeeping supply companies and request a hardcopy of their catalogs. They will be glad to mail one out and you'll learn a lot looking through the catalogs. Again, don't worry, we'll have catalogs available at the first class but you'll enjoy getting catalogs from several companies to help you decide later when you order your supplies. BTW: We will cover the topic of beekeeping equipment during the first day of classes to help you understand what to order.

IMPORTANT: The seats in the fellowship hall where our classes are held tend to get a bit hard after a few hours. Please remember to bring a seat cushion, or a favorite collapsible chair for your comfort. Lunch will be on your own but we'll have hot coffee, tea, doughnuts, biscuits, and yummy local honey for your breakfast.

Spring is always an exciting time for beekeepers. The good news is Spring starts early for beekeepers and Midlands area honey bees will start gathering pollen and nectar as early as February. Your appreciation for them, the seasons, and nature will be forever changed by what you will learn in your beekeeping classes.

Feel free to email any questions you might have regarding the links provided above to scmidstatebees@gmail.com
Copyright © 2016 Mid-State Beekeepers Assoc., All rights reserved.


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