Beekeeping Education

Upcoming Educational Events

New Hanover County Beekeepers Beginners Bee School

* Class is currently full and at capacity*

The New Hanover County Beekeepers Association is excited to announce an in Person Beginner Bee School!

We plan for this to be an opportunity for you to learn about one of the most important insects in the word!

Through this experience you will learn about the honey bee and how to maintain a colony of honey bees. Beekeeping is a very exciting and rewarding hobby. We will also explore the benefits of the honey bee and honey.

Hopefully you will “catch the bug”, and start your very own apiary; or, you may simply choose for this class to help you become more educated about the honey bee (apis mellifera)! Either way you will leave amazed about this extraordinary insect!

Beginner Bee School Registration 2023

The New Hanover County Beekeepers Association is offering its annual Beginner Bee School!

Schedule:

January 27 – 29
Friday, 1/27 6:30pm-8
Saturday, 1/28 10-5pm
Sunday, 1/29 noon to 4pm

(No class the weekend of 2/4- 2/5)

February 11 – 12
Saturday, 2/11 10-5pm
Sunday, 2/12 noon-4pm

This is an introductory course designed to help you learn what you need to know to get started in beekeeping. The course covers Basic Bee Biology, Castes, Anatomy, Life Cycles, Apiary Setup, Bee Hive Equipment, Seasonal Management, Honey Bee diseases, Pests Integrated Pest Management(IPM), Treatment options, hive equipment assembly, and harvesting and extracting honey. There will be raffles for hive equipment give aways for those who opt to take the NCSBA Certified Beekeeper written test at the end of this course.

Seating will be limited so preregistration is advised.

Your tuition cost includes the following: Classroom Course Instruction, Field Day opportunities, Beekeeping For Dummies textbook, membership to both the New Hanover County Beekeepers Association(NHCBA) and the North Carolina Beekeepers Association(NCSBA) and access to our mentorship program. It also includes lunches on the Saturday class days-1/28 and 2/11.

Location

Halyburton Park
4099 South 17 th st
Wilmington, NC 28412

Course Fee

$75

We have a great lineup of instructors: Anthony Snider, David Bridgers, Bill Morrison, Brian West, and Susan Warwick.

Anthony Snider is Associate Professor Emeritus of Environmental Studies (EVS) at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.  He has been keeping bees off and on for over 20 years and is a Certified Beekeeper.  In retirement, he continues to run the bee program at UNCW and keeps hives in the Sandhills region of North Carolina.

David Bridgers is a Master Craftsman Beekeeper and been keeping bees off and on since 1969. He has volunteered his time to teach and serve with the NCSBA and locally in Columbus, Pender, and New Hanover Counties. He has served as an advisor and SME (subject matter expert), to various cities, counties and to UNCW. He has volunteered his time and expertise to give talks to many local civic groups and has many exciting bee experiences over the years! He and his wife Kay have managed upwards of 250 colonies, sending hives to pollinate crops in Florida and the almonds in California.

Bill Morrison is our NHCBA treasurer since 2013. Bill has taught science and computers at the highschool and college levels over the years. He has also taught a Beginner Bee class at CFCC. After moving to Wilmington in 2006, Bill began keeping bees when he learned his younger sister started raising Russian bees in upper Michigan, “figured it was fun and easy!” He currently has 9 hives on a 1/3 of acre vegetable garden in his back yard. Bill has volunteered his time and expertise to give “bee talks” to various groups over the years.

Susan Warwick has served as president in 2021 and 2022 and has served in various capacities within the club over the years. Susan began keeping bees after taking the NHCBA Beginner Bee School 11 years ago and has now achieved the level of Journeyman in the NCSBA. Taking the class definitely caused her to, “catch the bug” that started the beekeeping adventure. She has maintained upwards of 40 hives and currently has 35 hives. She has hosted field trips to her apiary to adults and children. She has also setup exhibits at the CF Fair and Expo.

Brian West started keeping bees in 1989 with 2 hives after he becoming a Certified Beekeeper. Then in 2010, he started a sideline commercial pollination business. In this venture, he was managing and utilizing approximately 250 hives for about 10 years. Presently he manages 25 hives. He has mentored numerous “newbees” and given numerous “bee talks” to various civic groups. He has gone out of his way to help those just getting started. For example, he drove to meet a new “beekeeper”, who was driving down I40 with their newly acquired bees, unsecured in a cardboard box! Brain met them, drove their car back to Wilmington in a bee suit and let them drive his truck home! Now that’s going the extra mile!