Bee College

People are buzzing about this year's linkurl:Bee College,;http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/honeybee/extension/bee_college.shtml an annual event hosted by the University of Florida (UF) for beekeepers and bee enthusiasts. This year, more than 300 participants will gather on the Florida coast to learn to build an apiary, dissect a bee, watch an open hive demonstration, and, of course, taste some honey.

Tyler Jones, UF/IFAS

"It's for beekeepers at any level, from beginning beekeepers up to commercial beekeepers with thousands of hives," says linkurl:Jason Graham,;http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honeybee/Jason%20page.html an entomology doctoral student at UF who will be leading two workshops at the event. The event is held at the university's Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience. Organizers expect attendance at this year's event to be more than double that of the first Bee College, held in 2008. Friday kicks off with the linkurl:Master Beekeeper Program,;http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/honeybee/extension/master_beekeeper.shtml a certificate program (including exams) for Florida beekeepers at all levels, and -- back by popular demand -- the African Bee Pest Management Training for Pest Control Operators. And little ones aren't forgotten: a Jr. Bee College will teach children ages six to sixteen the wonders of the important pollinators.

Demonstration at 2010 Bee College
Tyler Jones, UF/IFAS

Throughout the weekend experts will hold numerous workshops, and speakers will deliver a variety of bee-related talks, including a lecture on bee evolution, a 3-D presentation on honey bee anatomy, an overview of pests and diseases, and even a session on candles and other wax products.This year's Bee College will emphasize the cultivation of native bees -- which means "anything other than a European honeybee," according to Graham. linkurl:Glenn Hall,;http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/hg_hall.htm a UF entomologist, will present an overview of Florida's native bee families, two other UF staffers will lead a workshop on enhancing a garden to attract native bees, and Graham will teach attendees to build native bee nests from lumber and bamboo. "These are artificial nest sites that someone can put in their backyard and encourage some of the solitary, native bees to move in and help out with pollination." A perk of raising native, solitary bees -- which live alone, rather than in large hives like honey bees -- is that they don't have the same alarm pheromones and defenses as honeybees, so you'll only get stung if you "grab one and hold it," says Graham. "I've learned from experience."

UF Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory

Last but not least, participants are encouraged to bring a few of their own bees in a jar for a bee dissection class, and to enter honey or bee art into the 4th Annual Bee College Honey Show, in which entrants can submit their sweet product in the amber, dark, creamed honey and beeswax cake categories, among others.
**__Related stories and F1000 evaluations:__***linkurl:Research at recess;http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/57967/
[28th January 2011] *linkurl:The honey bee epigenomes;http://f1000.com/7259956?key=jb2q5287qqb7byj
[29th December 2010] *linkurl:Bee calamity clarified;http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/55919/
[24th August 2009]