Training New Beekeepers at BCC-IWLA

Tracy Waterman [email protected]

On two Saturdays in October, the Montgomery County Beekeepers Association (MCBA) used the B-CC IWLA Chapter House to train 50 individuals, including two Izaak Walton members, to become beekeepers.

Students learned about bee behavior, anatomy, bee- keeping equipment, and how to man- age hives throughout the year. The 13 hours of classroom instruction is combined with hands-on mentoring in a bee yard that MCBA maintains at Brookside Nature Center in Wheaton, MD. This comprehensive instruction prepares students to obtain and start their own hives in the spring.

In early 2020, additional beekeepers classes will be held. To learn more about MCBA, beekeeping, how to support pollinators, or to purchase local honey visit their website.