Whether you’re looking for an active role in protecting local pollinators or you’re just a huge fan of honey, beginning beekeeping takes a lot of know-how — maintaining the right environment, getting the necessary equipment, even obtaining a permit from the city — so it pays to learn from the experts. Ensure a thriving hive by signing up for a beginner’s beekeeping class or getting involved with a local association.
Classes for new-bees
Honey & The Hive | In addition to informative lectures from Knox Petrucci, the Beginner Beekeeping course includes a 2-hour hands-on session so you can get an up-close look at the hive and how it functions. The next classes are Saturday, Aug. 12 and Saturday, Sept. 2.
WilderKin Beekeeping | Even when your hives are up and running, you’ll probably need some expert input. Private beekeeping lessons can cover topics from pest management to bee behavior — and everything in between.
Buncombe County Beekeepers | The local chapter of the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association offers an annual class for beginning that is designed to prepare you for everything you’ll need to know in your first year of beekeeping. The dates for the 2023 class have not yet been released, but 2022’s class was held in November.
Sourwood celebration
If you’re not quite ready to take the beekeeping leap yourself but still have a bee in your bonnet about these little workers, you’re in luck. The Sourwood Festival is coming to Black Mountain this weekend, Aug. 12-13, for a celebration of sourwood honey, one of the most sought-after honey varieties in the US. In the midst of craft + food vendors, live music, dancing, and fun for the kids, you can settle in for beekeeping demonstrations all festival long.
