Beginning Beekeeping with UMaine Extension offered in Calais, Machias

University of Maine Cooperative Extension is offering beginning beekeeping courses in Calais, beginning Jan. 23, and in Machias on Jan. 24. The Calais session will be held at Washington County Community College, 1 College Drive, 6:30-8:30 p.m., through Feb. 20. The Machias session will be held at University of Maine at Machias, 9 O’Brien Avenue, 7-9 p.m., through Feb. 21.

Taught by Master Beekeeper Andrew Dewey, class topics include the honeybee colony, hive construction, seasonal management, pests and diseases, and honey production. Participants will visit a local hive for observation and hands-on experience in late spring. Class graduates will become members of the Washington County chapter of the Maine State Beekeepers Association.

The $60 per person fee, per couple if willing to share materials, includes ‘Bee-sentials: A Field Guide’ by Lawrence J. Connor with Robert G. Muir. Enrollment is limited to 25. Register online by Jan 19. For more information or to request a disability accommodation, call 800.287.1542 (in Maine), 207.255.3345, or email tara.a.wood@maine.edu.