MCC’s Beekeeping Course Teaches More than Just the Production of Honey

Manchester Community College will hold the first of five sessions of a new Credit-Free course, Bee Keeping for Beginners, on Wednesday, June 4 from 6 to 9 p.m. The final session will meet Saturday, June 28 at Lockwood Farm in Hamden. Taught by Connecticut’s State Apiary Inspector, Mark Creighton, the course offers participants an opportunity to embark on a profitable new hobby. Why is bee keeping profitable? “We consume double the honey production in the United States. Currently we import millions of pounds of honey to meet our needs,” Creighton explains. In fact, last year was the first season Connecticut needed to bring in bees from other states. The health of bee communities has suffered and lead to declining numbers, with stress being a predominate factor.

Beekeeping for Beginners will instruct participants in how to start a hive but also in the importance of bees to our food supply. To maintain a sustainable supply of produce such as apples, blueberries, cucumbers and even squash, attention needs to focus on maintaining our local community of bees. “Of the food we eat, 33% is pollinated by honey bees. This includes cow grazing food needed to produce milk,” Creighton explains. “Bees are unique because they are the only insects to provide a food source for humans”.

Three to four hives in your backyard can yield enough honey to generate your new business venture. Creighton also encourages families to use bees as an educational tool. “Any family with young children should have a hive. This is a great way to teach math, geometry, chemistry, biology, history and even literature, in ways kids can see and touch.” For registration, refer to CRN 20813 in the Summer Credit-Free Catalog. For more information or to request a catalog, call Continuing Education at 860-512-2800.