Jessica Green
Staff Writer
jegreen@valdosta.edu

Beekeeping doesn’t top the list of hobbies in South Georgia, but to beekeepers, it is important and fulfilling. John Avera, Valdosta beekeeper, hopes to encourage people to adopt the hobby and give them a working knowledge of beekeeping through the Continuing Education Center’s course “Introduction to Beekeeping” next month.
The course will be offered for seven Thursdays beginning September 17 and going through October 29 from 6 to 8 each Thursday night. The class costs $69 per student not including the textbook. For additional information, contact the Continuing Education Center at (229) 245 – 6484.
According to wisegeek.com, beekeeping is sustaining bee colonies, or apiaries. This practice is for more than honey because beekeepers can also use their apiaries to collect beeswax used in many household items such as candles. Beehives are also sources of dietary supplements and homeopathic remedies. Maintaining beehives is also very important to agriculture because bees pollinate crops, and without pollination, crop variety and quantity will decrease and some crop varieties can disappear completely.
Avera started beekeeping in the late 1970’s with a few close friends and has been fascinated with bees ever since. Bees fascinate him because, as he puts it, he “likes flowers and loves to eat.” After learning about new diseases and parasites affecting bees and their hives, Avera returned to his fascination with plans.
Avera wanted to increase the number of beehives and place them in multiple locations in the local area to increase the pollina tion area of the bees. Farmers depend on pollination for their crops to survive and thrive. Because of the new parasites and diseases, such as Colony Collapse Disorder, bee populations are declining and affecting crops. Increasing the number and locations of beehives is very important to sustaining crop production.
Avera wants to encourage students’ interest in bees, with hopes they will want to start hives and increase the local pollination area on their own. Through his course next month, he will also teach students how to start their own hives, how to maintain their hives and how to handle their future bees safely. “The greatest misconception is that if you get around a beehive or around a bee, they’re going to sting you,” said Avera. “Happy bees tend not to sting.”
There are several ways to ensure a safe experience with bees. Avera recommends the minimum gear of a veil, a smoker and light colored clothing, but there are options ranging from gloves to a full suit. The veil is worn over the face, fully surrounding the head and neck. A smoker is a metal can with billows that directs smoke toward the bees to help calm them while the beekeeper opens the hives and checks each section of the hive.
Avera will introduce each of these topics and other basic beekeeping information for students to have a working knowledge of beekeeping so they can set up their own hives.