The 12^th East Kentucky Winter Beekeeping School was held virtual again in January 2022 due to a winter Covid surge. The school was planned and conducted by a committee of local beekeepers, the Kentucky State Apiarist and Extension agents from Perry, Harlan, Floyd, and Letcher Counties. Even with the virtual event, this was the highest attended school to date. More than 200 people registered for the event. Based on registration, attendees were from over half of the counties in the state and four other states.

Attendees had the opportunity to provide feedback from the school through an online evaluation. One surprise from the evaluations was respondents didn’t care if the school was virtual or in-person, just as long as we had one. This was the same response we received from last years’ virtual school. Considering the resources and time involved in putting on an in-person school, this response will most likely lead to continuing the school as virtual. The cost savings would exceed over $5000.00 per school and countless hours of preparation. The evaluations showed most attendees have never been involved in beekeeping or have just been involved for 1 to 5 years. That’s very positive to have that level of interest in beekeeping from beginners. The evaluations showed an overwhelming positive response for the school with most respondents rating the school as excellent. Attendees had the opportunity to provide feedback for what they had learned at the school with more than four pages of knowledge gained. 

Classes this year included, Timely Topics, upcoming Events and Programs; Viruses in the Hive; Producing Honey; Honey Labels; Beginning Beekeeping; Queen Bees; Swarms and Chasing Feral Bees. With the top rating of a 5, these classes had an overall rating of 4.57. 

The Cooperative Extension Service continues to be seen as playing a vital role as a resource for bee production and to beekeepers. This school continues to provide valuable education to beekeepers, is a platform to increase public awareness, and promotes the potential of beekeeping in Eastern Kentucky.