More than 60 participants attended the 2024 Eastern Kentucky Bee School that was held in person at the Perry County Extension Office Annex Building.

This was supposed to be a mini–Beekeeping School but it turned out to be rather large. The Annex was at capacity and participants had to be turned away. This was the first in person school since 2020. COVID had forced the school to go virtual. We had participants from 12 Kentucky Counties and Virginia and West Virginia. 

 This was our fourteenth school to date. 

     This school was started in 2009 to satisfy a need to educate people on the importance of these pollinators and to provide learning opportunities for beginners as well as advanced beekeepers.  

     The event was sponsored by the Perry County Cooperative Extension Service and the Kentucky State Beekeepers Association. The Extension Service played a vital role in planning and conducting the school. Extension ANR Agents from Floyd and Knott Counties and Staff from the Perry County Extension Service assisted with putting this school on. It takes a lot of resources and people to make this school the success it has become.  

     This one-day event was geared more towards beginning Beekeeping. However, there were some advanced classes offered.

     Due to space limitations, we didn’t have exhibitors at this school, but we did have three Beekeeping Supply Companies send items for door prizes, Mann Lake Bee & AG Supply, Dadant & Sons and The Honey and Bee Connection, which is a company that started because of this school.  

       At the end of the school participants evaluated the overall school and the classes they attended. With 10 being the highest and 1 being the lowest. The overall rating was a 9.7 with most of the classes having the same rating as pertaining to knowledge gained from the classes.  

     As a result of the school, Perry County has a confirmed number of 7 new beekeepers with 100 new hives. Perry County now has 3 commercial Beekeepers. 

A local store is now carrying beekeeping equipment.

     There has been a dramatic increase in the interest in beekeeping in the County. I use to only receive a call or two a year about beekeeping, now I am receiving one or two a week. 

     This school has also driven enough interest in Beekeeping in Perry County that a beekeepers Association was formed in the County in the fall of 2017. Average attendance at these monthly meetings is 15.