According to Jim Jones, of Environmental Protection Agency’s top pesticide regulator, one-third of all our food is dependent on pollination. Pollination accounts for 15 billion dollars of the United States economy. Without pollinators, we would still have apples in the grocery, but apples would go from 1.00 dollar a pound to 3.00 dollars a pound. 

       According to the USDA data number of honey bee colonies in 2018 has decreased by 16 percent. With some data for Kentucky, from the Bee Informed Partnership, of the number of colonies decreasing in KY by 34% in 2018.

     In order to combat this issue of hive loss through the Kentucky State University Small Farm Project and Beginning Farmer Grant and a collaborative program with the University of Kentucky Extension limited resource farmers learn how to tend to honeybees upon their farm. 

      These Extension classes a 5-part series on Beginning Beekeeping. The first class is “Why do we need bees?” and “A simple plan on keeping honeybees alive from one generation to the next.” The second class, in the series, is on “Hardware and assemble” and “Bee Protective Gear, what do we need.”  A third class on “Bee Diseases and Pest. “The fourth class is on “Honey: How sweet it is! The bees have gathered it and produced it. Now what?”. The final class is on “Few thoughts on Honey marketing: rules and regulations.”

    This series of classes have been scheduled and taught from Jefferson County to Warren County to Pike County to Martin County. Back to Warren County. This quarter a lot of the classes are taught in Knox, Laurel, and Whitley. With other classes scheduled in other counties throughout the upcoming year. 

    Over a 225 number of contacts have attended this quarter Beginning Beekeeping Class. These contacts repeat each average from 10 to 25 people. Prior  1/3 of contacts had colonies of honey bees. Afterward, 65 % own or plan on owning honey bee colonies. 50% of the new beekeepers want the honeybees to increase production in their garden. Therefore, increasing the value of the crops, they produce for the farm.

    Experience shows new hives after one year has the potential of producing at least 10 quarts of honey. Each quart of honey is worth 20 to 35 dollars per quart depending on the location. Resulting in a cash value of honey produce per hive at 200 to 350 dollars for the beekeeper.

    Furthermore, beekeepers have stated there is more to beekeeping than they ever imagined. Several have reported they have the courage and the now the confidence to go ahead and obtain several colonies of honeybees.

    Two counties, Knox and Laurel, have individuals who have requested after the classes end to continue meeting with them on a monthly bases so they could continue to learn and deal with any problems which they might encounter. The meetings will continue to meet after the original five.  

    Several are bringing their teenagers to learn beekeeping to the Beginning Beekeeping Series the teenagers are taken a particular interest in beehives. After attending one meeting, in Knox County, Destyne Reynolds stated she would like to try working with her father in a beehive after he buys one this spring. Before the class, she had no interested at all. 

    Many people think beekeeping is similar to buying a car, 4-wheeler, or boat. Buy it place the hive in the yard, and it will still be there whenever they can get back to it. However, bee colonies are not this way. It takes time, knowledge, and patience to increase the survival rate of a beehive. Through KSU Extension Beginning beekeeper classes, people are learning basic techniques for hive survival.