More than 150 participants attended the 2019 Eastern Kentucky Bee School that was held in Perry County. This school continues to grow each year with participants coming from surrounding states. This was our ninth 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 Department of Agriculture. The Extension Service played a vital role in planning and conducting the school. Extension Agents from surrounding Counties also assist with this school. It takes a lot of resources and people to make this school the success that it is. 

     This one day event offered classes ranging from beginning to advanced beekeeping, including some specialty classes like, Mite-Biter Queens, Queen Grafting, Pesticides in Hives, DNA Honey Analysis, Viruses, Making Lotion Bars and Lip Balm, Top Bar Hives, Bee Biology, Cooking with Honey and several unique classes. In total 26 educational classes were offered at the school. There was something offered for everyone.

     The number of youth attending the school continues to grow, which is very encouraging. The only way we are going to continue to increase the number of beekeepers is get our youth interested. 

     There were three exhibitors and three Beekeeping supply companies that attended the 2019 school, Walter T Kelly Company, Dadant & Sons and The Honey and Bee Connection, which is a company that started because of this school.  

  Several other Beekeeping Supply companies provided door prizes or other items for the participants. 

     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 9.4 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 10 new beekeepers with 50 new hives. Perry County now has 4 commercial Beekeepers. 

Two local stores are 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 form in the County in the fall of 2017.