Kirkwood hosts beekeeping class

WASHINGTON — A handful of participants have started a four-week series of classes at the Kirkwood Regional Center titled “beekeeping for beginners.”

Washington Regional Center Coordinator Jamie Foster said the class had become an annual affair, starting in 2006.

“We’ve really been running this a long time, and really always have a large interest,” she said. “It’s rare that we have to cancel the class because there’s a minimum number of people. It has happened on occasion, but really not very often.”

The class is taught by Ronald and Carol Wehr, two beekeepers that have their own their own honey farm of 150-200 colonies, and sell their product locally.

Carol Wehr said the classes began at the request of the Iowa Honey Producers Association.

“The honey producers decided that they would have classes all throughout Iowa, and then practicing beekeepers would teach the class,” she said. “They needed someone for this area, and since we have quite a few bees … they had us teach the class. (Ron’s) a total expert and I come along and help out.”

While the initiative started as a way to spread the craft, it Wehr said it eventually attracted conservation-minded individuals.

“That was just one of their missions, to spread the news of how to do beekeeping to try to get people interested,” she said. “Now, since bees are kind of an endangered group, it’s kind of taken off even more than it had.”

The classes offered hands-on training for the trade.

“Beekeeping’s kind of an interesting project, you’re trying to control Mother Nature and that you means you have to outmaneuver the bees as best you can,” Wehr said. “We just show the people how to do it with a standard hive body so that they can be more successful at manipulating your bees because if you can manipulate them, you can help them stay alive, treat them for disease, that kind of thing.”

Still, the class begins with more traditional classroom teaching methods, with the Wehrs showing clips from a DVD and stopping to discuss along the way.

“If you’re going to raise bees you have to start someplace,” Wehr said. “You have to start with where are they going to live, and once you get your bees, how are you going to take care of them and keep them alive.”

While some participants attend with a passing interest, Wehr said others went on to produce their own honey.

“At first, I think most of the people were just curious about how you keep bees because it was something new and they hadn’t heard of it before,” she said. “Now when we teach the class, they’re aiming to get bees and try their hand at it. We always joke about how they’re going to run us out of business.”

All things considered, Wehr said the subject was fun to teach and fun to talk about.

“Once you meet a beekeeper or go to a beekeeper meeting, they start talking and they can babble on forever,” she said. “It’s just like people who like to talk about sports, everybody has something to visit about.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com