By Tarah Young, University of Minnesota Extension Educator
Are you interested in bees and pollinators, but you don’t know where to begin? Check out thisupcoming webinar series to help guide you in your apiary ambitions. University of Minnesota Extension Educators are excited to bring you the webinar series “How can I help pollinators? Honeybees, native bees, or both?”. This three-part series will help inform you before starting in honey production or pollinator habitat planning. Join us from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, February 1-3 each afternoon for this free webinar. You must pre-register for this series at www.z.umn.edu/BeeSeries to receive the webinar links. This webinar series will cover the following topics:
Tuesday, February 1 – Pollinators and beekeeping: what’s the difference? – UMN Extension Educator Claire LaCanne, Rice and Steele Counties
Are you interested in helping pollinator insects or raising them? Though there can be some overlap, these are two separate, distinct goals. Keeping honeybees is like caring for livestock, with the objective of harvesting honey or utilizing their crop pollination services. Helping our native pollinator insects primarily focuses on providing suitable food and habitat for them. Extension Educator Claire LaCanne will highlight the goals of beekeeping and promoting pollinators and guide you through the differences.
Wednesday, February 2 – Honeybee production: the tiniest livestock – Dr. Katie Lee, UMN Extension Educator in Apiculture
Thinking about becoming a new beekeeper? There are many compelling reasons to keep honeybees, but before beginning the process, it’s helpful to know the honeybee basics. What equipment will you need? When and how do I order my bees? How can I keep my bees happy and healthy? Dr. Katie Lee will be helping guide you in the beginning steps of beekeeping.
Thursday, February 3 – Actions to help pollinators – Dr. Elaine Evans, UMN Extension Professor and Researcher in Native Pollinators
Learn about pollinators present in Minnesota and action steps you can take to support pollinator health and diversity. By following four action steps, you can create a haven for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
To join us for all or one of these webinars, please go to www.z.umn.edu/BeeSeries to register. You only need to register once to receive access to each topic. The Zoom link will be emailed to you immediately after you register. If you are unable to attend the live sessions, you will receive the recording via email after all sessions have been completed. If you have questions about the webinar series or need assistance with registration, please call your local Extension office.
Residents in Wright County may email aausting@umn.edu or call (763) 682-7381.