Beginning Beekeepers Workshop in Virginia

Posted on May 8, 2014 by in Bees, Beginning Farmers, Workshops // 0 Comments

Beginning Beekeepers Workshop At the Virginia Tech Catawba Sustainability Center

May 15, 2014: 6PM – 9PM and May 17, 2014: 9AM – 2PM

About the Workshop

This two-session class will prepare the beginning beekeeper for a successful season. The first class is a three-hour, classroom-based session that provides the student with a strong foundation of beekeeping knowledge. The second session includes instruction with both classroom and field-based modules. The fee for the 8-hour workshop is $99 and includes a beekeeping book and lunch on Saturday.

Topics Include:

History of the Hive and Honeybee; Honeybee Biology; Necessary Equipment; Honeybee Pests and Diseases; Laws and Regulations; African Honeybees; Pollen and Nectar Sources; and Harvesting Your Honey

About the Instructor

Known as the “Bee Whisperer” of the Roanoke valley, Mark Chorba has kept honeybees in the Roanoke Valley and surrounding areas for the past 20 years. As a certified Virginia Beekeeper, Chorba has taught beekeeping to hundreds of new beekeepers throughout Southwest Virginia. He is the 2013 president of the New River Valley Beekeepers Association, which is currently the largest beekeeper association in Virginia. His dedication to apiculture provides the community a reliable resource of information about honeybees through presentations, community events promoting the honeybee, and beekeeping in general.

Chorba resides on his small farm in Copper Hill in Floyd County where he maintains more than 25 colonies of honeybees. He also tends to adjacent apiaries in Montgomery, Franklin and Roanoke counties.

For More Information or to Request a Program Flyer: Contact Josh Nease at jnease@vt.edu or 540-553-2311.