If you are thinking about raising honey bees this year, attend the Toe Cane Beekeepers Association’s one-day, hands-on class and learn the basics of beekeeping. Bee Basics for Beginning Beekeepers will be offered Saturday, March 25, at the Blue Rock Apiary just outside of Burnsville, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The class will cover equipment, how to identify the various stages of brood and what each one means, steps to help prevent a hive from swarming, when to add honey supers, and how to minimize stings while working with bees. After attending, participants should understand what equipment they need to raise bees and be comfortable setting up their own hive and installing bees in it.

“The early spring has been a boon to bees but a surprise to beekeepers,” said Ed Geouge, president of the TCBA. “New beekeepers need to get started early if they hope to harvest honey this year. This class will help them do that.”

Interested members may sign up for the class online.

Bee Basics for Beginners is open to anyone over age 13 who is a TCBA member. Membership is only $10 and you can join online.

The Toe Cane Beekeepers association is a non-profit organization serving the bees and beekeepers of Mitchell, Avery, and Yancey counties. It offers educational and training opportunities throughout the year for new and experienced beekeepers and engages in community outreach through area schools and at special events. TCBA members meet on the fourth Tuesday of every month in Spruce Pine.