Grenada is venue for first Caribbean Bee College

St. George’s University (SGU) will be the venue for the 1st Annual Caribbean Bee College (CBC), which will be held over the period January 3 to 5, 2013, and is expected to be attended by beekeepers, researchers and others in the field of honey production.

Described as the Caribbean’s largest bee event, the three-day event will consist of a half-day technical tour where participants will have the chance to visit the SGU apiary as well as tour local apiaries on the island.

The following two days will consist of morning lectures and afternoon workshops on a variety of topics, from getting started in beekeeping to producing queen honey bees. The CBC will feature beginner and experienced tracks that encompass the range in beekeeping experience. Live honey bee colonies will be on site to facilitate a hands-on learning experience.

There will also be a 13-class CBC Honey Show, in which participants can enter their honey or hive products for judging and possible awards.

The event is organised by the University of Florida in partnership with the East Caribbean Bee Research and Extension Centre at St. George’s University, the Association of Caribbean Beekeepers’ Organisations, and the Grenada Association of Beekeepers to offer this programme in the Caribbean for the first time.

“Collectively, we are preparing to offer a three-day honey bee extension event that will serve as a learning experience for beekeepers, farmers, those in various bee-related industries and others interacting with honey bees and beekeeping at any level,” said a statement on the website promoting the event.

“Our primary goal is to partner with beekeepers and other groups in the Caribbean in an effort to share information, tools, and resources that we hope will improve the sustainability of beekeeping among the islands,” it explained.

“Our team will take time during the CBC to have a group discussion on the state of honey bee research, extension, and instruction efforts in the Caribbean. We will use the information gathered at the discussion to develop additional honey bee-related programmes for the Caribbean islands,” said the statement. (LS)