Beekeeping Camp

Mississippi State University Extension's Beekeeping Camp

This residential academic camp will cover all the topics a new beekeeper needs to know to start keeping bees and it is a lot of fun. We accept campers age 10 through adults for this 5-day intergenerational camp. Parents are encouraged to attend with their young beekeepers. Camp is held on campus at the Clay Lyle Entomology Building.

Camp start off slow with an introduction to the equipment, jargon, and personal protective equipment, followed by how to use a smoker (an important piece of equipment that will keep you safe) because next campers are headed into a hive! Hives are just outside the building to reinforce and practice each topic covered.

Topics include: getting started with bees; finding, marking and clipping the queen; seasonal management; stings and colony defense; diseases, pests, and parasites; harvesting honey; honey and pollen in human nutrition (myths and truths); basic bee biology; queen rearing (quality, grafting, and re-queening); specialty honey; protecting combs; bee communication (you will do the waggle dance); swarm management; gustation of honey in bees and humans; processing honey and wax; how to buy bees; income and the slippery slope into business; and a trip to a commercial apiary or bee yard. And, we will continue to assist you after camp!

Any parent, grandparent, etc. and or youth over 10 who are interested in beekeeping can attend.

Camp is led by Drs. Jeff Harris and John Guyton.