Anyone interested in learning about bees or beekeeping is invited to attend the first meeting of the Red Hills Bee Association. The event will be held in Ackerman at the Chamber of Commerce building, located at 55 E. Queen St., Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. Attendees are not required to have any prior knowledge of beekeeping. The meeting will consist of a question-and-answer session with Extension agents Randall Nevins and Reid Nevins, and Associate Extension and Research Professor Jeff Harris.
The Red Hills Bee Association was recently founded after an Attala County citizen contacted the Attala County Extension Office inquiring if there was still a local honeybee association. Attala County Extension Agent Beau Varner discovered that there had been one in the past, but it was no longer active. Varner reached out to the extension agents of Choctaw, Leake and Winston counties and together they created the Red Hills Bee Association, named by a member in Winston County. The Red Hills Bee Association will include Attala, Choctaw, Leake and Winston counties, and anyone is welcome to attend meetings. The meetings will be held quarterly, and there will be one meeting in each county per year. Each meeting will have speakers covering educational topics relating to beekeeping. The goal of the association is spreading knowledge of beekeeping and the crucial role bees play in the environment.
When asked about the benefits of beekeeping, Varner replied, “I think the main benefit is the pollination. They’re a critical part of the environment for everything from row crop farming, to people with home gardens, or just those who like flowers.”
Varner hopes the association will form a network of likeminded people with varying levels of beekeeping experience who can be a resource for each other.
“I’m hoping we’ll grow the program to have members beginning with honeybees, and people who have been doing it for years, who have experience and can share their heartaches and their victories and the trials they’ve experienced throughout the years” Varner said.
Those interested in keeping up with the Red Hills Bee Association can contact their county’s Extension office to be added to the mailing list or can follow along on social media.
