Clemson to be abuzz with Beekeepers

Beekeepers will be swarming in the Upstate of South Carolina this month.  The Clemson University Media Relations Department announces that apiarists from across the Palmetto State will make a beeline to Clemson University this month for all the buzz in beekeeping. The South Carolina Beekeepers Association holds its summer beekeeping conference at the Hendrix Student Center July 25-27, offering training and information on methods to improve production and fight common diseases and pests. The three-day meeting blends information for newcomers to the business with programs targeted to more experienced beekeepers. The S.C. Master Beekeeper program, jointly sponsored by Clemson Extension and the beekeepers association, began in 1996. With four levels of certification, the program tests a beekeeper’s knowledge and skills. The university estimates that about 3,000 beekeepers, the majority of them part time, manage roughly 25,000 to 30,000 honeybee colonies in South Carolina. Registration for the conference begins at noon Thursday, July 25.