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The Kentucky State University (KSU) campus was buzzing with excitement on March 8 as over 260 beekeeping enthusiasts from Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana visited the campus for the 2025 Bluegrass Beekeeping School. The Bluegrass Beekeeping School has taken place at KSU for over 20 years, providing both novice and experienced beekeepers with a full day of exciting workshops, presentations, demonstrations, and more.

Dr. Thomas Webster, KSU Professor and Extension Specialist for beekeeping and beekeepers, explained that people become interested in beekeeping in a variety of ways and that both new and experienced beekeepers are always looking to learn new methods and knowledge, leading to the growing popularity of the program.

“[Participants] can get a lot of information all in one day. There are many people with expertise, many people giving presentations, and there’s also vendors that they can buy from. It’s very convenient for them to buy bee keeping equipment right there,” he said. “It’s a good way to spend a Saturday in March if you want to get into beekeeping. You learn a lot at once.”

Participants were able to select from plenty of sessions with topics ranging from basic beekeeping equipment and getting started, candle making and using wax, to enhancing pollen substitutes to promote honey bee health, and more. This year’s keynote speaker was Dr. Michelle Flenniken who presented on the topic, “The Impact of Viruses on Honey Bee Health at the Colony, Individual Bee, and Cellular Levels.” Dr. Flenniken is a professor in the Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology Department at Montana State University.

This event was cohosted by KSU, Bluegrass Beekeepers Association, and Capital City Beekeepers.

Those who want more information on local beekeeping events can contact Dr. Thomas Webster at Thomas.webster@kysu.edu. The next Bluegrass Beekeeping School is anticipated to be held on the first Saturday of Spring Break in 2026.