Photo Provided Brian Leary examines a beehive. Leary, a longtime member of the Monroe County Beekeepers Association and board member of the Broken Timber Outdoor Educational Center, will conduct a series of introduction to beekeeping classes each Saturday for five weeks beginning Feb. 4 at the Monroe County OSU Extension Office.

WOODSFIELD — The Monroe County Ohio State University Extension Office will host a series of free beekeeping courses beginning next month.

Broken Timber Outdoor Educational Center will present five Introduction to Beekeeping classes that will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25 and March 4 at the extension office, located at 46764 Ohio 26, Woodsfield.

Brian Leary, a longtime member of the Monroe County Beekeepers Association and board member of the Broken Timber Outdoor Educational Center, will lead the classes along with his wife, Joan. He has plenty of experience on the subject, as he has been a beekeeper for more than 40 years.

Though this is the first time the courses will be held at the new office, the couple has been conducting the courses for the past six years. He said the OSU office provides a central location in the county to allow easier access to those who are interested in attending.

Leary said the informative classes show those interested in beekeeping how to properly care for bees and keep a thriving hive. Some of the topics include proper housing, different types of bees — queen, worker and drones — and how they each play a part in the hive, bee biology, integrated pest management, how to harvest honey, uses of honey and other products that can be made such as wax and propolis.

Joan actually makes a variety of products from honey. He said if there is interest, she will take time on the final day of the program to demonstrate how each product can be made.

“How to make the hand creams, how to do propolis and also discuss labels. If you sell your honey, it has to be labeled properly,” he said.

Leary said honey bees have been under strain in recent years due to various environmental factors.

“Having good, healthy pollinators is extremely important. … Bees are essential for pollination,” he said.

“It’s truly amazing the wide variety of essential products that they pollinate. We don’t think about how important it is.”

There were 15 students that participated in last year’s program. Out of those participants, 12 now have beehives of their own. Leary said the remaining people are gearing up to have bees this spring.

All are welcome to attend the free course. Leary said the program should meet 4-H requirements for youth interested in attending.

“We have people that have offered to donate bees as well as beehives,” he added.

For more information or to register for the classes, contact Leary at 740-483-1618 or the Extension office at 740-472-0810.