Backyard beekeeping is Sept. 10 lecture topic

Backyard beekeeper Mary Randall will present the next Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge lecture at  7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the Milton CHEER Center. 

Randall became a backyard beekeeper eight years ago when she saw that the area’s honeybee population was in a steep decline. She will be talking about the life cycle of honeybees, raising bees and what honey is all about. She is vice president of the Kent County Beekeepers Association, whose mission is to educate the public about the importance of honeybees, their role in plant pollination, and the joys and benefits of beekeeping. 

Honeybees have been around for millions of years and are vital as pollinators. They have an exceptional sense of smell, with olfactory abilities that include kin recognition signals, social communication within the hive and odor recognition for finding food. Their wing strokes of about 200 beats per second create their distinctive buzz, and they can fly for a distance of six miles at a speed of up to 15 miles per hour. 

Randall has many other fascinating facts to share about honeybees and the honey they produce. She is hoping that audience members will be inspired to help protect this remarkable insect species that does so much for humans.

The Milton CHEER Center is at 24855 Broadkill Road, Route 16, Milton. The lecture is open to the public with no reservations required.