NEW GLOUCESTER – “Successful Beekeeping in Maine,” a multi-session course offered by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, in cooperation with Pineland Farms, will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on consecutive Tuesdays beginning Feb. 28. Classes will be at the Pineland campus visitors center.

Instructors will include Maine state apiarist and bee inspector Tony Jadczak and experienced beekeeper Bob Egan.

Honeybees, which pollinate the food supply, are in decline as a result of nonnative mites such as the varroa mite, as well as pesticide use on crops. At the same time the number of beekeepers and hives has been diminishing, creating a need for managed bee hives.

The fee for the course is $75 a person/couple and covers the cost of the textbook, a bee disease publication, and the beekeepers reference notebook. Topics include seasonal management, problem-solving and resources for beekeepers.

There will be five classroom sessions and a “beekeepers field day” scheduled for June. The course is limited to 25 participants and enrollment is done on a first-come, first-served basis.

Call the Cumberland County Cooperative Extension Office at 1-800-287-1471 for more information or to request a registration form. Registrations are due Feb. 20.