Have you wanted to explore the habitats of bees?
Do you wonder which plants bees like to pollinate?
Do you want to know how bees make honey?
Then the 4-H Beekeeping project is right up your alley.
You will learn about the world of bees and have fun doing it!
If you aren't familiar with 4-H, it empowers youth to reach their full potential, working and learning in partnership with caring adults.
Colorado State 4-H Youth Development education creates supportive environments for all youth and families, this will be accomplished through a systemic approach of foundation and mission driven science to meet our goals to:
provide formal and non-formal experiential learning,
develop skills that benefit youth throughout life.
foster leadership and volunteerism in youth and adults,
build internal and external partnerships for programming and funding,
strengthen families and communities,
employ research-based knowledge and the land grant university system, and
embrace and expand the traditions of the 4-H Youth Program.
4-H Vision
A world in which youth and adults learn, grow and work together as catalysts for positive change.
Colorado State University 4-H is developing young people to become productive citizens who are engaged in positive change, meeting the needs of a diverse and changing society.
There are four age groups in 4-H:
Clover bud: ages 5-7 https://4-h.org/about/4-h-at-home/pollinators/bees/
Junior: ages 8-10
Intermediate: ages 11-13
Senior: ages 14 to 19
Youth must be at least 8 years of age on October 1 to participate hands-on with large animals and in shooting sports.
If you are interested in signing up your kids for 4H, bellow is a link and information on how to do so.
Information on the Weld County 4H beekeeping project.
Weld County Colorado
Let me start by saying that you do not need to have a beehive in order to participate in the 4H Beekeeping program for Unit 1, 2, and 3.
See the link below:
BEEKEEPING- DISPLAY BOARDS (No BEES)
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Each county has different requirements for their beekeeping program.
In Weld County you can submit a poster board as your project, as long as it is bee related.
Example from the link above:
One sturdy binder/ notebook that contains the completed Beekeeping Unit 1 e-record.
Exhibit one of the following:
1. Flowers used to make honey (displayed pressed flowers) from 10 different Colorado plants that bees use to forage on.
2. Uses of honey and beeswax, past and present
3. Setting up a beehive
4. History of beekeeping
Along with your display board that will be displayed at fair, you will need to turn in your e- record book and schedule to be interviewed by a judge for fair.
This might sound like a lot, but you have 7 months to complete and 4H is great about helping out parents and kids through the first year.
Reminder this is for my county, Weld Colorado
BEEKEEPING STAND ALONE (Requires Bees) different exhibit requirements for each.
One sturdy binder/ notebook that contains the completed Beekeeping Units e-record book (Units 1-4)
Exhibit:
Unit 2 Extracted Honey- (2 one-pound jars, shown in glass or clear plastic with screw tops) Jars must be labeled with name, county, where honey was extracted and date.
Unity 2 Chunk Honey- Comb in jar show in 2 one-pound jars, wide mouth glass or clean plastic. Jars must be labeled with name, county, where honey was extracted and date.
Unity 2 Cut Comb Honey- 2 one-pound boxes usually 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 in size. Boxes must be labeled with name, county, where honey was extracted and date.
Unit 2 Wooden Ware - Toolbox, hive components, etc. Items must be labeled with name, county, where honey was extracted and date.
Same applies for all Unit 3 projects.
Unit 4 Advanced beekeeping
Must have at least 2 years of beekeeping projects experience and must have you own hives.
