Registration Open for UW Extension Beekeeping Conference Oct. 23-24

Anyone interested in bees or beekeeping is invited to attend University of Wyoming Extension’s 2026 Wyoming Bee College Friday-Saturday, Oct. 23-24. The conference will take place on the third floor of the Casper College Student Union, located at 125 College Drive.

 

The Wyoming Bee College is designed for people of all ages and skill levels. It addresses topics including beekeeping skills, hive health, specialty products and native bee research.

 

Participants can attend the two-day beginner or intermediate tracks, which include different workshops and run concurrently. One-day culinary and pollinator tracks also are available.

 

The beginner track is appropriate for those who have a year or less of experience in beekeeping, including interested parties who do not own bees. Topics include finding beekeeping resources and basic bee biology.

 

The intermediate track covers more advanced topics such as hive loss, queen health, bee pathogens and parasites, and common beekeeping mistakes.

 

For both tracks, the cost is $110 to attend Friday’s events and $150 for Saturday’s events, or $230 for both days.

 

In the culinary track, which takes place Friday, participants will learn about and sample honey-based products. The cost is $150.

 

The pollinator track, scheduled for Saturday, is designed for attendees who want to learn about native Wyoming bees and pollinator-friendly spaces. The cost is $110.

 

One youth under the age of 18 may attend for free if they are accompanying a paying adult; additional youth must pay for a separate ticket.

 

Participants can check in between 7:30-8:30 a.m. Friday. The day’s events will conclude with a vendor reception from 5-7 p.m. Check-in Saturday will begin at 7 a.m. and presentations will end at 4:30 p.m. Lunches, snacks and beverages will be provided during both days of the conference and are included in the registration fee.

 

Friday’s keynote speaker is Brandon Bryant, a fifth-generation commercial beekeeper who is an expert in colony management, queen breeding and commercial pollination services.

 

Saturday’s keynote is titled “Overwintering Mites and Parasites: Stressors impacting your bees and current approaches for fixing them.” Mark Carroll -- a United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service entomologist at the Carl Hayden Bee Research Center in Arizona -- will deliver the presentation, which explores practical solutions for making hives more resilient.

 

Participants from any of the tracks can attend the keynote speeches.

 

“The Wyoming Bee College … provides a venue for beekeepers of all experience (levels) to connect and network, building a bigger, more robust beekeeping network,” says Amy Smith, Goshen County extension educator and co-chair of the conference.

 

Donna Hoffman, state coordinator of the Master Gardener program, is the other conference co-chair.

 

To purchase tickets and view a full schedule of events, visit www.wyomingbeecollege.org. Online registration closes Friday, Oct. 16.

 

For conference attendees from out of town, a block of rooms has been reserved at the C’mon Inn of Casper, located at 301 East Lathrop Road in Evansville.

 

For more information about the Wyoming Bee College, email Smith at asmit207@uwyo.edu or call (307) 532-2436.

 

About University of Wyoming Extension

 

UW Extension serves Wyoming communities by helping residents apply university research and resources to practical problems. Since 1914, UW Extension has provided educational programs and tools to the state’s 23 counties and the Wind River Indian Reservation. From 4-H programming and pesticide safety education to food preservation and nutrition courses, UW Extension upholds the university’s land-grant mission by offering learning opportunities for people of all ages. UW Extension staff members help Wyoming residents boost agricultural production, care for lawns and gardens, cultivate future leaders, support individual and community well-being, and develop thriving businesses. To learn more, visit www.uwyo.edu/uwe or call (307) 766-5124.