The ABCs of bees

As the owner of the Beecharmers, Rachel Morrison keeps 25 hives that she loans out to small farms and homes that want to pump up their pollination. A member of UC Davis’ California Master Beekeeping Program, she’ll host a Beginner Backyard Beekeeping Workshop at the Ranch House at the Cannery (1500 Cannery Avenue) in Davis from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 16, to teach anybody who’s interested, regardless of experience level. Noting that Sacramento city and county just passed laws to allow two hives in a residential backyard, Morrison encourages urban beekeeping because of the greater variety and density of flowering species, which means honey from Oak Park and Land Park can taste drastically different. For a $30 registration fee, she’ll offer an interactive introduction to her craft, then take the class to inspect one of her hives to see an example of a “superorganism,” in which each individual bee acts as part of a community. Register at www.hivetospoon.com.