SALISBURY  — Bees are wonderful insects and help us in so many ways. At every school garden, I instruct students on the importance of honey and native bees. I also teach students to not be afraid and stay calm around bees to ensure that they will not get stung.

In this day and age, many children are frightened of bees. To help youth understand how bees help us and how important they are, the Family Consumer Science Agent and I helped create a Summer Fun program called, “What’s the Buzz?”

If you are a youth between the ages of 9 and 15 who is interested in insects, cooking and nature, we would love for you to participate in our Summer Fun program. On June 29, we will take 12 students to visit a local apiary, also known as a bee yard, to learn about the life cycle of honey bees.

We will also get to sample local honey and create some delicious meals using some of the honey harvested in Rowan County. This class is a great way to see if you are interested in applying for the Youth Beekeeper Program I wrote about a few weeks ago that the Rowan County Beekeepers Association is hosting. They are looking for a youth beekeeper that they can mentor.

The class will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. We will start the program by making breakfast, using honey, of course. We will then visit some bee farms and have an up-close experience with honey bees. We will also get to see how the honey is collected and harvested. After shopping at the local bee farms, we will bring our locally sourced honey to make a meal.

If you are interested in the program, the cost is $20 to participate; this covers meals and snacks. If your youth beekeeper would like to buy any honey, it is recommended to bring an extra $10-20.

We also ask that any young person who is allergic to honey and/or bee/wasp stings not participate in this class. Since we will be outside most of the day, it is best to wear clothes that can get dirty, sun protection and comfortable shoes.

This is just one of many Summer Fun activities that the Rowan County Cooperative Extension 4-H program is hosting this summer. If you are interested in participating, you must register in person at our office, 2727 Old Concord Road. Please bring insurance information with you when you register.

If you would like more information on the 4-H Summer Fun Program, visit our website at https://rowan.ces.ncsu.edu/spotlight/2016-summer-fun/, or visit our office for more details. Classes fill up quickly, so please register as soon as possible.

If you have any questions about beekeeping, the youth beekeeper program through Rowan County Beekeepers Association or gardening, call your local Cooperative Extension agent, Danélle Cutting, at 704-216-8970.