Ana Heck

Michigan State Beekeeping Expert to Speak at Copper County Beekeeping Club

Ana Heck, Apiculture Extension Educator for Michigan State University Extension, will be the featured speaker at the Copper Country Beekeeping Club meeting on Thursday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Carnegie Museum in Houghton. All are welcome and there is no charge to attend.

Heck will also visit three other beekeeping clubs during a week-long visit to the U.P. covering various topics about beekeeping. She will speak at the Superior Beekeeping Club in Marquette on Monday, April 10, the Northwoods Beekeeping Club in Iron Mountain on April 11, and the Bay de Noc Beekeeping Club in Escanaba on April 13.

In Houghton, Heck will present “Queen Issues and Events”.  Attendees will learn to decipher queen events like swarming, supersedure, and emergency queen loss; knowing the difference will help in deciding when and how to intervene. This is an excellent opportunity for beekeepers of all levels to hone their skills.

Heck began working with honey bees in Nicaragua, and then worked with the University of Minnesota Bee Squad and Michigan State University's Department of Entomology before joining Extension. Her role engages beekeepers, growers, pesticide applicators, and home gardeners to improve the health of pollinators. Ana holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and a graduate minor in Entomology from the University of Minnesota.

The Copper Country Beekeeping Club was established in 2017 to provide education, value, and support for new and experienced beekeepers throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula. The club focuses on sustainable beekeeping and the unique challenges facing beekeepers in the Keweenaw snowbelt region.