The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG-Beekeepers Mark and Eleanora Montgomery held the beekeeping club's first field class on Tuesday, April 18. Three school club members were available to witness the release of the queen bee.

Students Reagan Milliman, Dexter Collins, and Verbena McLaughlin donned new bee suits while Mark started the smoker. He said using the smoke makes the bees gorge with honey and masks alarm pheromones. Montgomery discussed smoke temperature; you do not want to shoot flames from the end of the smoker. Grass is used on top of the fire to cool the smoke.

Quick movements alarm bees, and he cautioned the...