It may still feel like winter, but local residents are already abuzz about a well-known spring insect.

Portsmouth beekeeper Sanne Kure-Jensen presented a lecture on bees, beekeeping and how bees produce honey Tuesday night at the Portsmouth Free Public Library.

Kure-Jensen, an accredited organic land care professional and University of Rhode Island (URI) Master Gardener, spoke about the different pieces of equipment used by beekeepers, how to install bees in your backyard, how to build a yard suitable for bees and how to capture bee swarms.

More than a dozen local residents attended the lecture, which also featured information about bee pests, colony collapse and products made from beeswax and honey, such as candles, soaps and lip balm.

For more on this lecture, view the video at right.

Kure-Jensen also recommended the following for building a bee yard:

Bee Yard Tips:

• Make sure the hive faces south.
• The hive is protected from winter winds.
• The hive faces away from high traffic areas, and neighbors.
• Provide water source nearby to hive.

The Portsmouth beekeeper also recommends providing the following nectar plants and trees to attract bees. 

Nectar Plants:

• Red maple
• Tulip tree
• Black locust
• Raspberry
• Blackberry
• White clover
• Red clover
• Dandelions
• Milkweed
• Globe Thistle
• Aster
• Goldenrod

For more information on bees or beekeeping, Kure-Jensen recommends checking out local books at the library or visiting www.ribeekeeper.org.

The Rhode Island Beekeepers Association also holds classes on beekeeping every February and March. Classes are taught in Lincoln, Burrillville and West Greenwich.

For more information about beekeeper classes, click here.