Major Branzel’s life with bees began 28 years ago when an older beekeeper who maintained some hives under Major's apple trees mentioned he was about to retire. “The bees are yours now,” he added. “Have fun!” From that sink-or-swim beginning, Major rose to become a master beekeeper and long-time president of the Mount Diablo Beekeepers Association, his home club. These days, he's partly retired -- but still speaks frequently at bee organizations and serves as mentor to new beekeepers. In this session, he'll offer a few of the valuable lessons he's learned over the decades and take questions from SFBA members.