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Imagine a world without fruits such as pears, apples and blueberries. Imagine a world without squash or cucumbers. Image a world without melons.

Now imagine a world without honeybees.

For most of us, we wouldn't give the latter a second thought. For many who have a fear of stinging insects, we might even welcome it.

But to live in a world without honeybees is to live in a world without many of the fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs and flowers that are essential to our well being, both physical and emotional.

In her (all honeybees in a colony except the drone are female) short lifespan of a little more than a month, a worker bee will log hundreds of hours and as many miles in the pursuit of nectar to produce a mere twelfth of a teaspoon of honey. But in doing so, she might pollinate thousands of blooms. And that beautifully symbiotic process is what gives us much of the food we eat.

But honeybee colonies across the continent - and in other parts of the world - are mysteriously vanishing in a phenomenon that has been labeled colony collapse disorder, or CCD. The reasons have been debated since bees began disappearing in record numbers several years ago. Causes could range from natural parasites to man-made factors. Some believe the decline is just part of a naturally occurring cycle.

"With the plight of the honeybee and CCD, beekeeping has gotten a lot of attention," said Kurt Bower, president of the Guilford County Beekeepers Association.

Honeybee operations are big business in many states that rely on bees for pollination. But there is no such thing as a useless hive within the fabric of the environment. And a hobbyist's bees are just as important to our lives as those bred in a multimillion dollar industry. Once thought of as "an old man's hobby," beekeeping may be experiencing a renaissance. And the Guilford County Beekeepers Association is set to help those interested in giving it a try.

The association not only holds monthly meetings, but offers an annual beginner beekeeping course. The next course begins Feb. 5 at the Guilford County Agricultural Center at 3309 Burlington Road in Greensboro.

"Some people think about it (beekeeping) but don't do it," Bower said. "This gives people the opportunity to take that first step."

The six-week course meets 7 to 9 p.m. each Thursday. Cost is $20 for an individual or $25 for a family and includes a book, handouts and membership to the Guilford County Beekeepers Association.

"I encourage everyone who has had the inclination in the past to give it a try," Bower said. "The course makes it more tangible."

The average cost of starting two hives, the recommended number of colonies for the beginner, is around $300. The association will assist in locating and ordering bees and will help procure hive equipment.

The upsurge in beekeeping has overwhelmed suppliers of bees and equipment. Last year Brushy Mountain Bee Farm in Moravian Falls, one of the largest suppliers in the Southeast, sold out most of it's inventory of wooden hive equipment and built an annex to produce more, says Bower.

For more information on the course and the association, call 454-2331 or 674-2996 or visit www.guilfordbeekeepers.org.

Carl Wilson is the calendar editor and "Short Orders" columnist for the News & Record. He keeps bees as a hobby.