BEEKEEPER EDUCATION 2025

 

2025 Introductory to Beekeeping Course - Classroom/Field Hybrid

We will again be offering our popular introductory beekeeping course to get you started in this fascinating and worthwhile hobby.

Our course will consist of both classroom and hands-on learning, to give you the necessary theoretical knowledge and also hands-on competence in your observational skills and handling of bees in the yard. We are confident that our course will give you a terrific foundation in your beekeeping journey!

Course Dates

The evening sessions will be the following dates:

  • Tuesday, March 18, 2025 from 6-9pm

  • Tuesday, March 25, 2025 from 6-9pm

  • Tuesday, April 1, 2025 from 6-9pm

Fieldwork day is tentatively set for:

  • Saturday, June 7, 2025 from 9am-1pm (weather-dependent; will be rescheduled as necessary)

    COURSE CONTENT

The classroom component of the course will encompass the following topics:

Honey bee biology

  • Queen, workers, drones

  • Communication methods

  • The bee lifecycle

  • Seasonal cycles

Beekeeping equipment

  • Parts of a hive

  • Management options - Single or double, top-bar

Working in the bee colony

  • Components of a hive inspection

  • Adding honey supers

  • Notetaking

Bee pests and their treatment

  • Varroa mite lifecycle and management

  • American Foul Brood, European Foul Brood, Nosema, Chalkbrood

  • Wax moth, Small hive beetle

Troubleshooting queen issues

  • Swarming and supercedure

  • Introducing a new queen

  • Laying workers

  • Drone layers

Beekeeping responsibilities through the year

The beeyard component will be encompass the following topics, to reinforce good beekeeping practices and to build confidence with working a hive:

Hands-on guided hive inspection, including:

  • Smoker use

  • Handling of frames

  • Identification of types of bees

  • Stages of brood development

  • Working through the frames

  • Recognition of “signs” of a queen-right colony

  • Recognizing other colony irregularities

Assessing varroa levels

  • Alcohol wash

  • Sugar roll

Handling and introducing a queen (practicing with drones!)

Feeding options and demonstration

Winter wrap types and demonstration