How to Be a Successful Beekeeper!

Whether you’re interested in beekeeping as a hobby because your grandpa once kept bees when you were growing up, or you think this might be a cool little side business, this course will help get you started on your new adventure as a beekeeper!
There is no charge for the Short Course. No advanced registration required. Attendance of the Short Course is required for the Collinsworth Grant. Membership in the CVBA is encouraged.
The Short Course is offered every year in March and the scheduled date/location is published on our Meetings page! You can also get the details in our current brochure.
You will learn from experienced, local beekeepers who will provide you with a first-class opportunity to get started by covering topics such as beehive equipment, hive management, disease control, sources of nectar and pollen, how to buy and install bees, plus other beekeeping essentials.

What you’ll learn

• The history of beekeeping and collecting honey for food.
• A firm understanding about why honey bees are dying and how to help them.
• The cost/time commitment, equipment, and everything else you need to know to become a beekeeper.
• What state and local regulations you should research before placing hives on your property.
• The primary breeds of honey bees used by beekeepers, and about their basic physiology.
• Where and how to buy your own honeybees.
• The main types of hives used by beekeepers.
• What basic beekeeping equipment you need and where to buy it from reputable suppliers.
• How to setup your hives and install bees into them.
• The different diseases and parasites that affect honeybees, and how to treat them.
• The annual hive maintenance schedule used by beekeepers, and what they should be looking
• for during each season of the year.
• A solid understanding of how to manage the hives and inspect them on a regular basis.
• When and how to extract the honey from the hives, process it, and bottle it.

Requirements

• Students should have the desire to become a beekeeper and learn all the basics required to be successful at it.
• Students should be interested in finding out what they can do to help save honey bees.
• Interest in a hobby where the learning never stops.
• Love the outdoors and like working with your hands.

Agenda
09:30 – 10:00 – Registration
10:00 – 12:00 – Instruction
12:00 – 12:20 – Break/Lunch (finger foods provided)
12:20 – 03:00 – Instruction
03:00 – 04:00 – Q&A

This course is extremely helpful in ensuring that novices have the knowledge they need to be successful in their first and subsequent years of beekeeping. It can help anyone develop a rewarding, life long hobby or perhaps start a little side business.