Practical Beekeeping Syllabus
Winter / Spring 2016
SESSION 1: FEBRUARY 23 – History and Equipment & Clothing
President’s Welcome
ECBA President ,
Kathy Galucci
5-minutes
Administreivia
•
•
•
Bee School Chairperson, Judy Romano
10-minutes
Introduction, Class logistics & Announcements
Discussion of Course Syllabus & Course Materials
Spray Opt Out
Lesson 1-1: Surveying the History of the Beehive
•
•
Alison Galati
30-minutes
Beehives & Beekeeping
Langstroth and his Beehive
BREAK
20-minutes
Lesson 1-2: Understanding the Modern Beehive
Peter Delaney
25-minutes
•
( Beekeeping Basics Pages 2-6 )
Components of the Modern Beehive
Lesson 1-3: Beekeeping Equipment
Stephanie Williams
20-minutes
( Beekeeping Basics Pages 11-12 )
•
•
Protective clothing for working with bees
Tools for working with bees
Announcements, Questions & Discussion/Evaluations
•
•
•
Meet the suppliers next week….Think about bee orders!
Please read Beekeeping Basics 13-23 & 25-30
Appendix E
5-minutes
Practical Beekeeping Syllabus
Winter / Spring 2016
SESSION 2: March 1 – Meet the Suppliers, Installing Packages,
Spring & Summer Management
Pre-Class (6:30 PM) Painting your wood hive equipment
Lenny Hart
Announcements, Questions & Discussion about last
Week’s lessons
5-minutes
Lesson 2-1: Meet the Local Suppliers
•
Local Beekeeping suppliers will introduce themselves and their services
(Crystal Bee, New England Beekeeping Supplies, Beekeepers Warehouse)
Lesson 2-2: Locating Suppliers of Beekeeping Equipment
And Bees
Tom Rando
10-minutes
•
( Beekeeping Basics Appendix E )
Mail order suppliers
Lesson 2-3: Installing Package Bees
Tom Rando
30-minutes
( Beekeeping Basics Pages 13-17)
•
•
•
•
•
When the package arrives
Hive preparation
Installing bees
Installing the Queen
Feeding the newly installed bees
BREAK
20-minutes
Lesson 2-4: Spring & Summer Management of a new
colony, The First Year
(Beekeeping Basics Pages 25-30)
•
•
•
•
Peter Delaney
40-minutes
How to work the hive
Evaluating colony conditions and population
Feeding the colony
Supering (adding boxes to the hive)
Announcements, Questions & Discussion
5-minutes
**Please bring small hammer & needle nose pliers to class next week.**
Practical Beekeeping Syllabus
Winter / Spring 2016
SESSION 3: March 8 – Equipment and Frame Night
Pre-Class (6:30 PM)
TBD
Announcements, Questions & Discussion about last
Week’s lessons
Lesson 3-1: Building your own equipment
•
•
•
•
•
5-minutes
Stan Sample
20-minutes
Hive bodies, Frames & Foundation – An Overview of Options
Sampling homemade equipment
Following industry standards
Assembling of supers
Incorporating the bee space in all designs
BREAK
20-minutes
Lesson 3-2: Assembling Frames
Stan Sample
75-minutes
•
•
•
Frame assembly – Step-by-step
Wax foundation
Plastic foundation
(Please wait to assemble)
Announcements, Questions & Discussion/Evaluations
Please read Beekeeping Basics Pages 3-6 & 20-21for next week’s class.
5-minutes
Practical Beekeeping Syllabus
Winter / Spring 2016
SESSION 4: March 15- Bee Biology, Bee Culture & Apiary Set-up
Pre-Class (6:30 PM)
Record Keeping – An Overview
Announcements, Questions & Discussion about last
Week’s lessons
Lesson 4-1: Understanding the Life Cycle of the Honeybee
And Colony Organization
•
•
BREAK
Gretel Clark
5-minutes
Gretel Clark
45-minutes
( Beekeeping Basics Pages 3-6)
Types of Honeybees
Development of Honeybees (practical biology)
Contribution of Honeybees
20-minutes
Lesson 4-2: Understanding Honeybee Behavior, Bee Culture
Dave Meldrum
25-minutes
( Beekeeping Basics Pages 5-6)
•
•
•
•
•
Bees organization in the hive
Supercedure
Swarming
Bee space
Robbing
Lesson 4-3: Setting up an Apiary
(Location, Location, Location)
Ken Anderson
25-minutes
( Beekeeping Basics Pages 20-21)
•
•
•
•
•
Shelter concerns
Solar concerns
Topographical concerns
Human & Animal habitation concerns
Good Neighbor policy
Announcements, Questions & Discussion/Evaluations
**Please read Beekeeping Basics Pages for next 30-39 week’s class**
5-minutes
Practical Beekeeping Syllabus
Winter / Spring 2016
SESSION 5: March 22 - Management of over wintered, established Hives
Pre-Class (6:30 PM)
Making Mead (Honey Wine )
Announcements, Questions & Discussion about last
Week’s lessons
Lesson 5-1: Fall and Winter Management
Stan Sample
5-minutes
Joe Gaglione
45-minutes
( Beekeeping Basics Pages 31-39)
•
•
•
•
•
Evaluating colony condition & population
Evaluating food stores
Feeding colonies
Protecting colonies from the elements
Requeening a colony
BREAK
20-minutes
Lesson 5-2: Spring & Summer Management
Gretel Clark
45-minutes
( Beekeeping Basics Page 30)
•
•
•
•
Late Winter inspection of food stores
Early Spring inspection of food stores
Spring evaluation and inspection
Swarm prevention
Announcements, Questions & Discussion/Evaluations
**Please read Beekeeping Basics Pages 41-61 & 94-97 for next week’s class**
5-minutes
Practical Beekeeping Syllabus
Winter / Spring 2016
SESSION 6: March 29 - Pests and Disease
Pre-Class (6:30 PM) – State Beekeeping Laws
Anita Deeley
Announcements, Questions & Discussion about last Week’s lessons 5-minutes
Lesson 6-1: Learning through Organizations and Bee
Associations
Geoff Neale
10-minutes
•
•
( Beekeeping Basics Pages 94-97)
Web sites
Organizations & Sources of Information
Lesson 6-2: Bee Pests, Parasite and Diseases
•
•
•
•
•
•
Randy Johnson
30-minutes
( Beekeeping Basics Pages 41-61)
Tracheal Mites & Varroa Mites
Animal Pests
Comb damaging moths
Minor insect pests
Small hive beetles
Symptoms of brood disease
BREAK
20-minutes
Lesson 6-3: Identifying & Controlling Honeybee Diseases
Randy Johnson
45-minutes
( Beekeeping Basics 41-61)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Brood diseases
Fungus diseases
Non-infectious diseases
Chilled Brood
Adult Honeybee diseases
Applying Mite Pesticide
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Proper use of medications+
Announcements, Questions & Discussion/Evaluations
**Please read Beekeeping Basics Pages 23-24 & 73-77 for next week**
5-minute
Practical Beekeeping Syllabus
Winter / Spring 2016
SESSION 7: April 5
- Pollination & Nectar Sources
Working the Honeybees
Pre-Class (6:30 PM) Lighting your Smoker
Seth
Announcements, Questions & Discussion about last
Week’s lessons
5-minutes
Lesson 7-1: Needs of Honeybees
Alison Gilati
( Beekeeping Basics Pages 73-77)
•
•
•
•
35-minutes
Nectar, Pollen, Propolis and Water as life sustaining materials
Forage plants
Nectar & Pollen producing plants useful to honeybees
Evaluation of your apiary for Honeybee forage
Lesson 7-2: Beekeepers Calendar
Mel Gadd
10-minutes
•
•
BREAK
Review of Beekeeping Tasks
Activity Timeline
Sign-up for Hive Openings at Member Apiary’s
Lesson 7-3: Working with Honeybees
( Beekeeping Basics Pages 23-24 )
•
•
•
20-minutes
Chris Delaney
40-minutes
Equipment for the work
Procedure for the work
Purpose for the work
Announcements, Questions & Discussion/Evaluations
5-minutes
**Please read Beekeeping Basics Pages 62-73 & 78-79 for next week**
**BRING VEILS FOR NEXT WEEK**
*******
BEE PACKAGES SHOULD ARRIVE MID APRIL
*********
WEEK-END HIVE OPENINGS at MEMBER APIARY’S –
Saturday, April 16 & Sunday April 17
You will travel to a beekeepers apiary where you will participate in opening a hive for inspection
Bring your beekeepers veil. Locations to be announced and directions given.
Practical Beekeeping Syllabus
Winter / Spring 2016
SESSION 8: April 12 - Honey and other products from the Hive
Pre-Class (6:30 PM)
Live Bee package installation
Rick Reault
(Location on Fair Grounds to be announced + bring protective veils)
Announcements, Questions & Discussion about last
Week’s lessons
Lesson 8-1: Other Products from the Hive
Other Reasons to Keep Honeybees
5-minutes
Dave Mansur
30-minutes
( Beekeeping Basics Pages 62-73 )
•
•
•
•
Beeswax
Pollination
Propolis
Pollen
Lesson 8-2: Review of Package Installation
BREAK
SIGN UP FOR HIVE OPENING VISITS
Lesson 8-3: Harvesting & Processing the Honey Crop
( Beekeeping Basics Pages 62-73 & 78-79)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Rick Reault
15-minutes
20-minutes
Nancy Mangion
50-minutes
Mechanical methods for removing bees from supers
Chemical methods for removing bees from supers
Equipment for extracted honey production
Processing extracted honey
Processing cut-comb honey
Processing comb honey
Announcements, Questions & Discussion/Evaluations
*******BEE PACKAGES SHOULD ARRIVE AROUND APRIL
5-minutes
*********
WEEK-END HIVE OPENINGS at MEMBER APIARY’S –
Saturday, April 16 & Sunday April 17
You will travel to a beekeepers apiary where you will participate in opening a hive for inspection
Bring your beekeepers veil. Locations to be announced and directions given.
Practical Beekeeping Syllabus
Winter / Spring 2016
SESSION 9: April 19 - Wrap Up & Graduation
Pre-Class (6:30 pm) Alternative Hives
Mel Gadd
Announcements, Questions & Discussion about last
Week’s lessons
5-minutes
Lesson 9-1: Review
•
•
•
Bee School Committee
& ECBA Members
40-minutes
Hive Opening Experience
Highlight of Critical Points
Installing of Package Bees
BREAK
15-minutes
Course Evaluation
**Raffle of products donated by Bee Suppliers
GRADUATION CEREMONY