This is a hands-on bee class for beginner beekeepers who would like to get some experience working bees. All classes will be hands on and in the field under our guidance. All classes will be at our apiaries in Franklin and Medway, Ma.
This class will help you adjust to working bees. Our class will take you through the season and help you gain a better feel for beekeeping. You’ll learn what to expect and look for throughout the beekeeping year. Our class is held at specific times of the beekeeping year so students can promptly apply what they have learned.
- Are you interested in keeping Honey Bees?
- Are you a beekeeper wanting to increase your hive management skills?
- Are you interested in how to keep a sustainable apiary and reduce expensive hive failure and queen costs?
Contact me via email Northeastbee@gmail.com. If any of the above are of interest, the Bee School at Northeast Bees Apiaries offers hands-on education. This education is necessary to become a more successful and sustainable beekeeper.
Cost of the Class:
$500 comes with a 5 frame Nucleus colony you get to take home
$250 for class only – No Nucleus colony
Workshop days: All dates are tentative and change due to weather or apiary work schedules. Below is a basic sample of the class and what will be covered. Our class schedule is fluid. We work bees every weekend from April through October. All students are welcome to join us.
- 4/19
- Recap on Bee school
- Hive inspection (weather dependent)
- Package Install
- 5/3
- How to pick a resource hive
- Requirements for grafting
- Process for grafting
- Hands on trials
- How to make a nucleus colony
- 5/31
- Introducing new queens
- How to know if a hive needs a queen
- When is it safe to install a new queen
- Other dates: Misc to prepare for above
- Each day will consist of about 4 hours of learning/hands-on learning.
Requirements:
- 1st or 2nd year beekeeper
- Must have personal protection equipment (PPE)
- Signed waiver before workshop
Optional:
- Bring a packaged lunch and/or snacks.
- Water/drinks
Some Words From Our Former Students:
“For a new keeper, the transition from bee school to starting your own apiary is super daunting. Watching tons of YouTube videos only adds to the overwhelm. The Northeast bees program made it far easier and less scary for me. The program focuses on hands-on experience at the Northeast apiary in Franklin. It was really great to get real-world experience. This helped me build a foundation to take to my new backyard apiary. The breadth of topics covers everything a new keeper needs to start effectively. It includes the first hive inspection, installing packages, and preventing swarms. You also learn about assessing hygienic traits and grafting and installing new queens. I had the unique opportunity to shadow the MDAR inspector. They inspected the spring nucs at the apiary, which was a great learning experience! I brought home a super strong overwintered nuc as part of the program. The nuc boomed and even helped me get some honey my first year! Overall, the program is super chill and flexible. The agenda is set by the bees in the apiary. You are able to work at your own pace. You can attend as your schedule permits. I’m looking ahead to continuing to help out at the apiary and learn more in my upcoming second year. Bottom line: as a novice beekeeper, I am enthusiastic about recommending the Northeast Bees beginner program. It is perfect for aspiring new keepers. It also benefits more experienced people who want to build on their existing foundation! “
-Mark Bittinger
Northeast Bees 