IntermediateTopics

These are two hour in-depth classes and will be taught at my house, 2430 Corey St, Longmont, CO.  The class size limit is 10.  The cost will be $80/class. To register or for questions email (preferred) or text me. If there are fewer than 3 students registered, then the class may be cancelled so register early.  

SPRING 2024

Spring/Early Summer Management - Feeding, Swarm Control, Splitting

   Did your bees make it through the winter?  Will they make it through spring? The queen starts laying again sometime in January and the bees' needs change drastically.  Help them through the last crucial months.  Pat yourself on the back and then get ready for swarm season!  Your bees may be gearing up as early March to swarm in April . . .or wait until May.  You need to be ahead of them, not playing catch up. Keep your bees safe and your neighbors happy.  Swarm prevention can easily be dovetailed with splitting.

(A) Friday 15 March @6:30-8:30pm . . . signup here 

or 

(B) Monday 18 March @6:30-8:30pm . . . signup here

Starting Off Right with Packages, Nucs, Swarms

none scheduled yet - included in Beginning classes

   Bees are coming!  Most will arrive in April, some in May.  It will be snowing. Getting your bees off to a good start is important. It's a balance between hands-on or hands-off, and knowing which is which can make or break your hive.  We'll cover how to install a package, swarm, or nuc and pros and cons of each, myths, and special considerations for Colorado.  It's NOT like the Youtubes you've been watching.  

Equipment - What is all this stuff???

BEFORE you go to Amazon or Facebook . . .     

Hive Types- Langstroth/US standard, top bar, Warre, bee boles, bee-centric v. human-centric.  Accessories - queen excluders, bottom boards, lids, frames, quilt boxes, slatted racks, screened bottoms, plastic, wax or wood.  Tools - smokers, fuels, lighters, hive tools, stands, frame rests, keeping track.   Then there's you! - Beesuits/jackets/veils, gloves, best fabrics, minimizing stings while minimizing heat stroke while maximizing your bee time.  What's essential, what's nice to have, what's optional, what's a white elephant. What works best in Colorado.  How to get it, put it together, use it, and maintain it.  Essential for beginners, useful for anyone.

Thursday 21 Mar (Happy Spring!) 6:30-8:30pm . . .signup here

Bee Health and Sickness

These will happen in late spring/early summer. Check back.

     Believe it or not, varroa is not the only sickness bees can get.  Here are the other big ones, how to diagnose them, what to do about them, and, importntly, how to avoid them in the first place.  AFB, (the dreaded) American foulbrood.  EFB, (the not quite so dreaded,but more common) European foulbrood. Chalkbrood, the malingerer, viruses to watch out for, and Nosema, the one that no one agrees on.

Wintering

Check back in August

     Mites, feeding, insulating, ventilating, special considerations for Colorado. Prep starts in August.