Beekeeping Classes

Beekeeping Classes & Workshops

Classes:

With the exception of Ashland's two day in Sept., the Beginner's Classes for 2010 have finished up and added a new batch of folks who know a lot more than they used to about bees. And hopefully, some have started keeping their own bees or plan to start in the Fall or next Spring.

Most clubs start planning their 2011 classes in November and classes start in late January to mid February. In the meantime, contact your local club and consider attending some meetings; most are open to both members and the public.

Location

Ashland Back to Top

‘Introduction To Beekeeping Workshop’, a two day course on September 11 and 18, 2010. Look here for further information late Spring. For further information send email to cvbaeast.ashland@gmail.com

Blacksburg Back to Top

The New River Valley Beekeepers Association is sponsoring a 2 day beekeeping class in March 27, and April 3, 2010. For details, see the NRVBA website at: http://www.nrvba.org/ or send email to Jerry Borger, NRVBA President, twoltcols@verizon.net.

Charlottesville Back to Top

Central Virginia Beekeepers Association will present a joint City/County sponsored course for new or prospective beekeepers. The course will cover ‘the life and times’ of the honeybee, setting up a hive, seasonal management and honey production and much more. One session (exact date TBA, weather dependent) will be held outside with bees, one student’s name will be drawn for a colony of bees. Registration is being taken through the Albemarle County Parks and Recreation Department. For further details contact the P&R Department at (434)296-5844 or visit their website at http://www.albemarle.org/department.asp?section_id=1827&department=parks.

Location: County Office Building 5th Street,

1600 5th Street, Meeting Room A

Thursdays 7:00 – 9:00pm

Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25, 2010

Cost: $30 per person

Chesapeake I Back to Top

Chesapeake II Back to Top

The Beekeepers Guild of Southeast Virginia and the Wesleyan Beekeepers Association present a three day Short Course for Beginning Beekeepers. The course will be held on three consecutive Saturday mornings, February 20, 27, and March 06, 2010 from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, Virginia. The course consists of lectures and hands-on demonstrations.

First Saturday, Feb 20, 2010

* Honey Bee Biology, the Colony and Getting Started

* Beekeeping Equipment

Second Saturday, Feb 27, 2010

* Honey Bee Pests & Diseases - Their Prevention and Control

* Seasonal Hive Management

* Honey Production and Other Hive Products

Third Saturday, March 06, 2010

* Guild Nucleus Colony (Nuc) Program

* Guild Mentor Program

* Protective Equipment

* Open Hive Demonstration (weather permitting)

Cost: $25 includes MAAREC Publication Beekeeping Basics, refreshments each day and a four-month Guild membership from March 1, 2010 to June 30, 2010.

Registration is limited; please apply early. To register, please visit the Guild Web site at http://beekeepersguild.org/, print the registration form, fill in your information and send with your $25 check made payable to BGSV to Beekeepers Guild of Southeast Virginia, P.O. Box 5206, Chesapeake, VA 23324 by February 14, 2010. For more information, please contact Bob Montcalm at 757-487-2143 or montcalm@verizon.net .

Fluvanna Back to Top

Virginia Cooperative Extension-Fluvanna

Date: February 9, 16 & 23rd, 2010

Time: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Location: Fluvanna Community Center/Fork Union

Cost $25.00 per person for all three OR

$10.00 per class

Make Check payable to VCE-Fluvanna and place Bee keeping in the

memo line!

(Fee to cover materials for 1 hive to be assembled and given to a participant by randomdrawing, snacks and handouts.)

Class Topics:

• Basics of Beekeeping & Associated Costs. Opportunity to order equipment.

• Equipment, Keys to Success, Hands on Equipment assembly, Presentation by a

Dadant Representative

• Nucs and Package Bees, Honey Flow and Winter Survival, Producer Panel

There will be a fourth session in May or June, to see and assist with bee package installations.

Call 591-1950 by January 22 to register!

If you need special accommodations, please contact the VCE office at 591-1950 five

business days prior to the event.

Click Here to See/Download the 2010 Bee Keeping Series flyer.pdf

Hampton/Yorktown Back to Top

The Colonial Beekeepers Association is presenting two FREE classes this season.

Queen Rearing for the Hobby Beekeeper

Thursday, 18 February 2010, 6:00 – 8:30 p.m
Northampton Community Center, 1435-A Todds Lane, Hampton, VA, (for directions click here).

Presented by Andrew Westrich who may be contacted by phone at (757) 825-8843 or (757) 513-2467, or via e-mail at jandy618@juno.com

Course Description: Queen Rearing for the Hobby Beekeeper is designed to familiarize you with the BASIC knowledge of Queen Rearing, Moving queens and queen introductions to nucs and hives. Topics include:

Why make your own Queens
Beekeeping math
Judging a Queen Mother Hive
Equipment and Supplies
The Miller method
Moving queen cells and Queen Introduction
Questions and Answers

Beginning Beekeeping

4 Thursdays, Beginning March 25th, 1st and 8th of April from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M and Saturday the 10th of April from 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M., 2010
Northampton Community Center, 1435-A Todds Lane, Hampton, VA, (for directions click here).

The class syllabus can be downloaded from this link.

There are 25+ seats available for this class. Anyone interested in attending should contact Andy Westrich at (757) 513-2467.

While the class is free, a recommended text, Beginning Beekeeping, will be available for purchase. Other classroom materials are being provided or can be taken off the internet.

Lexington Back to Top

Beekeeping Course at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College Rockbridge Center

“Beekeeping: Getting Started” , a five-week non-credit course for anyone interested in learning about beekeeping, will be offered at the Dabney S. Lancaster Community College Rockbridge Regional Center in Buena Vista on Wednesdays, February 3 – March 3, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Room 912. The instructor is Lannie Ballard, who has had many years of experience with beekeeping.

The class will be taught in part using the video, “A Year in the Life of an Apiary” by Dr. Keith Delaplane, a University of Georgia professor and life-long beekeeper. Topics covered will include: where to buy the supplies, assembling equipment, obtaining and getting the bees installed and established, and managing them through their first year.

Ballard is a member of the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia State and West Virginia State Beekeepers Associations and was voted “Virginia Beekeeper of the Year” for 2006. Tuition for the course is $90.

To register, contact the DSLCC Rockbridge Center at (540) 261-1211 or Non-Credit Coordinator Judy Clark at (540) 863-2863 or jclark@dslcc.edu. The RRC is located at 35 Vista Links Drive , Buena Vista .

Lynchburg Back to Top

Piedmont Beekeepers Association (Lynchburg area) ( 8 Tuesdays beginning February 2)
James River Day School, 5039 Boonsboro Rd., Lynchburg, VA GoogleMap
Contact Ann Zudekoff, (434-660-6063), AnnZee@AOL.com

Nelson Back to Top

Beekeeping Introduction!

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Contact Nelson County Extension Office for details

Michael Lachance

Email: lachance@vt.edu

Telephone: 434-263-4035

Richmond Back to Top

Beginner Beekeeping Course to be offered in Richmond

To find out more, call 262-9887 or email register@lewisginter.org.

Saluda Back to Top

Beginning Beekeeping

The Middle Peninsula Business Development Partnership currently has no plan to repeat their workshop of 2008. However, the workshop will be offered if enough interest is expressed.

For More Information Please Contact:

Candie Newman

Middle Peninsula Business Development Partnership

804-758-4917

cnewman@mppdc.com

www.mpbdp.org

Weyers Cave – Blue Ridge Community Collegee Back to Top

Beekeeping: Getting Started 2010

Instructor: Rudy Tucker 540-234-9977 LTu232@msn.com

Materials: Provided by Instructor

Scheduled Time: Six Tuesdays 6:45-9:15 pm, March 16 - April 20, $79, BRCC Plecker Center Room P126C

Saturday and Sunday bee yard sessions to supplement classroom sessions will be announced.

General Course Description

The special interest class Beekeeping: Getting Started is designed to provide meaningful learning experiences of sufficient scope to enable teens and adults to begin managing honeybees for pleasure and the production of honey. Also, for the essential pollination of fruits and vegetables. Participants will learn about honeybee colony characteristics, required practices, and honeybee diseases and mite infestations.

Topical Inclusions

The Honeybee and its Amazing Colony

Basic Equipment Required to Get Started

Introducing Packaged Bees to a Hive

Spring Management Practices

Specific Things to Spot When Examining Within the Bee Hive

Making Colony Increases and Introducing Queens

Combining Colonies of Bees

Procedures Employed to Minimize Swarming

Hiving Swarms of Bees

Producing Extracted and Comb Honey]

Fall Management Practices

Preparation for Winter Survival

Honeybee Diseases, Pests and Infestations

Processing the Liquid Gold

Major Objectives

The student will become knowledgeable about:

? The biology and characteristics of worker, drone, and queen honeybees.

? The honeybee colony and its amazing organization of each colony member accomplishing specific tasks for efficient functioning of the colony.

? The essential equipment to manage honeybees to maximize honey production.

? Introducing shipped by mail packaged honeybees to a bee hive as a means of getting started in beekeeping.

? Numerous spring management practices required for the health and maintenance of the honeybee colony in preparation for honey production.

? Specific things to look for or focus upon when examining the honeybees within a bee hive in order to manage the bees most effectively.

? A number of specific techniques to employ in order to increase the number of colonies. Also, various ways to introduce a queen or a queen cell into a queenless colony.

? Combining two colonies of honeybees to form one stronger colony.

? Procedures or manipulations to employ to hopefully prevent the colony from swarming.

? Various techniques and equipment employed to “capture” a swarm of bees.

? The equipment to use and techniques to employ to maximize extracted and comb honey production.

? Numerous fall management practices required to better enable the bees to remain healthy and survive throughout the winter months.

? The characteristics of numerous honeybee diseases, pests and infestations, and the recommended prescriptions to protect the honeybees from these damaging intruders.

? How to ‘liberate’ the honey from the honeybees and process the honey flow into jars or packaging as comb honey.

Wytheville Back to Top

For information on the beekeeping class in Wytheville, VA, contact Jeff Mullins beehaven@embarqmail.com

The Area Link You Clicked Back to Top

The Northern Virginia Beekeeping Teachers Consortium provides the same course to a collection of 9 (and growing) regional clubs who’s location links at the top lead here.

Practical BEEKEEPING for Beginners

The Northern Virginia Beekeeping Teachers Consortium is offering Practical Beekeeping for Beginners consisting of weekly classes held from 7-9 pm (unless otherwise noted) late January to early April, 2010. Classes are open to adults and children (age 9 and over) who are interested in keeping bees as well as to those who are just interested in learning about honeybees. Class Size is limited so please register early. Teaching materials are included in the class fee of $100 (plus or minus $15 or so) and includes local club membership, Mid Atlantic Apiculture (MAAREC) Beekeeping Basics and Honey Bee Parasites Pests and Predators & Diseases, Kim Flottum’s Backyard Beekeeping as well as power point handouts and a one year membership in the local beekeeper associations. Classes are taught by EAS Master Beekeepers and experienced beekeepers.

Beekeepers Association of Northern Virginia      (Arlington,Alexandria, and Fairfax)       ( 8 Mondays beginning February 8)
Falls Church High School Cafeteria, Falls Church, VA GoogleMap                                    ( 8 Wednesdays beginning February 10)
Contact Pat Haskell: jim.haskell@verizon.net (preferred) or (703) 560-3484                     (Open House and Registration: Feb 2)

Gateway Beekeepers (King George, Westmoreland) ( 8 Tuesdays beginning January 26)
VA Cooperative Ext. Office, Village Center, King George, VA GoogleMap - Marker A
Contact Julie Moore 540-644-1138, Juliemoore@dirtybirdpottery.com, or Mike Church 540-775-9740, Churchmj@verizon.net

Loudoun Beekeepers Association (Loudoun) ( 8 Fridays beginning February 5)
Loudoun County Coop. Extension Office, Leesburg, VA GoogleMap ( 8 Saturdays, 8 to 10 AM, beginning February 6)
Contact Bill Bundy, 703-779-0894, Loudounbee@gmail.com, See http://www.loudounbee.org

Beekeepers of the Northern Shenandoah (Clarke, Frederick, Warren) ( 8 Wednesdays beginning February 24)
Virginia Arboretum, Boyce, VA GoogleMap - marker A Library - Main Bldg. ( 8 Thursdays beginning February 25)
Contact John Lewis, Day - (540) 686-7280, Evening - (540) 931-4390

Northern Piedmont Beekeepers (Culpeper, Rappahannock, Orange, Madison, Fauquier)( 8 Tuesdays beginning February 9)
Verdun Adventure Bound Center, Rixeyville, VA GoogleMap ( Open House and Registration: Feb 7, 2-4pm)
Contact Mike King or Karen Hunt (540) 937-4792, Kahu9@juno.com

Prince William Regional Beekeepers (Prince William, Fauquier, Stafford) ( 8 Thursdays beginning January 21)
Manassas Church of the Brethren at 10047 Nokesville Rd, Manassas, VA GoogleMap
Contact Louise Edsall, (703) 369-0756 or PWRBeekeepers@gmail.com See: http:// www.PWRBeekeepers.com/

Rappahannock Area Beekeepers Association (Spotsylvania, Stafford) ( 8 Tuesdays beginning February 2)
Marshall Center, Spotsylvania Courthouse, VA GoogleMap ,Ray Simms Room
Contact Kim Fraser, (540-785-8769), Ubbuny@AOL.com

Piedmont Beekeepers Association (Lynchburg area) ( 8 Tuesdays beginning February 2)
James River Day School, 5039 Boonsboro Rd., Lynchburg, VA GoogleMap
Contact Ann Zudekoff, (434-660-6063), AnnZee@AOL.com

Northern Neck Beekeepers (Heathsville, Northumberland Co. area) ( 8 Mondays beginning January 25)
Northumberland Public Library, 7204 Northumberland Highway, Heathsville VA 22473 GoogleMap
Contact Matt Lewis, Northumberland Extension Office, (840-580-5694), or Jim Schmalz, (804) 580-2071, jaschmalz@Juno.com

Ashland	King George	Saluda
Boyce	Leesburg	Spotsylvania Courthouse
Blacksburg	Lexington
Charlottesville	Lynchburg	Weyers Cave
Chesapeake I	Manassas	Wytheville
Chesapeake II	Nelson
Falls Church	Northern Neck
Fluvanna	Richmond
Hampton/Yorktown	Rixeyville