2022 January – Beekeeping 101 – Class Online

MCBA's Beekeeping 101 class teaches the beginner beekeeping skills needed to establish, maintain and protect a honey bee colony.  There is a lot to learn, but remember: bees have trained beekeepers for thousands of years, and they have gotten good at it.

Registration is now CLOSED. Thank you for your interest.

Course Details

  • WHAT:
    • LIVE, ONLINE Beginner Beekeeping Class plus demonstrations with live bees in the club apiary (bee yard)
  • FORMAT:
    • Approx. 18 hours of Zoom classroom presentations, presented one night a week for 6 consecutive weeks. Each class includes a lecture for all students, and smaller breakout sessions led by experienced beekeepers.
      PLUS an in-person instruction in an outdoor apiary (Max 10 students per in-person session). Veils are required. MCBA's board may implement mandatory Covid-19 protocols for in-person gatherings, based on the situation at the time.
  • WHEN:
    • Zoom Days Six Thursday evenings: Jan 27, Feb 3, Feb 10, Feb 17, Feb 24, March 3
    • Zoom Times: 7pm to 10pm
    • The in-person Apiary Session: Two choices - Saturday, March 26 OR Sunday, March 27. Enrolled students will receive an email in January, instructing them how to sign up for one of the two apiary sessions.
  • WHERE:
    • On-Line via Zoom
    • In-Person Apiary Session will most likely be at Brookside Nature Center (click for directions) 1400 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902 (location subject to change)
  • COST:  $80 TUITION 
  • SEATS AVAILABLE: 80
  • PREREQUISITES:
    • Only MCBA members in good standing may register and attend this class. Not a member?  It is easy to join and is just $21 for a whole year! Join HERE
    • Each Student must have their own Zoom.com account (free Zoom accounts are fine) registered to the same email address they used to join MCBA.   Each student will be assigned a unique zoom link to access the classes and breakout sessions. Borrowing someone else's account will not work.  
    • Desire to learn fascinating honey bee facts & beekeeping skills, and enthusiasm to participate in class discussions, and to complete weekly take-home quizzes (open notes).
  • Refund Policy: Before Jan 6 = $75, After Jan 6 = $50, After Jan 26 = $0

 

THINK YOU WANT TO BE A BEEKEEPER?  

You’ll be taking on the earnest responsibility of caring for 10’s of thousands of honey bees.  Beekeepers must monitor their bees’ wellbeing. They make sure bees have the things the colony needs to thrive (including food, water, shelter, and a viable bee community), and that the colony isn't suffering from things that cause honey bees harm or death -- (including parasites,  diseases, and invaders that want to rob them).

IT IS A YEAR ROUND COMMITMENT.

SPRING requires frequent inspections of the inside of the hive. You’ll check if they need food, and you’ll help the colony if it gets too big or too small.  Spring is the only time in our area when bees make excess honey, so you need to be ready to enlarge their hive as they run out of storage space. However, the number one thing to do in  early spring is treat for mites 

SUMMER requires inspections every two or three weeks.  You won't harvest honey your first year, but keep feeding your bees.   The food they store now has to last them till next spring. In our area, very few blossoms produce appreciable nectar after June.  In late July / early August it is important to treat for mites again, because the mite population will be peaking.  Treating for mites ensures the bees are strong and healthy as they start producing the generation of bees that will tough-out the winter. No treatment successfully kills all the mites, and new mites arrive all the time, so treating is an ongoing effort. 

FALL   is your last chance to ensure the hive is arranged and stocked to survive winter.  

WINTER doesn’t require regular inspections - opening the hive chills the baby bees.  Mostly, use winter to plan for the busy spring, and learn new things about caring for bees.

Students will receive  links to

  • Online Syllabus
  • Weekly online quizzes
  • Session specific reading materials
  • Helpful videos

Additional Resources

Additional Reading 

  • Our Website!   www.MontgomeryCountyBeekeepers.com
  • Backyard Beekeeper – author Kim Flottum
  • Top-Bar Hive Beekeeping: Wisdom and Pleasure Combined – author Wyatt A. Mangum

Bee Magazines

Beekeeper Equipment Suppliers