Course Organizer: Tracy Waterman tracyjbw@me.com

Class Schedule:   Saturday, 2 November & 9 November 2019

                           9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Syllabus

Saturday, 14 March 2020

Welcome and Class Overview (9:00-10:00)

Presenter: Leon Vandenberg

• Discussion
  • Reason for taking class
  • Learning goals

Introduction to Beekeeping (10:00-11:00)

Presenter: Chris Heathcote (invited)

• First Year Beekeeper Discussion
  • Apprehensive Beekeeping
  • Bee Temperament
  • Responsible Beekeeping

Beekeeping Equipment, (11:00-12:00)

Presenter: Maureen Jais-Mick

• Hives – Langstroth
  • Bee Space
    • Honey Comb
    • Propolis
    • Burr Comb
• Role of Hive Parts
• Ventilation
• Lifting Safely
• Beekeeper Protective Gear

Lunch Break (12:00-12:30)

Locating, & Installing Hives (12:30-1:30)

Presenter: TBD

• Hive Orientation
  • Wind break
  • Sun
  • Dry
  • Room to Maneuver
  • Access to Water
  • Flying Lanes

Break – (1:30-1:45)

Fall Management (1:45-2:45)

Presenter: TBD

Dearth (September – December)

• Inspection: Goals and frequencies
• Feeding
  • 2:1 syrup
  • Fondant
• Insulation / wrapping
• Treating for mites
• Protecting against mice

Questions and Answers (2:45-3:00)

Hands-on equipment review (3:00-3:30)

Saturday, 21 March 2020

Welcome and Day One Review (9:00-9:15)

Presenter: Leon Vandenberg

Winter Management  (9:15-10:15)

Presenter: TBD

Before Nectar Flow (January - late April)

• Inspection Goals & How Often 
  • Is the colony queen right?
  • Eggs, larvae, capped brood?
  • Checking for problems - specifics come later in class
• Feeding – why this is important
  • 1:1 syrup
  • Pollen
  • Stimulate egg laying
    • Bee bread
  • Assessing food stores
    • Early nectar sources
  • How long - Till nectar flow

Honey Bee 101 (10:15-11:00)

Presenter: Phil Frank

• Honeybee Anatomy
• Bee Castes
• Bee Life Cycle
• Colony Activities

Break (11:00-11:15)

Getting Your First Bees (11:15-12:15)

Presenter: TBD

Packages and Nucs

• What is a nuc
  • Pros and Cons of a nuc
• What is a package
  • Pros and Cons of a package
  • Bees and queen  
    • Introducing the queen
  • Drawing comb

Lunch Break (12:15-12:45)

Spring Management (12:45-1:45)

Presenter: TBD

Nectar Flow (Late April to beginning of July)

• Inspection:
  • Goals and frequencies
• Stop feeding
  • why
  • exceptions (new colonies)
• When and How to add supers 
• Test for mite load
• SWARMING
  • What is it
  • What prompts it
  • What are the early signs
  • What are the post-swarm signs
  • Actions to take to prevent swarming

Break 1:45-2:00

Summer Management (2:00-3:00)

Presenter: TBD

Beginning of Nectar Dearth (July to September)

• Inspection:
  • Goals and frequencies
    • Watch for robbing
• Harvesting supers
  • Honey
  • Pollen
  • Propolis
  • Wax
• Treating for mites 
• Feeding

Questions and Answer Session (3:00-3:10)

Closing Comments (3:10-3:30)

         MCBA Benefits

         MCBA List Serve

         Bee Yard Mentoring

Bee Yard Mentoring Session

Date: TBD

Field days give new beekeepers hands on mentoring with an experienced beekeeper in the club’s bee yard at Brookside Nature Center.  Dates for field days will be determined based on weather, arrival of bees for installation in hives, or the need to conduct pest management testing and treatment.  All field days will be announced in advance via the MCBA list serve.

Additional mentored hive management opportunities will be available throughout the spring and summer.  Emails will be sent via the list serve, notifying individuals of dates and times when experienced beekeepers will be working the Club hives at Brookside Nature Center.

Presentations and Handouts

To reduce paper waste, MCBA’s Short Course is a paper free class.  All presentations will be loaded to Jump Share for students to download or copy in advance of the class.  Any presenter handouts and documents will also be uploaded to Jump Share.

MCBA Listserv: beekeeper@yahoogroups.com 

To join email list and mention MCBA in subject line.  You will receive a confirmation email that you MUST respond to (check your junk folder if you don’t see the email within 24 hours).  If you fail to confirm your subscription to the list serve you will not be subscribed.

MCBA Website: https://montgomerycountybeekeepers.com/

The MCBA maintains a public and members only website.  The public website contains educational information about honeybees, beekeeping, and planting to support pollinators, allows community members to report honeybee swarms, and provides a calendar of events.  The public site also allows community members and organizations to request speakers for community and schools events.

The members only website provides access to the member directory to allow members to connect for mentoring opportunities.  Members can list products that they have available to sale to include honey, pollen, wax, candles, and soap.  Members can also locate individuals willing to make their property available to house hives.  It is also on the members site that registration for club sponsored activities and events occur.

MCBA Monthly Meeting:

MCBA holds monthly meetings on the 2^nd Wednesday of the month from 7:00-9:00 p.m. ET, with the exceptions of the months of August and December.  The meetings are a great place to learn from other beekeepers the complexities of managing a hive. Nationally recognized experts on beekeeping are brought in to speak to the group.  At the meetings you will find a welcoming and nurturing environment that is welcoming to new beekeepers.

Resources

Additional Reading –

Backyard Beekeeper – author Kim Flottum

Top-Bar Hive Beekeeping: Wisdom and Pleasure Combined – author Wyatt A. Mangum

Electronic Hive Recordkeeping Website – Hive Tacks www.hivetracks.com

Bee Magazines

Bee Culture - http://www.beeculture.com/

American Bee Journal - http://www.americanbeejournal.com/

Beekeeper Equipment Suppliers

Azure b LLC http://www.azurebllc.com/

Maryland Honey Company 301-518-9678

Mann Lake http://www.mannlakeltd.com/ 

Kelley Beekeeping https://www.kelleybees.com/