Our Beginning Beekeeper Class began February 12 - Enrollment is full. However, you can put your name on a waitlist.
CLICK HERE to put your name on the WAITING LIST.
Be sure you have joined our free ListServ to receive notifications regarding registration and other pertinent info.
FOR ALL BEE CLASSES:
- Enrollment is limited to the first 100 members to complete enrollment
- Each participant must be an MCBA member
- Each participant mush register separately, using their membership login. (i.e. You cannot purchase two seats under one name or in the same transaction.)
- Only registered participants may attend.
- You must be LOGGED IN to enroll.
You are NOT LOGGED IN !!
You must be logged in to proceed to registration.
Ξ pre-SPRING Class Description
The Montgomery County Beekeepers Association of Maryland conducts a yearly beekeeping class which teaches the beginner beekeeping skills needed to establish, maintain and protect a honey bee colony.
The course consists of SEVEN weekly classes (each 2-hours) and includes lectures, demonstrations of tools & equipment, and hands-on sessions in the apiary, where students can experience the excitement of working a hive.
The timing of the class (Feb/March) allows new graduates to begin their own hives immediately after graduation.
The only prerequisites are being an MCBA member and having an interest in learning about beekeeping. There is a lot to learn, but remember: bees have trained beekeepers for thousands of years, and they have gotten good at it.
Ξ Class Schedule
SEVEN Tuesday Evenings, Starting Feb. 12, 2019
Classes meet Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., February 12, 19, 26 March 5, 12, 19, 26
Be sure you have joined our free ListServ to receive notifications.
Ξ Class Location
Holiday Park Senior Center (Subject to change)
3950 Ferrara Drive
Wheaton, Maryland 20906
Ph. 240-777-4999 is the Center's Front Desk (Not related to MCBA)
Ξ Class Tuition
COST: $90
Price includes:
- 1 student enrollment in the MCBA Short Course
- 1 copy of the Beekeepers Handbook" by Diana Sammataro and Alphonse Avitabile
- 1 note pad a"nd MCBA folder
- 1 hive tool
- Light snacks and beverages for each of the short course classes
Please note:
- You must be an MCBA member to enroll in this Beekeeping Class.
- Membership in MCBA does not guarantee a seat in the class. Enrollment is limited, and does fill up.
- Tuition is NON-REFUNDABLE. However, with teacher approval, you are permitted to sell your seat to another qualified MCBA member for up to full face value.
Textbook is included with the course.
The Beekeeper’s Handbook (4th Edition)
Diana Sammataro and Alphonse Avitabile
Foreword by Dewey M. Caron
Comstock Publishing Associates
.
Ξ To Enroll
Enrollment opens about 10 weeks before classes begin. Join MCBA's ListServ to receive the announcement.
Remember:
- Enrollment is limited to the first 100 members to complete enrollment
- Each participant must register separately. (i.e. It is not possible to purchase two seats in the same transaction.)
- Only registered participants may attend.
- You must be LOGGED IN to register.
You are NOT LOGGED IN !!
You must be logged in to proceed to registration.
Syllabus for "Beekeeping Class for Beginners"
- Session 1 -
- Understanding Bees – Chapter 1
- Honeybee Anatomy
- Bee Types
- Life Stages of Honeybees
- Races of Bees
- Colony Activities – Chapter 2
- Bee Roles Within the Hive
- Comb Building
- Beekeeping Equipment – Chapter 3
- Hives – Langstroth and Top Bar
- Beekeeper Protective Gear
- Session 2 -
- Obtaining and Preparing for Bees – Chapter 4
- Good Neighbor Policy
- Hive Orientation
- Record Keeping
- Packages and Nucs – Chapter 6
- Installing Packages
- Releasing the Queen
- Nucs and Installing Nucs
- Feeding Bees – Chapter 7
- Types of Feeders
- Sugar Syrup
- Fondant
- Honey
- Pollen
- Session 3 -
- Working Bees – Chapter 5
- Hive Examination
- Bee Temperament
- Apprehension in Hive Management
- Pollination – Chapter 15
- Planting for Pollinators
- Insecticides and Honeybees
- Session 4 -
- Pathogens and Parasites of Honey Bees – Chapter 13
- Pests of Honey Bees – Chapter 14
- Nosema Disease
- Amoeba Disease
- Dysentery
- Brood Disease
- Viral Disease
- Mites
- Wax Moth
- Small Hive Beetle
- Products of the Hive – Chapter 12
- Honey
- Beeswax
- Propolis
- Extracting
- Session 5 –
- Spring and Summer Management – Chapter 9
- Spring Swarming
- Feeding
- Cooling Hive
- Honey Flow
- Adding Supers
- Harvesting Hive Products
- Session 6 -
- Fall and Winter Management – Chapter 8
- Treating for Pests
- Fall Feeding
- Winter Cluster
- Insulation
- Ventilation
- Winter Feeding
- Special Management Problems – Chapter 11
- Moving Established Colonies
- Weak Colonies
- Robbing
- Swarming
- Queen Supersedure
- Swarm Cells
- Laying Worker
- Pointers for Urban Beekeeping
- Locating Hives – Small Backyards and Roof Tops
- Protecting Your Neighbors
- Session 7 –
- Hands-On Demonstrations
- Soap Making
- Candle Making
- Pest Recognition and Management
- Lighting a Smoker
- Clearing Bees from Frames
- Installing a Package and Nuc
- Box Assembly
- (also Snow Day Make Up Session if needed)
- Graduation
Field Days
Field days give new beekeepers hands on mentoring with an experienced beekeeper in the club’s bee yard at Brookside Nature Center (Different location than the indoor class!) Dates for field days will be determined based on weather and arrival of bees for installation in the hives. All field days will be announced in advance via the MCBA ListServ.
Barbecue and Field Day
A Saturday in May, exact date TBD. Will be announced on the MCBA ListServ