Description

Ever want to know what it is like to open up a beehive? This class is for you! In this class, learn to identify pollen, nectar, stages of healthy brood, evidence of the queen, and evaluate overall colony health. Instructors will discuss beekeeping safety and demonstrate gentle beekeeping techniques, however this class does involve the risk of bee stings. This extended two hour class is intended for people with no beekeeping experience and beginning beekeepers.

Requirements

• Participants must be 18 years or older
• We will provide protective equipment (beekeeping veils and jackets, gloves), as well as smokers and hive tools. If you already keep bees, we encourage you to wear your own veil or jacket, but please leave your smokers and hive tools at home.
• Please do not open or interfere with honey bee hives unless given permission by a Bee Squad instructor.
• Wear long pants (loose, if possible), longer socks, and closed-toe shoes.
• Avoid wearing black or brown clothes, or clothing with a fuzzy texture (ie. fleece or wool sweater).
• Avoid wearing strongly-scented lotion, sunscreen, bug spray, or perfume.
• The apiary has limited shady areas and seating: we encourage you to bring water bottles.
• We use gentle beekeeping techniques, but we cannot guarantee that you will not get stung during class. If you have experienced adverse reactions to beestings, please consult with your doctor before attending the class.

Course contact

Isabell Dyrbye-Wright
ma-bees@umn.edu

Registration help

Extension Learning Technologies (ELT)
ext-reg@umn.edu

Course fees

Cost is $30 per workshop unless otherwise noted. Pre-register online by 8:00AM on the morning of class. Refunds will be issued for cancellation requests received up to one week before each class is held.

Logistics

Parking is available in the parking lot of the UMN Turf Management building (2096 Roselawn Ave W, St Paul, MN 55113) and along Roselawn Avenue. Bee Squad instructors will meet the class in the Turf Management parking lot for a brief discussion before walking a short distance to the apiary. The walk to the apiary covers uneven ground - please contact us (ma-bees@umn.edu) with any questions or concerns about mobility and we will make every effort to make accommodations.

To register by phone

Paying online using our registration portal is secure, available 24 hours a day, and provides immediate enrollment. However, if you wish to register by phone, Extension registration professionals are here to help. Please contact us using one of the following methods, being sure to include your name, phone number, and the course you wish to register for. After receiving a request for phone registration, we will be in touch within three business days. Note that simply contacting us does not guarantee your spot. Registration is confirmed only after we've processed your payment.

• Request registration by phone: z.umn.edu/registrationhelp (preferred)
• or call our voicemail line to leave a message at (612) 626-5174