Description

Would you like to improve your beekeeping skills or learn more about specific topics? We are offering one-hour classes at the Golf Course Mentoring Apiary on the St. Paul campus. These hands-on classes will allow us to focus on the seasonal needs of hives in MN. When you purchase a Buzz Pass, we will add you to our newsletter and send an update one week before class to let you know what topics will be covered. You can choose classes to take based on issues you are facing in your own hives or questions you may have (or because they sound really fun!). Follow us on Facebook for updates on class topics and observations from our hive inspections. We encourage students to take multiple classes throughout the season.

Choose from:

• Single class pass for $15
• Buy 5 passes, get 1 free for $75
• Buy 10 passes, get 2 free for $150 (plus a free Mite Kit or Bee Squad T-Shirt!)

Class topics will vary depending on the needs of the bees, the needs of the week’s students, and the season, but will likely include:

April

• Checking overwintered colonies
• Preparing to divide overwintered colonies
• Colony “autopsy” on dead overwintered hives
• Preparing equipment for the new season
• Hiving new packages
• Dealing with surprising weather events

May

• Dividing overwintered colonies
• Anticipating supersedures and swarms
• Caring for new packages, nucs, and splits
• Evaluating the health of new and overwintered queens
• Identifying colony components (stages of brood, pollen, nectar, honey, propolis)

June

• Managing a growing colony
• Spring brood diseases
• Honey bee body language and pheromone communication
• Testing for mites with powdered sugar roll
• Setting up a mite management plan

July

• Preventing swarms
• Catching the nectar flow
• Dealing with defensive bees
• Moving colonies

August

• Late summer mite management strategies
• Identifying and preventing robbing
• Pulling honey
• Evaluating the health of 1st and 2nd year colonies

September

• Feeding and combining colonies to increase winter survival
• Late fall mite management strategies

October

• Final mite management strategies
• Wrapping hives for winter
   

COURSE CONTACT
Jessica Helgen
beesquad@umn.edu
612-624-8989
 

REGISTRATION ASSISTANCE
ext-reg@umn.edu
 

GUEST ACCOUNT/LOGIN HELP
help@umn.edu
612-301-4357

Print the schedule here or view the Mentoring Apiary Google Calendar for class dates.

For more information about our Mentoring Apiary classes, please visit our website.

To get information on classes and updates from hive inspections, please follow us on Facebook.