One of the best ways to become a successful beekeeper is through hands-on mentoring from experienced beekeepers. Join instructors from the Bee Squad in our teaching apiary for in-person workshops that will take you from spring to fall. Each class will focus on a specific seasonal management skill, with time for you to try inspection techniques and ask questions about your colonies.
In this session, participants will be separated into two groups based on their level of experience.
- Group 1 will learn to light a smoker and do brief hive inspections. Depending on the package arrival schedule, we will either hive a package or look through recently hived packages.
- Group 2 will inspect overwintered hives and discuss reversals, spring feeding, and spring mite management.
All beekeeping workshops will be held at our Teaching Apiary on the University of Minnesota St. Paul campus from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Meet the instructor in the parking lot of the Turf Management office. The instructor will lead you to the hives once all members have arrived. There are limited parking spots but free street parking is available.
Find out more about the Mentoring Apiary program
Audience
We welcome beekeepers of all skill levels, including first-year beekeepers and those who have taken the Beekeeping in Northern Climates course and want to try hive management before purchasing their own bees.
Cost
$30
Registration
Registration is required.
Accessibility
University of Minnesota Extension is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services, and activities. To request accommodations for persons with disabilities, contact ma-bees@umn.edu two weeks before the start of the event. Requests received after this date will be honored whenever possible.
We encourage beekeepers to sign up for multiple workshops over the season. Please note that participants should come into the apiary with a basic understanding of honey bee biology and hive structure AND their own protective equipment (bee veil or jacket). Depending on class size and topic, participants may be broken into groups based on experience.
Gloveless beekeeping
One of the core tenets of the Bee Squad’s beekeeping philosophy is to enter colonies without wearing gloves. This allows the beekeeper to have the dexterity and sensory feedback to handle frames and bee boxes in a way that minimizes harm and disruption to the bees.
For the safety of all students and instructors, we require that all participants do not wear gloves in our teaching apiaries. We believe that the ability to manage a hive of honey bees calmly and confidently under a wide range of conditions is one of the most important skills gained from our program. Instructors work with all participants to demonstrate techniques to minimize stings to the beekeeper and disruption to the bees, but we cannot guarantee that participants will not be stung during our classes. Please feel free to contact us (ma-bees@umn.edu) with questions prior to registration or attending class.
Requirements to participate
- Participants must be 18 years or older to enter the apiary.
- Bring your own bee veil, bee jacket, or bee suit to wear in the apiary.
- Willingness to work without gloves in the apiary.
- Have taken the "Beekeeping in Northern Climates" course, another basic beekeeping course, or have kept bees for at least one year.
- Willingness to follow ongoing COVID-19 protocols and stay home if sick.
