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Terry Hughes - Hive Name "T's Beez" - May 2023
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Greg Nelson - April 2023
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Donna Bird - April 2023
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Jim Long - Grace's Bees Hive - August 2022
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Julia Walker - Hive Name "Evolution Training Athletics (ETA)" June 2022
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Julia Walker - Hive Name "Big Mama J’s Beez" May 2022
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Randy Harris - Hive Name "Scout" February 2022
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Steve & Chrissy Gatton - August 2021
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Karen Long - Asher Snacks Hive August 2021
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Mike and Rebecca Newton The "B" Team July 2021
Building Your Equipment
Sunday, March 12
3:30 pm
Spring Prep/What to do - from building your equipment (so it will last) to ordering and maneuvering through the catalogs loaded with eye-popping menus.
You really don't need everything they offer to be a beekeeper. I recommend the "keep it simple" rule which will help you decide what you really need for your first few years.
This session is in my garage/AKA Honey House
so please dress for colder temperatures.
Building Your Equipment
$40.00
Great class!
check back for 2024 dates
Family Building Your Equipment
$60.00
Bee Keeping for a Day
Sunday, March 26
3:30 pm
This class is for the new bee who wants to get an idea of what this hobby is all about before putting out the money and investing in the gear.
This in-apiary class designed with the inexperienced in mind. Put on a veil, or several different kinds, try on OUR suits, put your hands on the equipment and tools and get an idea of what it’s all about. We will even open a hive and take a look inside (weather dependent). This sneak peek will give you a glimpse into the wonderful world of beekeeping.
Bee Keeping for a Day
$40.00
Family Bee Keeping for a Day
$60.00
Installing Spring Packages
Sunday, April 16
3:30 pm
How to get the bees in my hive.
There are a few schools of thought on how best to accomplish the installation. I'll show you two methods and let you decide which is easiest for you & the bees. This is a fun in apiary first-time handling experience. Bring your gear.
Installing Spring Packages
$40.00
Family Installing Spring Packages
$60.00
Your First Inspection
Sunday, April 30
3:30 pm
We have the bees and the hives, now what?
Your first inspection is the most amazing and nerve-wracking. Everything feels new. I'll walk you through the inspection step-by-step and show you what to look for to determine if your colony is healthy and thriving.
Includes: How to keep your smoker lit (this is a tough one for most new bees.)
Your First Inspection
$40.00
Family Your First Inspection
$60.00
Making Nucs and Splits
Sunday, May 21
3:30 pm
Swarm Management
Keeping bees is animal husbandry on a tiny little scale. But there are responsibilities still in owning any creature that requires some care from you.
Bees swarm - it's a natural part of life for them. I'll give you tips and tricks to stay ahead of the swarms and help you manage your apiary size with easy manipulations for management.
Making Nucs and Splits
$40.00
Family Making Nucs and Splits
$60.00
Honey Extraction - Part 1
Saturday, June 17
10am-12:00pm
(Date determined by the bees/nectar flow)
Part 1 is all about what we take from the bees and what we leave for them. Responsible, thoughtful practices to help them survive. It is after all their food source for winter and times of dearth.
This class is in the apiary. We will pull frames of honey from each colony on the property based on what we see on each frame. We store them in airtight containers and return them the next day after we process them.
Honey Extraction - Pt 1
$40.00
Family Honey Extraction - Pt 1
$60.00
Honey Extraction - Part 2
Saturday, June 17 2pm-5pm
In this class, we process all of that delicious HONEY in the honey house - you'll even go home with a bottle.
Honey Extraction - Pt 2
$40.00
Family Honey Extraction - Pt 2
$60.00
Splits for Varroa Control
Sunday, July 9
3:30 pm
How to do effective mite check & treatment. Healthy summer bees make healthy winter bees. Using readily available resources we determine if our bees need "treatment" for Varroa (we talk about and remedy hive beetles and wax moths as well).
Alcohol wash, decision-making tools, and playing with bees. Bring your suit! Remember BYOV
Splits for Varroa Control
$40.00
Family Splits for Varroa Control
$60.00
I Know it's Hot Out There - Don't Stop Inspecting!
Sunday, July 30
8:30 am
Colony management through the dearth - AKA: What the heck is the dearth?
Managing hives when it's hot out. Bearding, wash-boarding, robbing, feeding, and airflow, plus
How to Recognize a Problem BEFORE it becomes a problem.
I Know it's Hot...
$40.00
Family I Know it's Hot...
$60.00
New / Interested beekeepers class and apiary tour of the Honey House
So, you want to become a beekeeper but want to know more? Come spend a few hours with me touring our home apiary and asking questions. We will hope to give you the information you need to decide.
Building My Apiary...
$40.00
Family Building My Apiary...
$60.00
Queen Marking
Date TBD
3:30 pm
We will be removing apivar, feeding, and doing Queen marking and equalizing in the apiary.
There are 40 colonies on site you must be appropriately dressed for working bees.​
This session is at Shlagel Farms in Waldorf.
Queen Marking
$40.00
Family Queen Marking
$60.00
Scaling Back for the Winter
Sunday, October 15
3:30 pm
To wrap or not to wrap?
Includes winter prep and feed. This is a winter prep class where we discuss how, when, why, and what the bees need to get through winter and spring. Food and heat are concerns for new beekeepers, we will help take some of the guesswork out of the end-of-season shutdown.
Scaling Back for the Winter
$40.00
Family Scaling Back for the Winter
$60.00
Making Products from My Hive
Sunday, November 12
3:30 pm
Lip balm and body butter-making class.
This is a class in my kitchen, no beekeeping gear is required. As the weather starts to change, we notice we need moisture for hands and lips. We will play with making products from the hive.
Small class size required - only 5 students per class.
Making Products...
$40.00
Family Making Products...
$60.00