Basic Beekeeping Class

Please note: Classes are held in the mornings, until noon, on designated the Bee & Supply Pick Up weekend dates shown below

Beekeeping 101

$50 per seat

This is the "first level" course we offer to first year and beginning beekeepers. It is designed to provide the basic information to get you started and keep your hives healthy.

View the Class Date options below and select the best one for your schedule and the number of seats you need for your party. Scroll further down for complete details and more information and available class dates.

Class Dates are shown at the top of each date's order form box, just above the "Add to Cart" buttons for that specific date. Click or Tap the line item & price to see the options and the discounted prices for any additional number of students / seats needed.

We offer the Hands On session (Part 2) of the basic classes each weekend in the spring and again a couple of weekends in the fall. These are held in the mornings of the Pick Up Dates, typically from 10:00 AM until 12:00 noon. We'll send a 2 hour video series (Part 1) which is required to view before coming to the in person part of the class and handling live bees.

Classes are weather permitting, of course. We do not open hives in heavy rain or temps below 60.

Part 1: 5 Segment Private YouTube video series with several additional videos in the play list from trusted sources.

Part 2: A Video Recap with a Q & A session, Smoker Demo, followed by the Hand's On Hive Inspection. Afterwards we have time for more Q & A and Pro -Tips with General Discussion

The classes will generally include, but are not limited to the following topics of discussion:

Equipment
- Identification and Uses
  (view image - Anatomy Of A Beehive)
Hive Setup
- Component Arrangement and Placement
Hive Maintenance
- How often and what to look for during inspections
Life Cycle of the Honey Bee
- Including Tasks of the Workers, Queen and Drones
  (view image - Bee Family Life Cycle)
Supplements
- What, Where, How, When and Why
Pests and Diseases of the Hive
- Identification, Prevention & Treatments
Varroa Mite Controls
- Treatment Methods and Management
Swarm Prevention
- What is all the buzz about
Harvesting Honey
- How much to rob and when

Please scroll down past the "Add to Cart" boxes for more details and information about the classes.

Please Note: This is a Hand's On Class

We explore the insides of a honey bee hive of a very gentle nature. These are non-aggressive hives of Italian bees, therefore full protective gear is not required, but a Bee Veil is recommended for the general comfort level of the participants.

📩 Confirmation Email - After Payment

After checking out, within a few minutes you should receive a confirmation email receipt from a confirmation email and receipt from us "The Bee Place" and you should also get one from PayPal on our behalf with the details of your order. If you don't see it in your inbox, please check your spam / junk or promotions folder. We will not send another email until the Monday prior to the Pick Up Date you select, it will come from beekeeper@thebeeplace.com

Please Note: You only need to include your contact information once per order, not each time you add another item to the cart.

Q: What is the age limit for the classes?
A: We feel it is very important to get the youth involved as soon as they are ready. As a parent, you are a better judge of what your children can endure than we are, so we leave that up to the parents. We have gentle bees, but we do not want anyone getting stung, especially in the face area, so protective gear is advisable for the youth students. Call us with any questions or concerns.

What we'll cover...

What are we looking for when we approach the hive?
How to properly administer the smoke and why
What are we looking for when we open the hive?
Learn to identify a worker, a drone and a queen bee
How to preform a simple, quick yet informed hive check
How to preform a full hive inspection - when and why
How to verify a hive is "Queen Rite", without seeing a queen
How to detect a "Nectar Flow" at a glance
How to find the eggs and larvae
How to detect honey bee brood diseases
How to tell the difference in honey and nectar
How to know if a queen is failing
See the difference in capped brood and capped honey
Learn about the "food stores" - pollen, nectar and honey
When to add another box or remove a box and why
How to arrange the frames and why
How to safely close up with care
. . . and more

About the classes...

The classes are typically between 12 and 20 participants. Prior to Covid we began the classes at 8:00 am in a classroom setting for Part 1, a couple hours of lecture and basic beekeeping information. Then, after a short break, we would go out into the field to begin the "hands on" session, where we explain and demonstrate the smoker process as well as a physical hive inspection over an active bee hive. This is where the actual experience of holding a frame of live honey bees helps most people gain a better understanding and real feel for beekeeping.

When Covid became a threat, we were no longer able to use classroom format, so I made a video recording of the same basic information discussed in the class. I then shared the video, Part 1, with group and required them to watch before coming to the bee farm. The Q & A session was saved for Part 2 when they came in person for the hands on part. For the second part, we kept the groups much smaller and of course practiced the standard protocol we all became familiar with over the following months.

This worked well for the couple of years it was still a concern, but once Covid was no longer a threat, based on the positive feedback we received, we decided to leave the two part format in place. This allows folks to watch the video at their leisure and not have to arrive so early and also have the ability to pause, replay and watch again as needed instead of having to take notes and try to remember the loads of information we have to share.

We still have a Q & A session during the Part 2 - in person portion of the class.

Selecting Options

When you have choices, they will be presented in the Add to Cart by date boxes. Click or Tap the down arrow to view the options. Select the item of choice, then provide your contact information if you have not already done so on another item.

The image shows a screen shot sample of how the choices are presented. Please let us know if you have any questions or issues placing an order.

Frequently Bought Together - Optional Recommended Add-ons

Official South Central Texas Mann Lake Rep

If we don't stock it, we can get it!

Related FAQs & How To

These pages offer additional information about buying queens.

Locating Queens Finding the Queen 101

Marking Queens What it takes

Installing Queens Standard vs Slow Introduction Explained

More information

Visit the Types of Bees page for additional information about genetic variances.

Visit the FAQs & How To page for general information about bees including picking up and transporting bees.

All parts are fully assembled and are either primed and painted with high quality exterior latex paint or hot wax dipped for protection from the elements.

All orders are subject to the availability of raw materials. All prices are subject to change without notice.

All Hives, Bees, Parts and Supplies are Local Pick Up Only. Shipping is not an option.

The Bee Place... your official South Central Texas Mann Lake Beekeeping Supply Rep since 2015. If we don't stock it, we can get it!

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