0960 - Beekeeping for Beginners Series

State Botanical Garden of Georgia Educational Programs

Have you ever wanted to harvest honey from your own beehive? Would you like to collect beeswax to make candles or soap? Do you have a touch of ‘backyard biologist’ in your blood? If so, we might have just what you need – in this seven class beekeeping series we will cover the fundamentals of beekeeping!

This series is divided into seven separate units. Some of these classes will be held off-site from the State Botanical Garden of Georgia.

Covid-19 Safety Guidelines

Prior to your visit, we ask that you do a COVID-19 self-check following guidelines from the CDC. Here is the link for you to review (click here)
Face coverings are strongly encouraged for all visitors during scheduled programming at the garden
Please remember to maintain a minimum 6-foot distance between your group and other visitors
Wash your hands regularly
Stay hydrated! Our water fountains will be covered so please be sure to bring your own water bottle
Visitors are required to abide by all garden policies and instructions, both posted and as may be given on-site by garden staff and volunteers.
The University of Georgia is a tobacco-free campus. Tobacco use is prohibited in all Garden areas, including outdoor areas. More information is available at http://uga.edu/tobacco-free/
In accordance with Georgia law (O.C.G.A.§51-16-3), any person entering the premises waives all civil liability against this premise's owner and operator for any injuries caused by the inherent risk associated with contracting COVID-19 at public gatherings, except for gross negligence, willful and wanton misconduct, reckless infliction of harm, or intentional infliction of harm, by the individual or entity of the premises

Course Outline

Unit 1: Beekeeping Basics

Topics in Unit 1 include: history of beekeeping, honey bee biology, components of a beehive, protective clothing and equipment and tools.

Unit 2: Care and Feeding of Honeybees

Learn techniques for spring and winter feeding and treatments for parasites, diseases and disorders. Dan will also provide information on purchasing honeybees.

Unit 3: ABC’s of Assembling a Beehive

This workshop will include demonstrations of hive assembly and discussion of hive setup and placement. Students will be encouraged to bring their hive parts and we can all work together. Hammers, nails and glue will be provided. The goal is to send everybody home needing only a couple of coats of paint to be ready to add bees in spring

Unit 4: Spring Hive Management

This is our early spring hive inspection. We will be looking for brood, pollen, honey, drones and, of course, the queen. A protective veil and gloves are required for this course.

Unit 5: Spring Buildup

We will be doing follow up inspections. This is an opportunity to see how the bee colonies build up in spring. We will be looking for many of the same things we saw in March but will also be looking for queen cells. A protective veil and gloves are required for this course.

Unit 6: Products from the Hive

The sweetest of all the beekeeping units! Dan will take capped honey frames from a 'super', remove the cappings and extract the honey.

Unit 7: Overwintering Your Hive

Advance your beekeeping knowledge and skills with Dan as you perform a 24 hour Varroa mite count and apply a variety of fall treatments for Varroa and other pests. He will also discuss fall and over-wintering preparations for your hive. Protective veil and gloves are required for this course.