The Beekeeping 101 course will be held March 25 in-person in San Antonio. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service course will also be held online in four two-hour programs over March 28-29 and April 6-7.

honey bees gathered on a frame
A beginner beekeeping course will teach all the basics to start and maintain a hive. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Laura McKenzie)

Participants must preregister at tx.ag/Bees. The in-person March 25 course is $65. The online series costs $45.

The March 25 course will take place from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the AgriLife Extension office in Bexar County classroom, 3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 208. Lunch is included, and the in-person course is limited to 29 participants.

The online course runs from 6-8 p.m. each date, with sessions also being recorded for participants who can’t attend live.

“This program is meant for those with little to absolutely no experience with beekeeping,” said Molly Keck, AgriLife Extension entomologist and Beekeeping 101 instructor, Bexar County. “We’ll get you started, teaching the basics of beekeeping to get you prepared to have your own hives. You’ll learn what to expect those first few years as a beekeeper.”  

Beekeeping 101

The Beekeeping 101 course will cover honeybee biology, beekeeping equipment, suit options, managing a hive, pests and disease management of honeybees. Both the in-person and online courses will cover the same material.

Keck said those registered for March 25 may also do the online course at no additional cost.

“A hands-on field day to a beekeeper’s yard will be held over various dates in April in Leon Springs for all interested in-person and virtual participants,” said Keck. “This is where you will learn the most about beekeeping.”

Attendees must sign a medical release waiver to participate in the field day. A bee suit will be provided. 

Online session topics, overviews

  • Session 1: Honeybee Biology: Learn the lifecycle of the honeybees, lifecycle of the hive, caste system, and subspecies of honeybees. By understanding the biology of the insect, you are trying to manage, you can better understand what is happening inside the hive.
  • Session 2: Beekeeping Basics: The basics for beekeeping, including what to purchase, what suit options are best, how to construct a hive, where to place your hive, and considerations for food and nectar.
  • Session 3: Purchasing and Installing Bees — What to Expect the First Year: Options for purchasing bees and how to install them. What you should be seeing with your bees through the seasons, when to know if they are hungry or stressed and how to remedy that, how to feed bees, and how and when to remove honey.
  • Session 4: Risks for Honeybees, Honey Extraction and Resources: Honeybees may be plagued by many stresses and pests. This lesson will cover how to manage and identify those pests, including varroa mite management options and monitoring, fire ant control, hive beetles, wax moths and more.
  • Susan Himes
     
    Susan Himes is a writer and media relations specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife. She writes news releases and features from science-based information generated by the agency. She also covers human interest stories and events across the state.
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