Education
Beginners Class
Beginning Beekeeping Class
Discover the fascinating world of beekeeping with our Beginning Beekeeping Class! This course will teach you the basics of beekeeping, from setting up your hive to harvesting honey. Our knowledgeable instructors will guide you every step of the way, ensuring you gain the skills and confidence to become a successful beekeeper. Plus, you'll receive a comprehensive textbook (shared by family members) and a provisional membership to MEBA. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to connect with nature and enjoy the sweet rewards of beekeeping. Sign up now!
The class will be held on the on three consecutive Saturdays from February 27, 2027 through March 14th, 2027 beginning at 9:00 a.m. with each class lasting approximately 3-4 hours in Smyth Hall room 122 at Wytheville Community College. In the event campus is closed for a class, snow days will be on March 13th and/or 21st.
More details can be found at the link below.
January Apiary Calendar
- Begin emergency feeding with frames of honey, sugar candy, fondant, winter patties or dry sugar, if necessary.
- Clean, paint, and repair equipment.
- Check apiary for vandalism, missing hive covers, and other equipment needs.
- Order packages, nucs, queens, if not done in December.
- Consider your mite and disease management program and order/construct the necessary materials (montoring boards, screen bottom boards, drone foundation, or chemical controls).
Source: "Beekeeping Basics" produced by Penn State Extension.
February Apiary Calendar
- Check colonies for food stores.
- Continue emergency feeding with frames of honey, sugar candy, fondant, winter patties or dry sugar, if necessary.
- Continue to prepare equipment for the coming season.
- Clean up dead colonies
Source: "Beekeeping Basics" produced by Penn State Extension.
March Apiary Calendar
- Continue emergency feeding, if necessary.
- Feed pollen supplements or substitutes, if needed.
- Perform first quick inspection of brood nest, if weather permits.
- Check for and clean up dead colonies.
- Clean out entrances and bottom boards.
- Assemble section honey supers.
Source: "Beekeeping Basics" produced by Penn State Extension.
April Apiary Calendar
- Monitor colony stores, especially if the weather is cold and wet.
- Inspect brood nests for laying queen, disease, and colony strength.
- Introduce package bees on drawn combs.
- Requeen colonies with failing queens.
- Reverse brood chambers when weather moderates.
Source: "Beekeeping Basics" produced by Penn State Extension.
May Apiary Calendar
- Monitor colonies for queen cells.
- Control swarming.
- Add more supers as needed (oversuper).
- Place queen excluder below shallow super on colonies for comb honey.
- Install packages on foundation.
- Begin implementing an integrated pest management program for the control of mites.
Source: "Beekeeping Basics" produced by Penn State Extension.
June Apiary Calendar
- Continue to check for queen cells.
- Rear queens if you prefer your own stock.
- Check colonies for disease signs and monitor for mites.
- Remove comb honey supers when properly sealed.
- Provide plenty of super space.
- Control swarming.
- Capture swarms.
Source: "Beekeeping Basics" produced by Penn State Extension.
July Apiary Calendar
- Remove comb honey supers when properly sealed.
- Check for queen cells, especially in colonies used for queen rearing.
- Add sufficient super space.
- Remove and extract early-season honey crop.
- Freeze comb honey to prevent wax moth damage.
Source: "Beekeeping Basics" produced by Penn State Extension.
August Apiary Calendar
- Check colonies for disease signs and monitor/treat for mites.
- Remove and extract summer honey crop.
- Remove section supers.
- Take care to avoid robbing.
- Add more supers if needed.
Source: "Beekeeping Basics" produced by Penn State Extension.
September Apiary Calendar
- Treat for mites is this was not done in August.
- Provide supers for fall goldenrod and aster flows.
- Requeen colonies, if desired.
- Unite weak colonies.
Source: "Beekeeping Basics" produced by Penn State Extension.
October Apiary Calendar
- Prepare colonies for winter.
- Reduce hives to overwintering size and remove all partial or unused supers and frames (undersuper).
- Feed with heavy syrup, if needed.
- Unite weak colonies with stronger colonies.
- Put on entrance reducers and mouse guards to keep out mice.
Source: "Beekeeping Basics" produced by Penn State Extension.
November Apiary Calendar
- Finish handling honey crop.
- Order new equipment for the coming season.
- Develop and implement your honey (and other hive products) marketing program, especially for the holiday season.
- Begin late-fall feeding.
Source: "Beekeeping Basics" produced by Penn State Extension.
December Apiary Calendar
- Repair and assemble hive equipment.
- Order packages, queens , nucs, if you know your needs.
Source: "Beekeeping Basics" produced by Penn State Extension.
Our next meeting is September 24th, 2026!
We will be in Room 130 Smyth Hall. This is a room change!