SYLLABUS FOR SEMBA'S ADVANCED BEEKEEPING COURSE ...

SYLLABUS FOR SEMBA'S
ADVANCED BEEKEEPING COURSE
General Overview of Course:
This course is designed for beekeepers with at least four (4) years of successful experience in
beekeeping or who have satisfactorily completed SEMBA's Beekeeping Course for Beginners. It
will be limited to no more than 30, and no less than 15, students. This course will consist of
several sessions that will cover more advanced beekeeping topics such as alternative methods of
raising queens, making splits and nuc's, maximizing honey production, etc. See the below page
two for an overview of the course sessions and activities.
Anticipated Instructors: Classes held: 10:00 a.m. - noon, Sundays, except as noted
Winn Harless (Leader)
Apiary Site: Tollgate Education Center
(734) 453-2914 28115 Meadowbrook Road
Bill Sirr (248) 544-8619 Novi, MI 48377-3128
Clay E. Ottoni (248) 454-9800
Don Schram (248) 310-8205 Rich Wieske (248) 705-5181
Gilbert Terry (734) 233-8428 Roger Sutherland (734) 668-8568
Paul Mazur (810) 686-9882 and/or other possible SEMBA Members
Tuition (all in U.S. funds): Tuition for the entire course:
$100 per student, payable in advance, if you are a current SEMBA member.
$120 per student, payable in advance, if you are NOT a current SEMBA member.
$30 per session; but only with prior approval and payment in advance.
Tuition includes at least one queen cell. Tuition does not include any other bees, equipment,
supplies, etc., nor does it include the following items required for the course: New wood ware,
protective clothing, bee veil, hive tool, and smoker.
Requirements:
Either (a) satisfactory completion of SEMBA's Beekeeping Course for Beginners or (b) at least
four (4) years of successful experience in beekeeping. At least one strong hive (preferably 3 or
more hives) at your location and the legal right to add at least one additional hive (2 preferred).
Equipment to make at least two (2) nucs (more recommended). Two (2) nuc boxes and your
own queen-marking equipment. Cup with paper towels to move queen cell.
Note the class size is limited to no more than 30, no less than 15, students.
Students will participate in the training dressed in hive inspection attire (i.e., bee suit with
attaching veil and helmet or hood, bee gloves, work boots or protective ankle wraps) and possess
hive tool, smoker, and new woodware equipment. Attendance at each session is important, since
it is difficult to duplicate hive conditions for non-attendees and classes build upon prior classes.
Optional: Students that indicate an interest will have the option to join Winn Harless on a field
trip to catch a swarm, conditions permitting (e.g., swarms being available as well as the
availability of the interested student and Winn Harless).
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ADVANCED BEEKEEPING SYLLABUS
OVERVIEW
SESSION 1, MARCH 25
• Introduction and setting goals -- raising queens, making splits and nuc's, over wintering hives
and honey production.
• Discuss honey maximizing strategies such as early spring build-up vs. equalizing hives.
• Discuss tips to maximize honey production.
• Discuss benefits of raising queens, banking queens, and two-queen systems.
• Discuss desired breeding traits and outstanding genes.
• Discuss conditions required for successful queen rearing.
• Discuss quick queen introduction.
• Discuss going medication free/the problems with our bees.
• Discuss benefits of nucs.
• Discuss different kinds of nucs.
• Discuss making nucs.
• Discuss required woodware, supplies and equipment.
• TO DO: Identify future nuc placement, at your location.
• TO DO: Begin building 5 Frame nuc(s), at your location.
• TO DO: Begin building Cloak board, at your location.
• TO DO: Begin building queen marking cage, at your location.
SESSION 2, APRIL 29
• Discuss tips to maximize honey production.
• Discuss queen excluders not just for finding your queen.
• Discuss queen location tips.
• Discuss marking queens (using the international color code) and clipping queens.
• Discuss benefits of splits.
• Discuss bee math and making splits.
• Discuss Cloake boarding, grafting larvae and cell punch.
• Discuss importance of, and methods of, producing drones.
• Discuss flying drones and mating areas.
• Discuss swarm catching.
• Discuss taking bees out of walls.
• TO DO: Bring hive inspection attire.
• TO DO: Inspect overwintered hives to determine best hive for breeding.
• TO DO: Select hive within which to raise queens.
• TO DO: Select 2 hives to produce drones.
• TO DO: Install Cloake board FRAME (with a reducer for same) above lowest box in queen cell
producing hive.
• TO DO: Install a drone cell frame each of the two (2) drone mother hives.
MAY 27, SUNDAY (optional, done at your location) Will be done at Tollgate, student
attendance not required.
(Optional) • TO DO: Install queen excluders between each box to aid in finding queen (both
Cloake board and egg supply hives).
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MAY 31, THURSDAY at 6:00 p.m. (done at your location) Will be done at Tollgate, student
attendance not required.
• TO DO: Be sure to have, else install, open drawn out wax foundation frames in brood area of
other hive(s) from which to pull frames to cut out cell punches. Wise to confine
queen in egg supply hives in box with all wax foundation frames for cell punching
and/or black plastic for grafting. (Do not marker her, at this time.)
• TO DO: Find queen and place her in lowest box (1 deep or two mediums) and place queen
excluder over lowest box(es), turn bottom board and lowest box(es) around 180
degrees (so the old front is now facing the old back), completely close the lowest
entrance, place the Cloake board FRAME over the queen excluder with the
opening facing the original front without the reducer for same, install remaining
broad boxes over Cloake board FRAME as well as inner and outer covers.
JUNE 2, SATURDAY at 10:00 a.m. (done at your location) Will be done at Tollgate, student
attendance not required.
• TO DO: Install Cloake board, wedge Cloake board open with three wedges, and open lowest
entrance.
SESSION 3, JUNE 3
• Discuss tips to maximize honey production.
• TO DO: Inspect hive (have 2 nuc boxes one each for pulled frames of broad on wax and black
plastic frames).
• TO DO: Confirm existence of flying drones.
• Discuss grafting.
• TO DO: Graft frame.
• Discuss cell punch.
• TO DO: Cell punch -- using small double boiler to melt wax, keep cutter in hot water, wax
wood piece to bar, place bar in frame, find 1 day old larva (eggs straight-up, larva
slight curve and on bottom), cut out, and wax to wood piece on bar.
JUNE 4, MONDAY at 10:00 a.m. (done at your location) Will be done at Tollgate, student
attendance not required.
• TO DO: Remove Cloake board separator and wedges.
SESSION 4, JUNE 12, TUESDAY 6:00 p.m. (done at Tollgate and, once you have your
queen cell, at your location).
• TO DO: Bring hive inspection attire.
• TO DO: Bring equipment to safely transport queen cell.
• TO DO: Pull queen cells and make nucs.
• TO DO: Rearrange Cloake board hive to original hive configuration without Cloake broad.
• TO DO: Take home queen cell.
• TO DO: Make nuc at your location.
JUNE 28, THURSDAY 6:00 p.m. (done at your location) Will be done at Tollgate, student
attendance not required.
• TO DO: Check for laying queen at your location.
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SESSION 5, JULY 15
• Discuss tips to maximize honey production.
• Discuss shook swarm method.
• Discuss propolis
• Discuss small hive beetle, avoidance strategies and treatment options.
• Discuss other bee pests and diseases A to Z with treatment/medication options.
• Discuss Integrated Pest Management ("IPM").
• Discuss what was done to the hive and nucs, and what we found.
• TO DO: Bring hive inspection attire.
• TO DO: Inspect nuc for laying queen.
• TO DO: Inspect hives for Small Hive Beetle, other pests and diseases.
• TO DO: Prepare marking queen by practicing on drones.
SESSION 6, AUGUST 26
• Discuss tips to maximize honey production.
• Discuss rendering wax.
• Discuss introducing a queen to your hive and to a laying worker hive.
• Discuss Small Scale Pollination -- Taking Bees to Florida.
• Discuss basic mead making.
SESSION 7, SEPTEMBER 23
• Discuss tips to maximize honey production.
• Discuss Langstroth alternatives such as top bar hives, Warre hives and skeps.
• Discuss small cell alternative.
• Discuss overwintering nucs.
• Discuss overwintering hives.
• Discuss The Many Uses of Imirie Shims.
• Discuss making of specialty and more advanced equipment.
• Discuss applying your knowledge such as mentoring, teaching classes, becoming part of a
board, helping to organize a bee club or conference, etc.
• TO DO: Bring hive inspection attire.
• TO DO: Inspect nucs.
• TO DO: IPM, monitor hives for pests such as varroa mites and SHB.
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