Swarms and Splits - Beekeeping Class

Swarms and Splits - Beekeeping Class

$ 80.00

May 24, 2014 1:00-4:00pm

Managing your hives for swarming is our most important Spring activity as beekeepers, and it can take years to learn. Join us for this class at our apiary in Shoreline to gain experience in proactively managing your hive for swarms and learning how to utilize splitting your hive to both control swarms and build a sustainable apiary.

If you live in a city or suburb, controlling swarms is a must for the sake of your neighbors. Splitting your hives can be an integral part of swarm management, and should be a comfortable skill used by every beekeeper. If you master swarms and splits, you will never have to buy bees again.

This class will primarily be a hands-on class in our workshop, and we will get in active hives weather depending.

We keep our class sizes small (maximum 8 people) so that we can give appropriate attention to every student. Our goal is for you to succeed in your beekeeping endeavor, and we believe that the only way to do that is by working in small groups, teaching through both classroom time and hands-on field work with actual bees.

About your instructor:

Peter has been keeping bees in Seattle backyards for over ten years. In that time, he has grown from 1 hive to 200 beehives, managing hives in 35+ backyards in King County and leading a team of beekeepers. A skilled educator, he has developed the Rainy Day Bees apprenticeship program, taught classes for the Puget Sound Beekeepers Association and schools around Seattle, as well as offer 1:1 coaching sessions.

Classes include:

  • One 3-4 hour session with the bees in Shoreline. Topics covered will include:
    • What/When/Why do bees swarm
    • Recognizing signs of a swarm
    • Controlling the swarming impulse
    • How and when to split your hives to create a sustainable apiary
  • An experienced beekeeper you can call with questions, and a Facebook group for you and other students to talk bees on throughout the year (Rainy Day Bees will check in too!)
  • 15% discount on consultations at your hives with Rainy Day Bees
Things to Know:
  • You will need to provide your own protective equipment for beekeeping sessions. We have suits and gloves available to rent if necessary.
  • Class will focus on beekeeping in Langstroth hives, but the concepts can (and should) be applied to top bar and Warre hives as well.
  • Class duration is an estimate. We want/expect students to bring lots of questions, so class duration will vary based on what people want to talk about.
  • Cancellation Policy: Cancel up to two weeks ahead of your first class for a 50% refund.
  • Have any questions? Email us!
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