Classes 2027
Beginner Beekeeping Class Series (9 hours, $175)
Know you want to keep bees? Classroom sessions will include basic bee information and biology, seasonal cycles of a colony, equipment options, where to place your hive, how to get bees and tips on working with your equipment. When the weather warms up, there will be a field session so you can observe and practice working with your tools and bees.
Classroom sessions: Saturdays, February 2/6 (Zoom) and Saturday, 2/13 (field if weather cooperates, Zoom if not) 9am – 12pm
Field Day: Saturday, March 20, 9:30am – 12:30pm, location San Rafael (Rain date April 4/3)
Intermediate Beekeeping Class Series (9 hours, $175)
You’ve got your colony through winter (or not) – now what? Class sessions will include how to clean up your equipment, expanding hive size for spring, swarm prevention- and if that fails, swarm capture, setting up bait hives for swarms, identification of common pest and diseases and management options for them. Topics will also include dealing with special situations: defensive hives, queen failures, laying workers and more. Field day will include information on how to split a colony, pest and disease ID, and swarm prevention.
Classroom sessions: Saturdays, February 20 (Zoom) and February 27 (field if weather cooperates, Zoom if not) 9am – 12pm
Field Day: Saturday, March 27, 1:30pm – 4:30pm, location San Rafael (Rain date April 4/3
Backyard Beekeeping: class / field workshop (Saturday, April 10, 9:30am – 12:30pm, $95)
Considering becoming a beekeeper? Take the first step by learning about this fascinating and important pollinator. If you haven’t started already, now is the time to get going so equipment is ready and bees are ordered for the 2025 season.
In this class, you’ll learn about the roles of the queen, workers and drones within a colony and how they interact with seasonal cycles. Learn about basic considerations you’ll need to take into account before jumping into this exciting new hobby, including where to place your hive, equipment options and sources, bee sources, and time required.
Location: San Rafael (Rain date April 11)
Beekeeping Basics Field workshop (Saturday, May 15, 9:30am – 12:30pm, $95)
You have your bees, now what?? Learn tips and techniques for using smoker, bee brush and hive tool. Will look into how to work your frames and what to be looking for to determine health of your queen and the colony as a whole. This will include when / how to add space, food issues, pest & diseases. As urban beekeepers, it is important to prevent swarming (to the best of our ability), so you’ll learn what causes swarming, how to prevent, and how to recognize early warnings that a colony is making preparations to swarm.
Location: San Rafael
Intermediate Beekeeping Field workshop (Saturday, May 15, 1:30pm – 4:30pm, $95)
An overwintered colony requires different spring management than a new colony. Some of the topics covered will include space management in the hive, queen issues (when you might need to replace and how you do that), and splitting a hive (for colony increase, swarm prevention, or as a method of varroa control).
Location: San Rafael
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Field workshop Saturday, July 24, 9am – 12pm, $95)
The challenges of managing pests and diseases in your colony can be overwhelming. We will look at the potential risks and benefits of various tools and techniques available to manage common pests and diseases in your colony. A focus will include varroa mite infestations and organic treatments. This is also the time of year in Marin when forage can be scarce so we’ll discuss feeding options. Workshop will also include managing hive size at the end of the season and yellowjacket problems.
Location: San Rafael
