Beekeeping 101

Interested in becoming a beekeeper but need to know where to start. This 4 part, live, online series will help you learn the basics to get started. We’ll answer: what do I buy? Where do I buy equipment and bees? Where do I put my bees? What do I do with the bees? All the answers to get you going the first year. A Beekeeping Field Day is also scheduled for those local to San Antonio or willing to travel.

Second Steps in Beekeeping

In this “Second Steps in Beekeeping” program, we talk about “what’s next?”. How to recognize signs of stress, what to do about poor producing queens, how and when to extract honey, and what diseases and pests can be plaguing your hives. Guest speaker, Mary Reed from the Texas Apiary Inspection Service is a wealth of information when it comes to diseases and pests and you won’t want to miss her!

Topics – Pests and Diseases of Bees and their Management, Mite Management and Monitoring, Recap of Honey Bee Biology, Recognizing Signs of Stress and What to Do, Winterizing Honey Bees, Honey Extracting.

2018 Austin Area Beekeeping Seminar

2018 Austin Area Beekeeping Seminar

This is a day-long seminar offering 4 different educational presentations running concurrently throughout the day. There will be a full-day track of beginning classes for people with little or no experience keeping bees who want a solid foundation of beekeeping essentials.  There will also be 24 hour-long classes for intermediate and advanced beekeepers to choose from.  These non-beginner classes will include:

  • General Management 1 and 2 – James and Chari Elam

  • Nutrition Management – Lance Wilson
  • Simple Queen Cell Production – Dan Aurell
  • Varroa Monitoring – Mary Reed
  • Preparing for a honey show – Pamela Yeamans
  • Bees as an Ag Exemption – Dennis Herbert
  • Splitting Techniques – Tanya Phillips
  • Queen Rearing – Dr. Rangel Scientific Presentation
  • Reproductive Biology – Dr. Rangel Scientific Presentation
  • Extraction from a Building – Steve Butler
  • Effective Varroa Management for Robust Populations – Lance Wilson
  • Harvest Economics – Mark Hedley
  • Growing an Apiary Business – Mark Hedley
  • Top Bar Management 1 and 2 -Brandon Fehrenkamp
  • Nutrition Management – TBD
  • Honey Bee Biology and Behavior – TBD
  • Brood Disease Management – Dan Aurell
  • Equipment Assembly – Chuck Reburn
  • Impact of Miticides on Queen Mandibular Pheromone -Liz Walsh
  • Beneficial Beescapes – Becky Bender
  • Swarm Capture – Steve Butler
  • All proceeds for this event will be used to promote sustainable beekeeping practices and provide support to our much appreciated Texas A&M Honey Bee Lab.

    Registration starts at 8:00am with the first class starting at 9:00am.

    FAQs
    What can/can’t I bring to the event?
    We highly encourage all attendees to bring a bag lunch if you would like to talk to vendors over the lunch hour. There are also multiple lunch options within walking distance of the event.
    Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
    While we will have a list of attendees, check-in will go more quickly if you bring your printed ticket with you.
    What are my parking options?
    Parking is available at the Norris Conference Center