Advanced Beekeeping Workshop 

This advanced beekeeping workshop is tailored for experienced beekeepers seeking in-depth knowledge and advanced techniques. It equips beekeepers with the skills and strategies necessary for successful hive management, delving into specialized topics such as bee health, honey production, and sustainable beekeeping practices.

Throughout the workshop, beekeepers explore hive manipulation and swarm control, queen rearing and genetics, integrated pest management, maximizing honey production, specialty honey products, advanced disease management, and the business aspects of beekeeping.

This advanced workshop plan assumes that participants already have a strong foundation in beekeeping and are looking to deepen their knowledge. Workshops can be customized to include more hands-on activities, field trips, and interactive discussions based on participants' interests.

Logistics

  • Max 8 participants

  • Duration 2 days (16 hours)

  • Location - Vancouver

  • Pricing - $550 / per participant

What to bring

  • protective clothing

  • hive tool

  • lunch / beverages

  • beekeeping instructors

  • apiary ( live bees)

  • training booklet (and a digital copy)

  • classroom facility (theory portion)

Objectives

Session 1 - Hive Manipulation and Swarm Control (2 hours)

  • Equip experienced beekeepers with advanced skills and strategies for successful hive management

  • Explore specialized topics related to bee health, honey production, and sustainable beekeeping practices

Day 1 - Advanced Hive Management Techniques

  • Review of hive dynamics: swarming, Queen supersedure, and absconding

  • Splitting colonies: art of creating new hives from strong colonies

  • Advanced swarm control techniques: Demaree Method, Taranov Split

Session 3 - Integrated Pest Management (2 hours)

  • Identifying and managing Varroa mites: monitoring and treatment

  • Other common pests: small hive beetle, wax moths, nosema

  • Natural approaches to pest management: screened bottom boards, drone brood removal

Day 2 - Advanced Honey Production and Sustainable Practices

Session 4 - Maximizing Honey Production (2 hours)

  • Timing honey flow: reading local floral sources

  • Supering strategies: adding and removing honey supers

  • Honey extraction techniques: uncapping, extractors, filtering, bottling

Session 6 - Sustainable Beekeeping Practices (2 hours)

  • Natural beekeeping philosophies: treatment-free and organic approaches

  • Hive hygiene: ventilation, propolis management, hive rotation

  • Beekeeping for biodiversity: creating pollinator-friendly landscapes

Session 8 - Business Aspects of Beekeeping (2 hours)

  • Scaling up: managing multiple hives and apiaries

  • Marketing honey and hive products locally

  • Regulations and licensing for selling bee products

  • Understanding Queen genetics: importance of selective breeding

  • Grafting and Queen cell development: hands-on demonstration

  • Setting Up a Queen rearing schedule for improved hive performance

What we provide

Session 5 - Specialty Honey Products (2 hours)

  • Exploring varietal honey: monofloral and polyfloral

  • Comb honey production: creating and harvesting comb honey

  • Infused and creamed honey: value-added honey products

Session 7 - Advanced Disease Management (2 hours)

  • In-depth study of bee diseases: American foulbrood, chalkbrood, EFB

  • Advanced disease diagnosis techniques: microscopy, lab testing

  • Disease prevention and quarantine protocols

Conclusion - Future Directions & Expert Panel (1 hour)

  • Open discussion on the future of beekeeping and challenges ahead

  • Panel of experienced beekeepers sharing insights and experiences

  • Encouragement to continue learning and contributing to beekeeping community

Session 2 - Queen Rearing and Genetics (2 hours)