Event Date
The course will include lectures and hands-on exercises This course is perfect for those who have some beekeeping experience and would like to move on to the next step of rearing their own queens or maybe even trying their luck at bee breeding.
Instructors:
Elina L. Niño, Bernardo Niño, and Charley Nye
Participants will have the opportunity to learn about and practice multiple methods for queen rearing. We will go through a step-by-step process for queen rearing via grafting including setting up cell builders and mating nucs. At the end of the course participants will be able to check their grafting success and local participants can can take queen cells, resulting from their grafting exercises, back to their apiaries. The participants will also learn techniques for assessing Varroa loads in colonies and for evaluating hygienic behavior.
Multiple topics will be covered:
- Honey bee queen biology
- Basics of selective honey bee breeding programs
- Various queen rearing techniques
- Testing for hygienic behavior
- Assessing Varroa mite levels
Logistics:
The course size is limited to 16 participants that have basic beekeeping experience. Please bring your bee suit/veil! The $395 registration fee covers the cost of course materials (including a set of grafting equipment: grafting frame with bars, plastic queen cups and a grafting tool), breakfast, lunch and refreshments on the days of the short course. Participants are responsible for obtaining their own lodging.