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It was another awesome day in the West Sound teaching apiary. Thanks for the opportunity to pick your brain. Your online student's have a rare opportunity to learn from a very practical and knowledgeable beekeeper.
- David Leger
West Sound Beekeepers Assn.
Bee Bootcamp is a great starting point for beginner beekeepers, but also takes care of 1st and 2nd years who need to start moving forward in adapting their own process and methodology for their craft. Included are monthly class sessions via zoom, a group thread for peer feedback and support, and the links and resources page. Additionally, we are doing 2 Open Field Days for hands on training for all members.
Bee Buddy level gets you access to all of the Bee Bootcamp benefits, PLUS….an additional monthly group zoom meeting on case studies in disease and swarm management, local map access of equipment/supply providers (and substantial club discounts), and additional tips/hints/clues to better beekeeping for advanced bee work to eliminate areas that we all struggle with.
Ok, we’re right where you are….addicted to honey bees and all the amazing ways they work, how they communicate and what makes them so special. So you want a deeper dive, and drill down on what makes them tick, how to solve really tough problems unique to your circumstances, and rock your operation as a major healthy bee center. Includes access to all content, as well as veterinary email communication on demand for consulting and video inspection support.
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Well how’s your journey going?? Maybe you’ve heard or read the blogs, posts and newsletters with the line “beekeepers usually fail the first year”, and “you don’t get any honey from a new nuc colony”, and what about the one that says “you only need to feed them during a dearth”…..but no one tells you when or what the dearth is??!!! Here we understand that there’s a ton of “myth” and old wives tales out there - too much info for a beginner beekeeper. We will help you navigate the realities of how bees need to be taken care of….in real time, not a “try again next year” philosophy. Real solutions, in real time, without sifting through a mountain of “maybe this will work” posts. We have answers for you that will help you to be successful, and more confident as a beginner beekeeper no matter what level you’re at.
Veterinary level expertise, college level teaching experience, and 1000’s of bee box inspections deliver real solutions that meet you where you are, - no matter where that is!!!
We've already been through all the literature, youtube videos, and blogs. You don't need to reinvent the wheel by spending your valuable time doing the same thing. Instead you should be out enjoying your bees!!! The amazing journey of discovery is right around the corner!
In today's market every colony lost is costing you more than $200. Add up replacement costs, pick-up and reinstallation, feeding costs and you've paid 2-3 times the cost of this educational program. And that's if you only lose one colony.
What's your peace of mind worth? You don't have to be sad every spring that the bee boxes are empty or even worse, filled with dead bees!! Why "start over" every year when there's a path without trauma, and we can get you there!! Come see what it's like to have fun with your bees!!!
No, actually it's the workers who determine how many eggs get laid, who eats and who doesn't and when they should swarm and where they'll go!!!
Technically, as a medical professional I can tell you there's no such thing as "treatment free". You may manage your bees "chemical free", but even feeding is a treatment for starvation. So if you get a minor cut on your finger, you apply a bandage, although you might not put on antibiotic cream or wash it out with hydrogen peroxide, you're still managing the wound with a covering. Manipulating colonies for their benefit is the same thing. There are plenty of ways we manage the bees without chemicals, but we're still changing their environment for their benefit - we are animal caretakers and we should do that as a minimum no matter what our individual philosophies are about chemicals.
The regulatory agencies that control food quality (FDA), do not have a category for "organic" honey. The bees are not controlled as other livestock are in pens and confinement areas where they're feeds can be monitored and controlled to only allow them to consume "organic certified feed" and live in an environment where there are no adverse chemical residues that can contaminate the food produced from them. A honey bee will fly miles for a meal and along the way you have no idea where they go or where they might stop. Anyone in their path could be treating a yard or garden with chemicals and you wouldn't know it. Even in minute amounts those chemicals are contaminants to the food called honey. So no organic honey here in the U.S.
A dearth is any time of the "bee season" that there isn't any resources in their area for them to collect - sometimes that's the carbohydrate component or nectar, and sometimes that's the protein portion of their needs in the form of pollen. That's why sometimes you'll hear that "we're in a nectar dearth" or a "pollen dearth". Sometimes they occur independently and sometimes together (especially in the fall when nothing is blooming). Even if there are flowers blooming sometimes if it's dry enough the plants aren't putting nectar in the flowers to attract pollinators and they still are not getting what they need and the beekeeper needs to feed them.
Absolutely. We can modify your membership level at anytime that you're feeling ambitious and want even more bee learning. It's just a matter of contacting support and they'll manage your changes in record time!!
I am beyond grateful that Jennifer has taken my daughter under her wing to mentor. Jennifer has a teaching heart and a wealth of knowledge regarding bee language. My daughter has been fascinated by bees ever since her first steps. She is beyond ecstatic for this opportunity to learn hands on with Jennifer.
- Nicole Kuehlwein