Great news for the bee-interested in the Boulder-Denver area! Julie Finley of Sister Bee and Garden Director at Growing Gardens in Boulder is offering a hands-on beekeeping class. The curriculum looks fabulous. Julie is a gifted teacher. Highly, highly recommended.
For more info please email Julie@growinggardens.org. Here’s a printable registration form. And a brochure.
Class 1 – Introduction
Date March 8, 2008 Time 9:00 am to 12:00
Meet the instructor, share expectations and goals for the course. We will explain the top bar method and the basics of beekeeping. There will be a demonstration hive available for inspection and plans for building your own Top Bar Hive and information for purchasing supplies and bees.
Class II – Meeting the Bees
Date April 5, 2008 Time 9:00 am to 1:00
We will meet the caste of bees that live in a colony and cover the ecology of honey bees. In the lab we will learn about hive preparation, how to install packaged bees or swarms, and what to look for in your new colony.
Class III – Colony Care I
May 3, 2008 Time 9:00 am to 1:00
You will learn how to handle combs, trouble-shoot problems, manage build-up, and maintain the overall health of the hive. The lab will apply the knowledge gained from the class through hands-on beekeeping.
Class IV – Colony Care II
June 7, 2008 Time 9:00 am to 1:00
We will review how to maintain healthy colonies and discuss sustainable agriculture practices and methodologies. In the lab we will review proper handling of the combs, assessing queen vitality and brood development and we will learn how to observe honey flow and colony strength through the seasons.
Class V – Practical Lab I
July 12, 2008 Time 9:00 am to 1:00
In this three hour lab you will have the opportunity to gain confidence and familiarity with honeybees and learn how to work a top-bar hive successfully. You will gain knowledge in how to manage hives for optimum honey production and colony health. We will begin the harvest of Cultiva honeycomb for Farmer’s Market sales.
Class VI – Practical Lab II
August 2, 2008 Time 9:00 am to 1:00
This class will give you a chance to improve your skills and gain more experience handling combs and bees. We will continue to harvest honey. We will discuss and practice sustainable techniques for monitoring and preventing diseases and parasites.
Class VII – Fall Preparations
September 6, 2008 Time 9:00 am to 1:00
In this class we will review the use and application of Formic acid, Oxalic acid, herbal bee calm and other preparations for maintaining a healthy hive. We will also learn alternative honey processing techniques.
Class VIII – Winter Care
October 4, 2008 Time 9:00 am to 1:00
This class will focus on the steps needed to prepare the hives for winter. The lab will demonstrate a variety of winterization techniques unique to top bar hive management.
Class IX – Honeybees Give Us More than Honey
November 1, 2008 Time 9:00 am to 1:00
Here we will learn how to process wax and how to make mold candles, ornaments, salves and lip balms. This 4 hour practical lab will be devoted to making samples of these various products and enjoying the fruits of your labor.
“Class materials and methods will focus on the Top Bar Hive, and a natural means of raising bees. Thank you, for your interest in honeybees, Growing Gardens, and our relationship to community.”
- Julie Finley
Growing Gardens
3198 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80304
303 413 7248 x 1
303 413 7201 fax
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