Learn beekeeping basics in our season-long course.
NOD Beginner Beekeeping Program 2024 (8 Sessions)
This course intends to introduce basic beekeeping skills to beginners. No experience or ownership of bee hives is required, just an interest in bees! We will cover the fundamentals of beekeeping in a fun and informative manner. It will be a mix of theory and hands-on experience in a small group, balancing a classroom and bee yard setting.
Program Cost:
$800 for 8 sessions held from May through September 2024. Each class is 2 hours with our beekeeping instructor. The cost includes 2 course manuals.
Program Outcomes:
- This course aims to start participants on their beekeeping journey on the right foot.
- Participants will develop a basic understanding of the equipment, management, and biology of beekeeping and honey bees.
- Participants will gain hands-on experience with honey bees and increase their level of comfort and competence in the bee yard.
Registration for this course is open until April 30, 2024 or until the course is full.
Program Cost:
$800 for 8 sessions held from May through September 2024. Each class is 2 hours with our beekeeping instructor. The cost includes 2 course manuals.
Program Outcomes:
- This course aims to start participants on their beekeeping journey on the right foot.
- Participants will develop a basic understanding of the equipment, management, and biology of beekeeping and honey bees.
- Participants will gain hands-on experience with honey bees and increase their level of comfort and competence in the bee yard.
Beginner Beekeeping Program
2024 Dates & Time
This course is run from 2:00–4:00pm, including one hour in the classroom and one hour in the bee yard each session.
Week 1: May 26 – Safety & Equipment
Week 2: June 9 – Colony Dynamics & Swarm Management
Week 3: June 23 – Colony Life Cycles
Week 4: July 7 – Diseases & Treatments
Week 5: July 21 – Basic Bee Biology
Week 6: August 11 – Harvest & Products from the Hive
Week 7: August 25 – Honey Extracting
Week 8: Sept 8 – Seasonal Responsibilities of Beekeeping
Course Location
This course is held at NOD Apiary Products:
374 Sidney Street
Quinte West, ON
About Our Beekeeping Instructors
Hannah Neil
Beekeeping Education & Technical Coordinator
Hannah has over 10 seasons of beekeeping experience in commercial and applied research settings in Saskatchewan, New Zealand, and Ontario. She has taught over 10 beekeeping courses – mostly beginner, but also IPM and queen rearing. Hannah is currently managing 75 honey bee colonies for research and education. Oh, and she is a real, genuine bee nerd!
If you have any questions about our Beekeeping Courses, please contact Hannah:
Email: hannahn@nodglobal.com
Tel: (306) 314-2885
Dr. Heather Broccard-Bell
Honey Bee Health Researcher
Dr. Heather Broccard-Bell is the Honey Bee Health Researcher at NOD Apiary Products. She is a scientist and educator with over 15 years research and teaching experience. Heather has been focused on investigating issues surrounding honey bee health and communication since 2014 when she first began to work with bees in observation colonies.
In 2021, she graduated to commercial-style beekeeping with the NOD research colonies. If you’d like to ask Dr. Heather Broccard-Bell more about her work or this course, you can email her at heatherb@nodglobal.com.
About NOD Apiary Products:
NOD Apiary Products Ltd. is a Canadian-based company with global reach. Our family of companies strives to bring the most sustainable, convenient, and effective honey bee health products to the global marketplace. We pride ourselves in being an innovative leader in the apiculture industry with a team that is passionate about our vision: Healthy Bees. Healthy Planet. Read more About Us
Requirements & Policies
Required Materials
Each participant is required to bring their own Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) consisting of, at minimum:
- A beekeeper’s veil
- Appropriate beekeeping footwear
- Full bee suit or a Jacket with light-coloured, loose-fitting long pants
- Gloves (optional)
Provided Materials
- Bee smokers
- Hive tools
- Two course manuals: CAPA Honey Bee Diseases and Pests Manual, 3rd Edition and OBA Ontario Beekeeping Manual
Eligibility
Students must be over the age of 18 (at time of course) and have no known allergy to bee stings.
Policies
- This program fosters an inclusive environment where adults of all races, genders, sexual orientations, beliefs, and backgrounds are welcomed without question.
- Respect for classmates, instructor, and the bees are all mandatory.
- No participant with a known allergy to bee stings may participate in this program.
- No refunds for missed sessions.
Expectations & Responsibilities
- Participants are expected to demonstrate:
- Curiosity and engagement
- Punctuality and preparedness
- Respect for the facility and grounds
- Instructor is responsible for:
- Fostering an inclusive and open environment
- Answering questions to the best of my ability and dig deeper when answers are not immediate
HOW TO REGISTER
Sign up for our Beginner Beekeeping Program
Questions before you sign up?
Contact our Instructor: Email Hannah
What our students are saying…
"I loved the small group setting."
 |
As a more introverted person it made me a lot more comfortable participating and asking questions etc. Hannah also helped us feel at ease and was very open to any topic we brought up! Also, seeing the bees every week after the classroom lessons and getting hands on experience was amazing! It really helped to make all the learning stick!
—Lucy Raistrick |
"The hands on experience was invaluable for my learning."
 |
Hannah put together an extremely informative and engaging program. It was practical while touching on fun, thought-provoking topics within the beekeeping and agricultural landscape. The structure of her program was intuitive and her teaching style made her easy to listen to. I couldn’t recommend her and the program enough!”
—Alexandra McKinney |
OUR WORKER BEES
Meet the people behind NOD Apiary Products.
we love bees.
NOD Apiary Products Ltd. is a manufacturer of sustainable honey bee health products.
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