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![[bee image]](../images/BeeGradient.JPG)
Learn how to keep and manage honeybees for pollination and to produce honey and other products. You will learn bee biology, their life cycle, and social organization. You will learn practical skills while visiting local beekeepers. Also, you will have the opportunity to build your own beehive, purchase bees, and start your own colony. Required text will be available at the HSU Bookstore.
date .......... Wed. plus four Sat. TBD, Feb. 20-May 7
time .......... 6:30-8 p.m., + TBA
fee .......... $80, $40 per unit additional for credit (optional)
place .......... Sci B 133 & Off Campus
instr .......... Dick LaForge
course .......... EENC x034, 23089
credit .......... ZOOL x315, 1-2 units, (CR/NC), 24027
This class is for those who already keep bees and/or have taken Practical Beekeeping. You should already know honeybee biology and the basics of management.
Over the past several years, many people who have taken Practical Beekeeping have difficulties later because they do not have the experience to deal with more complicated problems. This class is your opportunity to get that experience.
This is a field class and will take place at the bee yard and home of the instructor. You will participate in the management of the eight or so hives at the bee yard, see what problems come up, and how we deal with them. Spring is the most important time of the beekeeper’s year as the bees are building up their population to collect honey in early summer. Some situations that we will encounter are: hive assessment, loss of queen, requeening, feeding, diseases, parasites, medications, dividing a hive, and adding boxes.
The class will be early afternoon so that it will be warm enough to open the hives. The bee yard session will be approximately 45 minutes. Then there will be a short class session (30+ minutes) to discuss what we saw and did, make plans for actions, and discuss more fully important aspects of management. You are encouraged to bring up questions about or problems in your own bee yard. Some days will be too cold or rainy to open the hives; in this case we will have the classroom session only.
Directions to the instructor’s home and bee yard will be provided to all who register. The address is 450 Redmond Road, which is off Old Arcata Road between Arcata and Eureka. The bee yard is about 100 yards from the houses, and requires crossing a stream on a bridge, walking on uneven but level ground that might be very wet, and standing in the bee yard. The in-house session will be warm and dry, with bathrooms available.
date .......... Sat., Feb. 16-May 3
time .......... 2-3:15 p.m.
fee .......... $80, $40 per unit additional for credit (optional)
place .......... 450 Redmond Road, Eureka
instr .......... Dick LaForge
course .......... EENC x034, 24149
credit .......... ZOOL x315, 1 unit, (CR/NC), 23111
Dick LaForge is a chemist at North Coast Laboratories in Arcata. He has taught the HSU beekeeping class since 1997 and has kept bees since 1993.
Dick keeps his beehives near Freshwater and has consistently produced a good honey crop, averaging 200 lbs. of honey per year from four hives. He considers the class as the beginning of learning to keep bees. He also offers post-class help, such as answering questions by phone and e-mail, a honey extracting party in the fall, and the loan of extracting equipment. The fun continues after the class ends, so if you have questions about missing queens or catching swarms, he will be available to help you.
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To be notified of future offerings of "Practical Beekeeping,"
get on the Office of Extended Education mailing list.
For additional information, call (707-826-3731), fax (707-826-5885)
or e-mail
Humboldt State University Office of Extended Education • Arcata, CA 95521 USA
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