Year 1 Program – Managed Mentoring

Lesson Plan for the First-Year Beekeeper

CLICK The current month to jump to the Monthly Lessons

How to Participate in this Program

This two-part program combines instructional lessons with supportive online meetings that are timed to answer any questions you might have about the lessons as the training progresses through the year.

Getting Started

1. Watch the lessons for the first or second half of the month
2. Join the Online Meetings at the middle and end of the month to ask questions
3. Participate with your association – if they are working with the program, to schedule in-person visits

1st Year Program Phases

Program Phase List
Phase 1 – Starting Out (I want bees to Bees in the box)
Phase 2 – Getting Up and Running (Bees in the box to fully operational hive)
Phase 3 – Surviving Winter (Fully Operational Hive to Winter Preparation)
Phase 4 – Winter to Spring (Winter Preparation to Spring Forage and Foundational Beekeeping Topics)

A more detailed breakdown of the program content

Click the plus sign (+) to expand each of the phases

– Getting Familiar with the hive and Beekeeping Equipment
– Hive Fabrication and Equipment Assembly
– Good Beekeeping
– Apiary Design
– Installing Bees

– Post Install Care
– Colony Growth
– Varroa Mites

– The Calendar of Summer
– Mentor Visits
– Looking ahead to Fall Preparations

– Caring for hives in winter.
– Foundational Beekeeping topics to make you a well rounded beekeeper
– Bee Anatomy
– Introduction to hive maladies

Click the plus sign (+) to expand each of the Months

– Program Introduction
– Lesson 1 | Langstroth Equipment
– Lesson 2 | Langstroth Equipment Pieces
– Lesson 3 | Purchasing Hive Equipment

– Lesson 4 | Other Beekeeping Equipment
– Lesson 5 | Protective Equipment
– Lesson 6 | Building Frames

– Lesson 15 | Apiary Design
– Lesson 16 | Hive Placement
:: Optional Lesson – Bear Fencing

– Lesson 17 | Installing Bees- Package
:: Supplemental Guide for Package Installation
– Lesson 18 | Installing Bees- Nucleus
:: Supplemental Guide for Nuc Installation
– Lesson 19 | Post Install – First Week

– Lesson 20 | Inspections
– Lesson 21 | Using A Hive Tool
– Lesson 22 | Things You Will See
– Lesson 23 | Feeding New Colonies

– Lesson 24 | Equipment Prep for future stages
– Lesson 25 | Record Keeping
– Lesson 26 | From One Box to Two

– Lesson 27 | Varroa Mites
– Lesson 28 | Small Hive Beetles
– Lesson 29 | Mite Monitoring
– Lesson 30 | Mite Treatment Options

– Lesson 31 | The Calendar of Summer
– Lesson 32 | From two boxes to two three or more
– Lesson 33 | Summer and Fall Feeding

– Lesson 34 | Preparing for the Fall Nectar Flow
– Lesson 35 | Summer Queen Assessment

– Lesson 36 | Robbing
– Lesson 37 | Mite Infestations in the Fall

– Lesson 38 | Propping up Weak Hives
– Lesson 39 | Collapsing to two boxes

– Lesson 33 | Summer and Fall Feeding (suggested revisit during this period)

– No Sessions | Summer Break

– Lesson 40 | Equipment (comb) Storage
– Lesson 41 | Dealing with Waxmoth

– Lesson 42 | Executing Winterization

– Lesson 43 | Looking after Hives in Winter

Self Service Lessons – No Online Sessions in December
– Lesson 44 | Bee Anatomy – Workers
– Lesson 45 | Bee Anatomy – Queens
– Lesson 46 | Bee Anatomy – Drones