Courses

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Below are certified courses for the Great Plains Master Beekeeping program as well as the Learning Objectives they count towards. Remember, you can take any level course; the credits simply won't count until you have fullfilled your other requirements and move to the next level. We will continue to add more courses as they become available.

Remember to report your courses withing 60 days of taking it to recieve credit in the GPMB program. 

Please bring payment in the form of cash or check to the event unless otherwise specified. For event cancellation due to bad weather, we will email you 5 hours prior to the event start time. We will also post on the Facebook page @GPMBeekeeping and the Events Page.  Please be sure to register for the event so you can receive updates. 

 

Field Training

Open Apiary Field training sites can be found on this map HERE. simply click on the site you are closest to and find dates, location, and contact information there. 

Indiana Open Apiary 2025: St. Peters Apiary

See Description for Date(s)
St. Peter's Episcopal Church - 950 E. Washington St., Lebanon, Indiana 46052

 

St. Peter's Apiary is operated and maintained by Chuck Dailey, a Certified Master Beekeeper. The apiary was created in 2014 and is part of Growing Common Ground Farm, a community outreach program of St. Peter's Episcopal Church. St. Peter's Apiary has been a teaching facility since inception.

 

State: Indiana

Omaha Beekeeping Club Open Apiary

See Description for Date(s)
5201 Center St, Omaha NE

 

- 26 Apr – install bees, making and feeding 1:1 syrup / Swarm traps and
catching swarms Instructors – Brad Sumter and Steve Callicutt
- 10 May – Inspections and Varroa sampling / Splits and resource hives
- 7 Jun – Honey super management / Varroa treatments
- 12 Jul – Extraction / Managing defensive bees and removing supers
- 2 Aug – Finding and marking the queen / Requeening
- 6 Sep - Insulating for the winter and winter feeding for beginners,
combining and managing hives for the winter and spring

 

 

State: Nebraska

Isabees Open Apiary

See Description for Date(s)
Isabee's 765 Gravois Rd. Fenton, MO. 63026

 

Open Apiary times are an informal, unstructured gathering of members of the Great Plains Master Beekeeping Program, St. Louis Region. All hive inspections will be during the 1st hour at Isabee’s bee yard. The 2nd hour will be held at Isabee’s meeting room, going over the topics for that month, and any other areas of concern.

 

State: Missouri

First Year Beekeeping Class- Rolla MO 2025- 3 sessions

See Description for Date(s)
1341 California, the Brownwood Estates Clubhouse

 

Rolla Bee Club will hold beginning beekeeping classes during three Mondays March 3, March 10 and March 17 from 6-8 p.m. at 1341 California, the Brownwood Estates Clubhouse. You must pre-register since seating is limited, and attend all three sessions to cover the material and get class credit

 

State: Missouri
Course Standards: 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.10 | 1.11 | 1.12 | 1.13 | 1.14 | 1.15 | 1.16 | 1.17 | 1.18 | 1.19 | 1.20

2025 Beginning Beekeeping Workshop – Johnson County MO

March 15, 2025, 8:00 am to March 15, 2025, 4:40 pm
Church of Hope Centerview. 580 NW 105th Rd, Centerview MO 64019

 

This intensive workshop is designed for beginning, new, and for experienced beekeepers desiring a firm foundation in the art and science of beekeeping management. The two-part 10.5-hour course is hosted by the Johnson County Missouri Beekeepers Association.
The JoCoMoBA professional team of presenters come from a pool of seasoned and commercial beekeepers. 

Questions? May also call 660-656-3485 or 660-525-5828

 

State: Missouri

Bee Wise Farms Open Apiary- Newberry Michigan 2025

See Description for Date(s)
10192 State Highway M28, Newberry, MI 49868

 

BeeWise Farms LLC presents Open Apiary training in Newberry MI Seasonal management tasks for 2 hours of hands on each month Open Apiary times are from 5:30-7:30pm, May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15, Sept. 12

 

State: Michigan

Bee Wellness for Military Personnel & Family

See Description for Date(s)
University of Nebraska Lincoln Pollinator Garden and Outdoor Classroom

 

This course is free to Active, Retired, Reserve, National Guard, and any branch of service, and immediate family. Individuals under the age of 19 are considered minors and require a guardian’s presence and signed approval.

 

State: Nebraska

Open Teaching Apiary- Lincoln NE East Campus 2025

See Description for Date(s)
Pollinator Garden on East Campus, UNL Apiary 40.828970, -96.655257

 

Open Apiary are loosely structured field trainings that are based around topics that equip attendees with the next steps they need in their own hives, or hands on training before they obtain their own hives.

 

State: Nebraska

Maple City VFW Post 2406 - GPMB Open Apiary 2025

See Description for Date(s)
695 Lansing Rd, Charlotte, MI 48813

 

These classes will be taught at the Maple City VFW Post 2406 in Charlotte, MI in the back of the post. This Apiary is NOW approved by the University of Nebraska - Lincoln Extension Bee Lab for training.

 

State: Michigan

Second Year Beekeeping Class- Rolla MO 2025

March 22, 2025, 8:00 am to March 22, 2025, 5:00 pm
Doolittle Community Hall, 380 Eisenhower, Rolla, Mo

 

​This class will review basic techniques from how to introduce queens, swarm catching and management, splitting and combining colonies, and more basic techniques

 

Course Standards: 2.1 | 2.14 | 2.15 | 2.21 | 2.22

Level 3 UNL Queen Rearing Course 2025: UNL East Campus – 4 Sessions

See Description for Date(s)
Pollinator Garden on East Campus, UNL Apiary 40.828970, -96.655257

 

In this hands-on honeybee queen-rearing course, participants will practice selecting young larvae, grafting them into queen cups, and placing them in starter colonies to develop into queen cells. They will learn the delicate art of grafting, inspect cells for proper development, and manage the cells by ensuring they are in a healthy, queen-less colony. Participants will also practice introducing newly emerged queens to new hives by carefully caging and releasing them, while monitoring their acceptance and success. The course emphasizes gentle handling, proper timing, and understanding the environmental needs to successfully rear queens. You will receive a grafting tool and queen cells as part of the course.

 

State: Nebraska
Course Standards: 3.19

Level 2 UNL Beekeeping Course 2025: UNL East Campus – 4 Sessions

See Description for Date(s)
Pollinator Garden on East Campus, UNL Apiary 40.828970, -96.655257

 

Field training sessions building on information presented in Level 1 and 2 lectures and field training sessions.

 

State: Nebraska

Level 1 UNL Beekeeping Course 2025: UNL East Campus – 8 Tuesday evening Sessions

March 18, 2025, 6:00 pm to May 6, 2025, 8:00 pm
See Session Details

 

Description: This is an introductory level course that focuses on everything you need to start beekeeping, including topics on beekeeping equipment, protective gear, honey bee biology, stressors, and management basics. Sessions 1-4 of the course includes lectures, hands-on activities, and demos by several speakers. Sessions 5-8 of the course is field training that gets you in the hives and takes the lessons from Sessions 1-4 into practice. Learn how to setup the equipment, install and handle bees safely, and perform hive inspections.

 

State: Nebraska
Course Standards: 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.10 | 1.11 | 1.12 | 1.13 | 1.14 | 1.15 | 1.16 | 1.17 | 1.18 | 1.19 | 1.20

Level 1 UNL Beekeeping Workshop 2025: Kimmel - 2 Sessions

March 29, 2025, 9:00 am to March 29, 2025, 4:00 pm
Kimmel Orchard, 5995 G Road, Nebraska City, NE

 

This is an introductory-level course that focuses on everything you need to start beekeeping, including topics on beekeeping equipment, protective gear, honey bee biology, stressors, and management basics. 

 

State: Nebraska
Course Standards: 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.10 | 1.11 | 1.12 | 1.13 | 1.14 | 1.15 | 1.16 | 1.17 | 1.18 | 1.19 | 1.20

Level 1 UNL Beekeeping Workshop 2025: Schramm - 2 Sessions

March 15, 2025, 9:00 am to April 12, 2025, 4:00 pm
Session 1: Schramm Education Center. Session 2: Pollinator Garden on East Campus, UNL Apiary 40.828970, -96.655257

 

Beekeeping 101 courses cover the hows, whats, and whys of beekeeping basics. These short courses are intended to help people understand how to get started, what to expect, and how to assemble the proper equipment, bees, and safety gear. Each course pairs a series of lectures with field demonstrations and hands-on activities to help participants prepare for their own hives and feel confident in their beekeeping skills. 

 

State: Nebraska
Course Standards: 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.10 | 1.11 | 1.12 | 1.13 | 1.14 | 1.15 | 1.16 | 1.17 | 1.18 | 1.19 | 1.20