Nebraska

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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. 

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.