Taking beekeeping classes can be done in a variety of ways. Non-credit beekeeping courses are available in the form of books or on-site classes. Some beekeeping courses are available online. Weekend beekeeping workshops are available at many bee farms.
Weekend beekeeping courses with lunch are common at commercial bee farms. Learning to make honey or other bee products like royal jelly could be one of the activities. Royal jelly is a secretion produced nurse worker bees and used in nutritional supplements. It is thought some to restore vitality to skin and hair, as well as provide a variety of other health benefits.
A beekeeper organization or agricultural colleges or universities can help those interested in beekeeping find college credit or non-credit courses. The Tennessee Beekeepers Association, for example, holds classes and events at the University of Tennessee and honors a Beekeeper of the Year every year. The University of Tennessee’s Institute of Agriculture offers a Master Beekeeper Program.
Degree programs such as a Master’s in Agricultural Management may include beekeeping courses. Because many beekeepers work part-time or as hobbyists, there are more non-degree beekeeping classes than credit courses in general. Backyard beekeepers are people who keep bees as a hobby.
Whether a degree or non-degree beekeeping course is offered, it is usually geared toward a specific level of beekeeper knowledge, such as beginner or advanced. A beginner beekeeper may have no experience, whereas an advanced beekeeper has at least five years of experience in the field.
The first level of beekeeping classes may cover topics like local beekeeping ordinances and biological information about honey bees. A section on how to control swarming may be included in second-level beekeeping classes. Honey bee breeding and colony management may be the focus of third-level or advanced courses.
The length of beekeeping courses varies greatly. In an eight- or nine-hour class, condensed beekeeping classes typically combine an overview of the subject. A 12-hour advanced condensed beekeeping course is possible.
Online beekeeping courses are popular because they allow experienced and aspiring beekeepers to learn about the subject from the comfort of their own homes. Professional beekeepers’ electronic, or e-books, can provide interested learners with additional beekeeping tips and advice. Beekeepers’ distance learning courses are another name for online beekeeping classes. A blog written a commercial bee farmer or a digital beekeeper magazine are included in some online beekeeping courses.