March Great Plains Master Beekeeper’s Open Apiary Day

Open Apiary times are an informal, unstructured gathering of members of the Great Plains Master Beekeeping program. There will be brief demonstrations, questions and answers, and time to get hands-on experience with beehives. Open Apiary will count as 2 hours of field training toward your progress through the Great Plains Master Beekeeping program.

All participants must be a member of either:

• Saint Louis Beekeepers,
• EMBA ,
• Great Plains Master Beekeepers program,
• Hives to Heroes and Heroes to Hives.

Anyone participating in the hive inspections will need to have your own protective gear and sign a release form before entering the bee yard.

All participants must RSVP before each class with name, phone number and number of participants.  Email Ken Heitkamp to RSVP

Ken Heitkamp.   kmbcheitkamp@sbcglobal.net.

314-675-8088

Anyone participating in the hive inspections will need to have their own protective gear and sign a release form before entering the bee yard.

All hive inspections will be during the 1st hour at Isabee’s bee yard. The 2nd hour will be in Isabee’s meeting room going over the topics for that month, other areas of concern. Question and Answer.

March Topic:

• Hive inspection: what to look for in a overwinter hive in bee yard
• In class topics: Getting your equipment ready and in position
• Feeding and why its important for overwinter hives
• Feeding for new colonies when they arrive
• Mite treatments for overwinter hives before honey flow and supering
• How to light a smoker
• How to stack and replace boxes
• Making splits why its important
• Spring rotation for swarm control
• Hive inspection sheet
• Question and answer