2025 March Great Plains Master Beekeepers Open Apiary Day
March 2 @ 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
March’s Meeting will be weather dependent. 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.
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. kheitkamp7@gmail.com
314-675-8088
March Topics
- Hive inspection: weather permitting 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 (Formic Pro, Varroxsan)
- 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