June 28 from 8 am – 4:30 pm

Bee Camp is a small group all day (8:00 am – 4:30 pm) full emersion hands on beekeeping
experience where you will open, inspect, and analyze bee colonies making note of all critical aspects
of the health, functionality, and quality of colonies rating each colony on an A to F scale.
After colony inspections appropriate corrective measures for any health, productivity, or
developmental issues will be arrived upon and put in place if possible.

Small group discussions and demonstration where everyone can see and take part in is a key
element of Bee Camp. To make sure every student can be directly involved and has the opportunity
to take part in all aspects of the training, the class size will be limited to 12 students per class. I will
be demonstrating multiple beekeeping methods and practices and allowing you to apply what has
been taught in the teaching hives set up on my 17-acre property, plus nearby out yards.

The topics we will cover are as follows:
Reading the comb – What you can determine about the colony status (good and bad) from what is directly before your eyes.
Marking queens - Students will practice on drones
Making a nuc split
Queen cell installation
Applying a beeswax coating to plastic foundation
Installing new frames into a functioning colony
Supering for a honey crop
Using Queen excluders – How, when, and why
Shake testing honey frames for extraction
Paper merging bees
Sugar roll and alcohol wash mite assessment. Done by small groups of students.
Mixing (on electric stove in the honey house) and applying oxalic acid dribble and oxalic acid saturation pads in the field.
Treating with oxalic acid vapor - field demonstration instructor only.
Treating with Apiguard and formic acid pads - Field demonstration, and hands-on with appropriate colonies.
Pulling, uncapping, and extracting honey
 
Small group discussions will take place at the morning and afternoon refreshment breaks and during and after lunch. I will provide the best well water in Bucks County and lemon-lime Gator Aid. You will need to bring your own food, and additional beverages plus a comfortable lawn chair.