The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will present “Second Steps in Beekeeping” online Oct. 17, Oct. 19 and Oct. 26. Topics covered will include Varroa mites, winterizing your bees, feeding and proper nutrition, and other pests and disease.
The series will be held on the Zoom meeting platform from 6-8 p.m. The classes will run about 90 minutes each with 30 minutes for a question-and-answer period at the end.
Cost is $35 and registration is at https://tx.ag/SecondStepBees. All classes will be recorded, and a link provided for participants who cannot watch live.
“This class is meant for those who are wondering ‘what’s next’ with their bees,” said Molly Keck, AgriLife Extension entomologist for Bexar County and event instructor.
“It is geared for someone who has had bees or been beekeeping for about a year,” she said. “They may be entering their first or second winter with their bees, or even just taken a bunch of beginners classes and are needing some additional information before jumping in to make the bee purchase.”
Next-step beekeeping topics
“We will focus a lot on Varroa mite monitoring and management,” Keck said.
Varroa mites are an external parasitic mite that attacks and feeds on honey bees, vectoring a number of diseases that can lead to the death of the colony if not monitored and treated.
“In my opinion, not monitoring and managing Varroa mites is the No. 1 cause of bee decline for most hobbyist beekeepers, so we want to give everyone the right tools, information and confidence to properly battle that pest,” she said.
Topics for each session:
- Oct. 17 – Biology Recap, Signs of Stress, Queen Health, How to Requeen, Preparing for Winter, Nutrition and Feeding.
- Oct. 19 – Diseases and Pests of Honeybee Hives.
- Oct. 26 – Varroa Mite Monitoring How-To and Varroa Mite Management, Bee Nutrition and Honey Production.
Ford additional information or questions, call Keck at 210-631-0400 or by email at mekeck@ag.tamu.edu.
-30-
