Warm Colors Bee Education

Dan is a life member of the Eastern Apicultural Society, and a member of the Massachusetts Beekeeper Association. He regularly participates in workshops to improve and update his beekeeping skills. Through selective breeding, integrated pest management, and the use of alternative, non-chemical treatments, we endeavor to create an apiary management system designed to eliminate sources of potential contamination to our products, honeybees and farm environment.

Our programs are focused on hands on participation. Typically we review our topic and then apply the tasks to actual honeybee colonies. Our workshops and classes provide new or experienced beekeepers with practical knowledge based on many years of managing honey producing colonies.

2008 Schedule - NEW! Each year we research new ways to raise healthier bees; minimizing chemical use and management that does not harm our bees are the rules that guide our planning. Our programs are taught as hands on activities in our South Deerfield, Massachusetts apiary. Sign up & registration begins in December 2007.

Sign up on-line or visit our shop - sessions are rescheduled if raining, and pre-registration is encouraged.

DVD: A Day in the Life of a Honeybee Farm

Cost: $19.95

This introductory video gives a complete overview of the basics of beekeeping.
View a clip from the video.

Complete Introduction to Beekeeping

Cost: $235.00

Beginning in Beekeeping includes all workshops listed below, handouts, DVD and textbook. Topics are presented to anticipate the annual cycle of events in the honey bee colony. By teaching beekeeping in real-time we hope to reinforce the connection between hive dynamics and the tasks a beekeeper performs in the bee yard.

Workshop #1: Honeybee Behavior & Biology

Cost: $30.00

Power Point presentation covering unique features of a honey bees physical and behavioral characteristics.

Class	Date	Time	Location
Session #1	Thursday, February 28th	6:30pm - 9:00pm	CISA Building

Workshop #2: Seasonal Management

Cost: $50.00

Power Point & equipment presentation that provides an overview of Beekeeping tasks spring, summer and fall. Includes the Warm Colors management plan.

Class	Date	Time	Location
Session #1	Thursday, March 27th	6:30pm - 9:00pm	CISA Building

Workshop #3: Spring Management

Cost: $30.00

Bring protective clothing. Care & feeding of packages and over-wintered colonies. Queen care, package installation and swarm prevention.

Class	Date	Time	Location
Session #1	Sunday, April 20th	12:30pm - 3:00pm	Warm Colors Apiary

Workshop #4: Honey Production

Cost: $30.00

Strategies for improving production, variety of products and quality of honey. Honey plants will be reviewed for western Massachusetts.

Class	Date	Time	Location
Session #1	Sunday, May 18th	12:30pm - 3:00pm	Warm Colors Apiary

Workshop #5: Queen Rearing for Small Apiaries

Cost: $40.00

Evaluation of Queens, grafting queen cells, marking queens and using Cloake boards will be covered.

Class	Date	Time	Location
Session #1	Sunday, June 22nd	12:30pm - 3:00pm	Warm Colors Apiary

Workshop #6: IPM for Modern Beekeeping

Cost: $30.00

Integrated Pest Management reduces the need for chemical use and improves the health of honey bees. A review of pest & diseases and the various prevention and treatments available for honey bees. Focus will be on Natural & organic preventions & control.

Class	Date	Time	Location
Session #1	Sunday, July 20th	12:30pm - 3:00pm	Warm Colors Apiary

Workshop #7: Fall Management

Cost: $30.00

Topics will include colony evaluation, fall re-queening, wintering requirements and hive preparation. Harvesting and processing honey.

Class	Date	Time	Location
Session #1	Sunday, August 17th	12:30pm - 3:00pm	Warm Colors Apiary