PWRBA SCHOOL

 

 Bee School 2025 registration will open after the Open House on Nov. 16 2024.

Bee School Open House Sat. November 16th from 1-3 at the Manassas Church of the Brethren downstairs at 10047 Nokesville Road (route 28) Manassas, VA

 

 Thinking of becoming a Beekeeper?

 

 Read Me First if you want to become a beekeeper

 

 Why attend A Bee School?

 The club highly recommends attending Bee School to prepare for a successful start in beekeeping. The class is designed primarily to teach people who want to keep honey bees, although the class is open to anyone interested in beekeeping. PWRBA offers a Bee School each year with an eight week Introduction to Practical Beekeeping program developed by the Virginia Beekeeping Teachers Consortium. Classes start in mid-to-late January each year and meet for 8 classes that meet once a week from 7-9 pm.

 What do you teach in Bee School?

 You will learn about honey bees, how to keep honey bees, be connected to a mentor, and learn how and where to get equipment and live honeybees. Class Topics include: History of Beekeeping; Life Cycle and Biology of Honey Bees; Set up and Maintenance of Beehives; Seasonal Hive Management; Beekeeping Equipment & Supplies; Integrated Pest Management; Sustainable Beekeeping; Nectar Sources; Where to Get Bees; Installation of Honeybees into a Colony; and more. The Bee School program is meant for adults and children accompanied by an adult. Children should be 10 and over.

 How do I apply for 2025 PWRBA Bee School & complete an application?

 Applications are accepted on the Membership site events page after the Open House

 Bee School Applications are reviewed after the Open House and typically accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. A roster for the upcoming class is made available in early December. Space available, additional applications are accepted until class begins. DO NOT PAY TUITION UNTIL ACCEPTED INTO BEE SCHOOL

  • When does Bee School Meet? If you are accepted into class, class meets 8 times between mid-January – mid-March 2025 from 7 to 9 pm. The day of the week we will meet is still being determined.

 What is the class fee? The class fee is $125 per family, and includes class books, presentations, and PWRBA membership dues. If you are not accepted the club will refund any fees paid. Check the VBTC page for other clubs teaching the program that may have space available.

  • How much does starting beekeeping cost? The initial cost for setting up bee hives averages around $600-$1200, including equipment, tools, and bees (not including the class fee).
  • How hard is beekeeping? Manipulating bee hive boxes does require some strength. Hive boxes can weigh well over 50 lbs when full.
  • How can explore if beekeeping is for me? We encourage you to attend PWRBA club events as well as State & other regional bee events. Click here for our calendar of events in the region on our website.

 Where can I Get Honey Bees?

 How can I get honey bees? PWRBA encourages students to start with 2 colonies (hives) of honey bees.  We connect students with regional sources for purchasing bees as part of the nuc program, and strongly encourage students to order at least 1 nucleus colony (nuc) of bees rather than a package. For many years we have advocated this practice in our Bee School with great success.  Several “citizen science” studies have shown that nucleus colonies of bees, commonly called nucs, often perform better than a package in part because a nuc is an established mini colony of bees. Bees in a nuc are already functioning together. Click here for more information on our Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) studies.

 Questions about Bee School?

 Please use our contact page for any questions, or email us at BeeSchoolPWRBA@PWRBeekeepers.com

 Bee School Principal Erik Brown

  Virginia Beekeepers Teachers Consortium

 The Bee School curriculum was developed by the Virginia Beekeepers Teachers Consortium. Students can attend classes from any participating club as part of the program to repeat or make-up missed sessions. See the VBTC page for additional details.

 Other ways to learn about honey bees

 Are you interested in learning more about bees and beekeeping, but don’t necessarily want to keep honey bees?  There are online and other short courses. Here are a few to consider:

 Pennsylvania State University offers an on-line course Penn State Beekeeping 101.