FOR WHOM IS THIS COURSE?

People who want to start or have already begun beekeeping and want to learn how to manage their hives effectively throughout the year, as well as have a good understanding of bee biology, can make informed decisions when faced with problems with the beehives.

Instructor: Dr. Karén Avetisyan. You can read about the instructor at https://beekeepingservices.com/pages/about

Duration: 7 weeks, every Wednesday at 7:00 pm EST, from February 5th to March 19th, 2026; 1-1.5 hours for each class. 2026; at 1-1.5 hours for each class. The classes will be recorded and available for later watching.

From March 2026 to March 2027, the instructor will e-meet the students 1-2 times a month to ensure that beekeepers are on track with their tasks.

SYLLABUS:

GENERAL AND BIOLOGY

• History of beekeeping

• Honey bee products

• Honey bee anatomy and physiology

• Biology of a honey bee colony/superorganism, bees' functional roles in a hive

• Honey bee subspecies

• Equipment & tools used in beekeeping; hives components; different types of hives

• Choosing an apiary site

• Ordering bees and installation of hives

• Colony annual life cycle; reproduction by swarming

• Communication

• Mating biology

• Genetics

• Nutrition

• How bees make honey

 

BEHAVIOR

• Foraging

• Robbing: How to understand if robbing is happening and how to prevent or struggle for it.

 

DISEASES AND PESTS

• Varroa destructor

• Nosema

• Chalkbrood

• American Foulbrood

• European Foulbrood

• Tracheal mite

• Viruses

• Wax moths

• Small hive beetles

• About colony collapse disorder.

 

SEASONAL WORK WITH BEES

SPRING WORK:

• Early checking colonies

• Identifying problems in the hives after wintering

• How to enhance colonies and have healthy bees

• How to make effective splits

• Rearing queens and drones; queen installation

• How to treat Varroa destructor

• What to do if you have chalkbrood in your hive

• Feeding technology in the springtime to avoid diarrhea

• How to make bees visit concrete flowers

• What to do when bees get poisoned by pesticides & what to do with the combs.

 

SUMMER WORK:

• Swarm control

• How to order the nest appropriately so that the bees can do their best in collecting nectar and pollen

• Taking care of the splits

• American and European foulbrood

• Struggling against small hive beetles

• Identifying and extracting ripe honey in time and why it is important.

 

AUTUMN WORK:

• Struggling against robbing

• Treatment against Varroa and Nosema (if there is any Nosema)

• Feeding technology in autumn time (if needed) to avoid diarrhea because of feeding

• Preparing bees for the winter (which frames to remove from the colony and how to organize the nest)

• Identifying honeydew honey in the hives and, if there is some, what to do with it (as this honey is bad for bees).

 

WINTERING:

• How to understand if the bees have enough feed in wintertime and how to feed if needed

• How to understand if the bees are wintering well.

 

HONEY:

• Honey harvest and extraction

• How to store honey to avoid fermentation.

 

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

Honey bee biology and behavior

How to manage your hives effectively

How to identify problems in your hives and how to solve them

Disease and pest control.

A 200-page handbook accompanies this course and includes 120 questions.

Participants will receive a CERTIFICATE upon completion.