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EcoVersity
2639 Agua Fria
Santa Fe, NM 87505
Office: 505.424.9797
(Winter hours:Tues-Fri 9-2)
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Voyce Durling Jones is a Hoshindo sensei - a master bee venom therapist, trained in Japan, now in Santa Fe. (visit the beautiful and informative Hoshindo website)
"Nicotene Bees"
A film by Kevin Hansen and Krista Keenan shown in Santa Fe in April, "Nicotene Bees" looks at the nicotinamide pesticides as the likely cause of bee CCD. (watch trailer)
Affiliated Blogs:
Biomagic
Ecoversity Profiles
Monday's Poem
Jeff Harbour
Vortex-Eco
Heraclitus Report
The instructors: Talon Van Howten is an expert beekeeper who keeps seven hives of his own and is the primary caretaker of 18 topbar hives at EcoVersity. Talon will be assisted by Robert Sturm. Robert Sturm has been involved in organic gardening most of his life and has kept bees for five years. As a holistic health practitioner, he uses honey and beeswax in the creation of natural remedies believes we can learn a lot about being human from watching bees. |
EcoVersity: Topbar Beekeeping 2012
Monthly, March 24 - September 22, 2012  |
| Season Cost: $350.00
Deposit (nonrefunable): $175, due by March 1st Remaining Tuition: $175, due by March 10th Additional costs: Beekeeping Tools: $50 - $75 (required) Topbar Hives with plywood covers: $100 ea. (optional) Bee Package, including Queen & Cell: $135 ea. (optional) Learn more about: Tools, Hives, and Bee Packages Class size is limited, register now! ‡ Experienced beekeepers may be able to attend any single class sessions as a refresher. Please contact bees@ecoversity.org for more information. |
Beekeeping Course Schedule 2012
All classes will be held Saturdays, with morning and afternoon classes.
March 24th. Introduction to Bees and Beekeeping
In this first class, we will discuss the biology of the honey bee and its relationship to the ecosystem. You will learn about the structure of the hive, the roles of the queen, the drones and the workers, and all the various tasks the bees engage in to assure the ongoing health of the community. During this session you will also get an overview of the class as a whole so you will know what to expect and what will be expected of you. We will pass out plans for building a simple top-bar hive so that students who want to build their own hives will be able to do so before the second class session.
April 21st. Setting up a Hive and Spring Hive Maintenance
April-May is a good time to get bees and set up a new hive in northern New Mexico. It is also a good time to check existing hives, see how they've come through the winter and take any steps necessary to help hives that seem sick or weak. In this class we will get into some of the hives at Ecoversity to check them and see how they are doing. We will go over basic safety precautions and learn how to use veils, smokers and hive tools. We will discuss how to overcome the fear of being stung, and how to deal with stings when they do occur. We will set up a new hive and move bees into it.
May 26th. Dividing Hives and Arranging Hives to Increase Production
In this class we will discuss the various products that can be harvested from bee hives, including honey, wax and pollen. You will learn how each is produced and how you can manage their production and harvest. You will learn how to identify ripened honey, how to collect pollen and honey and how wax is made. You will also see how rearranging top bars in the hive can push the bees to step up production, encourage them to swarm or not to swarm, etc. We will also discuss and demonstrate how to split an existing hive as a way to grow and manage healthy bees.
June 30th. Hive Maintenance and Raising Queens
By early July, the bees of northern New Mexico are increasing in population and beginning to make honey. The focus of this class will be hands on work with the hives at Ecoversity, checking each hive to see how it is progressing. We will look for the queens, see how they are laying and identify brood in various stages of development. You will see how to encourage the bees to build straight comb, and we will also discuss when it is necessary to replace a queen and how to do so.
July 28th. Hive Maintenance and Dealing with Disease
By August, the honey flow should be in full swing . We will again open the hives at Ecoversity and check on the status of the bees. If any of the hives seems weak, we will take steps to help it regain strength. We will also look for signs of disease and discuss the most common bee diseases, how to recognize them and what to do if you find them.
August 25th. Harvesting Honey and Wax
By September, the hives are normally being filled with honey and serious harvest can begin. In this class, you will learn how to select combs to harvest and how to crush the combs to release the honey. We will also demonstrate how to heat the wax to remove debris and produce a pure product, ready for use in candles, salves, etc. In addition, there will be a presentation on plants that are beneficial for honey production.
September 22nd. End of Season Maintenance and Preparation for Winter
As the honey-making season comes to an end, it is important to assure that bee colonies are strong and healthy and that they have the resources they need to get through the winter. The focus of this class will be the evaluation of the hives at Ecoversity, the combination of weak hives, if necessary, and leaving the bees with sufficient honey stores to feed them until spring.
Important Information for Prospective Students: Registration, Ordering Bees, Hives, and Tools
Here is a slideshow of pictures from the summer 2010 classes:
See the new films "Bee Meditation", and "Bee Harvest", on our beekeeping TV page
