Hampden County Massachusetts Beekeeper's Association Blog. Here we can ask questions, share knowledge, post updates and keep in touch about all things BEE.
Showing posts with label beekeeping school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beekeeping school. Show all posts
Friday, September 12, 2014
Big E Promo Video...
Another great video from club member Leo Scarnici! Leo partnered with club vice president and Big E fair chair, Tom Flebotte to create a promo video to spread awareness about our beekeeping school, and our presence at The Big E!
Labels:
bee school,
bee video,
beekeeping school,
Farm-a-rama,
honey bee,
isavebees.com,
Leo Scarnici,
observation hive,
The Big E,
video clip
Monday, January 6, 2014
Some Recommended Reading...
For some really great beekeeping titles check out www.wicwas.com
First Wicwas Book for 2014

Price:
$23.00
Authors or Editors:
Stephen J. Repasky with Lawrence J. Connor
Ideal For:
All Beekeepers, Naturalists and Adventurers
Publisher:
Wicwas Press, LLC
Binding:
Perfect (Paper)
Dimensions:
6" x 9" x 3/8"
ISBN:
978-1-878075-32-1
Description:
Swarming is one of the most powerful instincts that most successful beekeepers encounter. Swarm Essentials outlines the ramifications of swarming behavior (highlighting the often overlooked benefits), proven prevention and management techniques, and how to recover and even prosper from a successful swarm attempt. Second generation beekeeper Stephen J. Repasky's inaugural publication marks the latest addition to the Essentials series and is an excellent read for any beekeeper who hopes to make it past their first year.
2013 Revised Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping Drs. Dewey M. Caron and Lawrence John Connor

• Hard Cover
• 368 pages of vibrant color photos, diagrams & updated materials
• Questions and exercises for self-study & classroom teaching
• $60, includes priority mail
This book is perfect for:
• Bee schools and classes
• Master beekeeper study and review
• Life-long learners
For multiple copies for classroom, bee school or resale, contact LJConnor@aol.com for a quote including shipping costs. You will receive a discount for multiple copy orders.
For single copies, order from the Wicwas Press website, www.wicwas.com, and use the PayPal bookstore.
—Chapter titles—
• Introduction Beekeeping art or science, humans and bees, bees as weapons, bee gums, superorganism, learning beekeeping
• What’s in a name? The classification system, bumble bees, other bee species, races and hybrid bees
• Sociality Insect societies, wasps, ants, stinging in Hymenoptera
• What is a honey bee? Hive bees, field bees, fifferentiation
• Honey bee anatomy Digestive and excretory systems, reproduction and other systems, how the bee’s body works
• Bee nest Beeswax comb, nest organization, the modern beehive
• Dance language communication The wagtail dance, dance language controversy
• Pheromone communication Queens, pheromone functions, food transmission, colony odor, trail pheromones
• Queens, queens, queens Replacement, swarming, queenless
• Foraging and bee botany Forager types, water and propolis, fruit bloom, clovers, major U.S. nectar and pollen plants
• Getting started When and how, personal equipment, setting up hives, drifting
• Basics of management Key concepts, avoiding stings, robbing
• Fall and winter in the beehive Requeening, feedinig why colonies die
• Spring management Spring buildup, weak colonies, swarm control
• The honey harvest Nectar flow, supering, harvesting honey
• Honey & other bee products What can go wrong? Pollen, beeswax, royal jelly, pollen, bee brood, venom, mead
• Queen mating and rearing Raising queen bees, mating control, nucleus colony basics
• Pollination Managing bee colonies for pollination, improving pollination results
• Bee mites Varroa mites, integrated pest management, treatment options for mite control
• Diseases and pests Adult and brood diseases, pesticides,
conditons that mimic disease
Undertanding Bee Anatomy: a full colour guide

Ian Stell, MD, London
COLOR THROUGHOUT!
Approx. 6.75 inches wide and 9.75 tall, softcover, 203 pages, Catford Press.
$60 priority mail postpaid in the United States
Wicwas Press is authorized to sell this book for Dr. Stell in the United States and Canada
This book aims to do two things.
Firstly, to explain the structure of this fascinating insect and secondly, through stunning images, to reveal the insect’s intricate detail.
Dr Stell has applied his knowledge of the human body in describing the honeybee, system by system.
The book starts with a chapter on the developmental stages, showing the internal changes taking place from the egg to the larva, and then the pupa.
It includes chapters on all body parts, wings and flight structures, the circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems and finishes with chapters on the queen and the drone.
The anatomy is explained in clear colour diagrams and illustrated with over six hundred high-quality photographs. These include electron micrographs, close-up images, high-power stained sections (histology) and other techniques.
This concise but readable book is perfect for the British exams in bee biology and training for master beekeeper programs in the United States. It is also a valuable resource for any beekeeper wanting to understand his insects better, or any student or scientist working in this area.
Dr. Ian Stell, has been a beekeeper in an urban area in South-East London since 1998, keeping about fifteen colonies. His day job is as a doctor in Emergency Medicine. Keeping bees has involved facing many disease challenges, much as Emergency Medicine does. This has led Ian into an interest in the microscopic examination of bees, and he has applied his knowledge of the human body in describing the honeybee, system by system. Ian became a Master Beekeeper in 2010, and was awarded the prestigious Wax Chandlers award, from one of the ancient City Livery companies with an historical link to beekeeping.
________________________
www.wicwas.com
__________________________________________________
History of American Beekeeping, Reprint of Frank Pellett's Classic 1938 Work.

The price is $35 including priority mail postage inside the United States, and $45 elsewhere. If you cannot use the following website's PayPal account, send a U.S. Dollar check drawn on a U.S. Bank to Wicwas Press, 1620 Miller Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49001, USA.
www.wicwas.com
www.wicwas.com
__________________________________________________
Consider Bee-sentials: A Field Guide as your bee school textbook

There are 15 chapters that may be used for lectures in a semester-long class, or covered survey-style in a one-day bee school.
It contains a thorough overview of getting-started basics, an equipment section, and how-to set up hives.
It recommends new beekeepers start with two hives their first season so they help each other during the summer, and helps them get at one least colony through the winter. AND it discusses the establishment of a nucleus colony for spare queen backup.
It reviews the beekeeper's management year, has 25 pages of bee plants in full color, covers the major hive products, and explains swarm management and control.
There is a good treatment of bee mites and diseases, all with close-up color photos.
Worker, drone and queen production and activities review what is normal and how to problem solve.
Hive nutrition, other bee species, bee club mentorship are included. So are an extensive glossary, reading list and index.
If you go the the www.wicwas.com website, you may purchase copies for $29.95 postpaid. But if you email LJConnor@aol.com, you can find out how to purchase quantities of this book at discount. As an instructor, ask for a free copy for your use while teaching the class.
We have lots of copies in inventory, and will ship them out as soon get your order.
Bee-sentials gives the new beekeeper a book with meat on it's bones, a book they can carry in their briefcase, purse or backpack, or keep in the car or truck as they go to the bee yard. It has the basics, and a whole lot more. Many advanced beekeepers learn from this book as well. There are dozens of questions other beekeepers have asked, that have have been answered.
Send that email today to LJConnor@aol.com and get details about using this book for your next class.
www.wicwas.com
__________________________________________________
Include this book in your beekeeping courses for new and experienced beekeepers. More than building your own beehive. This book shows you how to make and USE simple tools in the apiary.

Large font size.
Full color throughout.
Drawings of most items, and how-to-use photos.
Ed Simon is a retired IBM trainer, and now dumpster diver, who enjoys building things and is a master of building jigs that hold equipment together during assembly.
He writes for Bee Culture magazine.
Price mailed—$20.00 inside the USA.
There is something in this book for you whether you are a new beekeeper or an 'Old Smoke.'
www.wicwas.com
www.wicwas.com
Please visit www.wicwas.com for a look at the complete bee book list. Remember, when you order two or more books at one time, I ship (to USA locations) by Priority Mail when your order fits the flat rate envelope or box. For example, if you get two or more of the Essentials booksthe order ships Priority Mail. The History and Anatomy books automatically ship by priority mail and no additional fee is required.
Thanks for your support and book-buying passion. I hope to see you soon!
Larry Connor, Ph.D.
Wicwas Press
Larry Connor, Ph.D.
Wicwas Press
Labels:
bee,
bee hive,
beekeeping books,
beekeeping school,
Beekeeping supplies,
bees,
beeyard,
honey bee,
queen cell,
swarm,
swarm cells,
swarm recovery,
swarms
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Beeswax Products...
At our final bee school session of 2013, HCBA's new President and first lady, Jeff & Pam Rys covered the topic of Beeswax Products. I grabbed a quick photo of their set up before they packed it up for the night...
When it comes to beeswax, Pam does it all! And since she's not busy enough with the bees and the HCBA, she also belongs to a Bull Terrier dog club. When they needed trophies for an event, Pam came through with her beeswax skills and made these...
When it comes to beeswax, Pam does it all! And since she's not busy enough with the bees and the HCBA, she also belongs to a Bull Terrier dog club. When they needed trophies for an event, Pam came through with her beeswax skills and made these...
Bull Terrier votive beeswax candles!
If you've got any questions about beeswax or beeswax products, Jeff and Pam have answers! Thanks to you both for sharing your knowledge and craft with us!
Labels:
bee school,
beekeeping school,
beeswax,
beeswax candle,
beeswax products,
HCBA meeting,
HCBA resource
Friday, April 26, 2013
Graduation Day...
Special thanks to new beekeepers Stefania Raschilla and Heather Bean for the adorable graduation cupcakes! You ladies rock!
Labels:
bee school,
beekeeping school,
HBCA event,
HCBA meeting
Friday, April 12, 2013
Bee School Session 8...
When:
Thursday, April 25th at 7pm
Where: Willimanset
Heights Improvement
League (WHIL)
This
will be our 8th and FINAL session of bee school for 2013!
All members are welcome to attend.
HCBA Vice President, Jeff Rys will be back with his lovely
wife Pam to cover Beeswax Products and First Aid. This lesson will be followed by presentation
of bee school certificates, and the raffle for the new hive set-up.
At our first post-school meeting on May 8th,
we’ll be holding elections for a new board of directors. If you have any nomination ideas for
President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, or our 3 Trustee positions, or
want to get involved yourself, please let me know.
I will have Mann
Lake catalogs available
again, as well as some information from local suppliers, Lagrants.
I will also have sign up sheets for the Sturbridge Village
Trip for anyone interested, just find me and ask!
Bee well!
Jessica Martin
HCBA Secretary
(860) 978-5388
Labels:
bee school,
beekeeping school,
HBCA event,
HCBA meeting
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Bee School Session 5...
When: Thursday, March 7th at 7pm
Where: Willimanset Heights Improvement League (WHIL)
This will be our fifth session of bee school for 2013.
HCBA Vice President, Jeff Rys will present Spring & Summer Management and Bears and Other Invaders. Jeff’s management presentations are some of my favorites, straightforward and informative. Don’t miss this one!
All members are welcome to attend.
Those who would like to are again invited to bring a snack to share.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Bee School Session 4...
When: Thursday, February 21st at 7pm
Where: Willimanset Heights Improvement League (WHIL)
This will be our fourth session of bee school for 2013.
Ken Warchol will be back to cover Dynamics of the Hive and Queens & Swarms. Ken is always entertaining and educational, so this class is not to be missed!
All members are welcome to attend.
Those who would like to are again invited to bring a snack to share.
Bee well!
Jessica Martin
HCBA Secretary
(860) 978-5388
Labels:
bee school,
beekeeping school,
HCBA meeting,
Ken Warchol
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Bee School Session 3...
When: Thursday, February 7th at 7pm
Where: Willimanset Heights Improvement League (WHIL)
This will be our third session of bee school for 2013.
HCBA Member Tom Flebotte will cover sources of bees and hive installation.
All members are welcome to attend.
Our last bee-school break was a huge success thanks to everyone who brought something! Those who would like to are again invited to bring a snack to share.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Bee School Session 2...
When: Thursday, January 24th at 7pm
Where: Willimanset Heights Improvement League (WHIL)
This will be our second session of bee school for 2013.
HCBA Members Tom Flebotte and Lee Duquette will cover the topics of PROTECTIVE CLOTHING and HIVE ASSEMBLY. Hammers are optional!
All members are welcome to attend.
Our last bee-school break was a huge success thanks to everyone who brought something! Those who would like to are again invited to bring a snack to share.
Bee well!
Jessica Martin
HCBA Secretary
(860) 978-5388
Labels:
bee school,
beehive,
beehive woodenware,
Beekeeping Equipment,
beekeeping school,
HCBA meeting,
hive building
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
2013 Bee School Agenda...
The 2013 beekeepers school will be held at the Willimanset Heights Improvement League (WHIL) 118 Mount Vernon Road , Chicopee , MA , 01013 from 7 – 9 on two Thursday evenings each month, beginning January 10, 2013. Please arrive before 7:00 p.m. Class starts promptly at 7:00.
January 10
|
Introduction to
| ||||||
Speaker: Jim Stefanik - President
| |||||||
Topic 1 & 2
|
Introduction to Beekeeping
| ||||||
Speaker: Ken Warchol
| |||||||
January 24
|
Topic 1
|
Protective Clothing Speaker: Lee Duquette / Tom Flebotte
| |||||
Chapter 3
|
Topic 2
|
Hive Assembly Workshop – Bring a Hammer
| |||||
Speakers: Lee Duquette/Tom Flebotte
| |||||||
February 7
|
Topic 1
|
Sources of Bees
| |||||
Chapter 4
|
Speaker: Tom Flebotte
| ||||||
Topic 2
|
Installing Bees
| ||||||
Speaker: Tom Flebotte
| |||||||
February 21
|
Topic 1
|
Dynamics of the Hive
| |||||
Chapter 2
|
Speaker: Ken Warchol
| ||||||
Topic 2
|
Queens & Swarms
| ||||||
Speaker: Ken Warchol
| |||||||
March 7
|
Topic 1
|
Spring & Summer Management
| |||||
Chapter 5 & 8
|
Speaker: Jeff Rys
| ||||||
Topic 2
|
Bears & Other Invaders
| ||||||
Speaker:
| |||||||
March 21
|
Topic 1
|
Challenges of Beekeeping
| |||||
Chapter 8
|
Speaker: Ken Warchol
| ||||||
April 11
|
Topic 1
|
Fall & Winter Management
| |||||
Chapter 6 & 7
|
Speaker: Jeff Rys
| ||||||
Extracting Honey
| |||||||
Speaker: Jeff Rys
| |||||||
April 25
|
Topic 1
|
Beeswax Products & First Aid
| |||||
Speaker: Tom Flebotte & Kim Dermeski
| |||||||
Topic 2
|
Question and Answers, Certificates and Raffle
| ||||||
Speaker: Jim Stefanik
| |||||||
Outdoor Workshop: Date and Location to be announced
| |||||||
In case of snow call: Jim Stefanik @ 413-786-1790 OR Jessica Martin 860-978-5388
| |||||||
President:
|
Jim Stefanik
|
Vice President:
|
Jeff Rys
| ||||
Secretary:
|
Jessica Martin
|
Treasurer:
|
Cheryl Robare
| ||||
Directors:
|
Mike Koleczek
|
Tom Flebotte
|
Mark Ditzner
| ||||
Fair Directors:
|
Tom Flebotte
|
Jim Stefanik
|
Don Mayou
| ||||
DIRECTIONS: 118 Mount Vernon Road
From Route 91 Take I-391 toward Chicopee
Merge onto MA-141 /Grattan Street via Exit 4
Turn Left onto Rolf Avenue
Turn Left onto Dale Street
Turn left onto Mount Vernon Road
#118 is on the right hand side apx 1 mile
www.mapquest.com can also assist you in your driving directions.
Labels:
bee school,
beekeeping school,
HCBA meeting,
Ken Warchol
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