Beekeeping in Northern Climates- Year One

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BEEKEEPING IN NORTHERN CLIMATES Year 1, in-person: Getting Started in Beekeeping

Interested in becoming a beekeeper? Dr. Marla Spivak, Gary Reuter, Dr. Katie Lee, Nelson Williams, and the University of Minnesota Bee Squad will help you get started in beekeeping. If you have no prior experience keeping bees in our cold climate, Beekeeping in Northern Climates Year 1 will teach you the foundations of what you need to know for a successful first year.

Topics include:

  • Purchasing equipment and honey bees
  • Hiving packages and installing nucleus colonies
  • Choosing an apiary site
  • Honey production and harvesting
  • Successful strategies for the first winter
  • Strategies for keeping your bees healthy

This is a one-day in-person course that will be held at the University of Minnesota St. Paul campus.  Lunch, snacks, and beverages will be provided. You will have the opportunity to visit with beekeeping vendors and watch demos of making value-added products, like beeswax candles and creamed honey.

Our manual Beekeeping in Northern Climates, Third Edition accompanies the course. You will receive a printed manual in the mail as part of the course. The manual will also be available to download for free from our manual page

In your second year of beekeeping? Take our additional in-person course titled “Beekeeping in Northern Climates Year 2: Keeping Bees Year After Year” for education on keeping honey bees healthy from year to year. 

When: This in-person course will be held again in winter 2025.

Where: University of Minnesota St. Paul Campus

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Instructors

  • Dr. Marla Spivak, Professor, Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota
  • Gary Reuter, Bee Lab Coordinator, Extension, University of Minnesota
  • Dr. Katie Lee, Apiculture Extension Educator, University of Minnesota
  • Nelson Williams, Bee Lab Apiary Manager, Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota
  • Jessica Helgen, Bee Squad Program Director, Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota
  • Jenny Warner, Bee Squad Team Leader, Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota