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HomeBeekeeping Classes 2026
Beekeeping Classes

SABA offers Beginner and Advanced Beekeeping Classes in late winter. They are offered once a year. The classes are available on the home page and events calendar at least 2 months prior to their start date.
  

Beginner Beekeeping Class is designed for new beekeepers and those wanting a refresher.  It will be a 3 week course covering The Bee Yard and Basic Equipment, Obtaining and Installing Your Bees, Honey Bee Biology, Working Your Hives, Seasonal Activities, Common Problems and Solutions, and Harvesting Your Honey.

The classes are held at Milton Community Center, Ballston Spa, NY.

Classes are based on the books "Backyard Beekeeping" by Kim Flotum and "Beekeeping for Dummies" by Howland Blackiston and will be purchased by the students. It is not necessary to purchase both books, they will be used as a reference.

After registering, you will receive a welcome email with a complete syllabus and the Zoom class schedule. 

Advanced Beginner/Intermediate Beekeeping Class
Book: The Beekeepers Handbook 4th Edition by Diane Sammataro and Alphonse Avitabile 
Is this class right for me?  Recommended for beekeepers with at least 3 years experience. Here are the (tentative) topics covered:

Honey Bee Biology – Subspecies /races, bee math, wax production, advanced biology  
Her Majesty the QUEEN – Life cycle, health, rearing, Queen cup versus cells, installing a new queen, done laying queens, when to requeen 
Advanced Maneuvers in Beekeeping Management – Resource hives/double nucs, splits, divides, overwintered nucs, swarm management, moving colonies, how to accelerate comb development, when to keep/cull comb, dead outs, special management considerations
Pests and Diseases – Varroa, Tropilaelaps, AFB, and EFB, invasive wasps, and new pests  
Honey Harvesting and Storing Gear – tools, methods, SABA resources, comb storage 

Goal: Provide information, tools, and resources to beekeepers to advance their skills in apiculture through lecture, hands-on activities, interactive events, and peer development.


We are excited about offering this beekeeping class to our members. If you have any difficulty registering for these classes, please send an email to support@sababees.org for a prompt response.