Natural Beekeeping 1-Day Seminar

Description

Modern beekeeping involves significant work.  Much of this is due to beekeepers taking on the work of hive management, and some is due to how beekeepers respond to disease and parasite threats.  Despite these efforts, conventionally kept bees have seen significant die-offs recently.  Meanwhile, wild honeybee populations are thriving.

Is it possible to keep honeybees without all the work of feeding sugar syrup or applying hive treatments? If bees are allowed to manage their hive, can we still reap a harvest of honey? This seminar will explain how we can keep honeybees in a more “bee-centric” way, reducing the keeper’s workload while benefiting the bees.

Topics included:

• Basic honeybee biology/The fascinating lives of bees—Understanding how bees live is foundational to making educated decisions about what happens in the hives.
• Principles of Natural Beekeeping – A deep dive into five basic principles for keeping bees according to their nature rather than the beekeeper’s prerogative.
• Plan for swarm catching success – Learn how to acquire resilient honeybees for free
• A year in the life of a horizontal hive – An exploration of how bees are kept in a horizontal hive; how the hive progresses and is managed throughout a year.
• Marketing and selling your honey – Locally produced, raw honey is a premium product. Learn about honey packaging, labeling, and pricing to avoid undervaluing your harvest.
• Hive visit and inspection (weather permitting) – A hive inspection and demonstration of what to look for, potential problems to consider, and appropriate seasonal management.

This will be a full-day class; lunch (likely BBQ from Bandana’s BBQ) will be provided.  Attendees will be responsible for their own protective gear for the hive inspection.

Additional seminar bonuses:

• Free t-shirt for seminar attendees
• 15% discount on all online store merchandise when ordered for pickup at the seminar
• Coupon codes for these will be provided to attendees following registration.

Class location will be in Southwest St Louis County, Missouri, in the proximity of the intersection of interstates I-44 and I-270.  Specific location is being finalized and will be shared soon.

Cancellation policy:

• Class registration cancelled prior to 8/01/2025 will receive 90% refund.
• Cancellations between 8/01/2025 and 8/31/2025 will receive 80% refund.
• Cancellations between 9/01/2025 and 9/13/2025 will receive 50% refund.
• No refund will be given for cancellations after 9/13/2025.

Some hotels that will be convenient to the class location:

• Best Western Kirkwood Inn, 1200 S. Kirkwood Rd, St. Louis, MO  63122, (314) 821-3950
• La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham, 1580 S Kirkwood Rd, St. Louis, MO 63127, (314) 717-0101
• Holiday Inn St. Louis SW – Route 66 by IHG, 10709 Watson Rd, St. Louis, MO 63127, (314) 821-6600
• Comfort Suites St. Louis – Sunset Hills, 3654 S Lindbergh Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63127, (314) 403-7043