Mastering Beekeeping-Year 1: What to Know Aftet your first season

摘要

An increasing number of state and regional organizations offer some sort of training that may lead to a Master Beekeeper certification. Programs like the Eastern Apicultural Society ask that applicants keep bees for five or more years before attempting their four part exam process. Various states use a far different model - often they outline a program of study that starts with the first season of colony ownership or manipulation (for those learning with the help of other people's hives).For a wide variety of reasons not everyone wants to become a Master Beekeeper. At the low end of the spectrum are the I-wanna-have-bees-in-my-garden-but-not-do-any-work beekeepers, and impulsive drive-by beekeepers who try to do the absolute minimum to keep bees, and then complain bitterly when the colonies fail to survive. The opposite side of the motivation spectrum includes individuals who put in a remarkable amount of research before getting bees, training with every opportunity they can, and demonstrating a dedication to bees and beekeeping that is pretty remarkable. These are the ideal candidates for the exam process to become Master Beekeepers.