The course consists of 8 classes from February to September.

Instructor: Vincent Aloyo, PhD (EAS certified Master Beekeeper)

PREREQUISITES: This course is designed for beekeepers who have completed Mark Antunes’ beginner class OR have at least 1 year of experience with approval from Instructor.

WHEN: The course consists of 8 classes from February to October. The schedule will always be the 2nd Wednesday of the month. Classes will be from 6 pm to 9 pm.

Class 1. Wednesday, February 8 - Zoom Only

Class 2. Wednesday, March 8

Class 3. Wednesday, April 12

Class 4. Wednesday, May 10

Class 5. Wednesday, June 14

Class 6. Wednesday, July 12

Class 7. Wednesday, August 9

Class 8. Wednesday, September 13

This first class will be held via Zoom as noted but will otherwise be in-person at Forest Grove Presbyterian Church. There will not be a hybrid option.

WHERE:

In-Person: Forest Grove Presbyterian Church

1856 Forest Grove Rd, Forest Grove, PA 18922

Online: Zoom Web Session

Note: Family members residing in the SAME HOUSEHOLD ONLY may register for a second student at a discounted price of $90.

*Special discount code for those who took the official Beginner Class and register before February 10--email info@bucksbeekeepers.com for code.

CONTACT: For more information e-mail us at: info@bucksbeekeepers.com

When we meet in-person, beekeepers should bring questions and their usual beekeeping attire (but a veil at minimum).

Please note that this class format and meeting requirements are subject to change. While it is our goal to maintain the class as it is described here, public health and safety for the students and the instructors will always be paramount.

If you ever wanted to learn how to get started in beekeeping, join us for this short introduction!

This 90-minute class will cover the BASICS of getting started--where to place your hive, the equipment you need, and ordering your bees. This course DOES NOT cover anything beyond your setup. For more information we recommend you attend our General Meetings or take our 8-Month Beginner Beekeeping Course.

What is the cost?

This event is free.

Are there minimum age requirements to enter the event?

No. This event is open to all ages!

Please email Bucks County Beekeepers Association at info@bucksbeekeepers.com.

Do I need to register?

Yes, please register! This event is free, but a link to the Zoom meeting will be emailed in advance of the meeting. There will not be a public link published on the website. If for some reason you can't attend on the day of the event, this is not a problem.

2023 February General Meeting

General meetings are always the SECOND TUESDAY of each month.

As of now, General Meetings are offered one of three ways: in-person ONLY, online ONLY, or a HYBRID model. This will be dependent on the meeting and announced in advance.

You may attend remotely via Zoom, or in-person at Forest Grove Presbyterian Church.

Links are not posted publicly for meeting safety precautions. Meeting link and any other details will be sent to ALL MEMBERS in advance of the Tuesday meeting.

Non-members are always welcome! If you'd like the link to the Zoom option, please register for this event.

Forest Grove Presbyterian Church

• ample parking, public restroom, open meeting room
• please keep in mind that we rent this space and are expected to leave it in the same clean, organized way that it is found

The course consists of 8 classes from February to September.

Are you interested in beekeeping but have never done it before? Have you started raising honey bees and want to learn more? Perhaps you have been raising honey bees for a few years and just want some refresher techniques. If so, then the Bucks County Beginner Beekeeping Course is just the right thing for you! It offers classes that are timely to your seasonal beekeeping needs with lessons full of beekeeping insight and information in a classroom setting.

Instructor: MARK ANTUNES

WHEN: The course consists of 8 classes from February 2023 to September 2023. The schedule will always be the 3rd Thursday of the month. Meetings start at 6 PM and last until about 9 PM.

Class 1: Thursday, February 16th

Class 2: Thursday, March 16th

Class 3: Thursday, April 20th

Class 4: Thursday, May 18th

Class 5: Thursday, June 15th

Class 6: Thursday, July 20th

Class 7: Thursday, August 17th

Class 8: Thursday, September 21st

Be sure you are not allergic to honey bee stings – get tested before you sign up.

WHERE: In-Person ONLY at Forest Grove Presbyterian Church

COST: A single student receives membership to the Bucks County Beekeepers Association, educational materials, and eight great classes for only $130. This is over 25 hours of teaching.

Note: Family members residing in the SAME HOUSEHOLD ONLY may register for a second student at a discounted price of $90. 

CONTACT: For more information e-mail us at: info@bucksbeekeepers.com

Please note that this class format and meeting requirements are subject to change. While it is our goal to maintain the class as it is described here, public health and safety for the students and the instructors will always be paramount.

If you ever wanted to learn how to get started in beekeeping, join us for this short introduction generously hosted by Dublin Agway!

This 90-minute class will cover the BASICS of getting started--where to place your hive, the equipment you need, and ordering your bees. This course DOES NOT cover anything beyond your setup.

For more information we recommend you attend our General Meetings or take our 8-Month Beginner Beekeeping Course.

Registration is not required to attend this in-person event.

2023 March General Meeting

General meetings are always the SECOND TUESDAY of each month.

As of now, General Meetings are offered one of three ways: in-person ONLY, online ONLY, or a HYBRID model. This will be dependent on the meeting and announced in advance.

You may attend remotely via Zoom, or in-person at Forest Grove Presbyterian Church.

Links are not posted publicly for meeting safety precautions. Meeting link and any other details will be sent to ALL MEMBERS in advance of the Tuesday meeting.

Non-members are always welcome! If you'd like the link to the Zoom option, please register for this event.

Forest Grove Presbyterian Church

• ample parking, public restroom, open meeting room
• please keep in mind that we rent this space and are expected to leave it in the same clean, organized way that it is found

a one-day seminar offered by Bucks Beekeepers

Knowing how and when to make splits and nucs is critical for sustainable beekeeping. Learn to control your honey bee colonies for what your needs are. And don’t allow the bees to decide for you based upon what they want to do. If you can over-winter a colony of honey bees and are going to optimize your success as a beekeeper - you need to understand how to successfully make splits and nucs. Correct management practices applied in a timely manner are an essential element of successful beekeeping.

• Don’t lose the money, time, and effort you put into your colonies when they swarm.
• Make up for winter losses.
• Don’t lose that extra special queen and keep her in your apiary.
• Create a back-up spare colony for when it’s needed.
• Don’t be stuck without a queen if you accidentally crush the one you love.
• Use swarm cells to your advantage.
• Improve your apiary with queen cells grafted from select genetic stock.

Have fun and learn the science, techniques, and time tested tips from master beekeeper Dr. Vincent Aloyo and Mark Antunes on how to take advantage of honey bee biology by making it work in your favor. Make splits and nucs that will benefit you and your apiary this season. With 75 years of combined beekeeping experience and having taught beekeeping to thousands, Dr. Aloyo and Mark Antunes provide a dynamic class loaded with scientific knowledge, first-hand experience, and practical hands on skills that you can apply this spring.

The class is six hours and will cover the following topics plus others brought up by students.

• The seasonal timing of building nucs.
• Building nucs suitable for the season.
• How to make early nucs that can be honey producers this season.
• How to select the frames and resources to make the best nuc.
• Building nucs with mated queens, virgin queens, and queen cells.
• How to make early nucs that can be honey producers this season.
• Making nucs for swarm control before swarm activity starts and after it has begun
• Making nucs from colonies that have swarmed.
• The biology of swarming.
• How to introduce a queen.
• Maximizing queen acceptance.
• How to introduce a queen cell.
• How to avoid crushing the queen.
• How to avoid damaging queen cells.
• Harvesting swarm cells for nuc production.
• Varroa control in the parent colony with nuc production.
• Varroa control in nucs with mated queens and queen cells.
• How to increase colony numbers and make up for losses.
• Using nucs as a brood factory to support full size colonies.
• The Mike Palmer method of nuc production.
• The three methods of making splits.
• Feeding nucs year round.
• Overwintering nucs.

2023 April General Meeting

General meetings are always the SECOND TUESDAY of each month.

As of now, General Meetings are offered one of three ways: in-person ONLY, online ONLY, or a HYBRID model. This will be dependent on the meeting and announced in advance.

You may attend remotely via Zoom, or in-person at Forest Grove Presbyterian Church.

Links are not posted publicly for meeting safety precautions. Meeting link and any other details will be sent to ALL MEMBERS in advance of the Tuesday meeting.

Non-members are always welcome! If you'd like the link to the Zoom option, please register for this event.

Forest Grove Presbyterian Church

• ample parking, public restroom, open meeting room
• please keep in mind that we rent this space and are expected to leave it in the same clean, organized way that it is found

2023 May General Meeting

General meetings are always the SECOND TUESDAY of each month.

As of now, General Meetings are offered one of three ways: in-person ONLY, online ONLY, or a HYBRID model. This will be dependent on the meeting and announced in advance.

You may attend remotely via Zoom, or in-person at Forest Grove Presbyterian Church.

Links are not posted publicly for meeting safety precautions. Meeting link and any other details will be sent to ALL MEMBERS in advance of the Tuesday meeting.

Non-members are always welcome! If you'd like the link to the Zoom option, please register for this event.

Forest Grove Presbyterian Church

• ample parking, public restroom, open meeting room
• please keep in mind that we rent this space and are expected to leave it in the same clean, organized way that it is found

2023 June General Meeting

General meetings are always the SECOND TUESDAY of each month.

As of now, General Meetings are offered one of three ways: in-person ONLY, online ONLY, or a HYBRID model. This will be dependent on the meeting and announced in advance.

You may attend remotely via Zoom, or in-person at Forest Grove Presbyterian Church.

Links are not posted publicly for meeting safety precautions. Meeting link and any other details will be sent to ALL MEMBERS in advance of the Tuesday meeting.

Non-members are always welcome! If you'd like the link to the Zoom option, please register for this event.

Forest Grove Presbyterian Church

• ample parking, public restroom, open meeting room
• please keep in mind that we rent this space and are expected to leave it in the same clean, organized way that it is found

2023 July General Meeting

General meetings are always the SECOND TUESDAY of each month.

As of now, General Meetings are offered one of three ways: in-person ONLY, online ONLY, or a HYBRID model. This will be dependent on the meeting and announced in advance.

You may attend remotely via Zoom, or in-person at Forest Grove Presbyterian Church.

Links are not posted publicly for meeting safety precautions. Meeting link and any other details will be sent to ALL MEMBERS in advance of the Tuesday meeting.

Non-members are always welcome! If you'd like the link to the Zoom option, please register for this event.

Forest Grove Presbyterian Church

• ample parking, public restroom, open meeting room
• please keep in mind that we rent this space and are expected to leave it in the same clean, organized way that it is found

2023 August General Meeting

General meetings are always the SECOND TUESDAY of each month.

As of now, General Meetings are offered one of three ways: in-person ONLY, online ONLY, or a HYBRID model. This will be dependent on the meeting and announced in advance.

You may attend remotely via Zoom, or in-person at Forest Grove Presbyterian Church.

Links are not posted publicly for meeting safety precautions. Meeting link and any other details will be sent to ALL MEMBERS in advance of the Tuesday meeting.

Non-members are always welcome! If you'd like the link to the Zoom option, please register for this event.

Forest Grove Presbyterian Church

• ample parking, public restroom, open meeting room
• please keep in mind that we rent this space and are expected to leave it in the same clean, organized way that it is found

2023 September General Meeting

General meetings are always the SECOND TUESDAY of each month.

As of now, General Meetings are offered one of three ways: in-person ONLY, online ONLY, or a HYBRID model. This will be dependent on the meeting and announced in advance.

You may attend remotely via Zoom, or in-person at Forest Grove Presbyterian Church.

Links are not posted publicly for meeting safety precautions. Meeting link and any other details will be sent to ALL MEMBERS in advance of the Tuesday meeting.

Non-members are always welcome! If you'd like the link to the Zoom option, please register for this event.

Forest Grove Presbyterian Church

• ample parking, public restroom, open meeting room
• please keep in mind that we rent this space and are expected to leave it in the same clean, organized way that it is found

2023 October General Meeting

General meetings are always the SECOND TUESDAY of each month.

As of now, General Meetings are offered one of three ways: in-person ONLY, online ONLY, or a HYBRID model. This will be dependent on the meeting and announced in advance.

You may attend remotely via Zoom, or in-person at Forest Grove Presbyterian Church.

Links are not posted publicly for meeting safety precautions. Meeting link and any other details will be sent to ALL MEMBERS in advance of the Tuesday meeting.

Non-members are always welcome! If you'd like the link to the Zoom option, please register for this event.

Forest Grove Presbyterian Church

• ample parking, public restroom, open meeting room
• please keep in mind that we rent this space and are expected to leave it in the same clean, organized way that it is found

2023 November General Meeting

General meetings are always the SECOND TUESDAY of each month.

As of now, General Meetings are offered one of three ways: in-person ONLY, online ONLY, or a HYBRID model. This will be dependent on the meeting and announced in advance.

You may attend remotely via Zoom, or in-person at Forest Grove Presbyterian Church.

Links are not posted publicly for meeting safety precautions. Meeting link and any other details will be sent to ALL MEMBERS in advance of the Tuesday meeting.

Non-members are always welcome! If you'd like the link to the Zoom option, please register for this event.

Forest Grove Presbyterian Church

• ample parking, public restroom, open meeting room
• please keep in mind that we rent this space and are expected to leave it in the same clean, organized way that it is found

2023 December General Meeting

General meetings are always the SECOND TUESDAY of each month.

As of now, General Meetings are offered one of three ways: in-person ONLY, online ONLY, or a HYBRID model. This will be dependent on the meeting and announced in advance.

You may attend remotely via Zoom, or in-person at Forest Grove Presbyterian Church.

Links are not posted publicly for meeting safety precautions. Meeting link and any other details will be sent to ALL MEMBERS in advance of the Tuesday meeting.

Non-members are always welcome! If you'd like the link to the Zoom option, please register for this event.

Forest Grove Presbyterian Church

• ample parking, public restroom, open meeting room
• please keep in mind that we rent this space and are expected to leave it in the same clean, organized way that it is found