Beginner Beekeeper Course

2024 Beekeeping Class registrations open towards the end of the year. Subscribe to our newsletter or social media to get notified.

The JCBA beginner beekeeper course has been teaching annual classes for over a decade and is one of the club’s greatest assets and connection with the community. Through our volunteer lead classes, you will hear a wide variety of topics from biology to how bees make honey.

The classes are designed to get you ready for your first year with bees. Classes are held at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and occur once a week for 5 weeks.

Regardless of your background with bees, you are welcome to our classes. You don’t need to know the stinger end from the honey end to come to these classes.

Classes are scheduled in the spring and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. You can register here through the website when registration is open.

If online registration is closed, signup via the form at the bottom of this page with your email and we will notify you about upcoming classes and registrations.

Here is an outline of our class which is subject to change.

Week 1

• Introduction to the class

• Survey of Beekeeping / What to expect when keeping bees

• Beekeeping Through the Year / What happens inside the hive, and when?

Week 2

• Biology of Bees – Social nature of bees, the biology of the individual and the colony

• Getting Started – A practical guide to starting a colony (packages, nucs, swarms, location for apiary)

Week 3

• Hive Parts and Configurations – A guide to hive parts and options

• Equipment Every Beekeeper Needs – Survey of protective gear, tools, and helpful gadgets

Week 4

• Honey Bee Pests and Diseases – Recognizing and managing common threats to your bees

• Feeding your Bees: When, Why and How (Lisenby and Booth) – A guide to supplemental feeding

Week 5

• Panel Discussion with Guest Beekeepers / Weather Makeup Day