CHARM SCHOOL FOR BEEKEEPERS
Series or Individual workshops $225/series or $50 drop in
For more info, visit www.ziaqueenbees.com/zia
Email: ziaqueenbees@hotmail.com Tel: 505/929-8080
Classes held from10am-2:30pm at Tierra Drala Farm *El Prado-Taos Tel: 575/770-9387
Topics will include discussion & field practicum on horizontal & vertical hive designs.
May 17, 2014 The SuperOrganism: The Basics of Getting Started with Honeybees Seasonal Cycle overview, Equipment Designs and Styles, Terminology, Biology, Castes & Life cycle of the Bees. Review of area plant index/forage availability, neighborly beekeeping etiquette, and review of the NM Bee Law & Act.
June 21, 2014 Bees as our Teachers: Hive Revisions, Learn approach, observation and handling with non-invasive techniques for assessing hive health productivity and needs. Learn how to split and fuse hives and recognizing ailments and finding natural therapeutic solutions. Also includes discussion of alternative/native pollinator integration and promotion.
July 12, 2014 The Rhythm & Beat of the Hive: Queens, Drones & their Core Importance to Hive Behavior & Management. How to determine if and when to re-queen a hive and successful steps for helping your hive rear their own queen, questions to ask when looking to buy healthy queens, & queen care and introduction.
August 16, 2014 Harvesting Hive Products, Making & Marketing Value-Added Apiceuticals: Learn how to harvest honey, wax, pollen, propolis, and even royal jelly! Learn to make balms, candles unique beeswax arts, and medicinal tinctures; including mead- honey wine with love from the bees.
September 13, 2014 Heavenly Hives: Preparing hives for Overwintering & Sustainable Pollinator Planning Learn essential tasks for determining health and wellness of the hive super-organism and pro-active measures to support successful overwintering at high altitudes. Develop plans/goals for subsequent seasons as you evolve your beekeeping and become an enlightened pollinator steward and Bee Charmer!
Classes taught by Melanie Kirby & MarkSpitzig of Zia Queenbees
Melanie is a native of NM who has been keeping bees professionally for over 17 years; starting as a Peace Corps Volunteer then working for 3 bee ops in Hawaii and Florida. She has kept bees on 2 continents, in 4 countries and 5 states.
Mark has been keeping bees professionally for 14 years first starting in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on the shores of Lake Superior. He quickly determined that he needed to learn more, so he went to work for a professional beekeeper.
Together they established ZQB which emphasizes local honeybee production, conscientious management and healthy bee products and services. They are humbled to work with such marvelous creatures and hope to help their region in promoting biodiversity, and sustainable food production and security.