Essex County Beekeepers Society: Basic Beekeeping

Basic Beekeeping is a complete three-day course in beekeeping to be held February 19, February 26, and a field day in April TBA. It is offered by the Essex County Beekeepers Society and overseen by EAS Certified Master Beekeeper Landi Simone. Successful completion of this class fulfills the education requirement necessary to legally keep bees in NJ. Classroom topics covered include: Honey Bee Biology, Beekeeping Equipment, Getting Started with Bees, Keeping Bees in Populated Areas, Bee Plants, Seasonal Management, Honey Bee Pests and Diseases, Harvesting Your Honey Crop, Queens, Queen Problems and Re-Queening. Day 3, Field Day, takes place in apiaries in Montville Twp. and provides students with an introduction to working with the bees. Students will have the experience of opening and inspecting a beehive themselves and obtain hands-on lessons in recognizing the various components of a hive and colony as well as inspection basics such as smoker lighting, protective gear, and correct use of the hive tool.

A continental breakfast and afternoon snack is included in both days of classroom instruction. Students should bring a bagged lunch or plan on eating lunch at various area restaurants. Students will have access to all slides presented during class as well as supplementary class materials. Students will also be able to purchase equipment at class and be given resources for purchasing bees in spring.

Landi Simone is an EAS Certified Master Beekeeper, owner of Gooserock Farm LLC in Montville, NJ, and has kept bees for 25 years. She has taught Basic Beekeeping since its inception some twenty years ago and is a nationally well-known speaker on beekeeping. Additional instructors include Joseph Treimel, past president of ECBS and long-term beekeeper with over 30 years experience, and NJ State Apiarist Meghan McConnell.