ARTH002-0124: Honey Bees – Beekeeping 101Course Open: January 26-March 6, 2024
Real Time Sessions (RTS): Sundays, February 4, 11, and 25, 2024; 2:00-3:30 pm ET (USA) World Clock Converter
Total CE Credit: 4.5
RACE Category: 4.5 hours Medical
| Enrollment is closed. |
Tuition: Member $104 ($94 early bird special if enrolled by January 12, 2024) |
*Enroll in 2 or more Honey Bee courses on the same day and receive a 15% discount from the standard price.
- ARTH001-0124: Honey Bees – Biology
- ARTH003-0224: Honey Bees – Colony Management
- ARTH004-0324: Honey Bees – Diseases
- ARTH005-0424: Honey Bees – Practicing Honey Bee Medicine
Course Information:
This course is designed for veterinarians who are beginner beekeepers, interested in beekeeping or working with small-scale and hobby beekeepers. We will cover the basic equipment and tools necessary to keep bees, focusing on different hive types and PPE. Participants will learn the basics of animal handling and safety, and we will go through the basics of how honey bee colonies are established in the first year.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, the participant should be able to
- describe the beekeeping tasks throughout the season.
- explain the differences between summer and winter bees.
- outline the basic tasks involved in honey bee care.
- identify environmental cues that drive management decisions.
- identify key equipment used by beekeepers.
- contrast different hive styles for use in different climates.
- demonstrate the basic skills needed for a safe hive inspection.
- identify all types of cells and cell contents within a hive.
Level and Prerequisites: This basic VIN CE course is open for enrollment to veterinarians and veterinary support personnel interested in beekeeping, working with beekeeping clients, and/or honey bee medicine.
This course is a recommended but not required prerequisite to the following courses:
- ARTH003-0224: Honey Bees - Colony Management
- ARTH004-0324: Honey Bees - Diseases
Course Agenda: Week 1 (Real Time Session February 4, 2024): Equipment and Tools
In this session we will cover the different types of hives that can be used to house honey bee colonies, comparing how they work in different climatic environments. We will look at various beekeeping tools and outline the necessary PPE for safe beekeeping.
Week 2 (Real Time Session February 11, 2024): Colony Handling and Inspections
In this session we will focus on hive handling. We will cover the basics of how to perform an inspection in a way that is safe for you and the bees. Participants will learn basics of PPE, handling techniques, and use of a smoker. We will cover the purpose of inspections and when they should be done.
Week 3 (Real Time Session February 25, 2024): Establishing a Colony
We will cover basic yearly management for honeybee colonies with extra focus on areas with a cold winter or prolonged dry season. Participants will learn the basic life stages of a colony over the season, focusing on environmental cues that drive management. We will cover common mistakes at each time of year and will focus on best management practices to optimize honey bee health and nutrition as well as honey crop production. Participants will understand how to set up a honey bee hive and colony, and to manage it for optimal health in the first few years.
Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course. To learn more about the requirements for earning a CE certificate, please refer to Receiving Your CE Credit and Course Completion Certificate. Course Materials: Course materials will be available in the course library prior to each Real Time Session.
Required Textbook(s): There is no required textbook for this course.
| Enrollment is closed. |
Tuition: Member $104 ($94 early bird special if enrolled by January 12, 2024) |
*Enroll in 2 or more Honey Bee courses on the same day and receive a 15% discount from the standard price.
- ARTH001-0124: Honey Bees – Biology
- ARTH003-0224: Honey Bees – Colony Management
- ARTH004-0324: Honey Bees – Diseases
- ARTH005-0424: Honey Bees – Practicing Honey Bee Medicine
*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close on February 2, 2024 at 5 pm ET (USA) or when the maximum number of participants is reached. *For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.
Enrollment qualifications:
- VIN CE Courses:
- VIN CE courses are open to VIN member, VIN student member, and non-member veterinarians.
- Veterinary support staff must be VSPN members in order to enroll in a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
- VSPN CE Courses:
- VSPN CE courses are open to veterinary support staff and veterinarians.
- Only VIN and VSPN members can enroll in a VSPN CE course.
- Veterinarians will only receive credit for those VSPN CE courses that specify in the Accreditation statement that the course is accredited for veterinarians.
- Please check the course Level and Prerequisites, Accreditation, and Tuition before enrolling.
- Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org
and @vin.com addresses.
- Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
- For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email CEonVIN@vin.com. Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.
Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to the listed start date of the course. If you wish to withdraw after the start date please contact the VIN office 800-846-0028 ext. 797 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund. *For more information on VIN's upcoming CE courses, check the VIN Course Catalog. Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Director VIN CE Services: CEonVIN@vin.com
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 797
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01 45 222 6154
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from Australia: 02 6145 2357