Beekeeping & Pollinators - Skinny
Course Description: Bees pollinate our crops and orchards; they are an environmental quality indicator species and they provide honey. Explore beekeeping using onsite hives; explore pollinators and habitats, and network with local beekeepers. This hands-on class will use our school land lab to teach you basic skills to start or enhance your own native gardens, or pollinator habitats while maintaining our school hives and earning credit through NWTC.
Ongoing Resources:
The Honey Files Additional Worksheets (Link).
Week One - 9/3 to 9/6:
Intro. NWTC Syllabus (GDoc). MHS Syllabus (GDoc). Bee Waiver (PDF). Bee Memories/Intro.
Basic History. Notes (GSlides).
Bee Biology. Biology Notes (PDF). Honey Bee ID (PDF). Bee Dissection (Link).
Hive Types, Tools, Terminology. Terms Worksheet (GDoc). Hive Types Notes (to draw) (Link). Tools Notes (Link). Tool Use FYI (Link).
Week Two - 9/9 to 9/13 (Next Gen):
Pollinator Safety. No Fear of Stings (Link). Bee Fact Sheet (Link).
Epi Pen Training. Epi For Dilly (Link).
Pollinator ID. Wisconsin Bee ID PDF (Link).
Week Three - 9/16 to 9/20:
Hive Inspection. Inspection Guide (GDoc). Queen ID Tips (GDoc). Inspection Worksheet (Link). Inspection Checklist (Link).
Equptiment ID and Maintenance
Week Four - 9/23 to 9/27 (HOCO):
Equptiment Grants and Building. Obtain Bees Methods Notes (GDoc). Buying Bees Article (Link).
Extraction. Q/A (GDoc). Notes 1 (Link). Notes 2 (Link).
Week Five - 9/30 to 10/4:
Hive Signage, Safety, and Placement. DATCP Regulations (Link).
Week Six - 10/7 to 10/11:
Native Pollinators - ID - WI Plant ID List (PDF). Stone Silo Site (Link). UW Extension (Link). WI DNR (Link).
Week Seven - 10/14 to 10/18:
Native Pollinators - Seed Collection & Fall Planting
Week Eight - 10/21 to 10/25 (National Convention):
Native Pollinators - Invasive Removal and Threats. Article (Link).
Week Nine - 10/28 to 11/1:
Year In the Life of a Bee Keeper. Notes Start Page 16 (Link). Bees By Month (Link).
Week Ten - 11/4 to 11/8:
Bee Budgets. Budget Task (GDoc). Capital Bee (Link).
Week Eleven - 11/11 to 11/15:
Winterizing and Cold Climates for Bees. Feeding Bees Reading (Link). Winter Tips (Link).
Week Twelve - 11/18 to 11/22:
Marketing Hive Products & ByProducts, Honey Benefits Reading (GDoc). Notes (Link).
Week Thirteen - 11/25 to 11/26 (Thanksgiving):
Pests and Threats to the Hive. Pest Notes (Link). Pest Best Management Practices (Link). Notes Start Page 17 (Link).
Varroa Mite Inspection. Sugar Roll Method (Link).
Week Fourteen - 12/2 to 12/6:
IPM. Protecting Bees At Home (Link).
CCD, Notes (GSlides).
Week Fifteen - 12/9 to 12/13:
Intro Final Exam & Long Term Impact Plan (Grant/Project/Add-On)
Week Sixteen - 12/16 to 12/20:
FFA Experience Week - Three Circle Model
Week Seventeen - 1/2 to 1/3 (New Years):
Work Time on Finals & Bee Movie
Week Eighteen - 1/6 to 1/10:
Work Time on Finals & The Pollinators Movie
Week Nineteen - 1/13 to 1/17:
SAE Presentations
Week Twenty - 1/20 to 1/21:
Finals
Ongoing Resources:
The Honey Files Additional Worksheets (Link).
Week One - 9/3 to 9/6:
Intro. NWTC Syllabus (GDoc). MHS Syllabus (GDoc). Bee Waiver (PDF). Bee Memories/Intro.
Basic History. Notes (GSlides).
Bee Biology. Biology Notes (PDF). Honey Bee ID (PDF). Bee Dissection (Link).
Hive Types, Tools, Terminology. Terms Worksheet (GDoc). Hive Types Notes (to draw) (Link). Tools Notes (Link). Tool Use FYI (Link).
Week Two - 9/9 to 9/13 (Next Gen):
Pollinator Safety. No Fear of Stings (Link). Bee Fact Sheet (Link).
Epi Pen Training. Epi For Dilly (Link).
Pollinator ID. Wisconsin Bee ID PDF (Link).
Week Three - 9/16 to 9/20:
Hive Inspection. Inspection Guide (GDoc). Queen ID Tips (GDoc). Inspection Worksheet (Link). Inspection Checklist (Link).
Equptiment ID and Maintenance
Week Four - 9/23 to 9/27 (HOCO):
Equptiment Grants and Building. Obtain Bees Methods Notes (GDoc). Buying Bees Article (Link).
Extraction. Q/A (GDoc). Notes 1 (Link). Notes 2 (Link).
Week Five - 9/30 to 10/4:
Hive Signage, Safety, and Placement. DATCP Regulations (Link).
Week Six - 10/7 to 10/11:
Native Pollinators - ID - WI Plant ID List (PDF). Stone Silo Site (Link). UW Extension (Link). WI DNR (Link).
Week Seven - 10/14 to 10/18:
Native Pollinators - Seed Collection & Fall Planting
Week Eight - 10/21 to 10/25 (National Convention):
Native Pollinators - Invasive Removal and Threats. Article (Link).
Week Nine - 10/28 to 11/1:
Year In the Life of a Bee Keeper. Notes Start Page 16 (Link). Bees By Month (Link).
Week Ten - 11/4 to 11/8:
Bee Budgets. Budget Task (GDoc). Capital Bee (Link).
Week Eleven - 11/11 to 11/15:
Winterizing and Cold Climates for Bees. Feeding Bees Reading (Link). Winter Tips (Link).
Week Twelve - 11/18 to 11/22:
Marketing Hive Products & ByProducts, Honey Benefits Reading (GDoc). Notes (Link).
Week Thirteen - 11/25 to 11/26 (Thanksgiving):
Pests and Threats to the Hive. Pest Notes (Link). Pest Best Management Practices (Link). Notes Start Page 17 (Link).
Varroa Mite Inspection. Sugar Roll Method (Link).
Week Fourteen - 12/2 to 12/6:
IPM. Protecting Bees At Home (Link).
CCD, Notes (GSlides).
Week Fifteen - 12/9 to 12/13:
Intro Final Exam & Long Term Impact Plan (Grant/Project/Add-On)
Week Sixteen - 12/16 to 12/20:
FFA Experience Week - Three Circle Model
Week Seventeen - 1/2 to 1/3 (New Years):
Work Time on Finals & Bee Movie
Week Eighteen - 1/6 to 1/10:
Work Time on Finals & The Pollinators Movie
Week Nineteen - 1/13 to 1/17:
SAE Presentations
Week Twenty - 1/20 to 1/21:
Finals