You’ve decided to become a BEEKEEPER. Now what? Join us June 1- July 18
REGISTER HERE
Beekeeping is a rewarding hobby and small business opportunity that allows you to work with nature to create products that support the health and wellness of our families and communities. Although beekeeping has been a part of agriculture for over 4,500 years, beekeepers in the modern age are faced with new management challenges and pest issues that have led to annual colony losses in the US of 30 - 50% over the last several decades.
Individuals new to beekeeping most frequently enter the industry with no formal education in apiculture (the science of beekeeping) or real-world experience managing bees. This lack of education and experience creates a situation where well-intentioned individuals lose their bees year after year because they don’t have the knowledge necessary to properly manage them. Within the industry, we call these individuals “bee-havers”, individuals who buy bees every year and every year those bees die due to mismanagement. This is expensive for the beekeeper and unsustainable for the US beekeeping industry.
At Bee Wise Farms we are beekeepers! Our colonies survive every year through some of the harshest winters in the US and every year we are able to increase the size of our apiary and sell excess colonies to our local beekeepers from splitting overwintered colonies. We use 100% organic pest management tactics and pride ourselves on our integrated pest management program for managing pest and pathogens of honey bees. The health of our bees is our top priority and it shows with annual losses consistently below 10% (15% is considered a sustainable apiary). Our 2025 Beekeeping Training Camp is your chance to learn how you too can become a sustainable beekeeper!
2025 BEEKEEPING TRAINING CAMP SYLLABUS
Bee Wise Farms
10192 State Highway M28
Newberry, MI 49868
Drone Phase: June 1 - July 6, 2025 (ONLINE)
Worker Phase: July 7 - 10, 2025 (AT BEE WISE FARMS)
Queen Phase: July 14 – 18, 2025 (ONLINE)
Our Beekeeping Training Camp is a 6-week immersive beekeeping experience for individuals that are new to beekeeping or have had bees less than 5 years. The course consists of three phases that are focused on giving you a solid science-based foundation in biology and management, immersive hands on experience working live bee hives, and professional consulting to help you as you start on your beekeeping adventure.
2025 Full Details & Schedule:
Drone Phase: June 1 – July 6, 2025 (Time commitment 20 - 30 hours)
Drone Phase starts at home, on your computer. On June 1st, you will receive the full 2025 Bee Wise Farms’ Beekeeping Above the 45th Parallel Course which is a self paced online course designed to take individuals new to beekeeping through an entire season of beekeeping in northern climates. The course includes 16 online lectures that discuss the foundations of beekeeping, and 24 instructional videos designed to show you how to do specific tasks and management in the apiary, 9 handouts to support beekeeping decision making, and 7 videos on personal wellness practices you can incorporate into your beekeeping to gain a closer relationship with your bees.
-
Phase Requirements
- This portion of the course requires a reliable internet connection as all content will be delivered online.
- You do not need to own bees to participate in the course, in fact we prefer you don’t keep bees until you complete the course if you have never kept bees before.
-
Beekeeping Above the 45th Parallel course syllabus
Lectures
Lecture 1: Honey Bees and Humans: Ancient Connections and North American Introductions (52 minutes)
Lecture 2: Beekeeping Equipment: Tools of the Trade (61 minutes)
Lecture 3: Honey Bee Biology: The Individual Bee (58 minutes)
Lecture 4: Colony Biology: The Superorganism (65 minutes)
Lecture 5: Feeding Bees (27 minutes)
Lecture 6: Record Keeping (26 minutes)
Lecture 7: What’s in a hive?: Preparing for Inspections (39 minutes)
Lecture 8: Hive Handling and Inspections (75 minutes)
Lecture 9: Managing Varroa Effectively (85 minutes)
Lecture 10: Pests and Pathogens of Honey Bees (82 minutes)
Lecture 11: Swarms and Laying Workers (64 minutes)
Lecture 12: Mid-Season Management (54 minutes)
Lecture 13: Late Season Management (47 minutes)
Lecture 14: Overwintering in Northern Climates (63 minutes)
Lecture 15: Splits (41 minutes)
Lecture 16: Honey Plants and Forage Habitat (43 minutes)
Instructional Videos
Instructional Video: Purchasing Bees (22 minutes)
Instructional Video: Assembling Frames (15 minutes)
Instructional Video: Assembling Hive Bodies (7 minutes)
Instructional Video: Assembling Bottom Boards (5 minutes)
Instructional Video: Assembling Migratory Covers (5 minutes)
Instructional Video: Using a Hive Tool (8 minutes)
Instructional Video: Lighting a Smoker (10 minutes)
Instructional Video: Installing a Package (17 minutes)
Instructional Video: Installing a Nuc Part 1 (11 minutes)
Instructional Video: Installing a Nuc Part 2 (2 minutes)
Instructional Video: Inspection and mite monitoring (powdered sugar role and alcohol wash) (12 minutes)
Instructional Video: Mite Treatment Applications (Formic Pro) (5 minutes)
Instructional Video: Oxalic Acid Application Methods (11 minutes)
Instructional Video: Honey Harvesting and Processing (18 minutes)
Instructional Video: Wax Processing and Rendering (17 minutes)
Instructional Video: Last Steps to Prepare Hives for Winter (17 minutes)
Instructional Video: Building Equipment for Overwintering Honey Bees (16 minutes)
Instructional Video: Winter Storage of Beekeeping Equipment (12 minutes)
Instructional Video: January Winter Hive Checks (19 minutes)
Instructional Video: February Winter Hive Checks (9 minutes)
Instructional Video: March Winter Hive Checks (5 minutes)
Instructional Video: April Winter Hive Checks (2 minutes)
Instructional Video: Apiary Site Selection to Make Winter Checks Easier (1 minute)
Instructional Video: Behaviors of Honey Bees (4 minutes)
Handouts
Handout: Bear Fencing
Handout: Hive Data Sheet
Handout: Varroa Mite Treatment Cheat Sheet
Handout: Starting and Keeping Bees in Michigan Rules and Regulations
Handout: UN FAO Value Added Products from Beekeeping Book
Handout: Honey Bee Health Coalition Best Management Practices for Bee Health
Handout: Honey Bee Health Coalition Tools for Varroa Management
Handout: Beekeeper’s Guide to USDA-SARE
Handout: USDA Programs for Beekeepers
Wellness Videos
Instructional video: Yoga for Beekeepers (18 minutes)
Instructional video: The Beekeeper’s Breath (13 minutes)
Instructional video: Creating a Threshold in the Apiary (12 minutes)
Instructional video: Bee Bathing (6 minutes)
Instructional video: Active Meditation in a Bee Hive (12 minutes)
Instructional video: Communing with Bees (5 minutes)
Instructional video: Steps of Gratitude (9 minutes)
Worker Phase: July 7 – 10, 2025 (Time commitment 24 hours at Bee Wise Farms)
Worker Phase takes place at Bee Wise Farms in Newberry, MI. We are a 40-acre diversified farm focused on regenerative agriculture in the heart of the Eastern Upper Peninsula. Our apiary is home to ~70 honey producing colonies that have all been with our farm for years. We will work these colonies each day to hone your hive handling, inspection, and management skills.
On Ground Schedule: Thursday - Sunday
Thursday, July 7th (10am – 4pm)
10am – 11am: Introductions and farm tour
11am – 12pm: Assembling hive equipment using hand tools and pneumatic tools
12pm – 1:30pm: Lunch on your own
1:30pm – 2pm: Lighting/using a smoker and proper use of a hive tool
2pm – 4pm: In the apiary - Proper hive handling, inspections and identification of all parts of a working bee hive.
Friday, July 8th (9:30am – 4pm)
9:30am - 10am: Wellness practice to prepare for working bees
10am – 12pm: In the apiary - Hive inspections and record keeping
12pm – 1:30pm: Lunch on your own
1:30pm – 3:30pm: In the apiary - Solo hive inspections (you will do your first hive inspection and report back to the group)
3:30pm – 4pm: Debrief: What went well during inspection and where did we struggle?
Saturday, July 9th (9:30am – 5pm)
9:30am - 10am: Wellness practice to prepare for working bees
10am – 12pm: In the apiary - Hive inspections and varroa mite monitoring using the sugar role and alcohol wash tests
12pm – 1:30pm: Lunch on your own
1:30pm – 3:30pm: In the apiary: Integration of pest and pathogen monitoring into your hive inspections
3:30pm – 5pm: Developing an integrated pest management plan for your apiary. Varroa management plan and treatment options: When and how to properly use them.
Sunday, July 10th (9:30am – 3pm)
9:30am - 10am: Wellness practice to prepare for working bees
10am – 12pm: In the apiary: Solo hive inspection (you will do your second hive inspection and report back to the group)
12pm – 1:30pm: Lunch on your own
1:30pm – 3pm: In the apiary – Final review of inspections and Q and A
3pm Conclusion of Worker Phase
-
Phase Requirements
- You must provide your own beekeeping veil and you will not be allowed in the apiary without a proper veil. This can be a face veil, jacket with veil, or full coveralls with veil.
- Gloves are not required but are highly encouraged for those new to beekeeping so you are comfortable when you first start handling bees. Ensure these gloves are either NEW leather beekeeping gloves or nitrile/latex gloves (old leather beekeeping gloves can transmit diseases between apiaries and will not be allowed). Leather gloves offer maximum protection but poor dexterity (which is critical to good hive handling). Nitrile/latex gloves offer some protection from stings but maximum dexterity. Your instructor will be using nitrile gloves and will encourage you to eventually get to that point once you feel comfortable working bees.
- Do not bring your personal hive tools or smokers to Bee Wise Farms. Part of the integrated pest management plan we have developed to keep our bees safe is focused on biosecurity to ensure pathogens don’t enter our apiary from outside sources. Therefore, we will provide you with hive tools and smokers to use in our apiary and no outside tools or smokers will be allowed in the apiary.
- Check with your physician before registering for this course to ensure you are not allergic to bee stings. You will be working bees for 4 days straight and it is very likely YOU WILL GET STUNG. Honey bees are generally not aggressive but most often beekeepers accidently smash bees with their hand when picking up equipment which results in a sting. Every new beekeeper should note that bee stings are a regular part of beekeeping.
Queen Phase: July 14 – 18, 2025 (Time commitment 1 hour)
Queen phase is a 1-hour one-on-one virtual consultation with Bee Wise Farms that we will set up the week after you leave Worker Phase. In this consultation, we will discuss your goals and your plan for moving forward. We will provide you with expert consultation on the plan you have developed for your beekeeping adventure and will provide you with expert advice on how to maximize the education you have received at Bee Wise Farms. This will also serve as a forum for you to ask any questions or solicit any advice about beekeeping.
-
Phase Requirements
- This portion of the course requires a reliable internet connection as this consultation will be via Zoom.
In addition to the Beekeeping Training Camp you will receive:
-
- 10% off one 2026 nuc from Bee Wise Farms.
- Guaranteed 2026 Nuc. Our nucs sell out within a week every year and as a student we will ensure you have first priority at purchasing nucs from us in 2026.
- Bee Wise Farms reading list: A complete list of our favorite beekeeping books to help you continue learning plus links to entire libraries of downloadable beekeeping books.
- Permanent access to the Beekeeping Above the 45th Parallel course so you can reference these lessons long after the program has concluded.
Lodging and Activities
Bee Wise Farms is located in the beautiful Eastern Upper Peninsula and is surrounded by some of the most incredible natural sites Michigan has to offer. For those of you traveling to take the course, we have plenty of great lodging options near the farm in the city of Newberry that include hotels, motels, and campgrounds. Each day you will be done at the farm no later than 4pm (except for Saturday), this gives you plenty of daylight during the evening to explore (sunset is around 9:30 pm this time of year). Find all the amazing attractions and lodging near us through Trip Advisor.
About Your Instructors
Dr. Adam Ingrao holds a BS in Agriculture and Environmental Plant Science from California Polytechnic State University and a PhD in Entomology from Michigan State University. His expertise as an entomologist is rooted in the utilization of beneficial insects in agroecosystems to produce ecosystem services with a special focus on honey bees and natural enemies. He is the Co-Owner of Bee Wise Farms, Co-Founder and National Director for the Heroes to Hives program (the largest beekeeping education program in the nation), an Instructor for the Great Plains Master Beekeeping course, and an Outreach Specialist at Michigan Food and Farming Systems. Dr. Ingrao has been working in sustainable agriculture for 30 years and with honey bees professionally for the last 18 years. He has published numerous scientific articles, policy papers, and articles in Bee Culture magazine. He is also a co-author of the beekeeping textbook, Honey Bee Medicine for the Veterinary Practitioner.
Lacey Ingrao holds a Master's Degree in Transpersonal Psychology, with expertise in nature-based therapies, somatic & mindful movement, transitions, rites of passage, and connection to spirit. She is our api-therapist, ordained minister, herbal farmer, somatic movement guide and eco-spiritual companion. She is Co-Founder of the Heroes to Hives program and co-owns Bee Wise Farms. Lacey has a great love for supporting internal healing by way of connecting to our bodies and has done this for nearly two decades through various wellness modalities and energy work. While her educational & life path has been committed to nature-being relationships, she has over 18 years of experience in Project Management and Event Planning. This work allows her to stay connected with people in a different way by creating meaningful and memorable events.
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Thank you for registering for our 2025 Beekeeping Training Camp, we look forward to working with you. Please read our refund policy below. All classes, workshops and educational opportunities at Bee Wise Farms are on a first come, first serve basis, so it’s important to register early. Below explains our refund/cancellation policy if for some reason you are unable to appear for the experience or if we are unable to host. Full payment is required at registration to reserve your spot. Please note that our refund policy is strict due to the high demand for our educational experiences.
Cancellation by Participant
Cancellations before May 1, 2025
FULL DEPOSIT - MINUS 5%
Cancellations after May 1, 2025
FULL DEPOSIT- MINUS $200
Cancellations after June 1, 2025
YOU FORFEIT YOUR ENTIRE REGISTRATION FEE
Cancellation by Bee Wise Farms
If Bee Wise Farms is unable to fulfill our agreement, your payment will be refunded to you in full.