CLICK HERE for the 2025 Brochure
CLICK HERE for online registration
CLICK HERE for mail in registration form
Class Descriptions
Break-out Sessions #1 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
1A Equipment Basics (New Beekeeper Class)
Amanda Bennett – Ohio State University Extension, Miami County
Many products are available to the beginner beekeeper. But which ones do you really need? This session will cover basic equipment needed to begin your beekeeping adventure. The benefits and drawbacks of different systems will be discussed, and participants will take away a list of essential items needed.
1B Beekeeping Year #2
Larry Johnson – Butler County Beekeeper
Your bees survived their first winter. Now what? Larry Johnson, Butler County Beekeeper, will walk you through year #2
of keeping bees, including what to do and when to do it to keep your hives healthy, happy, and productive.
1C Honeybee Trap-Outs & Cut-Outs
Gary Keuffer – Brown County Beekeeper
Gary has been removing bees from a variety of locations for the past 12 years by utilizing the trap-out or cut out process.
This program covers the tools, equipment and procedures to follow to safely remove and relocate honeybees.
1D How to Extract Honey
Ray Babcock – Hamilton County Beekeeper
Extracting the honey from your hives is an essential task that every beekeeper must learn to do. It’s not that hard unless you’ve never been taught how to do it. During this session, Ray Babcock, experienced beekeeper from Hamilton County, will show you how to extract your honey.
Break-out Sessions #2 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
2A Bee Basics (New Beekeeper Class)
Amanda Bennett – Ohio State University Extension, Miami County
Opening a hive can be a very daunting task for the new beekeeper. What is “normal”? What should a beekeeper be looking for during inspections? It is important for all beekeepers to understand normal lifecycles, seasonal activities, bee abnormalities and oddities to be able to accurately assess colony health and look for red flags to guide management decisions.
2B Requeening and Splitting Hives
Mike Bentz – Indiana Beekeeper
An essential skill for all beekeepers to learn. During this session, Mike will teach you how to requeen and split a hive.
2C Sustainable Beekeeping
Alex Zomchek – Master Beekeeper Instructor, Butler County
Often it is what we are NOT doing as beekeepers that pose the greatest threats to our bee operations. Monitoring: or knowing what to do and when is the key to sustainable beekeeping. To that end Alex will present various models including his signature B-Curves and a seasonal cheat sheet. These together with some hints, tips, and tricks will improve your hive’s health, up your honey production, and make your beekeeping experience more enjoyable and sustainable.
2D How to Make Mead at Home
Randy Smith - Clermont County Beekeeper
Often referred to as "honey wine" and "the nectar of the gods", mead is simply fermented honey and the oldest known alcoholic beverage. This session includes simple instructions for making your own batch of mead at home.
Break-out Sessions #3 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
3A How to Successfully Install Packages and Nucs (New Beekeeper Class)
Kevin Kress – Butler County Beekeeper
During this session, you will be led step-by-step through the process of installing packages and nucs. Kevin will discuss how to assess the quality of your new package and how to care for them until they are installed. He will also share information on what to do after installation. This is an essential class for new beekeepers.
3B When, Why, and How to Feed Bees Throughout the Year
Gary Keuffer – Brown County Beekeeper
Sometimes bees just need to be fed. It could be the weather or bad bee pasture, but sometimes our honeybees just need a little help. During this session, Gary will discuss when, why, and how to feed your bees throughout the calendar year.
3C Grafting and Raising Queens
Mike Bentz –Indiana Beekeeper
Grafting is a fundamental skill in queen rearing and is the basis for all commercially raised queens. It's a common method for beekeepers who want to produce more than a few queens in a season. Grafting allows beekeepers to create many queen cells that are easy to handle and transport. During this session, Mike will discuss how to graft and raise queens.
3D How to Make Creamed, Spiced, and Flavored Honeys
Larry Johnson – Butler County Beekeeper
Want to try something new with your honey? This is the class for you. During this session, Larry will discuss how to make creamed, spiced, and flavored honeys.
Break-out Sessions #4 1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.
4A Creating Colony Strength & Health for First Winter Survival (New Beekeeper Class)
Kevin Kress – Butler County Beekeeper
Poor survival during the winter is a major issue for both new and experienced beekeepers. During this session, Kevin will provide tips for new beekeepers on how to prepare your hives to survive their first winter. He will discuss brood production, recognizing health issues, how to use and when to deploy bee equipment, and what materials and conditions are required for winter survival.
4B Varroa Mites & Small Hive Beetles – Big Threats; Simple Fixes
Alex Zomchek – Certified Master Beekeeper Instructor, Butler County
Colony mortality rates in Ohio are consistently more than 50% and these pests are the biggest reason why they occur. Alex, Master Beekeeper Instructor/Researcher, will look at the history of these pests and how they went from just a nuisance to a real problem for beekeepers. Alex will discuss how to proactively monitor your hives for these pests and will offer some tips to reduce hive mortality and to increase hive productivity.
4C Native Plants for Pollinators
Greg Meyer – Ohio State University Extension Educator, Warren County
We can all play a vital role in the development and conservation of habitat that benefits bees, birds, butterflies, and good garden bugs. This session will focus on the role native plants play in creating habitat for pollinators. Plant suggestions will be shared.
4D Beekeeping Q & A Session
Ask veteran beekeepers your questions about keeping bees!
Vendors
Beekeeping equipment vendors will be on-site selling equipment and merchandise. They will be open from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Many beekeepers order their equipment and have it delivered to the school for pick-up. Check this website for an updated list of vendors planning to attend the 2025 bee school.