The PCBA offers “Introduction to Beekeeping” classes year-round on the first Monday of the month from 6-7pm. There are 5 classes in the beginner's course, which we rotate through twice a year.
Upcoming classes:
October 2024 - Class 4 - Colony inspections & ManagementNovember - Class 5 - Pests and Diseases
December - Club Holiday Potluck (no classes)
Jan 2025- Class 1 - Beekeeping Equipment & Hive styles
Feb - Class 2 - Honey Bee Biology
Although the most sensible place to start is with Class 1, you of course may join at any time and you will still get the full breadth of material within half a year, with good attendance. Any missed classes will be made up for in the next round. Once you have purchased the beginner's class, we would encourage you to continue attending until you have heard all the lessons OR until you feel comfortable with remembering/applying all the material in those classes! Whichever comes first :)
For the MANUAL: You can purchase one or both books, separately, or take the class with no manual at all if you are feeling rebelious. We support the (1) OSU Master Beekeeper and the (2) WASBA Master Beekeeper programs and encourage members to explore their options for further education.
(1) OSU's program starts at Apprentice level, online, after completion of our beginners course and will use "The Beekeepers Handbook" which is encyclopedic in its information, a veritable bible for beekeeping! Our beginners course is recomended but not required to enter their program.
(2) PCBA's beginners & Apprentice classes on site are both WASBA approved. The "WASBA manuals" are much smaller and easier to read, and come with the option to test at the end of the course and recieve your very own WASBA Beginner or Apprentice Beekeeper certificate, which you will need to continue on to Journeyman or Master Beekeeper (*you must complete and/or test out of Beginners before advancing to Apprentice).
Our classes do not referrence certain pages in either manual, rather they present the material as it is the same between both, since bees are bees in any book. The manuals serve mainly as a reference for what you learned and for further study at home. We do have worksheets that go along with each class, which will be handed out the day of.
In addition to classroom training, we definitely encourage all our members to come receive hands-on experience alongside seasoned beekeepers in our Apiary from March – October. Apiary Days are open to all members, and are held once or twice a month, weather dependent with days and times listed on our club calendar here.