2 new VBA courses from Dr. Sam Alger

#1 Hands-on Beekeeping

UVM course number:ALE 2990- Z2

June 15-July 10

Tuesday 4:30-7:30

Saturdays 9am - 3pm

This introductory beekeeping course offers a combination of classroom lectures and hands-on field experience. Topics include bee biology and natural history, choosing and purchasing equipment and bees, integrated pest management, seasonal colony management, and queen grafting.

Class will be held at the UVM horticulture farm and Meach Cove in Shelburne where students will interact with a research and education apiary consisting of over 30 hives. There will also be opportunities for field trips with beekeepers in our community.

Attendance is mandatory for every class as each class serves as the foundation for the next.

Will you get stung? Protective clothing and proper handling techniques greatly reduce the risk of bee stings. However, some bee stings are inevitable. If you have an allergy to bee venom, you should not take the in-person version of this course.

#2 Introduction to Beekeeping

UVM course number: ALE 2990-OL2

June 15-July 10

Online

In this online course, students will learn the fundamentals of being responsible stewards of honey bee colonies and the skills to support good decision-making in today’s changing world of beekeeping. This introductory course will cover topics including basic bee biology, the factors driving global pollinator decline, current topics in pollinator research, purchasing equipment, and bees, integrated pest management, and successful strategies for overwintering. Note that the course material will be presented asynchronously. If you are interested in a hands-on beekeeping course, please see "Hands-on Beekeeping".

For any questions about these 2 courses, contact Dr. Sam Alger at

samantha.alger@uvm.edu

 

VBA AMA #1 – Ask Me Anything

Early summer management

May 27th 2026

7:00 to 8:30 pm

via Zoom

• Spring weather issues and impacts on colony development

• “Reading” queen cells - 30-day queen development cycle

• Recognizing when a colony is ready to swarm and swarm control methods

• The latest on Varroa control

Register on the VBA website calendar.

VBA membership and login are required.

 

VBA Queen spotting workshop

Where's Waldo? No, the queen

May 12th 2026

7:00 to 8:30 pm

via Zoom

Pictures and videos of unmarked queens on frames. Frame scanning tips.

Requires a computer screen or larger tablet/pad. This workshop requires video, preferably a computer screen so the images are roughly real-life size.

Register on the VBA website calendar

VBA membership and login are required.

May 14th Bennington Beekeepers Club Monthly Meeting

Please join us for the May monthly meeting of the BCBC.  It will be held at the Bennington Free Library, starting at 6:30 PM with a meal.  Please bring a dish to share as well as your own dish and silverware.  (We will have paper plates and plastic utensils available as needed).

Business meeting will start at 7:00PM

Discussion will include nominations and voting for officers:  President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

John L will lead table discussion on spring activities including mite reduction by utilizing walk away splits, nuccing, and breaking the brood cycle.  

Please bring your thoughts, experience, and questions.

 

Introduction to FieldWatch Registries & BeeCheck

April 28th 2026

7:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. ET

Zoom Workshop

Join Sydney Miller from the Vermont Bee Lab to learn how to use FieldWatch mapping tools in Vermont. FieldWatch is a free-to-use online mapping platform designed to connect pesticide applicators with beekeepers and crop producers.

The tool enables easy communication and collaboration between stakeholders to reduce the risk of accidental pesticide exposures to your bees and other sensitive crops.

Learn how to easily map your bee yards using BeeCheck and alert nearby pesticide applicators of your locations.

Help protect your bees by engaging in ongoing stewardship activities! Register today on the VBA website www.vermontbeekeepers.org

 

Spring Management Workshop

April 16th 2026

7 to 8:30 P.M.

via Zoom

Making reverse/swarm splits, making nucs, preventing swarms

Register on the VBA Calendar 

VBA membership is required

 

Join the Pesticide Monitoring Project!

Thursday, April 30th

12-1:00 pm

via Zoom

Hi VT Beekeepers!

Are you interested in participating in the 2026 Pesticide Monitoring Project? Started in 2021, this effort represents the most comprehensive pesticide sampling of bee colonies conducted in Vermont to date. Huge thanks to all the volunteer beekeeper community scientists who have collected and submitted samples in the past!

Want to get involved? In order to participate in the pesticide monitoring program, you must receive training on how to collect, store, label, and submit your samples. You have two options:

1. Attend a live webinar on April 30th via zoom at 12 pm.
2. View a recording of the webinar.

With either option, you will be asked to submit a short follow-up 'quiz' by May 4th to confirm you understand the protocols and are ready to begin collecting pollen.

To get started, let us know you are interested by the form on the VBA website. Only respondents to this form will receive a meeting link to the live training webinar and recording.

Thanks for your consideration!

Samantha Alger

Vermont Bee Lab