Dear Beekeepers,

It's the best time of year for our bees and beekeeping! Keep up on swarm prevention - big hives likely have 7 boxes now and small hives need boxes added quickly (every 2-3 weeks) to keep ahead of their growth!
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I'm doing more inspections at my Berkeley hives. Don't miss this opportunity to learn inspecting tips and techniques.

HIVE INSPECTIONS @ My Berkeley Hives​
Come play with the bees! I'll focus on how to use the tools, identifying what's in the hive, and how to recognize bee behavior (defensive vs calm). Group is limited to 6 people. Here are the upcoming dates:
​Friday, April 25th, 1:30-3:30pm, $30
Friday, May 9th, 1:30-3:30pm, $30​
These first ones are aimed more at beginners, but you will learn lots whatever level/experience you have.
Prerequisite is taking the Hive Inspection class (or other classes with me) in the past few years.
​Email me to sign up & pay!

​HIVE INSPECTION 2-Part Class​
​Sundays, April 13th & 27th, 6:30pm-8pm, $45​
Note: This class has started, but you can still sign up, watch the Part 1 recording, and join class on April 27th.
Learning more tips & tricks around inspecting & what you are looking for will make you a better beekeeper. Plus it will make you understand what you are doing and what your bees are doing. Inspecting is complicated, because it involves reading bee behavior & what's in the combs, making a plan before you go in with goals of what you will do, and knowing different techniques of how to use the tools from hive tool to smoker.
​Register Here!​

VARROA MITE MANAGEMENT CLASS​
​Saturdays, May 17th & 31st, 9am - 10:30am, $45​
Learn what to do each season to keep mite levels low and your bees thriving. It is each beekeeper’s responsibility to keep their mites low, as it means lower mite & virus levels for all the surrounding hives (mites/viruses transfer easily between hives). We focus on methods that have worked in the East Bay for my hives and the hives of students in my mentorship. Register here! ​

SWARM SEASON HAS ARRIVED!​
Lots of hive will likely swarm this week with the hot weather! Keep up with your swarm prevention tactics through end of May on overwintered hives. If your hive swarmed on Friday, look out for another swarm this Friday(a week later). The first swarm will be with the original mated queen. A week later, the virgin queens hatch out and the hive sends off 1-2 more swarms. You can add a box in the middle of the brood nest and/or make a split from the hive to discourage these later swarms from happening. For more information on what to do if your hive swarms, take my self-study class "My Hive Swarmed! Now What?"

HIVE CONSULTATION​
If you have a lot of questions about your hive, email me to set up a phone or Zoom hive consult. $20-$50 sliding scale & depending on how long and involved. I love answering questions about bees! For quick questions, just email me.

BAY AREA BEEKEEPING GUIDE FOR URBAN BACKYARD BEEKEEPERS​
My 80+ page online guide gives you clear guidance each month about what's important to do in the hive.
​Click here to read more about it & buy!
​If you've bought my guide in the past, go here & click login in the upper right corner. You can click Forgot Password to reset your password & gain access. I've updated the guide a lot this year, so do read!​

May you and your bees thrive! -Jennifer

Jennifer Radtke, Learn from the Bees​
​Mentorships, Education, & Advice for Urban Beekeeping in the Unique SF Bay Area Climate

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