BEEKEEPING Agriculture Science/Production Management Beekeeping (5-15 days) This unit deals with various aspects of beekeeping. Topics include career information, economics, bee races and types, safety, seasonal bee management, and marketing aspects. Objectives To acquaint students with employment information and career opportunities in the area of beekeeping To provide students with information on how to assess the feasibility of beekeeping as a primary or supplemental source of income To help students differentiate between the various races and types of bees To develop student understanding of the history of beekeeping To increase student understanding of safety guidelines for working with bees To develop student understanding of seasonal management operations for beekeeping To develop student awareness of marketing techniques and channels used in beekeeping operations Competencies At the conclusion of this unit, students will be able to explain current employment information such as job descriptions, job availability, personal and educational requirements, working conditions, opportunity for advancement, and other factors relative to potential employment in the beekeeping industry and relate it to their personal needs and aspirations; describe the origin and development of the practice of beekeeping; recognize the major classifications of bees kept in the United States; recognize the different types of bees in a hive; identify and explain the basic parts of a beehive; light and use a smoker; describe and sequence seasonal management operations used in beekeeping; and identify markets and marketing channels for various bee products. Subject Matter (Basic skills integration areas are shown in brackets following title.) Careers - Current and future employment needs - Job descriptions - Training requirements - Working conditions - Opportunities for advancement - Other factors History of beekeeping - Egyptians - Indians - Wisconsin Bee races [Science] - Italians - Caucasians Colony and components [Science] - Types of bees Worker Drone Queen - Equipment Stand Bottom board Brood chambers Inner cover Telescoping cover Queen extruder Super - Protective gear - Smokers and extracting gear Protection of the hive - Guard bees - Bee sting - Bee dance Wagtail Short steps Seasonal management of hive - Package installation - Spring build-up for honey flow - Honey gathering - Supering the hive - Removal of honey crop Bee escapes Fume boards Bee blowers - Fall feeding - Winter preparation - Spring disease inspection Foul brood Chalk brood Noscama Mites Markets for bee products [Social Studies] - Transporting - Local - State - National Motivational Activities Take a field trip to a bee yard. Post bulletin board displays featuring topics related to this unit. Place a live bee display in the classroom. View films, videotapes, and slides on beekeeping. Learning Activities Participate in a Supervised Agricultural Experience program. Prepare a bee management plan. Describe the steps involved in honey processing. Taste-test several kinds of honey. Instructional Materials Textbooks and References ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture by E.R. Root and H.H. Root. 39th ed., rev. Medina, OH: A.I. Root, 1983. Available from National Farm Book Company and Nasco. All About Bees, Beekeeping, and Honey by Walter L. Gojmerac. New York: Drake Publishers, 1977. Beekeeping in the Midwest by E.R. Jaycox. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1985. Bees, Beekeeping, Honey, and Pollination by Walter L. Gojmerac. Westport, CT: AVI Publishing, 1980. Contemporary Queen Rearing by Harry H. Laidlaw. Hamilton, IL: Dadant and Sons, 1979. Available from National Farm Book Company. First Lessons in Beekeeping. Edited by C.P. Dadant. Hamilton, IL: Dadant and Sons, 1976. Available from National Farm Book Company. 500 Answers to Bee Questions by George S. Demuth. 3rd ed. Medina, OH: A.I. Root, 1955. Available from National Farm Book Company. Hive and the Honey Bee. Edited by Dadant and Sons. Hamilton, IL: Dadant and Sons, 1975. Available from National Farm Book Company. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Beekeeping by Roger A. Morse. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1984. Keeping Bees by John Vivian. Charlotte, VT: Williamson Publishing, 1986. Available from Nasco. Practical Beekeeing by Enoch Tompkins and Roger Griffith. Pownal, VT: Storey Communications, 1977. Available from Nasco. The Queen Must Die!: And Other Affairs of Bees and Men by William Longgood. New York: W.W. Norton, 1985. A Year in the Beeyard by Roger A. Morse. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1983. Bulletins and Pamphlets The following are available from the Cooperative Extension Service. Beekeeping in the Midwest. A8IL1125. Beekeeping Records. A2655. Building and Operating an Observation Beehive. A2491. Honey Bees and Pesticides - Understanding the Issues. A3357. Honey - Guide to Efficient Production. A2083. Protecting Honey Bees in Wisconsin from Pesticides and Other Toxic Chemicals. A3086. Using Honey Bees to Pollinate Crops. AL549. The following are available from the Minnesota Extension Service. Chemical Control of Honey Bee Diseases. AG-FS-2226. 1984. Nuisance Wasps and Bees. AG-FS-1017. 1985. Protecting Honey Bees from Insecticides. AG-FS-1028. 1987. The following are available from the Ohio Agricultural Education Curriculum Materials Service. Approved Practices for Beekeeping. 607X. Pennsylvania Instructional Materials Service, 1978. Fundamentals of Beekeeping. n.d. 604X. Pennsylvania Instructional Materials Service, n.d. Periodicals American Bee Journal American Beekeeping Federation Newsletter Speedy Bee Computer Software The following is available from Doane Agricultural Service, Inc. Bee Hive Management and Inventory Control Films, Videotapes, and Slides The following are available from Agri-Farm Publications, Inc. Keeping Honeybees/Getting Started. 5683 (VHS videotape, 40 minutes). Setting Up an Apiary. 5684 (VHS videotape, 44 minutes). Summer Hive Management. 5685 (VHS videotape, 30 minutes). Winter Hive Management/Second Spring Hive Management. 5686 (VHS videotape, 55 minutes). The following are available from the Bureau of Audio Visual Instruction. The Bee. 05955 (16mm film, color, 28 minutes). Time Life, 1975. The Beekeeper. 00501 (16mm film, color, 15 minutes). AIMS, 1975. Bee Management: Fall and Winter and Bee Management: Late Winter and Early Spring. 01761 (16mm film, color, 20 minutes). University of Wisconsin, Department of Agricultural Journalism, 1977. Bee Management: Honey Handling. 01762 (16mm film, color, 17 minutes). University of Wisconsin, Department of Agricultural Journalism, 1977. Honeybees and Pesticides: Understanding the Issues. 11349 (VHS videotape, color, 19 minutes). University of Wisconsin, Department of Agricultural Journalism, 1985. Killer Bees - Fact or Fiction. 04778 (16mm film, color, 14 minutes). National Audio Visual Center, 1978. Life Cycle of a Honeybee. 01637 (16mm film, color, 12 minutes). National Geographic Society, 1976. Life of a Honeybee. 2nd ed. 10068 (16mm film, color, 22 minutes). Encyclopedia Britannica Educational Corporation, 1980. Putting Wild Bees to Work. 09306 (16mm film, color, 26 minutes). Utah State University, 1974. Wasps: Paper Makers of the Summer. 06627 (16mm film, color, 10 minutes). Learning Corporation of America, 1973. The following are available from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Film Rental Library. The Beekeeper. 4B517/C (16mm film, color, 13 minutes). ACI Media, 1975. Bees: Backyard Science. 4B718/C (16mm film, color, 13 minutes). BFA Educational Media, 1978. The following is available from Vocational Education Productions. The Business of Bees. 1-613-230H (Sound filmstrip). Equipment and Facilities Computer/printer