Summer Field Days: Small Scale Queen Breeding
| Dates | August 8-10, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Instructors | Scott Debnam, Jerry Bromenshenk, Tamila Morgan |
| Registration Fee | $250 |
| Location | Missoula, Montana |
Course Description
Unlock the secrets of successful small-scale queen breeding with our exclusive three-day course in Missoula, Montana! The course has a mix of classroom instruction and hands-on practice in the apiary. Join expert bee researchers and professional queen breeders as they guide you through essential topics like breeder queen selection criteria, effective cell builder instruction, and advanced grafting techniques. Learn to monitor and treat nosema to ensure the health of your queens.
This hands-on training offers you invaluable practical experience, empowering you to elevate your queen-rearing skills and produce high-quality queens. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your beekeeping journey. Join us at UM and take your queen breeding to the next level!
There is no formal prerequisite to attend this short course. However, we will be teaching intermediate level topics. To gain the most benefit from the course, Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ should possess the skill level to overwinter their own bees. This short course is not required for the Master Beekeeping Certificate Program, nor can it be used toward the requirements for the Certificate completion.
Participants are responsible for all transportation, lodging, and personal safety equipment (bee suit, gloves, etc.). You will need a vehicle to travel between the classroom and field site.
There will be shade and chairs available during the field portion, though note the temperature can be hot in August.
Tentative Schedule
Friday, August 8
Classroom instruction
3:00 - 3:30 PM: Introduction
3:30 - 4:15 PM: The Breeder Queen Colony - Selection criteria and care for breeder queen colonies.
4:15 - 5:00 PM: The Cell Builder Colony - Composition, setup, and maintenance.
Saturday, August 9
Morning: Classroom instruction
8:00 - 8:45 AM: The Mating Nuc - Learn about its composition, setup, and care. A demonstration and discussion of the queen castle design will be included.
8:45 - 9:30 AM: Nuptial Flights - Discuss the placement of Drone Congregation Areas (DCAs), mating yards, and drone yards within the landscape.
9:30 - 10:00 AM: Break and Dry Comb Lab Setup
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Dry Comb Lab - Gain hands-on experience in priming queen cups and grafting using simulated frames.
12:00 – 1:00 PM: Lunch and travel to the apiary
Afternoon: Apiary techniques
- Nosema sampling demonstration
- Sample colonies for nosema (If desired, bring your own bees to sample)
- Mark frames for grafting: learn to identify the appropriate aged larvae for grafting
- Grafting
- Field Time will end around 4 pm
Sunday, August 10
Morning: Classroom instruction
8 - 10:30 AM: Nosema Diagnosis - Microscope overview and operation & Nosema diagnosis using microscopy
10:30 - 10:45 AM: Break
10:45 - 11:45 AM: Larval nutrition & pollen patty lab
11:45 AM - 12:30 PM: Grafted Queen Developmental Timing – utilizing larval development to guild our understanding of queen graft timing.
12:30 -1:30 Lunch and travel to the apiary
Afternoon: Apiary techniques
- Overview of the Cell Builder hive – demonstration of a live cell builder colony & hive
- Overview of the Mating nuc – demonstration of a live Queen Castle mating nuc
- Review of the progress of our grafted cells and discussion
- More grafting!
- Demonstration of class selected topic
- Field Time will end around 4 pm
Course Policies
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Beekeeping courses are dependent upon a minimum number of registered Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ to run. If the minimum enrollment is not met, the course will be cancelled and registrants fully refunded. Courses are limited to a maximum enrollment with registration on a first-come, first-served basis. Once a course is full, Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ will be added to a waitlist and notified if an opening becomes available.
Registration fees vary by course and full payment is required at the time of registration. If your payment is not received by one week before the course start date, you will be dropped from the course.
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Students will receive full refunds for cancellations received up to one week before the course start date. To cancel a course, Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ should call Student Support Services, (406) 243-6495.
Refunds are generally not provided for cancellations received after a course begins. Please note the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ requires a "Substitute W-9 Form" in order to process refunds for payments made by check. The "Substitute W-9" form requires the student’s Social Security Number.
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UM will provide reasonable accommodations for Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ with disabilities. To request an accommodation, Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ should contact Student Support Services, (406) 243-6495, at least two weeks before a course starts.