Bee Apprentice

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Bee Apprentice ·

A Season Long Beekeeping Experience with Sister Creek Hives

Bee Apprentice is a ten month, hands on beekeeping apprenticeship designed for those who want to learn beekeeping through action, slow down, and build a real relationship with their bees. Rooted in ethical, bee first practices, this program invites you into the natural rhythm of the hive from winter through harvest in the Texas Hill Country.

This immersive beekeeping experience follows the full season alongside the bees. You’ll develop practical, real world beekeeping skills through close observation, steady practice, and consistent time in the apiary, building the confidence that comes from working in harmony with the hive.

What You Will Experience

From January through October, you’ll follow the natural arc of the beekeeping year, learning to read the hive and respond intuitively to what the bees need. At Sister Creek Hives, we work with the colony rather than against it, honoring the wisdom of the bees.

You’ll gain experience with Langstroth, Long Lang, and Top Bar hives across Sister Creek Hives teaching apiaries. Lessons focus on chemical free, mindful beekeeping practices that support strong, resilient colonies built for long term hive health.

Topics include
Understanding colony behavior and seasonal rhythms
Safe and confident hive inspections
Natural pest and disease management
Making splits and collecting swarms
Honey harvesting and end of season planning

This program is designed to help you think like a beekeeper and listen like a bee steward.

Learning Format

Bee Apprentice blends guided learning with direct time in the apiary. Expect one to two Zoom classes per month, with all sessions recorded for later viewing, and one weekend per month spent hands-on in the apiary. During split and swarm season, there are additional opportunities to gain field experience.

The program includes four private hive inspections. If you do not yet have bees, these sessions will take place at a Sister Creek Hives apiary. If you do have bees, support is centered on your own hives.

There is also an option to purchase bees at the end of the season.

A Small Group, Community Centered Experience

Bee Apprentice is intentionally kept small to allow for deeper learning, meaningful conversations, and plenty of time for questions. Skills are built steadily through observation, repetition, and guided inspections, helping confidence grow naturally over the season.

This program attracts people who are curious, thoughtful, and committed to ethical beekeeping. Many leave with lasting friendships, practical confidence, and a strong connection to the Sister Creek Hives community.

If you are ready to move beyond theory and into real world beekeeping, this season long experience is your invitation.

Bee Apprentice A Hands On Beekeeping Journey

Early Bird Special $180 per month

Sign up by December 31, 2025 with a $100 deposit applied to your first month

Regular Price $240 per month
$100 deposit required to sign up

Classes run January through October 2026

1 to 2 Zoom classes per month with all lessons recorded
One weekend per month hands on in the apiary
Opportunities to gain additional experience making splits and collecting swarms
Includes four private inspections in your own bees or at a Sister Creek Hives apiary if you do not yet have bees
Option to purchase bees at the end of the season

Sign Up With $100 Deposit

In Person Syllabus

4th Weekend Each Month - Final Dates TBD

January

Assembling Beekeeping Equipment: Top Bar Hives, Langstroth Frames & Supers
Painting & Weatherizing Hives
Preparing Swarm Boxes

February

Waxing Plastic Foundations
Rescue Bars: Top Bar Hive
Hanging and Baiting Swarm Boxes
Hive Inspections: Post Winter Assessments weather permitting

March

Hive Inspections: Space Management
Early Spring Feeding: What & Why?
Colony Health Assessments: Brood Nest Inspections
Early Signs of Swarming
Making Splits- Leveraging Swarm Cells & Mini Mating Nucs
Recommended Reading for April: Song of Increase

April

Hive Inspections: Signs of Swarming & Brood Nest Expansion
Equalizing Colonies: Sharing Resources
Making Splits: Walk Away vs Swarm Cells
- Option to join multiple times throughout the month.
Identifying a Nectar Flow
Installing Nucs and Packages
Identify Queens & Drones in a Colony
Recommended Reading for May: Honey Pest and Diseases

May

Hive Inspections: Identifying Pests and Diseases
Managing for Varroa Mites: Harbo and Sugar Wash
How to Re-queen a Hive

June

Hive Inspections: Colony Health Assessments
Dearth Management
Robbing Behavior vs. Orientation Flights
Preparing for Honey Harvest

July

Hive Inspections: Varroa Management, Brood Breaks & Re-queening
Summer Feeding: What & Why?
Honey and Wax Harvest

August

Hive Inspections: Identifying Stress in the Hive
Preparing for Fall Splits and Combines

September

Hive Inspections: Space Management in the Hive
Brood Health Assessment: Case Studies from the Apiary
Fall and Winter Feeding: What & Why?

October

Hive Inspections: Fall Combines & Equalizing Resources
Assessment of Winter Resources in the Hive
Space Management
Winterizing the Apiary

Virtual Syllabus

Final Dates TBD