Beekeeping Bootcamp

Welcome to Beekeeping Bootcamp! This series comprises five three-hour workshops taught by beekeeper Lorna McCallister throughout the year. Workshops include instruction and information in the classroom, followed by hands-on practice and observation in the apiary. Workshops will not include hives and beekeeping supplies but will provide informational materials and knowledge on where to get supplies from.

Class Topics, 9:00am - 12:00pm:

Workshop 1, February 7, 2026: Beekeeping Basics

Workshop 2, April 18, 2026: Package Installation and Early Season Management

Workshop 3, June 6, 2026: Mid-Season Management and Maladies

Workshop 4, August 8, 2026: Honey Extraction

Workshop 5, September 19, 2026: Preparing for Winter

Cancellation Policy: If you cannot make it to a class, you will still be able to receive all of the class materials. If you purchase the entire course and desire a refund, cancellations with at least 3 business days’ notice will be charged a 10% processing fee, and the remainder will be refunded to the customer. No refunds are given for classes missed. A full refund will be given to the customer if the Butterfly Pavilion cancels a workshop for any reason.

If you've gotten your beehive through its first winter in Colorado, congratulations! You're about to have a second-year hive! With a second-year hive comes all new adventures in beekeeping, one of the most important of which is swarming. When a colony swarms, not only does a beekeeper lose their valuable, experienced queen, but other issues, such as a failure to produce a new queen or swarms moving into dangerous locations, can occur. It is in a beekeeper’s best interest to learn how to artificially create a swarm by doing a split to prevent their bees from becoming a community nuisance. It is also beneficial for new beekeepers to learn about swarm behavior and how they can get themselves free bees by becoming a swarm catcher.

In this workshop, we'll learn all about swarms, including signs that a colony is going to swarm, how to prevent your hive from swarming, how to make more hives by making splits, and basic swarm catching techniques. The workshop will start with a classroom lesson then move to Butterfly Pavilion's on-site apiary for a demonstration of how to split a hive.