Beekeeping
Workshop - Beekeeping 101
Thinking about starting a backyard beehive? Curious about keeping bees in Southern Arizona? Here is our introductory class. This class is designed for absolute beginners and emphasis on local problems such as Africanized Hybrid Honeybees. Learn the cast and demographics of the hive, different hive designs, protective gear and tips. The local seasons and how they affect the hive. Lots of practical information on setting up and maintaining your hive. Our area is very unique and beginner beekeeping books, though they are great for basic knowledge, will not prepare you for beekeeping in the Southwest. First half is in the classroom, second half is hands on in our bees! This helps you get comfortable being around bees. You will get the opportunity to to inspect hives with supervision and guidance. How to protect yourself and those around you. How and when to use a smoker and what to look for during inspections. During the hands on part, we inspect multiple hives. This gives us glimpses into different scenarios, one hive may have laying workers, one may be going through requeening, one may have mites, so each class can be different! A few times we even had to gather swarms that landed nearby! This class requires protective clothing. If you do not have a suit yet, don't worry, you can borrow one of ours. This class includes a one year membership to the Southern Arizona Beekeepers Association.
1 day workshop, 6 hours long. Starts at 9am. Breaks at noon for lunch, either bring your own or visit one of the restaurants in Three Points, resumes at 1pm until around 4pm.
We hold this class at our apiary South of Three Points for the safety of the community. We will be seeing the difference (hands on) between an Africanized Hybrid Hive and an European one. This class comes with continued hands on education (Sundays in the Apiary), invitations to assist in bee removals and phone mentorship at no charge. By taking a class from a third generation beekeeper you are gaining the knowledge to assist you from potentially making costly mistakes causing bee deaths and/or harm to people and animals.
Space limited to 6 persons per class. Class fee is $150. You can choose to pay the full amount or hold your space by choosing 1/2 down with remainder due at the class by clicking on the drop down tab below. Ages 10-17 are half price when accompanied by an adult.
2025 Nuc Deposit
Included in standard nuc order:
5 Deep Frames in a reusable cardboad nuc box. Includes established MARKED 2025 European queen, 4 frames of brood and one frame of honey.
PRICE IS $225. Reserve your nuc with a $125 deposit. $100 due at time of pick-up.
NEW OPTIONS:
with Hive Alive Fondant Patty (2.2 lb) & Homemade Protein Patty (1lb) +$25
with Zippered Mesh Transport Bag +$25
with Pro Nuc Box instead of Cardboard (better for long distances) +$15
Medium Frame Nuc $200
Layens Style Hive Nuc $300
Top Bar HIve Nuc $300
YOU MAY ALSO CUSTOM REQUEST BETWEEN FOUNDATION OR FOUNDATIONLESS FRAMES
Orders are filled as soon as nucs become available in a first to reserve, first to receive order. This is dependent on the weather and queen availability, April thru May. You will be contacted one to two weeks prior to pick up to arrange a date & time. Make sure to leave a note on your order that explains the best way to contact you either by email or texting. We do late evening pickups, location is south of Three Points. We do not recommend transport in the day due to heat and the fact that when we close the nuc box we want as many foragers inside as possible. No bee left behind! NO SHIPPING! NO DELIVERIES! Once bees leave our hands there are NO REFUNDS! I will have a new Youtube video up shortly that discusses transport issues and care, how to install your nuc and what all equipment you need prior to taking your bees home.
BONUS! All customers ordering receive a FREE one time hive inspection at the owners request within 60 miles of Three Points, Arizona, AND my phone number for questions and advice. When you buy a nuc from us we become "bee family"! After the one time house call you can request more assistance or bee sitting services, visit our Hive Maintenance page.
We do have a limited amount of bee equipment for sale.
New to beekeeping? Check out our Beekeeping 101 Class or the Leave-a-Beekeeper option!
Leave a Beekeeper Workshop
Learn about bees, becoming a beekeeper PLUS take home a nuc of 5 deep frames with bees and a 2025 queen.
1 day workshop, 6 hours long. Starts at 9am. Breaks at noon for lunch, either bring your own or visit one of the restaurants in Three Points, resumes at 1pm until 4pm.
Price includes a one year membership to the Southern Arizona Beekeepers Association
http://southernazbeekeepers.org/
Workshop - Advanced Beekeeping
Working with Africanized Hives, Requeening, Making Splits, Spotting Failing Queens, Prevent Swarming, Banking Queens, Quality and genetics of Queens, Fixing Laying Workers, Diseases & Pests: AFB, EFB, Chalk Brood, PMS more on mites! Honey extraction and bottling, wax processing, pollen collection, propolis collection, making your own protein patties, queen candy, sugar boards and more!
Beekeeping 101 class or equivalent experience required prior to Advanced workshop. Class starts at 9am and is held south of Three Points, AZ. Prepare for an all day experience, bring your lunch or visit one of the local restaurants midday.
YEAR LONG Beekeeping Course
$65 per month. Prepay or pay on arrival (just message or email that you will be attending). This course is held once a month on the third Saturday (fourth Saturday in July) at 1:30pm. Especially designed for what is happening in the hives that month! Classroom & Hands on experience to take home and apply to your own colonies. This is especially helpful to those that only have one hive and need to have other hives to compare to. We will discuss and treat for Mites, pollen & nectar sources, how and when to feed, how and when to harvest honey, dearths & overwintering, robbing, laying worker, when to requeen, requeening european and africanized hives, swarm prevention, when to reduce hives and when to increase the size of a hive, preventing wax worms and much more. All information pertinent to that particular month. Holidays may interrupt class scheduling, if that occurs attendees will be notified of a different date for that month. Class participants will be eligible to win a prize from a drawing held each month. Participants also get to check out books from our library to be returned the next month to encourage Q&A period after each class. If you miss a class you may roll over to next month. Prerequisite Beekeeping 101 class or equivalent experience.
To order email [email protected] or text 520-240-0532
check out our beneficial plants photograph list for honeybees
