Educational Resources

Penn State Extension Beekeeping Resources (revised 16Feb2022)

Online Class:

https://extension.psu.edu/beekeeping-101

Books:

Where to order the Beekeeping Basics Book (2007 version): https://extension.psu.edu/beekeeping-basics

Download a pdf of Beekeeping Basics Book (2007 version): https://extension.psu.edu/downloadable/download/sample/sample_id/818/

A Field Guide to Honey Bees and their Maladies

https://extension.psu.edu/a-field-guide-to-honey-bees-and-their-maladies

Accompanying pocket guide

https://extension.psu.edu/a-quick-reference-guide-to-honey-bee-parasites-pests-predators-and-diseases 

Webinars:

Organic Honey Bee Colony Management Series (Jan 18-Feb 22, 2022 and recorded)

https://extension.psu.edu/organic-honey-bee-colony-management-series

Bee Biodiversity

https://extension.psu.edu/pollinator-series-bee-biodiversity-in-pennsylvania

Bee Health Challenges

https://extension.psu.edu/pollinator-series-health-challenges-from-a-bees-perspective

Health Challenges for Long-term Survival

https://extension.psu.edu/pollinator-series-health-challenges-for-long-term-survival

Bee Nutritional Ecology: From Flowers to Landscapes

https://extension.psu.edu/pollinator-series-bee-nutritional-ecology-from-flowers-to-landscapes

Queen Rearing Basics

https://extension.psu.edu/pollinator-series-queen-bee-rearing-basics

Other videos:

Why are bees important?:

English: https://extension.psu.edu/why-are-bees-important

Spanish: https://extension.psu.edu/por-que-son-importantes-las-abejas

Installing a package of bees:  https://extension.psu.edu/installing-packaged-bees

Varroa mite monitoring:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/10kAs6i0CMX2R3HMyuJWOR-JgzgE38pOQ/view?usp=sharing

Varroa mite integrated pest management:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YespRN38Wx6GihajvJoSQkKTtQbf-JtN/view?usp=sharing

Fact Sheets (each link takes you to a page where you can download a pdf or place an order for a hard copy):

Alcohol wash for varroa mite monitoring:  https://extension.psu.edu/alcohol-wash-for-varroa-mite-monitoring 

Getting started:

https://extension.psu.edu/beekeeping-honey-bees

Or

https://lopezuribelab.com/beekeeping-where-to-begin/

A Quick Reference Guide to Honey Bee Parasites, Pests, Predators and Diseases:

https://extension.psu.edu/a-quick-reference-guide-to-honey-bee-parasites-pests-predators-and-diseases

Beekeeping Integrated Pest Management:  https://lopezuribelab.com/ipm/

Honey Bee Viruses:  https://extension.psu.edu/viruses-in-honey-bees

An Organic Management System for Honey Bees https://extension.psu.edu/an-organic-management-system-for-honey-bees

A Bear Fence Design:  https://extension.psu.edu/hive-protection-bear-fence-design

Varroa mite monitoring:  https://lopezuribelab.com/varroa-mite-monitoring/

Methods to Control Varroa Mites

English: https://extension.psu.edu/methods-to-control-varroa-mites-an-integrated-pest-management-approach

Spanish:  https://extension.psu.edu/metodos-para-el-control-de-varroa-destructor-un-enfoque-de-manejo-integrado-de-plagas

Oxalic acid application:  https://lopezuribelab.com/oxalic-acid-treatment-protocols/

American Foulbrood

English: https://extension.psu.edu/honey-bee-diseases-american-foulbrood

Spanish: https://extension.psu.edu/enfermedades-de-la-abeja-de-miel-loque-americana

Pollinator Declines:  https://extension.psu.edu/pollinator-declines

Feral Bees:  https://extension.psu.edu/tracking-the-health-of-feral-honey-bees-in-pennsylvania

Queen Bee Development:  https://extension.psu.edu/an-introduction-to-queen-honey-bee-development

Queen Cell Production:  https://extension.psu.edu/queen-cell-production-grafting-and-graft-free-methods

Cell Builder Basics:  https://extension.psu.edu/beekeeping-cell-builder-basics

Baking with honey:  https://extension.psu.edu/baking-with-honey-the-sweetener-not-your-sweetheart

5-step decision support: Nesting bees and wasps near homes

https://extension.psu.edu/five-step-decision-support-nesting-bees-and-wasps-near-homes

Common social bees and wasps of PA

https://extension.psu.edu/common-social-bees-and-wasps-of-pennsylvania-behavior-lifecycle-and-management

Also check out:

The Center for Pollinator Research:  https://ento.psu.edu/research/centers/pollinators

MAAREC: Mid-Atlantic Apiculture and Extension Consortium

https://canr.udel.edu/maarec

·       List of Basic Resource Books

·       beginning-beekeeping-everything-you-need-to-make-your-hive-thrive

·       093-Oertel--History of Beekeeping in the US

·       An-Apiary-Guide-to-Swarm-Control-2nd-edition

·       Anatomy_of_the_honey_bee_colored

·       Worker egg-to-emergence

·       Honey bee stinger action

Online Virtual Classes

·       Penn State Extension

·       Auburn University

·       University of Maryland Bee Squad

·       University Of Guelph

·       Ohio State Beekeepers Association

Training Videos

Working with Bees

·       Hive Location and Setup

·       Hive Equipment

·       Protective Clothing

·       Smoke Use

·       Stinging

·       Comb Building

·       Opening Hives

·       Colony Inspection

·       Introducing a Nucleus Colony

Working with Queens

·       Finding Queens

·       Requeening

·       Marking and Clipping Queens

·       Why Buy Queens

·       Caring for Caged Queens

Colony Management

·       Supering Hives

·       Swarm Control

·       Splitting Hives

·       Moving Hives

·       Feeding Bees and Overwintering

·       Dealing with Deadouts (Part 1)

·       Dealing with Deadouts (Part 2)

·       Managing Towards Gentle Behaviour

Abnormal Colony Conditions

·       Abnormal Conditions Part 1 – Failed Queens and Chalk Brood

·       Abnormal Conditions Part 2 – Wax Moth, Monitoring Mites, and Antibiotics

·       Abnormal Conditions Part 3 – Laying Workers and Sacbrood

·       Laying Worker

Pest Management

·       Fumigating for Nosema

·       Varroa Population Dynamics

·       Varroa Sticky Boards

·       Varroa Alcohol Wash

Double Nucleus Colonies

·       Making Double Nucleus Colonies Part 1

·       Making Double Nucleus Colonies Part 2

·       Fixing Problem Double Nucleus Colonies

·       Transferring Double Nucleus Colonies

Queen Rearing

·       Grafting

·       Cell Building – Part 1

·       Cell Building – Part 2

·       Making Mini Nucleus Colonies

·       4-Way Mating Nucleus Colonies

·       Handling Queen Cells

Honey Harvesting and Processing

·       Tipping Hives

·       Honey Harvesting

·       Honey Extracting

·       Honey Moisture

Activities and Information for Children

Crafts
Kid's Craft Created by Charlie & Cathy Vorisek

Finger Puzzle (Bee)
Finger Puzzle (Honey)
Finger Puzzle (Pollination)
Finger Puzzles (all of above in zip archive)

Coloring

Coloring Sheet Set (9 pages)
Coloring Sheet (Welcome to our Apiary)

Info

Bee Houses
Bees and Plants
Busy Bee
Dance
Honey
Sting
Inside the Hive
What Bees See
Honey Bee Trivia

Links to offsite information:

www.beeculture.com/category/bee-life/kids/
www.abfnet.org/?page=16
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/honeybee
https://climatekids.nasa.gov/bees/
www.buzzaboutbees.net/Bee-Themed-Educational-Resources.html
https://www.honey.com/the-bees/educational-materials (activity sheets & posters)