Thinking about becoming a beekeeper? Check out resources on this page to learn more about beekeeping. Various County Beekeeping Associations offer beekeeping courses that provide a prospective beekeeper with the perfect education they need to get started.

Beekeeping Associations that Offer Classes 

Rowan County Beekeeper's Association: Offers a class every other year. Next class will be Spring of 2025.

Cabarrus County Beekeeper's Association: Offers a class every year. For more information visit their webpage  - Cabarrus Bee School

NCSU Apiculture Program: The NC State Apiculture department has the "BEES" program which is designed to provide education about bees at your own pace. For more information visit their website  -  BEES Academy 

Online Resources to Learn about Bees

A great resource for people new to beekeeping that want to learn the basics fast is the University of Tennessee Publication "Beekeeping in Tennessee". With the exception of some information that is specific to Tennessee this is a great publication to learn a great deal about beekeeping very shortly.

• Beekeeping in TN

A common woe among all new beekeepers is figuring out what to do and when. Bees are incredibly complex creatures and its easy to get caught up in their complexity. Luckily, there is an easy to decipher calendar that helps you figure out exactly what you should be doing with your bees given the time of year. Download a copy of this calendar by clicking the link.

• CALENDAR-FOR-BEEKEEPING-IN-CENTRAL-NORTH-CAROLINA

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)Unfortunately, honeybees have pests that as beekeepers you have to live with and manage to ensure the health and survivability of your bees. The number one pest you'll be dealing with is the varroa mite (varroa destructor). A good IPM strategy to dealing with varroa mites is one that strikes a balance between chemical treatments and good management practices. Other pests include small hive beetle and wax moths.

• Managing Varroa Mites in Honey Bee Colonies
• Options for Varroa Control NCDA&CS
• Small Hive Beetle - A Pest of the Honeybee
• Controlling Wax Moths

There are also various diseases that affect honeybees including American Foulbrood (AFB), European Foulbrood (EFB), Chalkbrood, and many more. To successfully keep bees you'll want to ensure you educate yourself on the potential risk to your bees that these diseases carry and how to identify them for treatment purposes. Each County of North Carolina has an assigned Apiary Inspector who is in charge of assisting beekeepers with issues they have and issuing sales permits and licenses. Acquaint yourself with your local Apiary Inspector.

• Honeybee Disease Management
• NCBA List of Apiary Inspectors

Additional Bee Resources

• List of Flowering Plants Important to Bees
• Honeybee Health Coalition: Resources Page
• The Different Types of Honeybees

If you have any more questions or would like additional resources on Beekeeping please contact your local Cooperative Extension office.