Education

Field Exercises

Occasionally, throughout the year, we gather in a member’s beeyard to observe their hives, assess the health of the bees, and perform seasonal activities. TVBA members are more than willing to share their knowledge with bee-ginners as well as more experienced beeks. These periodic activities are announced at monthly meetings.

Master Beekeeper Class

TVBA and the UT Extension office will be hosting UT Knoxville's Professor Skinner's Master Beekeeper Class.  The class will be held April 12, 13, 14 at the UT Extension Office.  Cost will be $50.

April 12-  6:30pm-9pm  Introductory lesson to beekeeping

April 13 – 9am-5pm  Lessons in Beekeeping (more detail to follow)

April 14 – 9am-5pm – working in a bee yard (Near the UT Extension office)

 

$50 payment can be made to UT Extension.

Send or bring to the UT Extension Office at 6183 Adamson Circle, Chattanooga, TN.

Office is located just off Bonny

Oaks Drive

near the auto tag office.

 

 Master Beekeeper Signup Form

 

Mentoring Program

TVBA sponsors a Mentoring for New-Bee Beekeepers course annually. The seven-month long course will include classroom instruction but is primarily hands-on  instruction in a beeyard.

Experienced beekeepers  serve as mentors and instructors for the course. There is a limit of 3 classes or 30 students. Each class will consist of 10 students and 2 mentors.

The cost of the course is $350 which includes one complete hive with bees plus basic beekeeping equipment. The new-bee beekeeper will purchase their own protective equipment like gloves and veil.   The hive and tools  remain the property of the student upon successful completion of the course.  During the course of instruction, all class hives  are located in one beeyard to enhance field instruction. At the end of the course, the student will takes his/her hive home.

TVBA is taking names for the 2012 course which will begin in February.  Please send us an e-mail using the Contact Us button on the home page and we will put your name on our notification list.  More details will be available the first of February.

Please click on the link below to read an article written by one of our current mentoring students.

BEEKEEPING IN EASTERN TENNESSEE