2022 Open Apiary Season Recap

We started our first open apiary location in Nordic Ranches, Etna WY this year! At this location, we held monthly open apiary events which educated many, both the advanced beekeeper and the new-bee. If you’ve never been to an open apiary event, you are in for a treat. Everyone wears bee suits and we all get to get into a real live hive! This is a great opportunity for the person on the fence. The one who has wanted bees forever but has been unsure about how they would handle being up close and personal inside a real hive. This is your chance! We do have extra bee suits at the Open Apiary location as well, so feel free to come join us and try it out!

For every event, we had a list of basic topics that we need to cover. Every month included a thorough hive inspection on each colony. Our own Open Apiary Manager and Journeyman beekeeper Beth Missel, as well as our President and Master Beekeeper Kathy Clay, both walk us through exactly how to do these inspections. As an attendant, you even get the chance to do inspections on your own under guidance. This is great hands-on experience. Like anything else, you need those reps to get good.

Each event typically embodied themes with learning objectives reflected on the seasonal needs. Each season calls for different action in the hives, so showing our open apiary attendants each of those tasks is invaluable.

When temperatures get cold enough to not be in the hives, we transition to the Winter Open Apiary offering members a virtual monthly training. Winter is, after all, the best time of the year to use time to learn more about apis mellifera.

Take a look some pictures from the 2022 season below, and mark your calendars for the 2023 season Open Apiary events!

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Open Apiary Locations

NORDIC RANCHES APIARY

34 LARIAT DR

ETNA, WY 83118

TETON COUNTY RAPTOR CENTER

5450 WY-22

WILSON, WY 83014

January 21st 10am-Noon (SET)
WINTER OPEN APIARY
Zoom Meeting with Propolis Expert Rich Wieske
Topic: Harvesting, collecting and using propolis

February 18th 10AM-Noon (SET)
WINTER OPEN APIARY
Zoom Meeting with William Hesbach

Topic: Winter Colonies and Ventilation

March 18th 10AM-Noon (SET)
WINTER OPEN APIARY
Zoom Meeting with Speaker Dr. Thomas Seeley
Topic: TBD

April 15th 10AM-Noon
INTRODUCTION TO BEEKEEPING

Nordic Ranches Open Apiary
Classroom held inside
Weather permitting, hands-on hive inspections

April 21 and 22nd
INTRO TO BEEKEEPING
Teton County Raptor Center
April 21 at 5pm April 22 starts at 2pm

SIGN UP THROUGH THE STORE ON THIS WEBPAGE

May 20th 10AM-Noon
OPEN APIARY (First in person, with live bees!)
Nordic Ranch Apiary
Topic: Spring Set Up, Hive Inspection, Mite Check

June 17th 10AM-Noon
OPEN APIARY
Teton County Raptor Center
Topic: Getting the flow on, Hive Inspections, Mite Checks

July 15th 10AM-Noon
OPEN APIARY
Nordic Ranch Apiary
Topic: Hive Inspections, Swarm Management, Mite Checks

August 19th 10AM-Noon
OPEN APIARY
Nordic Ranches Apiary
Speaker Judy Wu-Smart of University of NE Lincoln
Topic: TBD

August 19th 3-4PM
OPEN APIARY
Teton County Raptor Center
Speaker Judy Wu-Smart of University of NE Lincoln
Topic: TBD

September 16th 10AM-Noon
OPEN APIARY
Nordic Ranches Apiary
Speaker Cam Lay of University of Montana
Topic: Pesticides and Bee Health

September 16th 3-4PM
OPEN APIARY
Teton County Raptor Center
Speaker Cam Lay of University of Montana
Topic: Pesticides and Bee Health

October 21st 10AM-Noon
OPEN APIARY
Nordic Ranches Apiary
Topic: Mite Checks, Feed for Better Winter Bees, Mite Reproduction

November 18th 3-5PM
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

December 16th 10AM-Noon
WINTER OPEN APIARY
Zoom Meeting
Topic: Things to Make from the Hive

2023 Open Apiary Dates All topics tentative

All Open Apiary events occur on the third Saturday of the month. Winter Open Apiary events are either virtual or in person, but do not include live bees.