Local course offerings for the upcoming 2026 Beekeeping Season
Wendi Glison, Hands-on Introduction to Beekeeping 2026
Spend a year learning with the bees!
Spots will fill quickly! Visit lushvalley.org/events for more information and to register.Home Grown Bee- Rachel Halliwell
Home Grown Bee is your one-stop shop in the Comox Valley for beekeeping supplies, honey and candles, plus friendly advice for beekeepers of all levels. We also offer in-hive services, workshops and courses to help your bees thrive. Rachel Halliwell, founder of Home Grown Bee, has over 10 years of experience spanning from pollination research, commercial apiaries resulting in hands-on work with thousands of colonies. Through her Vancouver Island storefront, she shares her experience and passion for bees—stop by to chat, learn and explore beekeeping! https://homegrownbee.ca
*Introduction to Beekeeping with Home Grown Bee: From Curiosity to Confidence*
Curious about beekeeping? This two-day in-person course gives you the skills and confidence to care for your first hive — from setup to seasonal management.
Led by: Rachel Halliwell, founder of Home Grown Bee.
What You’ll Learn: Honeybee biology: queens, workers, drones, and colony behaviour. Choosing hive location & equipment. Hive inspections and colony introduction (nuc or package). Seasonal management: feeding, supering. Identifying and managing common pests and diseases.
Format: Two-day indoor course: Feb 21 & 22, 9 AM–1 PM
Optional Field Day in May (when weather is warmer): hands-on experience at our apiary at Home Grown Bee.
Pricing: Two-day course: $245 + GST. Field Day: $75 + GST. Bundle: $288 + GST
Why Take This Course? Gain hands-on experience, confidence, and connect with local beekeepers. Enjoy 10% off Home Grown Bee products during the course weekend.
Location: Home Grown Bee, Merville, BC
Tea, coffee & snacks provided.
Spaces limited!
*Beekeeping 101 – Online, Self-Paced* This course provides practical guidance for new beekeepers, covering:
The Honeybee: Hive members, lifecycle, anatomy, and comb identification
Getting Started: Local resources, essential equipment, and hive setup tips
Live Bees & Hive Inspections: Acquiring bees, hive introductions, inspections, feeding, and seasonal management
Diseases & Pests: Varroa mites and common honeybee health issues
Featuring how-to videos, slides, quizzes and written guides, you’ll have one year of access to revisit chapters whenever you need.
SMITH LAKE FARM- BEGINNRER THROUGH INTERMEDIATE BEEKEEPING COURSE: A hands-on course designed for Westcoast beekeeping
Course Summary: This is not ‘only’ an introductory course – it is what you NEED to know to be successful keeping bees in a wet-coast climate. Science-Based Beekeeping Methodology.
This course is a blended Zoom and hands-on learning program designed specifically for West Coast beekeepers and new-bee(ies). Taught by Master Beekeeper Deborah Acheson (BCHPA-certified instructor) and Clea Adair (BEd, MA), the program teaches the science and practice of beekeeping in a supportive, practical environment. An optional glamping or tiny house stay on-farm is available during our intensive weekend in May.
We provide support throughout your first season to help you feel confident and bee successful!
How to take the course: The preferred way to attend our course portion is once monthly from January through till our hands-on course in May, However, the online structure allows you to begin at any time between October of the preceding year through April of the year of your hands-on weekend that you are registered for.
If you register after the Zoom classes begin, you may watch recorded Zoom sessions at your own pace. Course materials for Session One are sent immediately upon registration so you can begin preparing equipment and schedule your first one-on-one meeting with Deborah.
Sign-up is available on our website!
www.smithlakefarm.com
Course Outline
- One-on-one meeting with our Master Beekeeper to discuss your goals, site layout,and preliminary hive-placement considerations.
- Zoom Session One (January): Setting up your apiary + equipment decision-making.
- Zoom Session Two (February): Life cycle, early spring management, and buying bees — all the essential processes and timing.
- Zoom Session Three (March): Late spring and summer management; swarming behavior, swarm management, hive splitting, and the re-queening process.
- Optional 1-1 Meet your Bees (Spring): Students purchasing bees through the farmreceive a one-on-one meeting at the farm to ready their bees for “home-coming.”
- Zoom Session Four (April): Diseases, diagnostics, and management — including how to use the Smith Lake Farm Bee Health Management Plan.
- Weekend Intensive (May Friday/Saturday): 16 hours of practical instruction reviewing all skills learned so far — full hands-on format. In 2026 the weekend will be 29th & 30th. Techniques for hive inspections, use of smokers, note taking, disease inspection, queen problem inspections, how to find a queen, how to mark a queen, hive division etc. will all be explored. *Content delivery will be weather dependent. The International Honey Tasting Event is included this weekend!
- Zoom Session Five: Wintering bees + open Q&A
All Zoom Session are recorded so that attendees can watch them when time allows and so that students can join the course after the first session in January.
Buying Bees: Students in this course have the option to purchase strong, locally raised nucleus hives with proven overwintered queens. One hive per student is held until February 15th each year before being released for general sale.
Glamping Add-On: Students are given a discounted rate to Glamp or stay in the Tiny House at Smith Lake Farm this weekend! 3 night stays for the price of two!
Course Cost:
- 1 Seat in Course — $359
- 2 Seats (Family Members / Friends) — $639 ($80 savings)
- 1 Seat + 2–3 Night Glamping Package — $659 ($350 savings)
- 2 Seats + 2–3 Night Glamping Package — $859 ($509 savings)
An online deposit of $50 is due at the time of registration to secure your place in the program and reserve your bees (if applicable). Please immediately e-transfer the remainder owed to info@smithlakefarm.com . Credit card payment is available on request, with a 3% fee.
Course Texbooks/Materials
Required Reading:Beekeeping for Dummies by Howland Blackiston. Please order off Amazon and use for your course. We have annotated the 5th Addition.
- Annotated by Deborah Acheson to fit our Westcoast Weather and advancements in science based beekeeping
Handouts: A copy of the Honey Bee Diseases and Pests-Canadian Ass. of Professional Apiculturists.
- Over 10 handouts created by Smith Lake Farm to guide you!
Upon Completion Students receive:
- BCHPA Beginner Beekeeping Certificate
- Smith Lake Farm Intermediate Beekeeper Certificate
- Permanent enrollment in the Smith Lake Farm Bee Health Management Plan updates
- Telephone support throughout your first beekeeping season
Sign-up is available on our website!
www.smithlakefarm.com
In Spring 2026, the Comox Valley Bee Club is going to host a FREE on-line workshop:
Alternative Tools for Apiarists: The 4 Main Biotechnical Varroa Control Methods
The development of the workshops and related materials had been supported by the Bee BC Program through the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. Our club members Sibylle Walkemeyer and Wolfram Wollenheit will conduct the on-line workshop with a duration of about 1.5 hours.
The 4 Methods covered in this workshop are:
- Drone Brood Removal Method
- Varroa Trap Method
- Artificial Brood Break Method
- Complete Brood Removal Method
For the Varroa trap method, members that have participated are eligible to loan queen frame cages from the club (until supply lasts).
Members and non-members are encouraged to participate. If you are interested please send us a message to: bees@truewood.ca
We will keep you updated on the time, date and course link.
QUEEN REARING & GRAFTING WORKSHOP
SPRING 2026
With Steve Clifford, BCHPA President and President of the Sunshine Coast Bee Club. This will be a 2 day hands-on workshop with a maximun of 6 participants. Stay tuned for date, times, location and cost.