Responsible Natural Beekeeping
May 18 - June 19
Register now to reserve your seat!
$275
College credit option available for an additional fee (see below).
Online
You can take this course from anywhere around the world!
Course Overview
This course demonstrates an ecology-driven beekeeping method that harmonizes our own best practices with the ways that honey bees live in nature.
Natural beekeeping knowledge is beneficial to beekeepers of all kinds, and we will demonstrate the benefits of bees that go far beyond the extraction of their products. Course topics include the natural nest, Langstroth hive modifications, modified colony management techniques, developing resistance to diseases and pests, and management of reproduction.
Student Testimonials
“Natural Beekeeping is a must for every beekeeper. It completely changed my views on how I will tend to my hives forever. It’s a game changer.” – Shannon G.
"This is a great foundational class. As with all of the UM classes there is an emphasis on the biology and ecology of the bee so that you understand not just what to do, but why you need to do it." – Scott Mills, Master Beekeeper, Lazy M Ranch, Pinehurst, TX
“After learning the basics in Apprenticeship class, Natural Beekeeping is exactly the class I needed to feel confident as a Beekeeper. It answered all the questions I had regarding the wild hive and set me on the path of natural selection and alternative methods with my bees.” – Emily Hartley, San Antonio, TX
"One of the best courses of any kind that I've taken." – RAN Pigman, Hamilton, MT
Schedule and Timing
| Semester(s) Offered | Length | Estimated Weekly Workload |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 weeks | 3-4 hours |
This course is open for fixed dates, with new lectures and coursework due each week. You can find the times that work best for you each week to complete the coursework, but you must meet all of the deadlines outlined in the syllabus.
Structure and Location
This course is taught fully online through Canvas, the University of Montana’s online learning system. You must have access to an internet-connected computer to complete coursework. Instructions for logging in will be sent to your email address approximately one week before the class begins. Visit our FAQs for more information.
Prerequisites
This course is open to anyone who has successfully passed our Apprentice Level Beekeeping course or the Apprentice Test-Out.
Please review the general learning requirements in our FAQs.
Required Course Materials
The Lives of Bees: The Untold Story of the Honey Bee in the Wild
Thomas Dyer Seeley, Princeton University Press, 2019
ISBN: 9780691189383 (Hardcover)
Available at: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
Certificates, CEUs, and Credits
Successful completion of this course requires a cumulative final grade of 70% or higher, and will grant:
- A digital certificate of completion
- 3.0 Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
If you have registered and paid for an additional Extended Credit Registration Fee, you will also receive the following on a University of Montana transcript:
| Transcript Title | Semester Credits |
|---|---|
| BIOB 277 Natural Beekeeping | 2 undergraduate |
If you are interested in receiving credit, please email ExtendedLearningSupport@umontana.edu to initiate the registration and payment process.