Mentoring

By: David MacFawn, Larry Coble and Jack Banker Elliott III

This article originally appeared in the Autumn 2017 issue of BEEKeeping Your First Three Years

Mentoring new bee­keepers is beneficial and improves the success of new beekeepers. However, mentoring can be time consuming for an association’s personnel resources. Luckily, new beekeepers have a wide variety of knowledge resources to learn bee­keeping. Knowledge can be obtained from not only association sponsored beekeeping classes, but books, You­Tube videos, periodicals, and online discussion boards, as well as state and regional conferences. Other not so obvious resources include local bee club social gatherings, educational events, and community outreach efforts. With all of these opportunities, new beekeepers need to assess the source of information and obtain information from trusted resources. “Ask, and it will be giv­en to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” Matthew 7:7.

Early Days

In the early days, an established beekeeper took on an apprentice to train. The apprentice worked side by side with the experienced beekeeper to learn the trade. The apprentice was taught how to assemble equip­ment, work a colony, diseases, and many other beekeeping topics.

The apprentice regularly visited the established beekeeper’s bee yard and worked with the beekeeper for a couple years. The first year, the apprentice may have worked the beekeeper’s bees with the apprentice watching, listening, fetching, and peering over the beekeeper’s shoul­der as he described what they were seeing and doing. The second year the beekeeper may have made a split to give to the apprentice. The split, kept in the beekeeper’s yard, would be worked by the apprentice under the watchful eye of the seasoned beekeeper. Further direction was given as needed as the apprentice increased his knowledge base. The third year, the apprentice was on his own keeping his colony in his own bee yard with little supervision and con­sulting from the seasoned beekeeper.
With the apprentice traveling to the beekeeper’s yard, the bee­keeper’s travel time was minimized allowing the beekeeper to mentor more apprentices. The onus was on the apprentice to secure an appren­ticeship spot with the established beekeeper. One weakness on this model, however, is the apprentice was dependent on the mentor and did not receive a diversity of opinions. Given the many ways to keep bees, this limited growth and innovation in new beekeepers.

Newer Model

In the newer model, a new bee­keeper takes a beekeeping class with a local association to learn the basics, then obtains a mentor to help him manage his colonies. Typically, a “day in the bee yard” is offered at the end of the class. New beekeepers then obtain bees and begin the ad­venture independently with the local association and mentor as supports. Often the mentor travels to the new beekeeper’s colonies. It should be noted, this consumes time and travel cost for the mentor.

The ever-increasing interest in beekeeping over recent years has resulted in local associations offering an increase in classes. Sometimes these classes grow year after year to accommodate local interest. The result is growing bee clubs and asso­ciations made up largely of beginning beekeepers. This lack of mentors and a lengthy time of practical training in a bee yard, as once offered with the older mentor model, results in failure when problems develop. Often the honeymoon period of a Spring nectar flow lulls the beginning beekeeper into assuming beekeeping is easy. Attendance at local bee association meetings, study, and contact with mentors wanes until their bees de­cline and the mentor is called into action. At this stage the mentor is no longer mentoring but rather acting as the physician for both the bees and the new beekeeper. When called in it becomes strikingly obvious many new beekeepers do not know what a “normal” colony looks like. Unfortu­nately, too many new members do not call and “fizzle out” if their colonies do not make it through the Winter. Many new beekeepers leave beekeeping if they do not have proper, ongoing men­torship (education). Increasing con­tact with mentors and local beekeep­ing educational offerings results in an increase in new beekeepers’ success.

Blending the Old Model with the New

It seems apparent that the in­terest in beekeeping is outstripping the availability of mentors in many local bee clubs and associations. This article proposes that a blending of old and new schools of thought can result in a positive outcome for those interested in learning the craft of bee­keeping. The problem is one of having enough mentors to efficiently and effectively convey their knowledge to the ever growing number of new and beginning beekeepers. Additionally, that knowledge needs to be conveyed without mentors traveling the coun­ty making home visits and before a crisis occurs.

I’m going to suggest a new men­torship model towards getting the new, prospective beekeeper the men­torship they need to find success in this challenging mix of science and art we call beekeeping. This is bee­keeper education not babysitting, handholding, nor bee hive autopsy­ing. It’s written as advice to the new beekeeper wishing to study beekeep­ing with the onus on them to find and develop their knowledge base. The information is out there!

First, a word to those wonderful and giving individuals called men­tors. You are the glue that holds beekeeping education together. And you are the gold within every club and association. Your knowledge base is needed more now than ever before. So, precious is your knowledge that it needs to be shared with all the ever-increasing number of people expressing an interest in beekeep­ing. Consider reaching more new beekeepers by giving presentations and lectures.

Let’s look closely at those iden­tified sources of information, men­tioned earlier, which are available to the individual wishing to become a beekeeper: association sponsored beekeeping classes, books, periodi­cals, and online discussion boards, local bee club social gatherings, edu­cational events, community outreach efforts, and state conferences and online videos. From the perspective that the beginning beekeeper needs to acquire the necessary knowledge, here are suggestions for finding that knowledge:

1. The new beekeeper should find a local club or association and start attending meetings.

Local association monthly meetings are available to new beekeepers to learn what is going on in the bee yard that month and in their local area. Most clubs place their most trusted and experience beekeepers in front of the group to offer lecture topics of interest. Simply put, these trusted and experienced beekeepers are the club mentors delivering the knowledge directly to the new bee­keepers. Overheads, PowerPoints, and handouts deliver the information needed for the attendees to learn what “normal” and “abnormal” looks like. Additionally, based on the season, the new beekeeper is coached on what they”should be doing that month to be successful. Topics covering feeding, assessment of mites, proper eval­uation, and treatment are covered at a time corresponding to the local climate and beekeeping season. Too often, new beekeepers do not attend especially during the “good times “of the nectar flow, missing their monthly mentoring session.

2. The new beekeeper should at­tend a good beginning beekeeper class.

Half-day or single day classes are good for determining if beekeeping is something they’d like to learn. Bet­ter introductory beekeeping classes span multiple evenings or weekends and offer Certified testing. If a local club doesn’t offer one, look for a class at the next closest club. Attend their meetings too. The drive may be worthwhile.

3. Sign up and take the next be­ginning beekeeper class offered.

Read the handouts, read the book. Don’t be satisfied to be spoonfed the information and don’t limit yourself to only the information in the class. Consider this class your foot in the door, your introduction, the beginning of your adventure.

4. Visit your local library and check out books on beekeeping.

You will find some entertaining, some are scientific, and some are his­tories. Read all that you find helpful.

5. Decide right now that coming to monthly meetings is an important part of your continuing beekeeping education.

Miss one at your own risk. Many club meeting topics follow the bee’s annual cycle through the seasons. Important things to do and observe are discussed at meetings. The meet­ing you miss may be the one that offers the information you needed to hear that month.

6. Volunteer for club activities.

If your club offers community outreach at festivals and events, talk to your club’s event coordinator. Volunteer to work with someone else “talking bees” with the public. If you took the beginning beekeeper class, you know 100% more than the gen­eral population. Listen to the experi­enced volunteer you are paired with and learn from them. Talk with them during breaks. If you enjoy speaking to children there is a real need to visit with elementary classes. Senior cen­ters also appreciate visits and often contact clubs to schedule brief talks.

7. Watch your bees.

Even if you aren’t going inside the hive. Get a chair and sit and watch them coming and going. Soak it in. At first, you’ll not have a baseline with which to compare their comings and goings. As the seasons progress, nectar flows begin and end, tempera­tures change, their behavior will change as well. Soon you will notice subtle changes in their behavior on the landing board. With time, you’ll know when something’s wrong and needs further inspection – just by watching them on the landing board.

8. If your club has social events like pre-meeting dinners, occasional so­cial events, or days in the beeyard, attend them.

Beekeepers tend to want to talk about bees – exhaustively. Only other beekeepers want to talk about it as much as you will. You will learn a lot talking with others at these events.

9. Find a bee buddy.

A bee buddy may be another first­-year beekeeper in your neighborhood or a second-year beekeeper that lives close by. Your bee buddy is the one you call when your hive swarms and you need to borrow a box. A bee buddy is someone to visit and look at their hives; they come over and look at yours too. Bee buddies share new discoveries and together you learn how to manage your bees. Find a bee buddy at meetings, events, or during meeting fellowship time.

10. Enter your hives as often as is prudent.

During some seasons the bees are docile and tolerant of your intrusions. In the Spring visit them often – even every week. When you enter the hive go in with an idea of what you wish to accomplish in mind. What do you want to observe? The first few times you will be so filled with excitement you’ll forget to look for those things you set as your goal. That’s okay, look on your next visit. There are other seasons when the bees are best left alone such as when they are arranging and securing their winter home or during colder months. Take every opportunity to observe them.

11. Join your club’s online discus­sion group if it has one.

You’ll find quick answers to questions you have. Often a photo and description to the group will result in helpful responses or allay your anxiety about something you’ve never seen before. If you do have an emergency often a club member can swing by after work and take a look. Other club members will find online links to good videos, magazine ar­ticles, and other information they found useful and wish to share. Both girls and guys participate in forums and sometimes you find that you’re neighbors!

12. Read your club’s newsletter.

Local happenings are listed. Im­portant dates too. Sale ads and arti­cles of interest as well as your club’s minutes and scheduled speakers and topics keep you informed. Often the club will have an article directly related to seasonal beekeeping letting you know what to observe and do in your hives that month.

13. Attend local educational offerings.

Some clubs bring in out-of-town speakers for special topics of interest. Other times clubs or local beekeepers offer day classes on specific topics of interest: Queen rearing, Moving hives, Making Splits, Africanized bees, oh my!

14. Attend state conferences.

Even if you can’t stay for two and a half days at least go for a single day. The information you hear will be from the scholars in bee research around the country. They have a knack for breaking it down for us simple bee­keepers though so it all works out. Have lunch with fellow beekeepers. If you overnight, find out where your club or neighboring club will be hav­ing dinner and socialize. Carpool with our bee buddy. Hang out in the hotel lobby and talk bees until late.

15. Placed last because you may never need it if you’re working all the above. Visit your club’s mentor list and find a mentor close to you.

Preferably one that also attends meetings. Sit with them, or watch and listen to them teach at the front of the room. If you don’t understand something, ask after the meeting. Offer to help your mentor do hard work like pulling supers, rotating boxes, or extracting honey. Tell them you’ll gladly help with their next swarm retrieval. Ask them tough questions that show your enthusiasm and that you’re making every effort to learn. If they know you’re dedicated to learn­ing, attending, and making an effort it makes all the difference in the world.

In the end, it’s all about learning about bees, their biology, behavior, and management. Along with that come the seasons, foliage, the bees’ cousins, and foes. Today’s prospective beekeeper has more resources that ever before: face to face education, fellowship, books, YouTube videos, discussion groups, community outreach, confer­ences, and more. Take advantage of every offering available and you will succeed. Now, get to a meeting!

The Future

Many experience beekeepers can reach more new beekeepers by giving presentations and lectures. We need mentoring to be both successful and efficient during these times of expand­ing interest. This model of mixing old and new methods can be utilized to reach more new beekeepers by in­creasing the mentor’s audience as he or she imparts their wealth of knowl­edge at the many events where new beekeepers gather. It is hoped that the suggestions above are taken and built on by beekeeping clubs and leadership. The suggestions are not all inclusive and should be molded to meet the individual needs and circumstances of each group. Hopefully this article will provide some ideas that can be implemented and result in increased in success for all.

Larry Coble is the past Secretary of Mid-State South Carolina Beekeepers Association, teaches introductory bee classes, and is a South Carolina Journeyman Beekeeper. Jack Banker Elliot is founder and Chairman of the board of Global Apiology Foundation, a beekeeping non-profit Christian organization. David MacFawn is Chief Information Officer of Global Apiology, a beekeeping non-profit Christian organization responsible for consulting on beekeeping finance, issues, and techniques.