Obtain and complete this book each year the beekeeping project is taken.
Name Address 4-H Club 4-H Advisor
Date started Date completed
I hereby certify that as the 4-H member of this project, I have personally kept records on this beekeeping project and have personally completed this record book.
Signed
4-H 641
Beekeeping
Project and Record Book
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Contents
Note to the Project Helper
Your Role as Project Helper . . . 2
The Beekeeping Project and Record Book . . . 2–3 Learning Science . . . 3
For the 4-H Member: Getting Started
Your Project Helper . . . 4Your Project Level . . . 4–5 Project Guidelines . . . 5
Introduction to Beekeeping . . . 6–7 Where to Find Information about Bees . . . 7–8
Member Project Guide
Introduction to the Project . . . 9Project Goals and Objectives . . . 9–11 Topics of Interest . . . . 12–13 Learning Activities . . . . 14–15 Learning Experiences . . . . 16–17 Leadership and Citizenship Activities . . . . 18–19
Colony Care and Management
Planning for the Care of Your Colony . . . . 20–21 My Apiary . . . . 22–23Beekeeping Records
Introduction . . . . 24My Project Hive . . . . 24
Inspection Record . . . . 25
Treatment Record . . . . 26
Bee Forage/Botany Record . . . . 27
Manager’s Journal . . . . 28–30 Equipment Records . . . . 31
Estimated Budget . . . . 32
Income Record . . . . 33
Expense Record . . . . 33
Financial Summary . . . . 34
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For the 4-H Member: Getting Started
For the 4-H Member: Getting Started
Are you ready to begin your beekeeping project? The activities in this book invite you to explore the fascinating bee family . Have fun!
Your Project Helper
Before you begin your project, select a project helper . Your project helper can be a parent, project leader, club advisor, or an older friend who knows about beekeeping . Your project helper is someone who can help you if you have difficulty understanding or completing an activity, and who can help you find more information about a topic in which you are interested . After you complete the activities in this book, review them with your project helper . Discuss what you did and what you learned .
Write your project helper’s contact information here:
Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Phone: _____________________________________ E-mail: ________________________________________
As you complete this project and record book:
• Do your best to answer the questions and complete the activities.
• Think about the ways in which the knowledge you gain applies to the way you care for and manage your bees .
• Work with a project helper to complete the activities in this book. Remember that your project helper is a valuable resource person .
• Look beyond the project books to explore areas of the project that interest you. You can find more information about particular topics from magazines, books, beekeepers, and the Internet . Your project helper can help you find more information .
Your Project Level
Use this project and record book for all 4-H beekeeping projects. For each year of the project, you should complete a new book . If you have more than one hive, you should copy the
Beekeeping Records before writing on them and complete a set for each one . There are three project levels:
Beginner—Members with no experience in a project area, or those who are 8 to 10 years old . Youth at this level are learning about the basics of beekeeping, including types of bees, honey and wax, plants that attract bees, and beekeeping equipment . At this level, youth are not required to have any bees, but are expected to learn about beekeeping firsthand by observing the hive(s) of a local beekeeper .
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For the 4-H Member: Getting Started
Intermediate—Members with some experience in a project area, or those who are 11 to 13 years old . Youth at this level acquire a colony of bees and learn how to care for and manage a beehive throughout the year . A realistic goal at this level is to manage basic beekeeping operations that result in the production of extracted, chunk, or cut comb honey .
Advanced—Members with experience in a project area, or those who are 14 years old or older . Youth at this level can expect to learn more about honey production, special kinds of honey, bee societies, and bee diseases and parasites .
Project Guidelines
Each year, complete these project components:
1 . Sign-up for the project by the required date for your county . Contact your club advisor or county Extension office for this date .
The project sign-up date for my county is .
2 . Set at least three project goals and objectives .
3 . Complete the Member Project Guide section of this book, including the following:
• Study one or more topics of interest. Topics can be simple or more complex depending on your age and skill level in the project .
• Complete five or more learning activities that support your goals.
• Participate in two or more learning experiences.
• Take part in two or more leadership and citizenship activities.
4 . Complete the Colony Care and Management section of this book . 5 . Complete the Beekeeping Records section of the book .
6 . Take part in a project review at a club meeting or on the county level . This project review can take place with your parent or project helper . Ask this person to review your Beekeeping Project and Record Book with you . This review helps you evaluate what you have learned and how you have grown as a 4-H member . Members who take part in this type of evaluation may receive a 4-H project achievement certificate . These certificates are awarded based on the member’s level of involvement (beginner, intermediate,
advanced) and whether the member has met the minimum completion requirements for the project .
7 . Take part in county project judging . (This step may be optional . Check your county’s guidelines .)
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For the 4-H Member: Getting Started
Introduction to Beekeeping
Beekeeping as a 4-H project can be fun and rewarding . Whether you want to keep bees as a way to improve pollination, as a hobby, or for harvesting and selling honey and bee products, this project will help you plan for and manage your honey bees . Before we talk about your project, let’s talk a little bit about what makes bees so amazing .
Bees have been buzzing around our earth for millions of years . Thanks to bees, honey has been an easy source of sweetness for people throughout the centuries . Egyptians used honey in many of their medicines . In Spain, 10,000-year-old cave paintings show people stealing honey from a natural hive . For hundreds
of years, honey was the main sweetener in American diets . Today we still enjoy honey in all kinds of recipes, from peanut butter and honey sandwiches to honey-glazed chicken . Do you ever wonder how bees make honey?
Or how honey gets from the hive to your local grocery store? To understand where honey comes from, you have to understand bees . The United States is home to more than 3,500 species of bees . Some are suited to living in man-made hives, others are very protective of their own hives, and others are prone to swarming . Like other insects, bees have six legs, three body segments, and a hard outer skeleton . Bees live in very structured societies called colonies . Although bees within a colony may look alike, they are not all the same . Three basic groups—the drones, the workers, and the queen—each have a specific job that helps the colony create honey: their food source and our treat . The European Honey Bee (what we call our “honey bee”), Apis mellifera, is not native to the United States.
Bees communicate with each other primarily using scent to show the location of the best flowers . Bees also communicate when the hive is in danger or when workers are needed to take nectar from bees returning after a successful gathering mission . Bees can even punish other bees that don’t follow the rules of the hive .
In addition to producing honey, bees are very important to people because they are pollinators. Without bees, many of the foods we eat would not exist . Bees spread pollen particles from plant to plant as they visit flowers, making it possible for the plants to produce fruits and vegetables .
What’s in a Name? The European (or Western) honey bee is the best known bee species and one of the best known of all insects. The scientific classification for the honey bee’s genus and species is Apis mellifera. Apis is Latin for “bee,” and mellifera comes from Latin melli- “honey” and ferre
“to bear”—hence the scientific name means “honey-bearing bee.” This name was coined by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. He later tried to change the name to Apis mellifica (“honey- making bee”), but tradition had
already set in and the first name stuck.
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For the 4-H Member: Getting Started
People have been beekeeping for centuries, but it wasn’t until about the 1850s that
beekeeping as we know it today started . In 1851, Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth, known as the “Father of American Beekeeping,” discovered bee space, the exact space needed for bees to move and work between the honeycombs . Even wild bees have a set bee space in their hives . Langstroth built the first modern beehive, complete with frames for the honeycombs, making it much easier to remove the comb, collect the honey, and check on the hive .
To get started in beekeeping, you need to collect many tools and supplies . Beekeepers often wear jumpers to protect their clothing from propolis, the sticky resin bees collect to coat and protect the hive . Part of the beekeeper’s uniform includes a veil—a large hat with a screen to protect his or her face from curious bees . Perhaps the most important tool a beekeeper has is the smoker . Smoke from the smoker calms the bees down, making it possible for the beekeeper to work without upsetting them . Bees do not usually attack unless they feel threatened .
Honey is only one of the products we get from bees . People also use beeswax, the substance bees make to create their combs, in candles, lip balm, and soap . Whole honeycombs filled with honey can sometimes be found at local farmers’ markets . Bee venom is used for
medicinal purposes . Even royal jelly, the food given to the queen by her worker attendants, is used in beauty products .
Where to Find Information about Bees
Suggested Resources
Many good sources of information about beekeeping exist . You may be interested in using the beekeeping project books that are offered online by Purdue Extension, not as project books but for the information they provide .
Carroll, Natalie, and Greg Hunt . Understanding the Honey Bee (4-H Beekeeping, Division I) . Purdue Extension . http://www .ces .purdue .edu/extmedia/4H/4-H-571-W .pdf
Carroll, Natalie, and Greg Hunt . Working with Honey Bees (4-H Beekeeping, Division II) . Purdue Extension . http://www .ces .purdue .edu/extmedia/4H/4-H-586-W .pdf
Hunt, Greg, and Natalie Carroll . Advanced Beekeeping Methods (4-H Beekeeping, Division III) . Purdue Extension . http://www .ces .purdue .edu/extmedia/4H/4-H-593-W .pdf
As you learn more about bees and beekeeping, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date by subscribing to one or both of the following periodicals:
American Bee Journal
http://www .dadant .com/journal Phone: (217) 847-3324
Bee Culture: The Magazine of American Beekeeping http://www .beeculture .com
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Member Project Guide
Member Project Guide Introduction to the Project
Truly successful 4-H members learn about their bees and are familiar with their care, management, and condition . As you complete the activities in this Member Project Guide, remember that you can choose activities that are interesting to you . What is it about beekeeping that you really like? Keep your interests in mind as you plan your project.
Choosing what you want means that you will learn and have fun .
Project Goals and Objectives
Developing your project goals and objectives at the beginning of your 4-H project helps you determine what you want to accomplish while taking this project . Ask yourself, “What do I want to learn? Why do I want to take this project?” A goal is a statement of what you want to learn or do . Set your goals to align with your reasons for taking on this project . Are you interested in learning more about beekeeping or would you like to earn money from your bees? Write your goals to reflect your focus . Learning to set goals is an important life skill . Goals can help you make a plan for using your resources—both personal and material .
Setting Your Goals
Need ideas for your goals? Your goals can be identified from the learning activities you list in the Member Project Guide or from additional interests you have . Decide on at least three goals and write them down on page 11 or on a separate piece of paper .
Setting Your Objectives
Now you need to write individual steps, or objectives, to help you reach your goals . Each goal should have one or more objectives that states one action to take while working toward your goal . Objectives are best when written with action verbs and a few details . For example, objectives for the goal “learn how to divide my bees and start a new colony” might be:
Objective 1: Interview a beekeeper and ask about dividing a hive . Write the information in a few short paragraphs .
Objective 2: Ask for more information from at least one professional group of people with experience in dividing hives. (Use the Internet for research.) Objective 3: Make a list of the special equipment needed to divide a hive . Objectives can be measured . In the example above, you would have interview notes, information from the professional group, and a list of equipment . Those items are good evidence of what you have learned .
See the next page for tips on setting SMART goals.
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Member Project Guide
Write a rough draft of your goals and objectives . Ask your project helper to review it with you . Discuss whether the goals and objectives are reasonable for your age and experience . Older members should have goals and objectives that are more involved than younger members . You may wish to adjust your goals before writing the final draft in your project book .
Review your goals every once in a while to see if you are on track to completing them . It is likely your goals will be adjusted during your project experience. That’s OK! It means you are learning about bees and beekeeping . At the end of the project, ask yourself, “Did I reach my goals?” and “What have I learned?”
Set SMART Goals. Use the following smart characteristics as a guide when setting your goals.
Specific Measurable Attainable Results-oriented Time-bounded
Specific. Writing a goal to “learn about beekeeping” is too broad. A more specific goal is “learn how to make comb honey.” Being specific helps you stay focused.
Measurable. Being able to measure your goal helps you set a definite result beforehand. Let’s say you want to double your honey production. Now that you have set a measurable amount as your goal you can gauge your progress.
Attainable. This characteristic keeps your goal realistic and within reach. You may want to collect honey from eight hives some day, but trying to do this now would be overwhelming. Start with reasonable expectations such as, “I want to divide my hive so I have two colonies.”
Results-oriented. Focus on where you want to end up by stating the results you would like to see. Something like “make beeswax candles” gives you a clear picture that makes your goal more real.
Time-bounded. A time-bounded goal has a time limit with a target date that helps you focus on what needs to be done and when. So, you could state ahead of time that you will divide your hive by July 1. This gives you time to make sure you have the proper tools and a helper with you on the day you divide your hive.
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Member Project Guide
Goal 1:
Project helper’s initials:
Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
What I learned:
Project helper’s initials:
Goal 2:
Project helper’s initials:
Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
What I learned:
Project helper’s initials:
Goal 3:
Project helper’s initials:
Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
What I learned:
Project helper’s initials:
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Member Project Guide
Topics of Interest
Select and study one or more topics from one of the references listed in the Where to Find Information about Bees section of this book or from another similar beekeeping reference book . What topic is especially interesting to you? Select one and write a short statement that describes it . Depending on your age and skill level, your topic can be simple or complex. Use the following page to write a summary that explains in more detail what you learned about it .
You can complete as many topics of interest as you want, but you must do at least one new one each year . Remember to record the dates you begin and complete each topic of interest . To keep learning more about bees, choose different topics each year you complete a beekeeping project . Here are some ideas:
• History of beekeeping
• Value of bees
• Bee development
• Getting the bees
• Bee colony residents
• Beekeeping tools
• Bee communication
• Pollen and nectar
• Honey and honey plants
• Beeswax and honeycomb
• Handling and inspecting bees
• Bee diseases and pests
Topics of Interest
Complete at least one. If necessary, attach additional pages.
Date
Started Date Completed
Example: The honey bee hive has three distinct residents making up the colony of each hive—the queen, the worker, and the drone.
3/14/YR 3/31/YR
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Member Project Guide
Topic of Interest Summary
Use this space to summarize one of the topics of interest you studied. Tell how the information you learned affects the way you manage and care for your bees . If you need more space or if you complete more than one topic of interest, attach additional pages as needed .
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Member Project Guide
Learning Activities
Learning activities provide opportunities to explore the things that interest you . When you complete a learning activity, you are demonstrating and applying what you have learned . Here’s what to do: Browse through one of the beekeeping resources to get ideas for activities . What are the activities you could do to show the interesting things you are learning by caring for your hive? Here are some examples:
Beginner Level. Beginning activities are for members with no experience in a project area or for those who are 8 to 10 years old .
• Describe three reasons people keep bees.
• Identify the body parts of the honey bee.
• Define the following terms: queen, drone, worker, larvae, pupae, egg, colony, and swarm.
Intermediate Level. Intermediate activities are for members with some experience in a project area or for those who are 11 to 13 years old .
• Using a picture or actual bee, describe how a bee produces beeswax.
• Help a new member learn how to correctly inspect a hive.
• Describe how you would feed a package of bees.
Advanced Level. Advanced activities are for members with experience in a project area or for those who are 14 or older .
• Help a new 4-H member select beekeeping as a project.
• Name different medications to help control varroa mite, tracheal mite, and American foulbrood .
• Visit two beekeepers to discuss management practices.
Ready to get started? Follow these guidelines:
1 . Select activities that are new for you, not ones that you completed during previous years in the beekeeping project . If you did an activity at a beginner level, it is okay to do a similar activity at a more advanced level .
2. Using the examples as guides, select activities that are appropriate for your level (beginner, intermediate, or advanced) .
3 . Write the activities you plan to do in the table on the next page . Remember, you are being asked to complete at least five new learning activities each year .
4 . Ask your project helper to initial and date the activities as you complete each one .
Advance to the next level after completing 15 or more activities or after reaching the appropriate project level .
Would you like more examples of learning activities? Hundreds of ideas are available online at http://www.ohio4h.org/publications.
Click on Learning Activities for Beekeeping Projects.
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Member Project Guide
Learning Activities Date
Completed
Project Helper’s
Initials Example: Identify the body parts of the honey bee.
(This is beginner level.) 3/11/YR DM
1 .
2 .
3 .
4 .
5 .
Do as many additional learning activities as you want.
Progress Check
Now that you have chosen some interesting activities, go back to the goals and objectives section on page 11 to make sure your selected activities support your goals.
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Member Project Guide
Learning Experiences
Learning experiences are meant to complement the learning activities, providing the
opportunity for you to expand and apply your knowledge even more . Participate in at least two learning experiences each project year . Follow these guidelines:
1 . Learning experiences should be different from the learning activities you complete, and they should be different from year to year . The idea is for you to continue to expand your experiences with your hive and your knowledge of the beekeeping industry .
2 . After reviewing the list of possible learning experiences below, write the ones you plan to do in the table on the next page . With the approval of your project helper, you also may develop your own learning experience. Keep your project goals in mind—you may be able to use a learning experience to help accomplish one of your goals .
3 . You may add to or change your plan at any time .
4 . You can repeat an experience if each instance is sufficiently different . For example, showing at a county fair is different from showing at the state fair; visiting a hobby beekeeping operation is different from visiting a commercial beekeeping operation, etc . 5 . Ask your project helper to initial and date the learning experiences you complete .
Possible learning experiences include the following:
• Attend a beekeeping booth at your local, county, or state fair. Count the types of honey you can see and identify them .
• Attend a queen production workshop.
• Tour a large beekeeping operation or bee breeder operation.
• Visit a university or research bee lab.
• Attend a state or regional beekeeping conference.
• Attend a beekeeping class or clinic.
• Visit a beekeeping club web site.
• Shadow a county bee inspector for a day.
• Attend another county’s show, or an open show and/or sale.
• Observe a beekeeper splitting a hive.
• Spend a day with someone who has a career in agriculture.
• Participate in an equipment building workshop.
• Enter your honey in the county fair or represent your county in the state fair.
• Participate in a honey/wax judging contest.
• Participate in honey bottling.
• Participate in a package installation.
• Participate in a honey extraction.
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Member Project Guide
Learning Experiences Date
Completed
Project Helper’s
Initials
Example: Exhibit at the county fair. 8/11/YR DM
1 .
2 .
Do as many additional learning experiences as you want.
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Member Project Guide
Leadership and Citizenship Activities
Developing leadership and citizenship skills is an important part of your 4-H experience . As your experience in 4-H grows, you learn to be an effective speaker, practical organizer, and valued contributor to your community . Each year you are asked to complete at least two leadership and citizenship activities . Here are the steps to follow:
1 . Leadership and citizenship activities should be different from each year’s learning activities and learning experiences . They do not necessarily have to be different each year, but each year you should be able to demonstrate expanded responsibility and leadership . For example, let’s say you always attend 4-H camp . At first you simply attend, but over time you might take on leadership roles and eventually become a camp counselor .
2 . After reviewing the list of activities below, write the ones you plan to do this year in the table on the next page . You may add or change your plan at any time .
3 . With the approval of your project helper, you may also develop your own leadership and citizenship activity .
4 . Ask your project helper to initial and date the activities you complete .
Possible leadership and citizenship activities include the following:
• Lead the Pledge of Allegiance, a song, or a game at a 4-H meeting.
• Promote 4-H by writing a news story for a local paper or by participating in a radio or television program .
• Give a presentation (demonstration, illustrated talk, or a speech) to your club.
• Give a presentation (demonstration, illustrated talk, or a speech) to a group other than your club .
• Serve as a host for a 4-H meeting, as the chair of a committee, an officer of your club, or as a junior leader .
• Participate in a community service project.
• Attend 4-H camp or a leadership conference.
• Serve as clerk, chairperson, or apprentice judge at a 4-H show.
• Serve as a camp counselor.
• Plan an activity for your club by making tour arrangements, recruiting a speaker, etc.
• Help plan or conduct a quality assurance program, a project quiz bowl, a skillathon, or a judging contest .
• Participate in the annual meeting of a local organization or cooperative.
• Help at a club or county fundraising activity.
• Prepare a window display during national, state, or local 4-H week.
• Visit an elderly person, a hospital patient, or someone else who needs a bit of cheer.
• Do something to improve your neighborhood.
• Help in some way to educate the public about beekeeping and the safe management of
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Member Project Guide
Leadership and Citizenship Activities Date Completed
Project Helper’s
Initials
Example: Host a club meeting. 8/11/YR DM
1 .
2 .
Do as many additional leadership and citizenship activities as you want.
This photo is part of the 4-H member’s club presentation about his beekeeping project.
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Colony Care and Management
Colony Care and Management
Planning for the Care and Management of Your Colony
Taking a beekeeping project is a huge responsibility that often requires the involvement and help of your family, project helper, or friends . Before you begin, think about the scope of your project and who will be involved with the care of your bees . Be sure you can answer these questions, and talk to everyone you are counting on for help .
• What am I (the 4-H member) responsible for on a daily, weekly, monthly, and project year basis?
• Who, if anyone, is helping me in the direct care of my project hive(s)?
• How are the supplies for this project being provided? Do I have the resources to support my goals?
Discuss the answers to these questions with everyone involved and ask them to sign in the spaces below:
Signature of 4-H member Date
Signature of parent/guardian Date
Signature of parent/guardian Date
Signature Date
Signature Date
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Colony Care and Management
At the Beginning of Your Project
Whether you are a beginning beekeeper or several years into it, it is helpful to assess the way in which you care for your bees . The list below can help you determine your level of responsibility . Place a check mark next to the activities that you already do . Then, review the list again to see where you can improve . You may even notice activities for which you are ready to assume responsibility . Complete this activity every year you take the project .
Activities I am
already doing
I want to do this project
year
I want to do eventually Prepare the apiary before I purchase my project
colony(ies) .
Prepare the “housing” (hive components) .
Provide access to bee pasture and clean, fresh water . Inspect colony regularly and treat those that need care .
Provide supplemental feeding as needed .
Be aware of colony’s growth (control swarming, supersedure, etc .) .
Prepare and add brood boxes and honey supers as needed .
Develop a health program to identify, prevent, and/
or control disease .
Control parasites and predators .
Keep records on medication and non-medication best practices .
Observe and follow label directions on medications;
understand the definition of “extra-label drug use .”
Maintain cleanliness/order in apiary . Perform seasonal activities as appropriate . Keep adequate/appropriate records.
Register your apiary(ies) as required by laws or regulations .
After deciding which areas you want to improve, describe how you are going to make these improvements:
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Colony Care and Management
My Apiary
Adequate equipment for providing shelter, brood space, bee pasture, and food storage is the cornerstone of providing high-quality care . In the space below, attach photo(s) or draw sketches of your apiary and hive(s) . Your picture should show hive, orientation, and the locations of nearby buildings, plants, pasture (if possible), and water . Complete this activity every year you do this project .
Apiary location: ____________________________________________________________
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Colony Care and Management
Answer these questions:
Why is it important to inspect your apiary throughout the year? _________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Describe any special considerations or accommodations made for your apiary through the seasons . _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
In the space below, describe, draw, or attach a photograph of the basic equipment (beginner level) or specialized equipment (intermediate and advanced levels) used in your apiary .
What improvements, if any, have been made recently in your colony’s hive? _______________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
What improvements, if any, would you still like to make? _______________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
