Where's the queen? (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

There's still room in several of the courses to be taught this spring by the E.L. Niño Bee Lab at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Research Facility, University of California, Davis.

Extension apiculturist Elina Niño of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology and her staff will teach the courses.  Registration is now underway, and gift certificates are also available.

See list at http://elninobeelab.ucdavis.edu/courses.html.

Capsule information on the courses:

• Planning Ahead for Your First Hives; Two Separate Courses Offered (25 spots per session).
  Saturday, March 11, 9 to 5 p.m.
  Saturday, March 18, 9 to 5 p.m.
  Participants can sign up for one of two short courses: the first on Saturday, March 11 and the second on Saturday, March 18. The cost is $95. The all-day course will include lectures and hands-on exercises. "This course is perfect for those who have little or no beekeeping experience and would like to obtain more knowledge and practical skills to move on to the next step of owning and caring for their own honey bee colonies," Niño said.
  
  
• Working Your Colonies; Two Separate Courses Offered (25 spots per session)
  Sunday, March 12, 9 to 5 p.m.
  Sunday, March 19, 9 to 5 p.m.
  Two separate short courses will be offered: the first on Sunday, March 12, and the second on Sunday, March 19. The cost is $150. The all-day courses are for novice beekeepers who already have a colony or have taken the previous course and want to develop their beekeeping skills further. Participants will learn how to inspect their colony and how to troubleshoot, as well as glean information on products of the hive. The afternoon will be spent entirely in the apiary with hands-on activities and demonstrations.
  
  
• Varroa Management Strategies; Two Separate Courses Offered (25 spots per session)
  Saturday, May 13, 9 to 5 p.m.
  Saturday, May 27, 9 to 5 p.m.
  Two separate courses will be offered: the first on Saturday, May 13, and the second on Saturday, May 27. The cost is $175. Course description:  Current beekeeping challenges call for all beekeepers to have a solid understanding of varroa mite biology and management approaches. Participants will dive deeper into understanding varroa biology and discussing pros and cons of ways to monitor, mitigate and manage this pest.
  
  
• Bee Breeding; One-Day Course (25 spots)
  Sunday, June 11, 9 to 5 p.m.
  This is a one-day course, to be held Sunday, June 11. The cost is $75. Course description: This course complements the queen-rearing techniques course. Participants will learn the intricacies of honey bee genetics along with honey bee races and breeder lines. "We will also have an in-depth discussion of various breeding schemes," Niño said.

To register, access this website, http://elninobeelab.ucdavis.edu/courses.html. For more information, contact Bernardo Niño at elninobeelab@gmail.com or (530)-380-BUZZ (2899). The Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/elninolab.