Open to all interested:

Lean How to Keep Bees in New Hampshire's unique climate with short nectar flows and long winters

Carroll County Adult Ed
& Carroll County Beekeepers Club

A history & science course supporting New Hampshire’s farm and forest apiary resources. Keeping bees is not required but mentoring is included for those who decide to.

SPRING 2026 - Live Zoom & Recorded lessons
Tuesday & Thursday
6:30pm - 8pm ~ January 13 - April 30

SIGN UP INFO FOR SPRING 2026

Instructor: Athena Contus, Cornell University Certified Master Beekeeper & University of Montana Certified Master Beekeeper - Keeping bees 18 years in the Sandwich Mountain Range

$175 for an individual / $250 couples
Add $12 shipping if you can't pickup books

Register here, then

Send a check to:

Check payable to: Carroll Academy send to:

Carroll County Adult Education
680 White Mountain Hwy Unit 10
Tamworth, NH 03886

Online Payment Option - through Athena's Bees

Includes:

• A Field Guide to Honey Bees and Their Maladies
• Book: Honey Bee Biology & Beekeeping

(Supplied by CCAE - Please note: if you already have the books we cannot compensate you on the fee)

CALENDAR 2026

Note: Zoom recordings of lessons will not be of the live class but a PowerPoint. To get the most out of the course. students should attend live sessions. Recorded Zoom lessons are monitored for attendance.

HISTORY - How we got here...

Jan 13 - Ancient Beekeeping

Jan 15 - Early American Beekeeping

Jan 20 - Bee Pollination Changes Farming

Jan 22 - Commercial Beekeeping in the U.S.

BIOLOGY & BEHAVIORS - Fascinating facts...

Jan 27 - Honey Bees - Vocabulary

Jan 29 - Honey bee Queens & Drones

Feb 3 - The Humble Worker Bee - Biology

COMMUNICATION

Feb 5 - Primer & Releaser Pheromones

Feb 10 - Duties bind a family of bees - Behaviors

Feb 12 - Natural Defences of the Honey Bee

DISEASES & PREDATORS

Feb 17 - Hive Pests & Predators

Feb 19 - Brood Diseases: Nurseries in Peril

Winter Recess February 24 - 28, 2026

Mar 3 - Hive Inspections & Tools of the Trade

Mar 5 - IPM for Honey Bees

EQUIPMENT CONSIDERATIONS FOR NH

Mar 10 - Beehive Styles

Mar 12 - Building a Beehive

Mar 17 - Honey Bee Nutrition

Mar 19 - Getting Bees - Installing Bees

Mar 24 - Choosing a Location & Fencing

EQUIPMENT & WINTER MANAGEMENT

Mar 26 - Honey Bees & Native Pollinators

Mar 31 - Winter in the Hive

Apr 2 - Winter Hive Setup - Frame choices

APIARY MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Apr 7 - The Beekeeper's Calendar

Apr 9 - Seasonal Duties - Spring

Apr 14 - Seasonal Duties - Fall

MOVING FORWARD IN BEEKEEPING

Apr 16 - Putting It All Together

Apr 21 - Natural Beekeeping Methods & History

Products of the Hive

Apr 23 - Honey Harvesting

Apr 28 - Beeswax & Propolis - Uses & Harvesting

Bee Clubs & Organizations

Apr 30 - Who's Who in New Hampshire Beekeeping - LAST DAY Q & A - Live Zoom Event