Unfortunately, beekeeping today has many more challenges than beekeeping had just a few years ago. There are multiple new obstacles the beekeeper and honey bees must face; Varroa mites, small hive beetle, colony collapse disorder, and the list seems to be growing. Due to these increased challenges, many new beekeepers lose their bees within the first or second year. Many of these people are likely to drop out of beekeeping. In my opinion taking a short course is mandatory. At the beginning it can be quite challenging for a new beekeeper to handle a beehive and not every possible situation can be discussed during the course - what to do? That's were a mentoring program comes in. Many clubs with such programs have found that as a rule new beekeepers with a mentor have colonies working at the end of the season, and a higher success rate with over wintering.
OCBA President
Brian Beasley
