The Dyce Laboratory for Honey Bee Studies at Cornell University is offering Master Beekeeper Program courses this spring at various locations throughout New York state.

The apprentice level course provides a thorough theoretical and practical outline of bees and their keeping. Intended for new beekeepers and as a review for experienced beekeepers, this course emphasizes spring and summer management. The course consists of 12 hours of lectures and four hours of practical exercises. Participants will receive a manual and a textbook to complement the lectures and slide presentations.

The apprentice level course is offered this year in Greenwich, N.Y., on May 6-7; in Suffolk County on May 20-21; in Erie County, N.Y., on May 27-28; and in Tompkins County, N.Y., on June 10-11. The cost is $125.

A queen-rearing and bee-breeding course also will be offered as part of the journeyman level program. This course mixes theory with extensive hands-on activities, including the construction of queen-rearing equipment, setting up cell-builder colonies, grafting, handling queen cells, making queen candy and caging queens. Honey bee breeding strategies also will be presented. Participants will receive a manual, a textbook and basic queen-rearing equipment. Enrollment will be limited to 20 participants per class. Locations include Greenwich June 30-July 2 and July 7-9, and Ithaca July 14-16 and July 21-23. The cost is $200.00.

Early registration is recommended for all classes. To register, or for further course information, contact the Cornell Master Beekeeper Program, Comstock Hall, Ithaca, N.Y. 14853, or call (607) 255-3280, or e-mail dv23@cornell.edu, or see http://masterbeekeeper.org