The Complete Beekeeper · Northern California
Online beekeeping course for Northern California beginners
A written, self-paced course that takes you from first hive to first harvest on the Northern California calendar. 8 modules, 35 lessons, $79.99 once, with lifetime access. From a family that has kept bees since 1892.
Already enrolled? Access your course
since 1892
An online beekeeping course for beginners, on the NorCal calendar.
The Complete Beekeeper Course is a written, self-paced online course for first-year beekeepers. It covers equipment, hive placement and sting safety, installing bees and your first inspections, feeding, disease and varroa mite control, queen problems, swarm prevention and capture, splits, and your first honey harvest, then closes with a month-by-month Northern California task calendar.
Most national courses teach a generic calendar. Here swarm season, the nectar flow, varroa treatment windows, wildfire smoke and winter prep are timed for Northern California, so you know what to do in your own hive this month. Family beekeepers since 1892.
Read before you buy: the whole first module is free, including Choosing Your Hive Type and Safety, Stings & Allergic Reactions.
- Format
- Written lessons, self-paced. Not a video course and no live sessions.
- Level
- Complete beginners, including people still planning their first hive.
- Length
- 8 modules, 35 lessons, about 5h 15m of reading.
- Region
- Seasonal timing built around Northern California. Core methods apply anywhere.
- Price
- $79.99 one-time payment. Lifetime access, no subscription.
- Refunds
- All sales are final.
From first hive to first harvest.
- 01
Get oriented
Understand bees, equipment, and safety.
- 02
Build confidence
Install your hive and care for your colony.
- 03
Keep them thriving
Manage health, pests, and swarms.
- 04
Enjoy the rewards
Harvest honey and plan ahead for the season.
Inside the course
Eight modules, in the order a first-year keeper needs them.
- 01Free to read
Getting Started
Everything you need to know before getting your first bees. Equipment selection, hive placement, and what to expect in your first year.
6 lessons · 41 min
Read lesson 1 free → - 02
Your First Hive
Installing your first package of bees, performing your first inspections, and setting expectations for year one.
4 lessons · 39 min
- 03
Hive Health
Keeping your colony healthy: supplementing, disease prevention, pest management, and varroa mite control.
4 lessons · 48 min
- 04
Queen Management
Understanding the queen's role, finding her during inspections, requeening, and handling queen issues.
4 lessons · 35 min
- 05
Swarm Management
Understanding, preventing, and capturing swarms. Turn swarming from a problem into an opportunity.
4 lessons · 41 min
- 06
Scaling Up
Growing from one or two hives to a larger operation. Efficiency tips, equipment, and management strategies.
4 lessons · 35 min
- 07
Harvest
The sweet reward! When to harvest, extraction methods, processing, and storage of your honey.
5 lessons · 35 min
- 08
Seasonal Calendar
Month-by-month guide for California beekeepers. What to do and when, with tips for other climates.
4 lessons · 41 min
What one lesson looks like
- A plain summary first. Each lesson opens with what it covers and what you will be able to do by the end.
- Tables and diagrams. Comparisons are set out as tables, and key ideas such as the Sacramento Valley year calendar are drawn as diagrams.
- A job for the hive. “Try This Week” assignments send you out with one specific task.
- A knowledge check per module. Questions you try first, with the answer under each one.
- 9 printable field resources, from a NorCal calendar to a hive inspection checklist.
In this lesson: how to tell a normal sting reaction from a dangerous one, what to do about each, and how to work your hives so you rarely get stung in the first place.
By the end of this lesson you can: sort a sting into normal, large local, or systemic; name the signs that mean call 911; remove a stinger the right way; and set up a hive-side safety kit and a lone-worker plan.
Check your understanding: At the end of year one your colony is alive but you harvested no honey. Did you succeed?
Show the answer
Yes. Year one is about building comb and population, surviving mites and winter, and learning. A queenright colony that overwintered, plus records and mite-sampling skill, is the goal.
Built for your first season.
This course is for you if…
- You are starting your first hive or still planning it.
- You want practical, structured guidance.
- You prefer self-paced learning.
- You are in or near Northern California.
This course is not for you if…
- You want advanced commercial methods.
- You prefer a one-day, in-person class.
- You need live, staffed instructor support.
- You need region-specific instruction outside Northern California.
Curriculum
The NorCal beekeeping field guide.
8 modules · 35 lessons · 5h 15m
Everything you need to know before getting your first bees. Equipment selection, hive placement, and what to expect in your first year.
Installing your first package of bees, performing your first inspections, and setting expectations for year one.
- 01Where to Get Your Bees8 min
- 02Installing Your Package or Nuc9 min
- 03Your First Inspection11 min
- 04Year One Timeline11 min
Keeping your colony healthy: supplementing, disease prevention, pest management, and varroa mite control.
- 01When and How to Feed10 min
- 02Common Diseases11 min
- 03Varroa Mite Management15 min
- 04Other Pests and Predators12 min
Understanding the queen's role, finding her during inspections, requeening, and handling queen issues.
- 01Finding Your Queen9 min
- 02Assessing Queen Health9 min
- 03When and How to Requeen8 min
- 04Dealing with a Queenless Hive9 min
Understanding, preventing, and capturing swarms. Turn swarming from a problem into an opportunity.
- 01Understanding Swarms9 min
- 02Swarm Prevention11 min
- 03Swarm Capture Techniques11 min
- 04Rehoming Your Swarm10 min
Growing from one or two hives to a larger operation. Efficiency tips, equipment, and management strategies.
- 01When to Add Hives8 min
- 02Making Splits10 min
- 03Efficiency at Scale8 min
- 04Record Keeping9 min
The sweet reward! When to harvest, extraction methods, processing, and storage of your honey.
- 01When to Harvest10 min
- 02Extraction Methods6 min
- 03Processing and Bottling8 min
- 04Storage and Shelf Life4 min
- 05Beyond Honey: Wax, Propolis, Pollen7 min
Month-by-month guide for California beekeepers. What to do and when, with tips for other climates.
- 01Spring Tasks (February–May)12 min
- 02Summer Tasks (June–August)9 min
- 03Fall Tasks (September–November)9 min
- 04Winter Tasks (December–January)11 min
Preview the complete first module now. All remaining lessons unlock after enrollment.
What's included
- 35 written lessons across 8 modules, including a dedicated lesson on stings, allergic reactions and protecting family, neighbors and pets
- A “Check Your Understanding” knowledge check at the end of every module
- “Try This Week” field assignments that send you to the hive with a specific job
- Progress tracking and a completion certificate (a record of completion, not a license or accredited certification)
- Lifetime access, including future updates to the lessons
9 printable field resources
NorCal Beekeeping Calendar
Month-by-month tasks for Northern California colonies
Hive Inspection Checklist
A field-ready run sheet for every inspection
Varroa Management Cheat-Sheet
Monitor, threshold, treat — the whole mite plan on one sheet
First-Year Budget Sheet
What one hive done right actually costs — line by line
Equipment Shopping Checklist
Everything to have in hand before the bees arrive
Disease-ID Cheat-Sheet
Spot it, rope-test it, and know whether to worry
Feeding Syrup-Ratio Chart
1:1 vs 2:1 — which ratio, when, and why
Mite-Count & Treatment Log
Track every wash and every treatment across the season
Honey-Label Compliance Checklist
Sell legally under California cottage food law
NorCal Beekeeping Calendar
Northern California field reference
Hive Inspection Checklist
- Queen and brood pattern
- Food stores and space
- Pest and disease signs
- Actions before next visit
Live resource previews
Take the field guide to the hive.
- Downloadable Northern California seasonal calendar
- Hive inspection checklist
- Varroa management cheat sheet
- Completion certificate
Instructor & heritage
Learn from a family that has kept bees since 1892.
NorCal Nectar
Family beekeepers since 1892
The course comes from NorCal Nectar, a family that has kept bees in Northern California since 1892. Lessons are built around the Northern California season: when colonies build up, when swarms and the nectar flow arrive, and when to plan varroa treatment and winter preparation here rather than on a generic national calendar.
$79.99
One payment.
Lifetime access.
- All 8 modules and 35 lessons
- All resources and downloadable guides
- Learn anytime, anywhere
Frequently asked questions
Still deciding? Ask NorCal Nectar.