The NYCBA is proud to announce that we will continue our apprenticeship program in 2024! It is designed to provide a complete urban beekeeping & educational experience from start to finish of the beekeeping season. This is the original and the most thorough and the most fun urban beekeeping apprenticeship in New York City over any other!

Our Urban Beekeeping program will begin in the classroom before we head to the rooftops in March 2024. We will “cluster” in a classroom setting (sometimes via Zoom, sometimes in person) and start covering the basics of beginning beekeeping. This will include lessons about the Langstroth hive,  about the honey-bee, bee biology, as well as pests & disease awareness. The classes will also include guest beekeeper speakers providing insightful lectures and perspectives. And loads of short videos that are useful and bring it all to life. No danger of stings at this juncture, either.

From March through October, apprentices will have the opportunity to learn how to manage honey bee colonies in several urban rooftop educational apiaries.  Apprentices will be provided regular opportunities to learn and help to manage bee colonies on rooftops all over New York City at hotels, restaurants, retail stores, private residences, community gardens and such. We will meet on an irregular schedule many mornings and afternoons, depending on the weather and the temperature. We will also very regularly meet on Sunday mornings once the temperatures allow us to do so, on all days that the weather allows.

Hands on opportunities will include:

• Hive Building

• Hive and Bee installations

• Hive Inspections & maintenance

• Swarm management & capture

• Disease prevention & treatment

• Splitting & combining hives

• Hive relocation

• Feral bee-hive removal

• Honey harvesting

• Honey extracting

Schedule:

On average, our apprenticeship offers 250+ hours of hands-on beekeeping experience throughout a given season. The nature of the apprenticeship will require its apprentices to have flexibility in their schedules. While apprentices are not required to attend all meetings, the actual timing of meetings will change—sometimes with short notice—due to weather, the changing needs of the bees, and traffic conditions in the City. Regular meeting dates will occur on Sunday mornings, but other opportunities will arise during regular weekdays, often beginning very early in the morning. The schedule for our meetings, therefore, is approximate and fluctuating at all times. We send out group messages/texts/WhatsApp so everyone involved has up to the minute opportunities to grab as much face time as possible with the four-winged ladies.

Cost:

Apprenticeship dues are $3,000 for the full season, to be paid by accepted applicants prior to admission to the first meeting. A $500 deposit is due upon acceptance into the program in order to accept your spot, with the remaining balance due on or before April 1st, 2024. Accepted applicants may pay the deposit and program fees via wire transfer, Venmo, ApplePay, credit card, or cash. PLEASE NOTE that the price is a cash/check/wire transfer price. Please add 3% if you choose to pay via credit card or ApplePay or Venmo. If you are accepted after this date, the full program fee is due by April 5th, 2024.

The Application Process:

As every year, a very limited number of applicants will be accepted into the apprenticeship. To apply, please complete the application in the button below. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until spaces are filled, with the understanding that the theoretical aspect of the apprenticeship may have already begun, and the hands-on aspect is set to begin in late March.