Education programs educate youth and adults who are interested in learning about honey bees. Everyone, however, impacts pollinators in their daily lives through their choices and activities. Learning about honey bees and pollinators in general changes lives, especially those of the youth.

The Education Program is how SABA interacts and engages our neighbors across the greater Sacramento area, continually reinforcing our place as knowledgeable and helpful beekeepers to the public at large.

Members volunteer as educational speakers for schools, youth groups, service clubs and organizations. Members also staff tables with demonstration hives, bee literature and honey sales at public informational events, exhibits and fairs. Beekeeper educators seek to emphasize the importance of honeybees, correct common misunderstandings and serve as resources to our communities.

Bees

SABA Classes

Beginning Beekeeping Series, Class 1: Beekeeping Basics

Topics:

  • Queens, workers, drones, and basic bee biology
  • Beekeeping equipment, the hive and accessories
  • Getting started – choosing an apiary location, best bees for the Sacramento Area
  • Installing your bees – packages and nucs
  • Caring for bees – health, varroa and viruses, IPM basics
  • Seasonal tasks, time commitment, what to expect as a new beekeeper
  • Keeping it legal – registering your hive and beekeeping responsibilities

Beekeeping suits or veils are not needed at this first meeting.

Date/Time: Sunday, February 23, 2025, early start 8:00 am-12:00 pm

Location: Sacramento County- UC Extension Branch Center, 4145 Branch Center Road.

Cost: $60

Beginning Beekeeping Series, Class 2: Managing the Colony: Hands-On in the Apiary

Topics:

  • Spring build-up
  • Managing the colony
  • Lighting and using a smoker
  • Opening and inspecting hives
  • What am I seeing in this hive? What am I looking for?
  • Troubleshooting

Please bring beekeeping suit or veil. SABA has some veils for loan.

Date/Time: Sunday, March 9, 2025, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Location: Sacramento County- UC Extension Branch Center, 4145 Branch Center Road.

Cost: $60

Beginning Beekeeping Series, Class 3: Bee Health and Summer Beekeeping

Topics:

  • Honey bee anatomy and biology
  • Maintaining healthy bees
  • Disorders, pests and parasites, integrated pest management (IPM)
  • Monitoring and treating varroa mites
  • Managing the colony in the summer
  • Inspecting the hive and assessing colony health
  • Issues with queens, re-queening, how to and options

Please bring beekeeping suit or veil. SABA has some veils for loan.

Date/Time: Sunday, April 27, 2025, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Location: Sacramento County- UC Extension Branch Center, 4145 Branch Center Road.

Cost: $60

Beginning Beekeeping Series, Class 4: Honey Extraction and Preparing for Winter

Topics:

  • Extraction techniques, tools, bottling, and labeling requirements
  • Hands-on practice uncapping and extracting
  • Preparing your colony for winter
  • Winter bees
  • Late summer/fall varroa treatment
  • Combining hives
  • Winter tasks and looking towards spring
  • Q&A and troubleshooting

Bring a jar and leave with some honey that you extracted!

Date/Time: Sunday, August 24, 2025, early start 8:00 am – 12:00 pm

Location: Sacramento County Ag Building, 4145 Branch Center Road.

Cost: $60

Note: The complete series costs $240 which is very competitive with the local market

Products of the Hive: Body, Bath, and More

Think lip balm, salves, soap, candles.  These classes are a lot of fun and you’ll leave with your own handcrafted products, materials, and know-how! You don’t have to be a beekeeper to join us. 

  • Active, hands-on workshop using beeswax, honey, and propolis
  • How to prepare wax and other products for use
  • Equipment, tips, and tricks
  • Make lip balm, salve, soap, beard balm, candles and more
  • Leave with products you make (and that make great gifts)!

 

Date/Time: Saturday, November 8, 2025, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Location: Sacramento County- UC Extension Branch Center, 4145 Branch Center Road.

Cost: $75 to SABA, plus $25 materials fee payable to the instructors on the day of class

Queen Rearing Basics
  • Why raise queens?
  • Basic techniques
  • Materials, cost, and time commitment
  • Practice

This is an intermediate class and assumes a working knowledge of beekeeping

Date/Time: Sunday, March 23, 2025, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Location: Sacramento County- UC Extension Branch Center, 4145 Branch Center Road.

Cost: $75

Woodworking for Beekeepers – (Date to be determined)
  • Tool and equipment safety practices
  • Turning plans into functioning beekeeping equipment
  • Basic techniques to use
  • Material types and associated costs

 

This is an intermediate class and assumes a working knowledge of woodworking tools and equipment

 

Date/Time: TBD

Location: TBD  

Cost: TBD

Educational Presentations

The heart of the SABA Education Program is educational presentations in which teachers may solicit a trained volunteer to give a grade appropriate presentations at their school, or members of a community organization may request a presentation for adults.

For younger students, our presenters offer hands-on activities including singing, drawing, and manipulating bee-related items. For older students and adults, more advanced topics are covered including genetics and environmental issues.