Beekeeping Apprenticeship
With Advanced Master Beekeeper Tiffany Harelik & Friends
Are the bees calling you? Come learn beekeeping in online classes, plus get your hands in hives for an in-person component to gain confidence with your beekeeping skills before your bees arrive next Spring.
Join us for 8 online classes / 20 hours of instruction ($299)
Become a Hacienda Harelik apprentice anywhere in the world through this online model of learning. Replays will be sent to all students, and everyone will have access to online office hours for personalized questions.
Add 'hands in hives' experiences throughout the program ($35/experience).
Throughout the year, there will be opportunities for apprentices to get in person experiences such as colony inspections, making splits, requeening, catching swarms, and more. The event dates fluctuate with the weather, and what the bees are doing. All apprentices will be notified of 'hands in hives' dates and given first dibs on joining the in person experiences.
Email Tiff@TiffanyHarelik.com to secure your spot, limited to five apprentice students per experience.
Payment plans, and Working Student or Work/Trade options are available. Please reach out.
Join us for 8 online classes / 20 hours of instruction ($299)
Become a Hacienda Harelik apprentice anywhere in the world through this online model of learning. Replays will be sent to all students, and everyone will have access to online office hours for personalized questions.
Add 'hands in hives' experiences throughout the program ($35/experience).
Throughout the year, there will be opportunities for apprentices to get in person experiences such as colony inspections, making splits, requeening, catching swarms, and more. The event dates fluctuate with the weather, and what the bees are doing. All apprentices will be notified of 'hands in hives' dates and given first dibs on joining the in person experiences.
Email Tiff@TiffanyHarelik.com to secure your spot, limited to five apprentice students per experience.
Payment plans, and Working Student or Work/Trade options are available. Please reach out.
What You’ll Learn
- Build confidence before your bees arrive with hands-on experience
- Setting up your apiary & equipment
- Installing your bees
- Hive biology, genetics & pheromones
- Feeding, pests & seasonal care
- Honey harvesting & bottling
- Swarm prevention & splits
- Medicinal hive products: beeswax, propolis & more
Why Join?
- Learn pesticide-free beekeeping for West Texas in Langstroth & Top Bar hives
- Benefit from two seasons of training — Fall learning & Spring hands-on work
- 30+ hours online + in-person hive days in Abilene
- Monthly office hours for direct mentorship with Tiffany
- On-demand access to recorded workshops with optional exercises, reading and videos
- Ideal for new backyard beekeepers, all levels are welcome
- Compatible with the Texas Master Beekeeper Program Content
Join the Apprenticeship - online and in person
February - May 2026
February - May 2026
Tiffany Harelik is an Advanced Master Beekeeper through the Texas Master Beekeeper Program and has served in several leadership roles with Texas Beekeepers Association groups. Tiffany co-founded the West Texas Beekeepers Guild, West Texas Bee School, and the West Texas Fair and Rodeo’s first Honey Show. She is the author of multiple cookbooks, including local favorites, The Big Country Cookbook, The Big Bend Cookbook, and The Terlingua Chili Cookbook.
With a Master’s in Health Psychology and a background in cookbook publishing and music event production (Lollapalooza, Viva Big Bend, ACL Fest), Tiffany brings her multi-media experience to offer in-person and online beekeeping apprenticeships, hosts the Beekeepers Almanac podcast, and runs Hacienda Harelik Honey’s YouTube channel where she shares beekeeping strategies with others. She is the owner of Hacienda Harelik Honey and keeps bees for pollination and honey production throughout the Big Country, Permian Basin, and Concho Valley.
With a Master’s in Health Psychology and a background in cookbook publishing and music event production (Lollapalooza, Viva Big Bend, ACL Fest), Tiffany brings her multi-media experience to offer in-person and online beekeeping apprenticeships, hosts the Beekeepers Almanac podcast, and runs Hacienda Harelik Honey’s YouTube channel where she shares beekeeping strategies with others. She is the owner of Hacienda Harelik Honey and keeps bees for pollination and honey production throughout the Big Country, Permian Basin, and Concho Valley.
Workshop Schedule
Zooms are held on Mondays. To accommodate the most amount of people, we will meet in alternating time slots on the 2nd Monday of the month from 12p-1:30p, and the 4th Monday of the month from 10a-11:30a.
Please note: Our schedule is always subject to the weather, and the changing lessons available to us through the bees during the course of the program. For example, we may get a swarm or removal call that you'll be able to join in and learn hands-on experiences that we cannot plan. I invite you to embrace the wild nature of what's possible when you say yes—to the bees—through apprenticeship.
Please note: Our schedule is always subject to the weather, and the changing lessons available to us through the bees during the course of the program. For example, we may get a swarm or removal call that you'll be able to join in and learn hands-on experiences that we cannot plan. I invite you to embrace the wild nature of what's possible when you say yes—to the bees—through apprenticeship.
Getting Started
Getting Started
Session 1
Zoom Session: Monday, Feb 9, 2026: 12p-1:30p CT
Orientation
Setting up your Apiary: Assembling Equipment and Tools
Buying Bees: Hive Biology
The Solstice: Two Seasons of Beekeeping
Bee Stings: Safety & Therapy
+ Online Office Hours for Your Questions
Hands in Hives: TBD, weather pending ($35)
Lighting your Smoker
Familiarization with Colony set ups
Weatherizing hives
Your picture in the Bees! (Buffalo Gap, Texas)
Hive Inspection 101
Suggested Reading
The Biology of the Honey Bee
The Beekeepers Lament
Orientation
Setting up your Apiary: Assembling Equipment and Tools
Buying Bees: Hive Biology
The Solstice: Two Seasons of Beekeeping
Bee Stings: Safety & Therapy
+ Online Office Hours for Your Questions
Hands in Hives: TBD, weather pending ($35)
Lighting your Smoker
Familiarization with Colony set ups
Weatherizing hives
Your picture in the Bees! (Buffalo Gap, Texas)
Hive Inspection 101
Suggested Reading
The Biology of the Honey Bee
The Beekeepers Lament
Lifecycle, Beeswax, and the Medicinal Hive
Swarms and Reproduction
Swarms and Reproduction
Lifecycle, Beeswax, and the Medicinal Hive
Swarms and Reproduction
Swarms and Reproduction
Session 2
Zoom Session: Monday, Feb 23, 2026 10a-11:30a CT
Lifecycle and Jobs of the Honey Bee Superorganism
Communication through Dancing and Pheromones
Beeswax & Propolis: the Medicinal hive
Swarms and Reproduction
+ Online Office Hours for Your Questions
Hands in Hives: TBD, weather pending ($35)
Inspections & Feeding (Buffalo Gap)
Waxing Plastic Foundations
Making Rescue Bars & Swarm Traps
Lifecycle and Jobs of the Honey Bee Superorganism
Communication through Dancing and Pheromones
Beeswax & Propolis: the Medicinal hive
Swarms and Reproduction
+ Online Office Hours for Your Questions
Hands in Hives: TBD, weather pending ($35)
Inspections & Feeding (Buffalo Gap)
Waxing Plastic Foundations
Making Rescue Bars & Swarm Traps
Becoming a Bee Veterinarian
Nutrition, Disease
Nucs, and Queens
Nutrition, Disease
Nucs, and Queens
Becoming a Bee Veterinarian
Nutrition, Disease
Nucs, and Queens
Nutrition, Disease
Nucs, and Queens
Session 3
Zoom Session: Monday, March 9, 2026: 12p-1:30p CT
Honey Bee Nutrition
Identifying Pests and Diseases
Feeding Bees
Queens 101
Making Splits (if the field trip is a go, if not we will move this back)
+Online Office Hours for Your Questions
Hands in Hives: TBD, weather pending ($35-$125 if field trip)
Setting Swarm traps
Making Nucs and Queens
Field Trip: Doing Splits at a Commerical Beekeeper Outfit
Reading
Honey Bee Pests and Diseases
Honey Bee Nutrition
Identifying Pests and Diseases
Feeding Bees
Queens 101
Making Splits (if the field trip is a go, if not we will move this back)
+Online Office Hours for Your Questions
Hands in Hives: TBD, weather pending ($35-$125 if field trip)
Setting Swarm traps
Making Nucs and Queens
Field Trip: Doing Splits at a Commerical Beekeeper Outfit
Reading
Honey Bee Pests and Diseases
Honey!
Honey!
Session 4
Zoom Session: Monday, March 23, 2026: 10a-11:30a
Pollination
How Honey is Made
Swarm Trap 101 or follow ups
Removals 101
+ Online Office Hours for Your Questions
Hands in Hives: TBD, weather pending ($35)
Setting Swarm traps
Making Nucs and Queens
Pollination
How Honey is Made
Swarm Trap 101 or follow ups
Removals 101
+ Online Office Hours for Your Questions
Hands in Hives: TBD, weather pending ($35)
Setting Swarm traps
Making Nucs and Queens
Getting Ready for your Bees
Genetics & Africanization
Genetics & Africanization
Getting Ready for your Bees
Genetics & Africanization
Genetics & Africanization
Session 5
Zoom Session: Monday, April 13, 2026: 12p-1:30p
Preparing for your Bees: Installing Nucs + Packages
Preparing for Honey and Expansion
Genetics and Bee Breeds
Africanized Bees
+ Online Office Hours for Your Questions
Hands in Hives: TBD, weather pending ($35)
Reading
Song of Increase
Preparing for your Bees: Installing Nucs + Packages
Preparing for Honey and Expansion
Genetics and Bee Breeds
Africanized Bees
+ Online Office Hours for Your Questions
Hands in Hives: TBD, weather pending ($35)
Reading
Song of Increase
Drones
Drones
Session 6
Zoom Session: Monday, April 27, 2026: 10a-11:30a
Identifying Queens and Drones
Drone Congregation Areas
Colony Health Assessments: Equalizing Resources, Identifying a Nectar Flow
+ Online Office Hours for Your Questions
Hands in Hives: TBD, weather pending ($35)
Spring Inspections (Buffalo Gap)
Spring Inspections (Cross Plains)
Equalizing Resources
Installing your Bees: Based on bee readiness and individual student locations
Identifying Queens and Drones
Drone Congregation Areas
Colony Health Assessments: Equalizing Resources, Identifying a Nectar Flow
+ Online Office Hours for Your Questions
Hands in Hives: TBD, weather pending ($35)
Spring Inspections (Buffalo Gap)
Spring Inspections (Cross Plains)
Equalizing Resources
Installing your Bees: Based on bee readiness and individual student locations
Spring Dynamics
Spring Dynamics
Session 7
Zoom Session: Monday, May 11, 2026: 12p-1:30p, CT
Space Management
Making Splits and Combines
Case Studies
+ Optional Online Office Hours for Your Questions
Hands in Hives: TBD, weather pending ($35)
Spring Inspections (Buffalo Gap)
Spring Inspections (Cross Plains)
Installing your Bees: Based on bee readiness and individual student locations
Space Management
Making Splits and Combines
Case Studies
+ Optional Online Office Hours for Your Questions
Hands in Hives: TBD, weather pending ($35)
Spring Inspections (Buffalo Gap)
Spring Inspections (Cross Plains)
Installing your Bees: Based on bee readiness and individual student locations
Advanced Topics
Advanced Topics
Session 8
Zoom: TUESDAY, May 26, 2026: 10a-11:30a CT
Note: Monday May 25 is memorial day
Your upcoming year in beekeeping
Removals
Honey Crystallization
Creamed Honey
Bottling and Labeling Honey
What to expect this Summer: dearth, robbing, honey harvest prep
+ Online Office Hours for Your Questions
Hands in Hives: Dates TBD based on weather, ($35)
Lift Tests
Honey Sensory Celebration
Installing your Bees: Based on bee readiness and individual student locations
Note: Monday May 25 is memorial day
Your upcoming year in beekeeping
Removals
Honey Crystallization
Creamed Honey
Bottling and Labeling Honey
What to expect this Summer: dearth, robbing, honey harvest prep
+ Online Office Hours for Your Questions
Hands in Hives: Dates TBD based on weather, ($35)
Lift Tests
Honey Sensory Celebration
Installing your Bees: Based on bee readiness and individual student locations
