Beekeeping is an awesome hobby, it can give you free honey and even make you money if you get good at managing hives and the bees that live in them.
But it can be a little intimidating to get started with because most schools don’t teach beekeeping.
Don’t worry though, you can learn to become a beekeeper online for free! We’ve got some awesome online courses for you to take and you don’t need to pay a penny for them.
These online courses can be taken before or after you invest in a cool beekeeping starter kit, but they should be done as soon as possible once you start raising bees if you have no previous experience.
Michigan State University’s Pollinator Champions
Yes, this is a real university course and it’s completely free. It looks at not just beekeeping but the role of bees in the larger world of agriculture.
They even give you an intro to all the different kinds of bees. The course is free of charge and is intended to remain that way permanently, however, if you want to get a certificate for completing the course, you can buy one for $30.
The MSU Certified Pollinator Champion is a cool certificate but you don’t need to buy it in order to be a good beekeeper.
They also have some nice self-driven learning programs (also free) for beekeepers that you can complete once you’ve become a certified pollinator champion.
Check it out here.
University of California Cooperative Extension of San Diego County’s Beekeeping Course
OK, this may have the longest name of any online course, but the good news is that the course itself is relatively concise and to the point. The best online beekeeping courses are easy to do at your own pace.
There are three modules and a quiz which must be taken separately. The modules run for about 30 minutes each, so that should make them easy to fit in during the course of most days.
You can review the material again at any time, you’re not locked out of it once you complete the course.
They’ll teach you everything you need to know about natural beekeeping, backyard beekeeping and queen bee breeding, all you need is internet access.
Thus, it’s perfect for beginning beekeepers looking to establish a healthy colony for the first time.
Interestingly, if you pass this course, you will also have met the training requirements for the San Diego County Ordinance on Bees and Apiaries!
Check it out here.
Ohio State Beekeepers Association Introductory Beekeeping Training Program
They must really love their bees in Ohio because this is the state’s second free beekeeping course and it’s always available for free.
It’s aimed at beginners and we thought it was one of the most user friendly courses of the bunch, though the UI is a bit outdated.
It includes a total of 34 videos and a bunch of PowerPoint presentations to review and it’s mainly focused on ensuring that your hive remains in good health during each season of the year.
We also found the information on how to transfer bees from one hive to another to be fascinating.
Check it out here.
Perfect Bee Academy
We should note that the Perfect Bee Academy is sustained by selling subscription courses to the public.
However, they do offer a completely free Introductory Beekeeping Course which is delivered by e-mail over a course of 40 lessons.
There is no obligation to pay for anything when you complete this course, mind you. So, it’s worth checking out and if you like it, we think their membership plans are good value.
Check it out here.
HoneyFlow Beginner Beekeeping Online Course
This is a subscription based course provider, but they do allow you to enroll for free for 30 days and that gives you a chance to complete the basic introductory course before you have to pay for anything.
This is a solid course but don’t forget to cancel before 30 days are up, if you don’t want to start paying for it.
Check it out here.
