All beekeepers are encouraged to participate in education but as beekeepers advance in their career, more advanced training is recommended. Commercial beekeepers and serious hobbyists require credible information, and the cost of this information is a legitimate business expense. The most successful beekeepers participate in training events which are provided by industry, government and sector specialists. Measuring the direct value of education and training is difficult but let us have a look broadly at its impact on beekeepers and the industry.
Cost and Value of Education for Beekeepers
A recent report, commissioned by Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada, presented an overview and an assessment of Canada’s agri-environmental extension
services1. As agricultural extension is the foundation of
professional training for farmers and producers, it is an indication of
opportunities for the progression of the industry. This unique report concluded
there are pockets of best practice in agricultural extension services, Quebec
as the example, but some provinces and regions left room for improvement. The Atlantic region demonstrated limited good
practices, Perennia provided as one positive example, but overall could benefit
from stronger collaborations across the region.
The conclusion of this report is that agricultural extension needs
secure long-term funding. This report
demonstrated a relationship between funding, to ensure agricultural extension
is available to farmers, and sector growth and productivity. This conclusion is supported by other
research, which theorizes that every dollar spent on agriculture / extension
will return average 65% (ROI). Extending
this conceptually to an operational level, beekeepers should expect measurable
returns within their own operations on investment in education and training.
One instrument to measure the return on investment for
beekeepers is winter losses. A pan
European study demonstrated that newer beekeepers (less than 5 years of
experience) who received no formal training, and were not part of a beekeeping
organization, had significantly higher winter loss (nearly double) compared to
beekeepers who did receive training, had greater than 5 years of experience,
and were part of a beekeeping organization3. Furthermore, the group
who received no formal training had frequent occurrences of heavy Varroa mite
infestations. This work supports the recommendation
for beekeepers to engage with ongoing training, participating with provincial
associations and establishing a relationship with a mentor.
 |
| Students participating in a Varroa mite management workshop (ATTTA©2026) |
Closer to home in 2025, the ATTTA team and Dalhousie Extended Learning conducted an impact survey involving past students of the Modern Beekeeper (2012 – 2019) and the Fundamentals of Beekeeping (2020 – 2026) to assess the impact this training has had on the Atlantic beekeeping industry. To start, those who completed the survey, 28% of past students had continued beekeeping for greater than 10 years, 13% have made beekeeping a full-time occupation, and 80% have increased their hive numbers since taking training. Some past students report managing over 400 colonies indicating the impact training has had on their success as a commercial operation. Additionally, a significant proportion of these beekeepers have been involved within the beekeeping industry outside of their operation. As indicated by the survey results, 76% of past students are a member of their provincial beekeeping association, 46% are a beekeeping mentor, and multiple past students have been involved with regional, provincial and national boards, committees and governance within the beekeeping industry (i.e. executive members of provincial beekeeping associations, provincial bee inspectors, regulatory roles within departments of agriculture, and members of the Canadian Association of Professional Apiarists and the Canadian Honey Council). These are indicative of activities of successful beekeeping and making a positive contribution to the industry.
A beekeeper’s training is never complete. Not only should
more experienced beekeepers take advanced courses offered within their region,
but there is also value in them attending basic training and education sessions
to learn how best management practices are adapting to climate change and remaining
contemporary with the increased challenges of managing various pests and
diseases. Beekeeping is a complex and continually evolving practice, and no
beekeeper will ever be finished with their training.
There are numerous events planned for the fall and winter. Making
the effort to attend will pay dividends for you as a successful beekeeper.
1. 1.
Audet, K., 2025. Assessment of
agri-environmental extension services in Canada for agriculture and agrifood Canada.
Canadian Agri-food & Rural Advisory, Extension and Education Journal, 1(1).
2. 2. Alston, J.M., Andersen, M.A., James, J.S. and
Pardey, P.G., 2011. The economic returns to US public agricultural research.
American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 93(5), pp.1257-1277.
3. 3. Jacques, A., Laurent, M., Epilobee Consortium, Ribière-Chabert, M., Saussac, M., Bougeard, S., Budge, G.E., Hendrikx, P. and Chauzat, M.P., 2017. A pan-European epidemiological study reveals honey bee colony survival depends on beekeeper education and disease control. PLoS one, 12(3), p.e0172591.
Connect with ATTTA Specialists
If you’d like to connect with ATTTA specialists or learn more about our program, you can:
visit our website at: https://www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/honey-bees/
Email: attta@perennia.ca
