Natural Resources
4-H Beekeeping Project
The Colorado 4‑H Beekeeping Project leads youth through every stage of learning how to care for honeybees and manage hives, from basic awareness to advanced skills.
Beginners observe seasoned beekeepers, study bee anatomy and behavior, learn about equipment, and watch how bees interact with flowers and the hive. As members advance, they take charge of their own hives for a full season—tracking health, addressing mites and diseases, keeping records, harvesting honey, and marketing their products.
At higher levels, youth practice requeening, splitting colonies, and maintaining strong, productive hives.
The final phase encourages independent research, exploring business possibilities, and delivering demonstrations, helping members grow both their practical expertise and leadership abilities.
Learn more about the 4-H Beekeeping project on Colorado 4-H.
Official Project Materials
Materials & Curriculum
SLV Area Clubs
The San Luis Valley Area has several 4-H clubs that coordinate events and help mentor youth members through a variety of 4-H projects. Most clubs meet once a month.
San Luis Valley Beekeeping Project Details
This project educates on the basic knowledge of beekeeping.
You must complete a beekeeping project according to state fair requirements along with a completed record book.
Requirements:
- Attend 2 projects meetings.
- Record book in a 3-ring folder will need to accompany your project
- Unit 1 display board
- Unit 2 display board or stand-alone
- Unit 3 stand-alone
- Unit 4 detailed notebook including your experience from unit 2 and unit 3 as well as your own established hive
Cost:
- Manuals can be printed off of Colorado 4-H or purchased from SLV Extension for $3.00
- Can cost $500-$700 to start a hive.
Important Information & Dates
Currently there are no events scheduled at this time associated to this page. Please check back for the latest events as they are scheduled.