We have entered a new era in beekeeping. Diseases and pests have made it undesirable for beekeepers to keep to themselves and remain isolated from others in their region. Working together to keep all of West Virginia’s honeybee colonies healthy is the only practical way we can ensure the health of our own colonies. To this end, it is the mission of the West Virginia Master Beekeeper Program to provide science-based education to our current beekeepers and to develop future stewards and ambassadors for honeybees and beekeeping.
The purpose of this program is to help the individual improve his or her skills and knowledge of beekeeping by testing on a continuous basis, and to increase the effectiveness of the WV Beekeepers Association (WVBA) in providing resources to both the general public and the beekeeping community. This three-tiered certification process is not a requirement for anyone to have honeybees in the state of West Virginia or any other state. The West Virginia Master Beekeeper Program is sponsored by the WVBA and the program director is appointed by the executive board of the WVBA.
FAQs
Any West Virginia Beekeepers Association member with an interest in honeybees and beekeeping is invited to participate in this program. All examinations will be given within the state. Candidates must have worked with honey bees for a minimum of 4 months to take the Apprentice level test.
Yes, at the Apprentice Level, you do not need to own a hive, but are required to have 4 months of beekeeping experience.
Not at the Apprentice Level. You can learn about alternative hives at the Certified Level. You can certainly keep whatever style of hive you wish, but training at the Apprentice Level will be with Langstroth hives only.
A list of the certification requirements for each certification are found with each program description. There is no time limit to complete each level of certification. You may move on to test the next level when you feel that you are prepared. However, if an individual fails to pass a level in testing after three attempts, they are no longer permitted to continue testing. Note that the required public service credits must be completed within three years of the level being tested.
Each level has a $5.00 fee for testing with a $3.00 fee for retesting.
Yes you would start at the Apprentice level. The certifications are sequential. You must have the Apprentice certification to be accepted into the Certified Level program.
No. It is up to the individual how many certification levels they pursue in the WV Master Beekeeper Program. You may stop at any level.
Credits can be no more than 3 years old and still count.
There is a public service credit form that you bring with you for each test taken so the
instructor can see that you have completed this requirement. At a minimum document
what you did (i.e. Gave presentation to Barbour County Beekeepers on spring
management), when you did it, and how many were in attendance.
The Apprentice level test is taken from Beekeeping Basics published by the Penn State Cooperative Extension and available at 814-865-6713. Questions for the Certified level test are taken from Beekeeping Basics well as The Beekeeper’s Handbook by Diana Sammataro and The Backyard Beekeeper by Kim Flottum. Question for the Master level test are taken from the Certified book list as well as Honey Bee Parasites, Pests, Predators and Diseases, Labeling Requirements for Marketing Your Honey available from the WV Department of Agriculture at 304-558-2210, and the WV Apiary Law (CHAPTER 19. AGRICULTURE. ARTICLE 13. INSPECTION AND PROTECTION OF AGRICULTURE) available online at www.legis.state.wv.us/wvcode and Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping (Chapters 12-20) by Dewey M. Caron and Lawrence John Connor. Refer to the section Reading Lists for complete titles, sources, and suggested supplemental reading.
True/false, fill in the blank, and multiple-choice questions comprise most the Apprentice and Certified level testing. The Master level test contains the same with the addition of some short essay questions to explain of why something was done, to explain how to do something, or to list items pertaining to a situation. The lab questions ask you what an item is and how it is used.
The apprentice is the beginner level. This tests your basic beekeeping knowledge. The
certified level is the intermediate level. This tests your knowledge in more advance skills
like re-queening, dividing hives, and entering honey shows. The master level is the
advanced level. This tests your knowledge of several different ways to do things, how
you can help a beekeeper decide which way is best for them.
Form Links
Certification Levels and Requirements
- Four months of beekeeping experience is needed prior to taking practical test. This may consist of beekeeping in a mentor’s apiary or in their own apiary.
- Be a current West Virginia Beekeepers Association (WVBA) member.
- Pass a written test which is given at one of the statewide conferences with a score of 80%.
- Pass a practical test which is given at one of the statewide conferences with a score of 80%. The apprentice examination can include but is not limited to describing the physical parts of a beehive (common terms, not regional nomenclature); lighting and properly using a smoker; recognizing the various stages of brood; different castes of bees; and finding or at least describing the queen; differentiating between brood, pollen, and capped honey; recognizing propolis and describing its functions; describing the layout of a brood nest (placement of honey, pollen, and brood).
- Three years of beekeeping experience with one year minimum as an Apprentice Beekeeper.
- Maintain active membership in the WVBA and maintain a registered apiary in the state of residence at the time of testing.
- Pass a written test which is given at one of the statewide conferences with a score of 80%.
- Pass a practical test which is given at one of the statewide conferences with a score of 80%.
In addition to items found at the apprentice level, certified testing will include the following subject areas: seasonal beekeeping requirements; basic history of beekeeping; honey bee biology; identifying basic anatomical structures of a bee and flower; honey production and hive products; pests and diseases (common names, causes and treatments); mite monitoring; queen rearing; identifying honey label errors; and identifying pheromone odors related to bees.
- Must perform and be able to document participation in six public service credits.
- Submit a log of colony management documenting continuous management activities for 12 successive months. The participant selects the format for his/her log. Although there are numerous ways to document maintenance activities, the log needs to document specific information that includes but is not limited to the following:
- Date and time of day
- Weather conditions
- What is blooming near the hive
- Description of what is found: for example, brood pattern, bees bringing in pollen, and smell
- Notes of actions taken: for example, mite counts, medications given, and feeding (what and how)
- Notes about what needs to be checked, considered, or brought for the next visit
- Notes of anything unusual or unexpected: for example, too many drones, aggressive bees, and so forth
- Questions to consider, research or discuss with other beekeepers
- Enter a honey show and produce a blue-ribbon quality (score 92 or above) in two different classes. Acceptable Honey Shows: State Fair (WV), Eastern Apical Society, or Fall Meeting (WV), or pre-approved shows.
1. Wax
2. Comb honey, frame of capped honey or crème honey
3. Extracted honey
4. Pollen
*The baked goods category is no longer an accepted category.
- Complete two WVBA workshops, one on judging extracted honey and one on judging other products of the hive.
- Five years of beekeeping experience with one year minimum as Certified Beekeeper.
- Maintain active membership in the WVBA since earning the Certified Level and maintain a registered apiary in the state of residence at the time of testing.
- Pass a written test which is given at one of the statewide conferences with a score of 80%.
- Pass a practical test which is given at one of the statewide conferences with a score of 80%.
Advanced level testing will include all the previous level subjects with the addition of scientific names of pests/diseases and honey bee species; pollination; basic native bee information and identification; pesticides; identifying pests, parasites and pathogens including microscopic identification; reading pesticide labels and determining which is the safest to use around bees; identifying several beekeeping items; distinguishing between bees, wasps, hornets and Africanized bees; basic understanding of ripening, storage and harvesting of honey and bee products; and major WV nectar sources. More emphasis will be placed on short essay answers.
- Six additional service credits within a three-year period for a total of twelve credits.
- Presentation of a talk on an approved topic. Presentation to the general assembly of the WVBA at a fall or spring conference or at the Honey Bee Expo is preferred although a presentation in a breakout session will be accepted only if prior application and acceptance of the topic is obtained. Upon application for the presentation, a master beekeeper mentor will be assigned to the candidate to assist in the preparation of the project to insure a lecture of the highest quality.