DEFINITIONS:
Mentor: someone with experience to share
Mentee: someone looking to learn from the experience of others
DURATION OF MENTOR/MENTEE INTIAL RELATIONSHIP:
The mentor/mentees shall be assigned on or before the 1st of December each year, and the initial mentor/mentee relationship will continue until the 30th of November the following year. This will allow the mentor/mentee to order equipment and bees for the spring, and to work with the bees until they are put to bed for the winter just after Thanksgiving.
MENTORSHIP COORDINATOR
The Mentorship Coordinator (MC) shall report to the Vice President (VP) of the Houston Beekeepers Association (referred to as “the Club”). The MC shall serve a one year term for a maximum of 3 consecutive years. The MC shall be selected from experienced Club Mentors with a minimum of one year of experience as a Mentor prior to becoming the MC.
MC Responsibilities:
Receive and review mentor and mentee applications
Review mentor applications and approve mentors with input from the Executive Committee
Match mentors and mentees using location, hive type, knowledge, and personality to the best of their ability
Keep track of progress, check-in, and make adjustments as needed Report progress to the board or club
MENTOR MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
1+ years of experience
Well-read in beekeeping techniques & bee biology
Available to host mentees in their bee yard
Willing to help mentees with issues in the mentee bee yard
BEING A MENTOR:
When you go to work bees with mentees, be sure to give them the opportunity to handle the frames, use their hive tool, use the smoker, etc.
Working bees with a mentor allows the mentee a chance to try their techniques, ask questions, and try new things.
Don’t do the task for the new beekeeper
Show then watch the novice do it
Rather than making the decisions, let the novice do it
Teach the novice to think scientifically
Teach the novice to think like a bee
Become a phone call mentor, and be sure to visit your mentee’s bee yard.
“Practice the above, and you will become a great mentor. More importantly, you will turn out a long line of fine beekeepers. And, that must be one of the great satisfactions we practitioners can achieve.” -Howard Scott, American Bee Journal
MENTEE EXPECTATIONS:
Visit mentor yard to work bees throughout the season
Document their hive inspections when mentor is unavailable to accompany (using notes, photos, video, etc.)
Use reputable sources to gain more bee knowledge throughout the mentorship program Will attend club meetings with regularity
Share knowledge with new beekeepers and join the mentorship program as a mentor once successfully completing the program
EDUCATIONAL OUTLINE
Building a curriculum or a checklist can help make sure mentors and mentees have a better idea of what to cover within the beekeeping season. Most students won’t know what questions to ask, so it’s important that mentors guide the mentee with proper instruction and resources. Here are some suggested topics to cover for beginner beekeepers:
Protective gear & personal equipment needed: Veil, suit, jacket, boots, smoker, gloves, hive tool
Setting up your apiary: Hive placement, pest & weed control, hive stands, installing bees in your apiary
Working bees with the mentor: Shoot for a few times throughout the season with hands-on experience
Lighting a smoker: smoker fuel, techniques, tips and tricks
Handling stings: How to remove a stinger, watching for allergic reactions, seeking medical advice
Provide resources: In this digital age, there are so many great videos and helpful tools available to help supplement the in-person training and better educate our beekeepers.
Space management: How and when to add or remove space
Nutrition: How and when to feed bees Building bee equipment: how to build frames, boxes, etc.
Bee biology: understanding the natural cycles of growth and decline in bees, swarming, bee communication,
Re-queening & queen management: when to re-queen, how, and knowledge of how to raise your own queens
MENTEE GRADUATION:
The mentee graduation ceremony shall be conducted at the November meeting of the Club. The new mentor/mentee assignments for the next season shall be announced at the graduation.