TN Master Beekeeping Program
The Tennessee Master Beekeeping Program is a school for all beekeepers, regardless of operation size or experience level. The goal is to improve the knowledge of TN beekeepers about beekeeping, and the program is dedicated to beekeepers in Tennessee.
TN Master Beekeeping Classes
Tennessee Master Beekeeping classes are coordinated by the State Apiculturist (Jennifer Tsuruda) and the State Apiarist (Mike Studer) and put on in cooperation with county Extension offices.
There are no prerequisites for the Basic Level class. Even if you do not have bees yet, you will learn skills to help you be a successful beekeeper. Classes are capped at 35 participants and may be cancelled if a minimum of 15 participants is not met. These classes are for participants aged 18 and over; younger youth are encouraged to participate in their county’s Extension 4-H Entomology & Beekeeping Program. Please note that if you intend to take the Advanced class in the future, the Basic Level class is a prerequisite – no waivers or exceptions.
Basic Classes
- Bledsoe County: May 16-17, 2024
- Claiborne County: May 23-24, 2024
- Montgomery County: June 20-21, 2024
- Putnam County: June 27-28, 2024
- Giles County: July 25-26, 2024
- Shelby County: August 1-2, 2024
- Cocke County: August 29-30, 2024
Advanced Classes
- Knox County: April 25-26, 2024 – minimum registration has been met – class is a go!
- Shelby County: May 2-3, 2024
To receive email updates regarding the Tennessee Master Beekeeping Program, please complete the interest form.
Did You Know UTK is a Certified Bee Campus?
The University of Tennessee is a Certified Bee Campus. In March 2020, UTK became a certified Bee Campus, USA. Learn more about what this designation means for the campus and its pollinators.
Why Become a Bee Campus Affiliate?
There are many reasons why is it important to become a Bee Campus affiliate. Here are just a few benefits to our campus and community:
- Help to ensure the survival of vital animal species crucial to our planet’s complex food web.
- Raise community awareness of how our food grows and improve local food production through expanded pollination.
- Improve local plant nursery markets by increasing demand for native, pollinator friendly plants.
- Mobilize the community to remove non-native invasive plants to make way for locally native plants.
- Raise community awareness of the least toxic ways to deal with home and garden pest problems.
- Raise community awareness of the local environment’s seasonality as understanding grows about pollinators’ reliance on blooming plants and trees.
- Support growth of niche businesses such as pollinator-friendly landscaping, beekeeping suppliers, chemical-free lawn care, and native seed suppliers.
UT and TDA Apiculture Assistance
The UT Institute of Agriculture and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) work together to support the beekeeping industry in Tennessee. This chart summarizes some of the responsibilities under each agency.
This chart summarizes some of the responsibilities under each agency. Links for county Extension offices and TDA can be found below the chart.
University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture | UTExtension | UTAgResearch | Tennessee Department of Agriculture |
Education (e.g. Master Beekeeping Program) Outreach Research *Your county Extension office can help you with beekeeping questions and identification of insects, or get you in contact with a beekeeper if you have a swarm of bees on your property. | Apiary Inspections Hive registry (mandatory) Permits for moving beehives TN Ag Enhancement Program Pesticide use & bee kill investigations: Please call (615) 837-5148 (not Mike Studer) * call immediately in case of suspected pesticide bee kill – there is a short window for investigations due to chemical degradation. Facility Licenses & Inspections (if you pack or sell > 150 gallons of honey per year) |
Click here to find your county office. *Click on your county and then “About Us” to get the list of staff – please email your Agriculture and Natural Resources agent(s).
TDA Office of the State Apiarist (Mike Studer) (*For assistance with basic inspections, contact your local beekeeping club to see if they have a local inspector or mentor who can help you. Regional or state-level inspections are required for regulatory services such as permits.) Apiary registration is handled by TDA (not UT) – please send correspondence related to registration to TDA.
TN Ag Enhancement Program (TAEP) This cost-share program supports TN beekeepers who have at least five years of experience and 15 or more hives – beekeeping has challenges but this program is great motivation to try to stick with it and plan to grow your hobby into a production. Honey bees fall under Application B for Producer Diversification (<–click for application materials). Applications are accepted October 1-7. Questions? Please contact producer.diversification@tn.gov.
TDA pesticide information – Please call (615) 837-5148 for assistance with a suspected pesticide-related bee kill. Time is of the essence due to the short window of opportunity for an investigation so this is the first call to make.
TDA Food Safety – If you pack or sell more than 150 gallons of honey per year, you must be licensed and inspected by the State of TN as a food manufacturing facility. Contact TDA Consumer and Industry Services Division at (615) 837-5153 for more information.