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COURSE OVERVIEW

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This class presents general information on the biology, behavior and management of honey bee

colonies, including pollination and simple honey processing.

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will be able to do each of the following:

1. Understand the basic biology and behavior of the common honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) including the honey bee caste system.

2. Use all the traditional hive equipment and protective equipment necessary to successfully open a bee colony.

3. Understand the pollination contribution that honey bees and native bees make to human society

4. Discuss popular media topics of the day such as Africanized honey bees (Killer Bees), Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), parasitic mite predation (Varroa mites), and incorporating bees in urban spaces.

5. Be able to gather and process surplus honey crops that could be used either as a human food source, a small business enterprise, or both.

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FACULTY INFORMATION

Name: Reed Johnson

Email address: johnson.5005@osu.edu

Office: 118 Thorne Hall, OARDC, Wooster

Phone number: 330-439-8295

CarmenConnect: Bee Lab Room

Office Hours: In person Thursdays 3-4 PM (121 Howlett), by phone or CarmenConnect Fridays 1-2 PM.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Entomology. I study the exposure and effects of pesticides on honey bees and other pollinators.

TEACHING ASSISTANT INFORMATION

Name: Rodney Richardson

Email address: richardson.827@buckeyemail.osu.edu

Office: 264c Howlett Hall, Columbus

CarmenConnect: Bee Lab Room

Office Hours: By CarmenConnect or in-person Tuesdays 2-4 PM

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COURSE MATERIALS

TEXTBOOKS

Dadant, C.P. First Lessons in Beekeeping. Dadant and Sons, Inc.

1918.http://openlibrary.org/books/OL24170193M/First_lessons_in_beekeeping

Winston, Mark. The Biology of the Honey Bee. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

1987. ISBN: 978-0674074095

Nordhaus, Hannah. The Beekeeper’s Lament. New York, NY: Harper Perennial. 2011. ISBN: 978-

0061873256

OPTIONAL SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

Caron, Dewey M and Connor, Lawrence J. Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping. Kalamazoo, MI:

Wicwas Press, LLC. 2013. ISBN: 978-1878075291

Dadant, C.P. First Lessons in Beekeeping. Hamilton, IL: Dadant and Sons, Inc. 1976. ISBN: 978-

0915698021

Delaplane, Keith. First Lessons in Beekeeping. Hamilton, IL: Dadant and Sons, Inc. 2007. ISBN:

978-0915698127

Frisch, Karl von. Dancing Bees. London: Metheun & Co., Ltd. 1954.

Sammataro, Diana and Alphonse Avitable. The Beekeeper's Handbook, 3rd Edition. Ithaca and

London: Comstock Publishing Associates. 1998. ISBN: 978-08014085039

Graham, Joe (Ed.) The Hive and the Honey Bee. Hamilton, IL: Dadant and Sons. 1992. ISBN: 978-

0915698099

Sanford, Malcolm T. and Richard E. Bonney. Storey's Guide to Keeping Honey Bees. North Adams,

MA: Storey Publishing. 2010. ISBN: 978-1603425506

   

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LECTURE AND READING SCHEDULE (SUGGESTED) Lectures will be posted to Carmen by 8AM on the dates listed. Students are expected to watch

lectures, do the assigned reading and complete any quizzes or homework assignments by Sunday

night at 11:59PM. Readings not in required textbooks will be provided.

Date Lecture Reading

1/12 Week 1 Welcome; Bee basics Winston Ch. 1 (pp. 1-3)

Winston Ch. 4 (pp. 46-71)

Dadant S1-30

1/14 Week 1 Bee development and nutrition Robinson pdf (2 p.)

Dadant S31-36

1/19 MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY No Class

1/21 Week 2 Queen Development and Haplodiploidy Winston Ch. 6 & 7 (pp. 89-128)

1/26 Week 3 Temporal Polyethism Havukainen Science Daily (1 p.)

Winston Ch 5 (pp. 72-88)

1/28 Week 3 Nest Site Selection and Nest Architecture

Winston Ch. 5 (pp. 72-88)

2/2 Week 4 Honey Bee Races and Relatives Winston Ch. 2 (pp. 4-12)

Dadant S122-123, Sammataro and

Avitable (4 p.)

2/4 Week 4 Karl von Frisch and the Dance Winston Ch. 9 (pp. 150-168)

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Language

2/9 Week 5 Sociality and Chemical Communication Winston Ch. 8 (pp. 129-149),

Science Daily Article on Brood

Pheromone (1 p.)

2/11 Week 5 Worker and Brood Chemical Communication

2/16 Week 6 Summary and Review for Exam I

2/18 Week 6 Honeyflow and the Foraging Problem NASA Hive Scale Project (3 p.)

2/23 Week 7 Bee Botany and Phenology Nordhaus Ch. 1

Dadant (1976 edition; pp. 57-64) pdf

2/25 Week 7 Planting for Pollinators and Commercial Pollination

Dadant S213-224

3/2 Week 8 Brood Diseases and Pests of Comb Nordhaus Ch. 3 (pp. 55-82)

USDA Bee Diseases pdf

3/4 Week 8 Varroa and Other Adult Diseases Nordhaus Ch. 5 and 6 (pp. 115-169)

Minnesota "Sugar Shake" Poster

3/9 Week 9 Pesticides

3/11 Week 9 CCD and Beekeeping History Graham Ch. 1 (22 p.)

3/16-20 SPRING BREAK No Class

3/23 Week 10 Beekeeping Innovations and Honey and Wax Processing

Dadant S160-172

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3/25 Week 10 Crystalization and Honey Laundering Nordhaus Ch. 9 (pp. 231-253)

Food Safety News articles

3/30 Week 11 Summary and Review for Exam II

4/1 Week 11 Apiary Law and Location Dadant S62-73

Sammataro and Avitabile (pp. 34-39)

4/6 Week 12 Landscape and Urban Advantage; Installing Packages

Dadant (1976 edition; pp. 45-56)

4/8 Week 12 Swarms, Packages, Nucs, Splits and Requeening

Winston Ch. 11 (pp. 181-198)

4/13 Week 13 Drone Biology and Drone Congregation Areas

Winston Ch. 12 (pp. 199-213)

4/15 Week 13 Queen Breeding and Queen Rearing Nordhaus Ch. 7 (pp. 172-201)

4/20 Week 14 Watch student presentations

4/22 Week 14 Watch student presentations

4/27 Week 15 Feeding and Overwintering, The Future of Beekeeping

Caron (pp. 205-217)

 

   

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COLUMBUS LAB SCHEDULE

THURSDAYS FROM 4:10 TO 6PM

Date Description Notes Location

1/15 Lab 1: Broodmapper and bee development

Bring a laptop to lab

115 Howlett Hall

1/22 Lab 2: Bee anatomy Winston Ch. 3 (pp. 13-45)

115 Howlett Hall

1/29 Lab 3: Bee diversity Guest Lecturer Jessie Wallace

115 Howlett Hall

2/5 Lab 4: Dance language, Part I

Dress to go outside today

115 Howlett Hall

2/12 Lab 5: Dance language, Part II

Bring a laptop to lab

115 Howlett Hall

2/19 Lab 6: Exam I, Honey varietals and pollen ID

Guest Lecturer Chia Lin

115 Howlett Hall **Lab journals due in lab**

2/26 Lab 7: Bee diseases, pollen ID continued

Guest LecturerState Apiarist Barb Bloetscher

115 Howlett Hall

3/5 Lab 8: Equipment shopping and assembly

Guest Lecturer Rodney Richardson

115 Howlett Hall

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3/12 Lab 9: Honey, wax processing and value added products

Bee supply order form due

115 Howlett Hall

3/26 Lab 10: Meadery Field Trip

Lab starts at 4:30

Brothers Drake Meadery, 26 E. 5th St.

4/2 Lab 11: Exam II and First Trip to the Beeyard

Dress for beekeeping after the exam

115 Howlett Hall **Lab journals due in lab**

4/9 Lab 12: Installing packages and making splits

Lab starts at 4:20

Rothenbuhler Bee Lab

4/16 Lab 13: Disease detection, hive inspection and queen rearing

Rothenbuhler Bee Lab

4/23 Lab 14: Inspecting colonies, swarm demonstration

Lab starts at 4:20

Rothenbuhler Bee Lab **Lab journal due in lab**

 

   

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* HONEY BEE STINGS *

Students must be aware that we will be working with live honey bees in this class and that being

stung is a normal part of beekeeping activities. Honey bee stings are quite painful, but are not life-

threatening for the majority of the human population. Students will be provided with standard

protective gear (veiled jacket and gloves), but these will serve only to minimize stinging. NO

AMOUNT OF PROTECTION CAN ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING STUNG.

Honey bee stings can be life threatening if someone knowingly or unknowingly has an allergy to bee

venom. Students that suspect they may have a bee sting allergy are strongly encouraged to discuss

the situation with their doctor.

   

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TECHNOLOGY REQUIRED FOR THIS COURSE

SUPPORT: Call 614-688-HELP at any time if you have a technical problem.

BASELINE TECHNICAL SKILLS

Basic computer and web-browsing skills.

For help, see "Basic Computer Skills for Online Courses"

Navigating Carmen

For help, see "Navigating the Online Classroom"

TECHNOLOGY SKILLS FOR THIS COURSE

CarmenConnect text, audio, and video chat

For help, see Firefox or Chrome.

Recording a slide presentation with audio narration

For help, see "Navigating the Online Classroom"

Documenting field work with a camera and uploading images

For help, see "Navigating the Online Classroom"

NECESSARY EQUIPMENT

Computer: current Mac or PC with high-speed internet connection

For help, see Firefox or Chrome.

Microphone: built-in laptop or tablet mic or external microphone

For help, see "Navigating the Online Classroom"

Digital camera: at least 5 megapixel or current smartphone camera

For help, see Firefox or Chrome.

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GRADING AND RESPONSE TIME

POINT TOTALS

Assignment Points Due

Papers 50 points Feb. 8 and Apr. 12

Exams 250 points Feb. 19, Apr. 2 and Finals Week

Homework / Quizzes 110 points Every Sunday

Video Presentation 25 points Apr. 19

Beekeeping Journal 65 points Feb. 19, Apr. 2 and Apr. 23

Total 500 points

LATE ASSIGNMENTS

An assignment submitted after the due date will be subject to a 10% point deduction per day,

including in the case of technical difficulties.

EXAMS

The three exams will be administered in-person during the laboratory section or during finals

week. Exams will consist of multiple choice, short answer and short essay questions. Exams will

test students’ understanding of concepts and skills presented both in lecture and lab. All exams will

be cumulative, but with a greater focus on newer material.

This course does not have an official assigned final exam time and date. The time and date of the

final will be announced in the weeks before the exam.

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LITERATURE REVIEW PAPERS

Two short literature review papers, one written on a topic in Bee Biology and one on Beekeeping

topic, will be required. The choice of topic is entirely up to the student, but should be presented with

greater depth and more detail than anything presented in class. Papers should cite at

least four references. Papers should be 2-3 pages in length (8 ½” x 11”, 1” margins, double-

spaced, 12 point Times New Roman or similar font). Reference formatting should follow a standard

style that you prefer. A list of topic suggestions is available here: Potential Paper Topics. Students

are encouraged to write about topics not on the list.

Students will submit a one paragraph "Paper Proposal" for both papers. The paper proposal will

outline the topic to be covered in the full paper and will include two references. The proposal will

be due 2 weeks before the final paper is due and will provide an opportunity to give you with

feedback on the topic and scope of the proposed paper. Each "Paper Proposal" will be worth 5

homework/quiz points.

PRESENTATION

Each student is expected to make a 5 minute recorded PowerPoint-style presentation to be posted

on Carmen and shared with the other students in the course. The topic of this presentation may be

related to one of the paper topics or may be on an unrelated topic relevant to

beekeeping. Presentations must make use of pictures or figures and be recorded in a format that

can be viewed by all students in the course.

HOMEWORK AND QUIZZES

Students should expect to complete two homework assignments and/or quizzes, worth 5 points

each, every week. The format of these assignments will vary from multiple choice quizzes to short

essay questions to fill-in-the-blank or exercise based homework assignments. Quizzes may be

unannounced and may be given in Carmen or in the lab.

The two lowest homework or quiz scores will be automatically dropped from calculation in your final

grade.

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LAB NOTEBOOK / BEEKEEPING JOURNAL

A written and visual record of laboratory activities is required of all students. For many indoor labs

students will be given specific questions to answer or illustrations to include in their notebook. For

beekeeping labs meeting in the field, and for all labs unless otherwise specified, students should

write a summary of the activities performed and their outcome with at least one illustration.

Notebooks can be either in traditional paper format or kept in an electronic medium. Word

processor documents or blogs are acceptable, as long as they can be viewed and commented on for

grading. Required illustrations can be either hand-drawn or photographs.

DETAILED POINT BREAKDOWN

Date Item Due Points

Sun, Jan. 18 Syllabus Quiz 5

Quiz 1: Bee Basics 5

Post on "Why I'm Taking Beekeeping"� Discussion 5

Sun, Jan. 25 Bee Biology Paper Proposal Due 5

Quiz 2: Bee Development 5

Sun, Feb. 01 Quiz 3: Swarming, Nest Selection and Nest Architecture 5

Sun., Feb. 08 Bee Biology Paper Due 25

Quiz 4: Bees and Bee Races 5

Quiz 5: Bee Bikini 5

Sun., Feb. 15 Quiz 6: Karl von Frisch and the Dance Language 5

Post in "Questions and Answers for Exam I" Discussion Forum 5

Thurs., Feb. 19 Exam I in Lab 75

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Journal Due in Lab 25

Sun., Feb. 22 Quiz 7: Foraging 5

Sun., Mar. 01 Quiz 8: Botany and Phenology 5

Quiz 9: Commercial Pollination 5

Sun., Mar. 08 Quiz 10: Brood Diseases 5

Quiz 11: Varroa and Diseases 5

Thurs., Mar. 12 Bee supply order form due 5

Sun., Mar. 15 Quiz 12: Pesticides 5

Beekeeping Paper Proposal Due 5

Sun., Mar. 29 Quiz 13: Honey 5

Post in "Honey Laundering"� Discussion Forum 5

Post in "Questions and Answers for Exam II" Discussion Forum 5

Thurs., Apr. 02 Exam II in Lab 75

Journal Due in Lab 25

Sun., Apr. 05 Quiz 14: Laws and Locations 5

Sun., Apr. 12 Beekeeping Paper Due 25

Quiz 15: Starting a New Colony 5

Sun., Apr. 19 Video Presentation Due 25

Quiz 16: Drones 5

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Quiz 17: Queen Rearing 5

Thurs., Apr. 23 Journal Due in Lab 15

Final Exam 100

GRADING SCALE

Your final course grade will be based on the total of points accumulated:

93% - 100% (465 - 500 points) A

90% - 92% (450 - 464 points) A-

87% - 89% (435 - 449 points) B+

83% - 86% (415 - 434 points) B

80% - 82% (400 - 414 points) B-

77% - 79% (385 - 399 points) C+

73% - 76% (365 - 384 points) C

70% - 72% (350 - 364 points) C-

67% - 69% (335 - 349 points) D+

60% - 66% (300 - 334 points) D

Less than 60% (Less than 300 points) E

(Some percentages are approximate.)

To see your current grade at any time during the course, click Grades in the navigation bar.

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RESPONSE TIME

I am providing the following list to give you an idea of my intended availability throughout the

course.

(Remember that you can call 614-688-HELP at any time if you have a technical problem.)

GRADING AND FEEDBACK

For homework and quizzes, you can generally expect feedback within 3 days.

For papers and exams you can expect feedback within 7 days.

E-MAIL

I will reply to e-mails within 12 hours.

DISCUSSION BOARD

I will check and reply to messages in the discussion boards every 24 hours.

ATTENDANCE, PARTICIPATION AND COMMUNICATION

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS

Attendance in the lab period is mandatory. Three unexcused absences from the laboratory period

will result in a failing grade.

DISCUSSION AND COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES

The following are my expectations for how we should communicate as a class. Above all, please

remember to be respectful and thoughtful. See the OSU Online guidelines for online discussions for

more information.

• Writing style: While there is no need to participate in class discussions as if you

were writing a research paper, you should remember to write using good grammar, spelling,

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and punctuation. Informality (including an occasional emoticon) is fine for non-academic

topics.

• Tone and civility: Let's maintain a supportive learning community where everyone

feels safe--and where people can disagree amicably. Remember that sarcasm doesn't always

come across online.

• Citing your sources: When we have academic discussions, please cite your

sources to back up what you say. (For the textbook or other course materials, list at least

the title and page numbers. For online sources, include a link.)

• Backing up your work: Consider composing your academic posts in a word

processor, where you can save your work, and then copying into the Carmen discussion.

SAMPLE TOPICS FOR SHORT LITERATURE REVIEW PAPERS Papers on topics not listed are welcome and encouraged.

PAPER 1: BEE BIOLOGY Life of Lorenzo Langstroth

The observations of Francois Huber

Russian bees

History of bee smokers

Honey hunting

Other bee species

Stingless bees (Melipona or Trigona)

Bumble bees

Orchard mason bees

Leafcutter bees

Squash bees

Bee biology

Bee taxonomy

Evolution of social behavior in bees

Karl von Frisch’s dance language experiments

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Martin Lindauer’s dance language experiments

Bees as a model system for studying human disease

Division of labor in bees

PAPER 2: BEEKEEPING Bee management

Protecting bees from pesticides

Resistance to American foulbrood (Hygienic behavior)

Colony collapse disorder

Chalkbrood disease

Swarm control methods

Establishing and maintaining observation hives

Allergic reactions to bee stings

Pollination

Almond pollination

Alfalfa seed production

Cranberry pollination

Apple pollination

Pumpkin pollination

Marketing

The Dyce process (creamed honey)

Mead making

Collection and uses of beeswax

Collection and uses of pollen

Collection and uses of propolis

Collection and uses of royal jelly

Collection and uses of bee venom  

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ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

INTEGRITY IN THIS ONLINE COURSE

Quizzes and exams. You must complete the midterm and final exams yourself, without any

external help or communication. Weekly quizzes are included as self-checks without points attached.

Written assignments. Your written assignments, including discussion posts, should be your own

original work. In formal assignments, you should follow[MLA/APA/?] style to cite the ideas and

words of your research sources. You are encouraged to ask a trusted person to proofread your

assignments before you turn them in--but no one else should revise or rewrite your work.

Reusing past work. In general, you are prohibited in university courses from turning in work from

a past class to your current class, even if you modify it. If you want to build on past research or

revisit a topic you've explored in previous courses, please discuss the situation with me.

Falsifying research or results. All research you will conduct in this course is intended to be a

learning experience; you should never feel tempted to make your results or your library research

look more successful than it was.

Collaboration and informal peer-review. The course includes many opportunities for formal

collaboration with your classmates. While study groups and peer-review of major written projects is

encouraged, remember that comparing answers on a quiz or assignment is not permitted. If you're

unsure about a particular situation, please feel free just to ask ahead of time.

Group projects. This course includes group projects, which can be stressful for students when it

comes to dividing work, taking credit, and receiving grades and feedback. I have attempted to make

the guidelines for group work as clear as possible for each activity and assignment, but please let

me know if

OHIO STATE'S ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY

Academic integrity is essential to maintaining an environment that fosters excellence in teaching,

research, and other educational and scholarly activities. Thus, The Ohio State University and the

Committee on Academic Misconduct (COAM) expect that all students have read and understand the

University’s Code of Student Conduct, and that all students will complete all academic and scholarly

assignments with fairness and honesty. Students must recognize that failure to follow the rules and

guidelines established in the University’s Code of Student Conduct and this syllabus may constitute

“Academic Misconduct.”

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The Ohio State University’s Code of Student Conduct (Section 3335-23-04) defines academic

misconduct as: “Any activity that tends to compromise the academic integrity of the University, or

subvert the educational process.” Examples of academic misconduct include (but are not limited to)

plagiarism, collusion (unauthorized collaboration), copying the work of another student, and

possession of unauthorized materials during an examination. Ignorance of the University’s Code of

Student Conduct is never considered an “excuse” for academic misconduct, so I recommend that

you review the Code of Student Conduct and, specifically, the sections dealing with academic

misconduct.

If I suspect that a student has committed academic misconduct in this course, I am

obligated by University Rules to report my suspicions to the Committee on Academic

Misconduct. If COAM determines that you have violated the University’s Code of Student

Conduct (i.e., committed academic misconduct), the sanctions for the misconduct could include a

failing grade in this course and suspension or dismissal from the University.

If you have any questions about the above policy or what constitutes academic misconduct in this

course, please contact me.

Other sources of information on academic misconduct (integrity) to which you can refer include:

• The Committee on Academic Misconduct web pages (COAM Home)

• Ten Suggestions for Preserving Academic Integrity (Ten Suggestions)

• Eight Cardinal Rules of Academic Integrity(www.northwestern.edu/uacc/8cards.htm

ACCESSIBILITY ACCOMMODATIONS

REQUESTING ACCOMMODATIONS

If you would like to request academic accommodations based on the impact of a disability qualified

under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, contact

your instructor privately as soon as possible to discuss your specific needs. Discussions are

confidential.

In addition to contacting the instructor, please contact the Office for Disability Services at 614-292-

3307 or ods@osu.edu to register for services and/or to coordinate any accommodations you might

need in your courses at The Ohio State University.

Go to http://ods.osu.edu for more information.

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ACCESSIBILITY OF COURSE TECHNOLOGY

This online course requires use of Carmen (Ohio State's learning management system) and other

online communication and multimedia tools. If you need additional services to use these

technologies, please request accommodations with your instructor.

• Carmen (Desire2Learn) accessibility

• Streaming audio and video

• Synchronous course tools