Week 1 - Theoretical
Historical development of beekeeping and sericulture, their current status in Türkiye and worldwide, economic importance, and role in sustainable agriculture.
Week 1 - Practice
Examination of basic equipment, hive types, frames, bee and silk products, and introduction to production materials used in beekeeping and sericulture.
Week 1 - Preparation Work
Week 2 - Theoretical
Structure and organization of the honey bee colony; morphological and biological characteristics of queen, worker, and drone bees; their functions, division of labor, and social behaviors within the colony.
Week 2 - Practice
Identification of colony members, examination of the external morphology of worker honey bees under a stereomicroscope, and identification of major anatomical structures including antennae, eyes, mouthparts, pollen baskets, wings, and stinger.
Week 2 - Preparation Work
Week 3 - Theoretical
Reproductive biology of honey bees, developmental stages (egg, larva, pupa and adult), caste differentiation, biological basis of queen rearing, and pollination activities of honey bees in crop production
Week 3 - Practice
Examination of honey bee developmental stages on combs, identification of open and sealed brood cells, and differentiation of queen, worker and drone brood cells.
Week 3 - Preparation Work
Week 4 - Preparation Work
Week 4 - Theoretical & Practice
(Nutrition of colony members, nutritional requirements of worker bees, queens and drones; the importance of nutrition in brood development, and the functions of royal jelly, pollen and honey within the colony.
(Examination of bee bread, pollen, honey and royal jelly samples; evaluation of open and sealed brood areas on brood combs.)
Week 5 - Preparation Work
Week 5 - Theoretical & Practice
Practical:
Spring colony inspections and assessment of colony development.
Week 6 - Preparation Work
Week 6 - Theoretical & Practice
Theoretical: Seasonal colony management practices, supplementary feeding applications, and preparation for nectar flow.
Supplementary feeding practices, and assessment of colony development
Week 7 - Preparation Work
Week 7 - Theoretical & Practice
Theoretical:
Swarming behavior, factors affecting swarm formation, swarm control methods, and colony multiplication techniques.
Practical:
Identification of swarm cells, examination of colony multiplication methods, and demonstration of colony splitting techniques.
Week 8 - Preparation Work
Week 8 - Theoretical & Practice
Theoretical:
Honey bee diseases, pests, and control methods; biology, impact, and management of Varroa destructor.)
Practical:
Identification of Varroa destructor, assessment of varroa infestation levels, and examination of basic control methods.)
Week 9 - Preparation Work
Week 9 - Theoretical & Practice
Theoretical:
Production, composition, quality characteristics, and applications of bee products, including honey, pollen, bee bread, propolis, royal jelly, beeswax, and bee venom.
Practical:
Examination of honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, beeswax, and bee venom samples; introduction to equipment used in the production of bee products.
Week 10 - Preparation Work
Week 10 - Theoretical & Practice
Theoretical:
Biology, morphological characteristics, life cycle, and breeds used in silkworm rearing
Practical:
Examination of silkworm eggs, larval stages, and materials used in silkworm rearing
Week 11 - Preparation Work
Week 11 - Theoretical & Practice
Theoretical:
Silkworm rearing and genetic characteristics, egg incubation and hatching, management and feeding practices during larval stages, molting (sleeping) periods, and the main factors affecting silkworm rearing.)
(Practical:
Examination of one-day-old silkworm larvae and rearing materials, and demonstration of management and feeding practices.
Week 12 - Preparation Work
Week 12 - Theoretical & Practice
(Theoretical:
Cocoon formation, cocoon spinning behavior, factors affecting cocoon quality, and cocoon harvesting.)
(Practical:
Collection of mulberry leaves for silkworm larvae, bed cleaning, thinning, and feeding practices.)
Week 13 - Preparation Work
Week 13 - Theoretical & Practice
(Theoretical:
Silkworm diseases and pests, control methods, basic principles of silk production, and utilization of cocoons.)
Examination of cocoon samples, evaluation of cocoon quality characteristics; distribution of approximately 100 fifth-instar silkworm larvae to each student, explanation of rearing procedures, and introduction to the observation report process.
Week 14 - Preparation Work
Week 14 - Theoretical & Practice
Practical:
Practical beekeeping examination: Identification of colony members, evaluation of a healthy colony, hive opening and closing procedures, differentiation of brood and honey frames, identification of Varroa destructor, and performance of basic colony inspection procedures.
Week 15 - Preparation Work
Week 16 - Preparation Work
Week 17 - Preparation Work
Week 18 - Preparation Work
Week 19 - Preparation Work
Week 20 - Preparation Work
Week 21 - Preparation Work
Week 22 - Preparation Work
Week 23 - Preparation Work
Week 24 - Preparation Work
Week 25 - Preparation Work
Week 26 - Preparation Work
Week 27 - Preparation Work
Week 28 - Preparation Work
Week 29 - Preparation Work
Week 30 - Preparation Work
Week 31 - Preparation Work
Week 32 - Preparation Work
