Courses

The Spring 2023 Course dates are yet to be arranged and will be announced around the date of the AGM in November.

Our Introduction to Beekeeping course provides the skills and husbandry required for basic beekeeping.

Week 1	The Hive The bees’ nest. Bees’ requirements. Hive components. Bee space. Supers. Frames. Tools & equipment. Apiary sites. Origin & History What is a honeybee? Anatomy. Communication. Origins of Bees. Bees through the ages. Hive development. Importance of beekeeping, The Colony Super-organism. The bees in a colony. Larval & bee development and comparison. Lifecycle & division of labour within the hive. Winter adaptation.
Week 2	Queens Gender & castes. Queen & drone development. Mating process. Honeybee races. Colony characteristics & Breeding. Marking and Clipping Beekeeping Year Colony population through the year. Inspections & record-keeping. Seasonal management. Summer build up & harvesting. Pests & Diseases Pests. How to ensure healthy bees. Brood diseases. Adult diseases. Current problems. Varroa. Treatment options. Statutory requirements..
Week 3	Swarms Reasons for swarming. Impact of swarming. Swarm prevention & control. Swarm examples. Collection & hiving a swarm. Plants & Hive products / Getting Started Pollination. Collecting nectar & honey. UK & local forage. Wax, pollen, propolis, venom, royal jelly. Selling honey. Membership. Sources of bees, equipment and clothing. Setting up an apiary. Practical Session– spend time with the bees learning how to do an inspection

OUR NEXT ‘INTRODUCTION TO BEEKEEPING COURSE’ IS: SPRING 2023

Course Fee: TBC

Place:
Bath Beekeepers’ Teaching Apiary,
Park Farm,
Newton-St-Loe,
Bath. BA2 9JA

Please note, there are no further theory courses until SPRING 2023