two-hour taster course

beekeeping taster

location: nr Hexham, Northumberland

This course is run by Mark and Kym Pritchard, who between them have been keeping bees since 1979, have a masters in education and a postgrad degree in environmental studies, have taught beekeeping at Cumbria University adult education classes, give advice to farmers on making their land more bee friendly, and have 20 hives at the moment.

On your Beekeeping Course Taster Session you will learn about beekeeping. You will: 

  • look inside a colony (weather permitting) 
  • handle the bees and frames
  • use smokers and the equipment necessary for day to day beekeeping
  • learn about the importance of beekeeping
  • learn about the life cycle of queens, workers, drones, and their division of labour
  • look at and discuss the inside of a modern hive
  • learn about pollination, nectar and honey, and:
  • wax, propolis and royal jelly
  • the life cycle of a hive
  • swarming and swarm control
  • diseases and hive management

Clearly, in 2 hours we can only touch on these subjects. This is too much to cover in depth in 2 hours. It's intended to give you an insight as to whether beekeeping is for you or not.

dates: see 'book online' below

more on beekeeping


how to book:
  

if you can't open the booking form, you need Acrobat Reader - it's free
arrive:
  
for a 1pm prompt start
depart:
  
after the course finishes at 3pm
directions:
  
sent with booking confirmation
what to bring:
  
work clothes - protective garments will be available; however it is ESSENTIAL to wear long trousers and closed shoes; pen and notebook
let us know:
  
if you have any special needs
price:
  
£20
Refundable up to two weeks prior to course (minus £10 admin fee)
No refunds for cancellations within two weeks of course
car sharing:
  
visit our car sharing forum to offer or request a lift
 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



the venue is a village Tea Room in a small and very beautiful hamlet, surrounded by arable fields, deciduous woods and heather moors (or Fells as we call them)