two-day course beekeeping for beginners

location: nr Thornbury, South Gloucestershire

This two-day course is designed to give you a complete introduction to keeping bees.

It will give you a comprehensive insight into beekeeping and what it entails, including a hands-on session in the Apiary with the bees.

The Course is a combination of theory, practice and demonstration with opportunities to participate at all levels. The lecturers for this course are Jules Moore and Jeff Bee.

Day One
The Fundamentals of Beekeeping: Recognising bees in the UK; the different types of honeybee within a colony; the alternative types of hive, their construction and materials; clothing and equipment; siting your hive.
Practical Session: A look at the separate parts of the beehive and a practical session making frames.
A Tour of the Apiary: Opening up a number of hives to show you when to look and what to look for; how to be safe and how it all works inside a hive.

Day Two
The Beekeeping Calendar: Seasonal tasks and Integrated Pest Management, including basic swarm control and what to do with all that honey!
Hands on in the Apiary: Your chance to open up a hive for inspection and learn some practical management tasks.

We will provide all protective beekeeping equipment, including gloves and tops, but you should wear a long sleeve top, trousers (not too flimsy!) and wellies or stout shoes with socks you can tuck your trousers into.

You can camp onsite if there is space. Let us know if you are interested when you book.

dates: see 'book online' below

more on beekeeping

the venue is a 12-acre smallholding in the Vale of Berkeley, just north of Bristol