Winter Training Course

For potential new beekeepers

INTRODUCTION

This will be an informal, non-examination course. No previous knowledge or experience is required.

AIMS

To provide prospective beekeepers with:

• An understanding of the ecological and economic importance of the Honeybee.
• The basic knowledge required for the successful management of a colony of honeybees.

THE COURSE

• Dates: Sunday 5^th, 12^th , 19^th & 26^th February & 4^th March 2012
• Times: From 2:15 pm until 4:30 pm
• Where: Petersfield Community Centre – Exhibition Room –easy parking
• Course notes will be provided

The afternoon of the 5^h February 2012 will take the form of a free introductory course.

Please Note: Anyone wishing to attend the four further sessions will be required to book in advance.
A fee will be charged; this will include Associate membership of PDBKA.

PRACTICAL TRAINING

Although this course has only a small practical element you will, as Associate members, be welcome to attend the practical training meetings held throughout the summer season as part of the association’s normal training and improvement programme.

COURSE CONTENT

Free Introductory Session – Instructor: Morag Crawley

Brief outlines:

• What is a honey bee, (as opposed to bumble, hover, solitary etc)
• how does it live, (communal structure and how that differs from those above)
• brief history of beekeeping
• where do we keep them (garden, apiary etc)
• how do we house them (hive types)
• hardware involved in keeping them (not just a beehive!)
• amount of work involved in their care and management
• basic beekeeping year
• why they swarm (no hols in swarming time!)
• hazards
  to keeper (stings and allergies)
  to bees (varroa, animals, man)
• rewards
  honey (what it is and its care)
  increased pollination
  increased awareness of insects

For sessions 2, 3, 4 & 5 Booking and payment of a fee of  £30 will be required.   Attendance will be limited to 20 persons

Session 2 – Instructor: Brad Davis

The Beekeeping Year

• Autumn, winter, spring, summer
• Importance of record-keeping
• Swarming and swarm control
• Swarm collection
• Pests and diseases
• Importance of keeping healthy bees
• Control methods

 

Session 3 – Instructor: Pippa Barker

Colony Forage and Products

• Wax
• Pollen, pollination
• Nectar, Honey production
• Propolis
• Water

Honey

• Composition
• Seasonal variations
• Harvesting
• Treatment
• Storage/Selling/Distributing

Session 4 – Instructor: Brian Herbert

Bee colony

• Composition (castes)
• Structure
• Bee Life cycle
• Colony Life cycle
• Colony Management

Bee Housing

• Bee Space (fundamental building block)
• Basic hive types
• Hive composition

Equipment (personal and apiary)

• Explanation
• Use

 

Session 5 – Instructor: Debbie Park

The Hive hardware and handling (indoor practical on dummy hives)

• Basic tools and use of them
• Handling hive and component parts
• Frames and wax

Setting up an Apiary

• Site
• Getting the bees

Backup

• Local, county and national Associations
• NBU
• Bee-base
• Joining the Association and what we offer

Please contact Morag Crawley on: 01730 893429 to book a place or for more details