Course Tutor - Henry J Kendall

This is a course suitable for beginners and more experienced beekeepers alike and covers both traditional and modern methods. The syllabus covers competent handling and management of a colony of honey bees, as well as extracting both honey and wax.

Arrival Day 

Day One

10am to 12noon - Henry will introduces himself and discuss:                  
- Different hives and equipment
- The assembly of a hive from the flat
- Assembly of frames and the waxing of frames

12noon to 2pm - free time

2pm to 4pm - A discussion of different types of Bees and their life cycles.

Day Two

10am to 12noon - Spring Management. You will learn how to:
- Asses the state of the hive and colony
- Change floor boards
- How and when to change brood frames
- Asses the health of the Queen and the colony
- How and when to treat for disease and with what medication.

Summer management. Learn how to:
- Continually asses the state and health of the colony
- Know if a colony is going to swarm.
- What to do about swarming also discuss different types of artificial swarm control.
- How to hive a swarm

12noon to 2pm - free time

2pm to 4pm - Honey Production - You will learn:
- The different times of the year for different types of honey and how to collect.
- Learn how to harvest the honey when ripe and how to extract
- The government marketing rules of Honey.

Day 3 

10am to 12noon - Winter Management – You will learn:
- How to close the colony down for winter
- How much food the colony will require for winter
- How to treat for disease
- How to protect the colony from predators.

1PM Start - Visit to an out apiary, where students will have the opportunity to open a hive and handle live bees to identify; pollen from nectar, workers from drones, how to find the queen and how to mark a queen.

Students will be encouraged to ask questions throughout the course.

The visit to the apiary  may have to be changed depending on weather conditions, but this will be discussed with students at the beginning of the course.