Course information

Introduction to Bees & Beekeeping

Course fee: £45
This is a fun, informative introduction for anyone interested in bees, their impact on our lives and the environment. If you are considering taking up beekeeping but unsure what is involved, this course will help you decide.

In the session, you will discover

How to identify honeybees and the differences between each caste
Why bees are so important to our lives and to the environment
What bees do all day and what they produce
What a super-organism is and how it works
What a beekeeper does during each year
What you need in order to be ready to start keeping bees

What to bring along:

A pen and paper if you wish to make notes.

Next Steps: Meet the Bees

Meet the Bees

Course fee: £25

‘Meet the Bees’ allows you to handle bees in a small group led by one of our experienced beekeepers. This is usually in April or May and is entirely weather dependent.

On the day
We provide a full bee suit and ensure you are properly prepared. We will talk about beekeeper and bee hygiene, demonstrate opening a hive, use of tools and smoker and handling a frame of bees for inspection. You will have the chance to hold a frame, which we'll describe and discuss.

You will hear the bees, watch them working, feel their warmth, smell pollen and honey and see different cells, bees and (hopefully) the queen. Then we carefully reassemble the hive and have time for questions.

The session will last 1-2 hours. You should bring clean wellies or boots, washing up gloves and glasses if you need them for close up work.

Next steps: Our full course