Beekeeping Courses
Introduction to Beekeeping
February 2024
If you would like to learn how to become a beekeeper, our Introduction to Beekeeping course is run by Diane Drinkwater over six weekly sessions via Zoom and is for everyone starting out with bees. If you already have bees but are relatively new to beekeeping you'll find this course extremely useful and you're welcome to attend the sessions too. Our Introduction to Beekeeping Course is FREE to attend for members of L&NWBKA Southport & District Branch and is followed by practical sessions at our apiary in Hesketh Park.
Membership of the branch is £30.00, this includes BBKA membership and:
BBKA News magazine (12 issues per year)
BBKA insurance and Bee Disease insurance
Introduction Course Training schedule:
26th Feb @ 7.30pm: Zoom Introduction week 1 - What are honey bees - an introduction
4th Mar @ 7.30pm: Zoom Introduction week 2 - The hive and the colony
11th Mar @ 7.30pm: Zoom Introduction week 3 - Inspections, swarming and stings!
18th Mar @ 7.30pm: Zoom Introduction week 4 - Healthy hives
25th Mar @ 7.30pm: Zoom Introduction week 5 - Your apiary
1st Apr @ 7.30pm: Zoom Introduction week 6 - Honey
April 2024 - Apiary visits start
Once you have signed up as a new member you are also welcome to join our Branch meetings which are held the second Thursday of the month in the Community Room at Southport Fire Station, starting at 7.30pm. Attendance at the branch meetings is encouraged.
For more information and to start your membership please contact Vanessa Wakefield: vanessa.wakefield@southportbeekeepers.co.uk
Practical training at the apiary
Hive opening, handling honey bees (weather permitting)
Experienced beekeepers will be on hand to answer any questions
Beehives and beekeeping equipment will be on display
Practical sessions are held in a friendly and informal fashion and are supervised by an experienced beekeeper. New beekeepers are encouraged to ask any questions that they might have during or after the session.
Our Improvers course is intended for beekeeping members wishing to take the Basic Assessment this year.
Improvers Course Training schedule:
Apr 8th @ 7.30pm : Zoom Improvers course week 1 - Queens, drones and workers
Apr 15th @ 7.30pm: Zoom Improvers course week 2 - Forage and supers!
Apr 22nd @ 7.30pm: Zoom Improvers course week 3 - Pheromones, laying workers and more
Apr 29th @ 7.30pm: Zoom Improvers course week 4 - Diseases
May 6th @ 7.30pm: Zoom Improvers course week 5 - Swarming and making increase
May 13th @ 7.30pm: Zoom Improvers course week 6 - Honey
For more information please contact Diane Drinkwater dimogga@gmail.com
BEEKEEPING TASTER SESSIONS
Dates for 2024 to be confirmed
Taster sessions are an introduction to the fascinating world of bees and beekeeping. Experienced beekeepers will provide participants with a taste of what is involved in being a beekeeper. The session will start with a talk that covers many of the different aspects of beekeeping, including:
Choosing and setting up an apiary site
The beekeeping year
Equipment needed and costs
This is followed by a practical session in the apiary where you will get to see inside a beehive and hands-on involvement in:
Getting suited correctly (beekeeping suits will be provided)
Lighting smokers
Seeing equipment needed for regular manipulations and how various components of a hive work
Seeing Brood in all stages, stores and capped honey
BBKA Training
The Basic Certificate - the syllabus covers the knowledge that really is the basis for any beekeeper to be successful. It can be a very rewarding experience to confirm your knowledge by passing the Basic. Attending a Basic Preparation Course provides an ideal refresher of your key knowledge, which is helpful at the start of the season.
For more experienced beekeepers the BBKA supports two training styles. For the practical approach there’s the Basic Certificate and the General Husbandry assessment. And for study/exams there are the Modules 1-8 which covers the following topics:
Module 1 - Management
Module 2 - Products & Forage
Module 3 - Pests, Diseases & Poisoning
Module 5 - Biology
Module 6 - Behaviour
Module 7 - Selection & Breeding
Module 8 - Management, Health & History
The BBKA publishes reading lists for each of the Modules above, these can be found by clicking here.