Winter Training for would-be Beekeepers

23rd February and 2nd, 9th, 16th & 23rd March 2025

2:00 pm until 4:00 pm – Petersfield Community Centre – Exhibition Room – easy parking

Training comprises 5 theory sessions followed by practical training and experience gained with our bees at the association’s apiary, and commences with an free introductory session so that potential new beekeepers can decide if beekeeping is really for them.

Introductory Session – 23rd February (free)

Brief outlines:

  • What is a honey bee.

  • How does it live.

  • Brief history of beekeeping

  • Where do we keep them.

  • How do we house them.

  • Hardware involved in keeping them.

  • Amount of work involved in their care and management

  • Basic beekeeping year

  • Why they swarm.

  • Hazards to keeper (stings and allergies) to bees.

  • Rewards.

Session 2: 2nd March Keeping Bees

  • Basic hive & components

  • Bee Space (fundamental building block)

  • Establishing an apiary

  • Colony Management across the year

  • Importance of record-keeping

  • Importance of keeping healthy bees

Session 3: 9th March Manipulation and Equipment

Types of hives and hive parts

Concept of bee space

Where to spend and where to save

Session 4: 16th March The life of the Bee Colony

  • Bee Life cycle

  • Colony Life cycle

  • Swarming

Session 5: 23rd March Hive products – honey & wax

  • Bee products & uses by bees
  • Honey – composition, harvesting, treatment, storage and selling

  • Wax Recovery & use

  • Asian Hornet
  • Reflections of a new beekeeper

Contact PDBKAtraining@gmail.com for more details. To book a place on the introductory session please go to Eventbrite

Places for the remaining sessions will be available soon.