Beekeeping Courses - 2012.

Dates and prices of 2012 courses now available link here.

Locations:

Course options for 2012:

  1. Two-Hour Taster Courses: Come and see if Beekeeping is your 'bag'. We offer a 2 hour session of which about an hour is spent going through hives of bees, spotting queens, workers, drones, brood and eggs. Then we go to the classroom and we tell you a bit about the life of the bee and the outline of what beekeeping involves. Fun for all the family! For dates and times click.

  2. 10 Week Beekeeping Courses:
    We run 10 week evening courses, of 2.5 hours per session at Lanercost, Whitfield and Bill Quay.

    You will have:
    1. Many hours of practical hands on work with the bees at the site of the course. In-depth beekeeping theory and practice
    2. The opportunity to visit another working apiary
    3. Visiting guest Lecturers from the National Bee Unit, in York and others

    In addition to this we will cover the most important tasks of the Beekeeping year including
    At the end of the Course we will do our best to find you help for follow-up, through your local beekeeping association (which we urge you to join) or where possible we will help you to find a mentor. Dates and Prices We would remind you that on our 10 week course (only) we are willing to take payment in instalments.

  3. Beekeeping Weekend! We offer several 14 Hour Weekend Beekeeping Courses. This Beekeeping course is held at Bill Quay, Whitfield and also at Lanercost! (see Dates & Prices)
    The purpose of the Beekeeping Weekend is to offer an alternative to the people who cannot attend a 10 Week course. It is no substitute for a 10 week course.
    On A Weekend Beekeeping Course you will:
    - Get a good grounding of theory sufficient to help you towards becoming a self-reliant beekeeper as follows: Smoker
    - Have 2 hours of hands-on beekeeping practice a day, weather permitting, where you will handle the frames, bees and look for the queen, spot the eggs and be talked through what is happening on that day.
    - Learn how bees live, how to identify queen cells, grubs, lavae, queens, workers and drones.
    - Learn how to stop swarms, create a new colony and unite colonies.
    - Learn to identify whether there are sufficient stores; identify sickness and infestations; check for sufficient space and so on.
    - Learn how to start as a beekeeper, what to buy, where to buy it and what you need to do.
    Dates and Prices

    HOLIDAY WEEKENDS!
    You can make a lovely holiday weekend of it at Whitfield or Lanercost. Bring the family, and let them roam while you do your course! For more information and some details on accommodation click.
    Lanercost Weekend! LANERCOST 400 meters (437 yards) from Hadrian's Wall, it is also near Carlisle (in Cumbria) which is a kicking off point for the Lake District. Also Lanercost offers accommodation on site (Accommodation at Lanercost is not included in the price and must be arranged directly with Lanercost Tea Rooms.)
    Whitfield Weekend! Whitfield is is set in a "lost valley" of the North Pennines, it is quiet and exceptionally beautiful. Ideal for a family weekend while you go and do a beekeeping course. There are B&Bs, youth hostels and other accommodation all around and the Elks Head pub, which offers excellent accommodation, is only 150 yards away. Prices range from £12 per person per night to £70 per room (more information).


    For the full details of what we cover on the Beekeeping Weekend, follow this link.

 

13-14 August, Olympic Beekeeping Experience
Visiting from overseas? Why not spend 2 days in the North of England, the land of Heather and wild rolling hills, Hadrian's Wall and fortified farm houses (for defending the farm from marauding bands of Scots raiders). Up here Beekeeping is a special art, the bees need to face the more extremes of weather, the harsh life of the windswept hills and rugged moorland. We use special bees and enjoy delicious honey from wildflowers, trees and of course the famous moorland Heather. For Olympic year (2012) we are doing this special two-day course to celebrate the end of the Olympic Games. How to find us and for the cost see Prices. For more information, click here. Whitfield If you have any questions please contact us.

Give a gift voucher. If you wish to give a gift voucher, then please ask on booking.

Beesuits are provided. All you need to bring is wellies, a notepad and pen (and a camera, if you want to take some potentially amazing pics).