Beekeeping Weekend in Hadrian's Wall Country:

  1. Lanercost Weekend course (see locations)

  2. Whitfield Weekend Course (see locations)

  3. Bill Quay Weekend Course (see locations)

  4. The 2-day Whitfield Olympic Beekeeping Experience (a little different).

AIM

  • This is a 14 hour Weekend Beekeeping Course

  • The aim is to give you a grounding of theory sufficient to help you towards becoming a self-reliant beekeeper. SmokerThis is not a substitute for a 10 week course.

  • 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, larvae, queens, workers and drones.

  • Learn how to stop swarms, create a new colony and unite colonies. Make a new queen, replace old queens.

  • 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.

Enjoy the weekend and get steeped in beekeeping. You will find this is a good and thorough course covering all the essential basics.

 

What you will cover on the course.

In addition to this we will cover the most important tasks of the Beekeeping year including:

  1. Introduction the Beehive.Apiary Work

  2. Classes of bees in the hive and their respective tasks

  3. The Life Cycle of the honey bee

  4. Introduction to the British Beekeepers Association and the National Bee Unit

  5. Presentation of Ted Hooper's 5 Inspection Points

  6. Presentation of principles of: Swarm Control, artificial swarm, making an increase and uniting colonies.

  7. Introduction to the problems of: Siting a hive; the public, neighbours, friends and enemies

  8. Insurance

  9. Food sources, forage, pollen, nectar and feeding bees

  10. Disease control

  11. Springtime and summertime beekeeping

  12. The Honey Crop and preparing for the winter.

Q: What advantages are there to doing a Weekend Course?
A: You can make a lovely holiday weekend of it at Whitfield or Lanercost. 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 (dates). 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 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 all around and the Elks Head pub, which offers excellent accommodation, is only 150 yards away.
Q: And Bill Quay?
Bill Quay: is also a short drive from Hadrian's Wall country, at Bill Quay (Gateshead) we are also running, 14 Hour Weekend Beekeeping Courses (dates).

A detailed list of the topics covered on the course will be given to the students on enrolment with the planned topics for each lesson listed.

At the end of the Course we will do our best to find you help for follow-up, either in the form of a mentor or through your local Beekeepers Association.

The Weekend courses at Bill Quay Farm, Gateshead. 
Dates: 
Times: 9.30 to 4.30
Cost: £200, excluding lunch.  (See)
To Book follow the instructions on the Contact Us page.
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The Weekend courses at Lanercost, Near Carlisle. 
Dates: 
Times: 9.30 to 4.30
Cost: £200, excluding lunch.  (See)
To Book follow the instructions on the Contact Us page.

Slightly different is our:
Olympic Beekeeping Experience, for beginners and more experienced beekeepers
Visiting from overseas? Are you coming to the Olympic Games? Why not spend an Olympic Weekend Beekeeping 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. We will be doing a lot of Beekeeping Weekends during the Olympic year (2012), but one specially for the Olympics on August 13th & 14th. Our aim is to cover the same curriculum as outlined above, but we will be taking into account that some participants may not be beginners. We will put a special emphasis on introduction to the specifics of the area and In the mean time if you have a question please contact us. For prices click. For more on the location click. Whitfield