Please note that although CV-19 Government restrictions are still in place we still plan to run some events where possible, but be aware these may need to changed / cancelled at short notice.
May 2021
HWBKA Beekeeping Course – Session 5
Session 5 - Saturday 8th May (Slab Castle Apiary or in your / your tutor’s apiary ) Inspecting the colony. Handling bees Activity at entrance. Attitude to opening and inspecting hives. Use of the smoker. Bee space. Comb: Worker cells Drone cells 3 castes: Queen, Workers, Stores: Nectar, Capped honey, Appearance of healthy brood and cappings Eggs, and Larvae (open brood) Sealed worker brood. Sealed drone brood Common early season brood problems. Chilled brood? Chalk brood? Bald brood? Wax moth?…
Find out more »HWBKA Beekeeping Course – Session 6
Session 6 - Saturday 22nd May (Slab Castle Apiary or in your / your tutor’s apiary ) Making increase; Swarms & Swarming. Natural swarms / Shook Swarm. Use of nuclei. Finding the Queen. Two methods of swarm control; Artificial swarm & Queen-right nucleus Taking the Queen out on a nucleus. Dealing with Swarming. Signs indicating swarming has taken place. Dealing with the colony that has swarmed. Collection of swarms. Bees in buildings. Capturing a swarm. Hiving & feeding. Other seasonal…
Find out more »June 2021
HWBKA Beekeepers’ Course – Session 7
Session 7 - Saturday 12th June (Slab Castle Apiary or in your / your tutor’s apiary ) Pests & Diseases. Diseases and treatments for Varroa. How to look through a colony for brood disease. Checking for adult bee diseases. Taking a sample for analysis. Notifiable diseases. Ministry system for bee disease control. Looking for Varroa: screen floors & mite drop, drone comb monitoring, other varroa treatments. Use of chemicals & resistance. Chemical poisoning Learning how to recognise healthy brood comb…
Find out more »July 2021
HWBKA Beekeeping Course – Session 9
Session 9 - Saturday 31st July (Horsted Green Apiary or in your / your tutor’s apiary) Honey extraction. Treatments for Varroa. Methods of clearing bees from supers: Clearing boards Chemical fumigants Brushing bees off Blowers used by professionals Pros & Cons of each method Re-arranging full & part filled combs Estimating what could be taken. Practice “hefting” a hive – to gauge when supers are full Potential of robbing & preventing spread of diseases. After the honey is extracted the…
Find out more »September 2021
HWBKA Beekeeping Course – Session 10
Session 10 - Saturday 4th September (Slab Castle Apiary or in your / your tutor’s apiary ) Preparing your hive for winter. Protection from the weather. Use of mouse guards. Protection from other animals. How to weigh a hive. Practice ‘Hefting’ a hive and using suitcase scales. Preparing sugar syrup. When to feed. Removing cleaned supers.
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