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Leicestershire and Rutland
Beekeepers Association |
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Non beekeepers, pre season talks... for those interested in keeping bees or attending some of our later courses... Three Tuesday evenings... 6th, 13th and 20th April:- Who is doing which?????The formal training above is augmented by discussion over coffee, video presentations and lectures, but newcomers are encouraged to ask questions... Do not be put off by inexperience (we were all 'beginners' once) ask any of the Trustees (they will be wearing a badge to indicate this) if they do not know the answer personally, they will put you in touch with someone that does.Classes held in the lecture room at the Brooksby bee yard.
- Natural history of the honey bee. Lecturer... ???
- Bee hives and equipment. Lecturer... ???
- Bee clothing and tools required to work with bees. Lecturer... ???
New Beekeepers (basic training... L&RBKA Certificate) 14 week course runs from 27th April to 27th July, covering:-This course is run within the Bee Yard. Tutor... Mr D. Glover (with additional help from Graham Law as required).
- Familiarisation with hive parts.
- Familiarisation with the tools needed to work with bee hives.
- Bee terminology.
- The 3 types of bee in the colony.
- Colony build up and decline through the year.
- Swarm control, artificial swarm and nucleus make up.
- Apiary management through the season.
- Honey production and methods of extraction.
- Feeding and wintering the colony.
The meeting of 13th July, will be led by David Kemp (our Defra Regional Bees Officer) and will focussed on the diseases that bees can suffer from and how to recognise them.
Second year Practical hands on Training... Students on this course will help to manage the colonies through the 14 week course, gaining experience in the recognition of what the colony is doing and how to manage it.This is to be run at Palmer's Farm out apiary, Training supervisor... R. Newham with additional help from Mrs F. Beamish and Mr L. Horton.
- Queen rearing:-
- For increase.
- For replacement.
- Holding bees together for honey production.
- Surplus Queen Cells to be brought back to the Bee Yard for use by the breeding group in the mating apiary).
- At the end of this course students will be given the option to take the BBKA Basic Assessment. This can be taken at our Bee Yard Apiary with a BBKA examiner. Examination cost is £6.50p
Revision sessions prior to the assessment date can be arranged for students taking the Assessment if they request it.
Queen rearing & breeding group... This course runs throughout the season. Curriculum may be driven partly by prevailing weather conditions, but various methods and breeding practices will be discussed, including:-The queens reared are to be used to maintain our colonies and for sale.
- Free flight mating.
- Controlled mating by instrumental insemination.
- grafting into wax and plastic cell cups.
- The importance of drone production.
- Techniques for rearing queens.
- Marking queens and record keeping.
This course is run at the Bee Yard and mating Apiary. Brian Cramp leads this group, with J. Groocock, J. Clarke, S. Szucik, D. Cushman and others.
This will be taken to various venues throughout the season and provides a secure demonstration facility with only those inside the tent requiring bee clothing, onlookers and spectators are shielded from flying bees by a mesh screen that does not obstruct observation.
A full programme of lectures (first Monday in the month) from October through to April are provided. These are not all focussed entirely on beekeeping and some of these social events take place at alternative venues.
Our December meeting has a Christmas flavour with mince pies and mead, but there is a lecture as well.
Generated... 08 & 20 November 2002, Revised... 06 October 2003, |
