|
Bookings taken now for the 2010/2011 Course - just a few places left
Following the successful courses offered in conjunction with
CALU over the past four years, Conwy Beekeepers' Association are running a
fifth ‘Beekeeping Course for Beginners’ starting in September 2010. This
will be held at CALU, at the Henfaes Research Centre at Aber., just off the
A55 between Llanfairfechan and
Bangor
– Junction 13 on the A55 and also at the CBKA apiary for practical sessions
at Tal y Cafn in the
Conwy
Valley
. The course extends over ten sessions.
The course will be delivered by
Geoff Critchley
, Master Beekeeper. The course fee is £50.00.
Enquiries to Pete Barrar, Conwy BKA, Tel: 01492
650764 or email: pete.barrar@virgin.net
See
Information for New Beekeepers.
Session 1. Introduction to Bees and Beekeeping. Tuesday 7th September 2010, 7.30 to 9.30 pm at Henfaes, Aber.
1.
History of beekeeping
2.
Types of bee
3.
Value of honeybees / relationship with flowers
4.
The bee colony
5.
Bee products
6.
Apiary selection and layout
Session 2. In the Apiary. Saturday 11th September 2010, in two groups, at 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. or 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. at the Tal y Cafn apiary in the Conwy Valley. An introductory hands-on session - the bees, the hives they live in and the art of beekeeping. Protective clothing – suit, veil and gauntlets are provided.
Session 3. The Honeybee colony. Tuesday 12th October 2010, 7.30 to 9.30 pm at Henfaes.
1.
Identification of worker, queen and drone.
2.
Marking the queen. Why and how
3.
The colony, what maintains the correct balance in the colony?
4.
Use of smoker, hive tool. Technique of opening and closing hives
5.
Preparing hives for transportation.
6.
Re-siting / transportation of stocks of bee
Session 4. Summer management. Tuesday 9th November 2010, 7.30 to 9.30 pm at Henfaes.
1.
Record keeping
2.
Supering – top / bottom. Use of
supers or brood boxes, types of foundation and the queen excluder.
3.
Making divisions / uniting stocks
4.
Swarms
a.
Control
b.
Signs of swarming
c.
Action to prevent swarms
d. Catching transporting and hiving
Session 5. Honey extraction and Bottling. Tuesday 7th December 2010, 7.30 to 9.30 pm at Henfaes.
1.
Removing the honey from the hive
a.
Clearing the bees from supers –
types of clearer board
b.
Precautions to prevent robbing
c.
Transporting the supers
2.
Uncapping and extracting
a.
Use of uncapping knife (hot, cold or
electric) or fork
b.
Extractor – Radial or tangential
c.
Filtering and storage
3.
Bottling
a.
Hygiene
b.
Labeling
c.
Selling?
4.
Cut comb and sections and problems
with heather honey
Session 6.Honeybee pests and diseases. Tuesday 11th January 2011, 7.30 to 9.30 pm at Henfaes.
1.
Varroa treatment – integrated
pest management
2.
Other bee diseases and their treatments.
3.
The future? Exotic Pests !!!
Session 7. Preparation for winter. Tuesday 8th March 2011, 7.30 to 9.30 pm at Henfaes.
1.
Feeding – types of feeder, time of
feeding, type of feed
2.
Pest and diseases – treatment
(particularly treatment for Varroa)
3.
Condition, weather proofness and
security of hives, mouse guards, etc
4.
Storage of equipment
a.
Storage of combs – wet or dry?
b.
Spare hive parts, feeders, etc.
c.
Wax moth
5.
Beekeeping and the Law
Session 8.Hives, frames and equipment. Tuesday 12th April 2011, 7.30 to 9.30 pm at Henfaes.
1.
Types of hive
2.
Frames and spacing
3.
Making frames (practical)
4.
Difference between brood box and super
5.
Use of queen excluder, crown board,
clearer board.
6.
Hive tool, smoker
7.
Protective equipment – choice, care
and use.
8.
Wiring frames, unwired and drone base
foundation
Session 9. In the Apiary, hands-on. Sunday 24th April 2011, 11.00-1:30 pm or 2.00-4.30 pm at Tal y Cafn
1.
Handling the bees
2.
Using hive tool and smoker
3.
Identification of Worker, Drone and Queen
4.
Identification of sealed brood, unsealed brood and eggs
5. Identification of Queen cells (if there)
6.
Supering
7.
Artificial Swarm
8.
Use of clearer boards
Session 10. Course Review and Revision preparations for WBKA Basic Assessment (optional). Tuesday 10th May 2011, 7.30 to 9.30 pm at Henfaes, Aber.
The course is
supported by CALU, the Centre for Alternative Land Use.
See: http://www.calu.bangor.ac.uk/
| 
