Previous Courses

– Starter Level

Date: Sunday June 23rd 2019

Aims:

  • Learn the basics about:-
    – Bees
    – Beekeeping
  • Observe and handle bees to check whether beekeeping may be a suitable hobby
  • Consider whether the longer Introduction course might be of interest

– Beekeepers who have managed at least one colony of bees for a minimum of 12 months.

The study group aims to help students prepare for this oral and practical assessment.

It will consist of 5 theory Zoom sessions and 2 practical sessions, followed by a complete practice of the exam, on all parts of the syllabus.

The theory will be led by Fee Cooke – Kennet Honorary member and Bee Farmer.
Fee and Richard Oliver – County Education Officer – will also offer Practical opportunities and a full mock assessment.

Dates:

Theory Thursday 7:30 – 9:30pm :
1. March 10th 2021 
2. March 24th 2021
3. April 7th 2021
4. April 21st 2021
5. May 5th 2021
Practical 1. Sunday – May 9th 2021 PM – Fee
2. Sunday – May 16th 2021  PM – Richard

The cost will be £20 for the Assessment fee to BBKA plus occasional minimal extras for handouts.

For further details regarding ‘Basic Beekeeping Certificate’,  please contact Emma Morley, Education Co-ordinator, for the full details and an application form.
Click this link
or see Contacts page for contact details.
Completion of the Form with payment will confirm your place on the Course. 

Please ensure you are available for all dates above before paying to reserve your place.

kbka-event1

– Beekeepers who have managed at least one colony of bees for a minimum of 2 years and have Basic Certificate.

The initial study group for this Module was led by Sally Wadsworth and Alan Stonell,  the fourth Module in the recent past, where they have successfully led students and took place in Autumn 2016. They focused on the next examination in March 2017 but their main aim was to expand student understanding.

Content :  Module 6 revision study group helps to answer some of these questions and many more.

– How can a colony of 50,000 bees live in harmony – most of the time –  in an area roughly 18”X18”X27” (1 brood & 3 super boxes)?
– Who makes the decisions in the colony? How?
– How do bees communicate? Once inside the hive there is little that they can see.
– How do they know where to get to the best forage?
– What alerts them to vary the type of forage – it may change daily.
– How is nectar, with possibly 70% water content changed to honey with under 20% and with added enzymes?
– What leads to swarming?
– How is a new “des res” chosen?

Revision Study Groups

Whilst some prefer to revise individually, others find working in a small group helpful.
These are only intended for members who have already studied Module 6 in some detail.

There are two groups, one based in Seend, the other in Chippenham, 7.30 – 9.30pm

The dates for the groups are:-

Seend OR Chippenham Group Monday 7:30 – 9:30pm :
1. January 9th
2. January 16th
3. January 23th
4. February 6th
5. February 13th
6. February 20th
Combined Group (in Devizes) Tuesday 7:30 – 9:30pm :
1. January 31st
2. February 28th

– All Beekeepers who have at least one colony.

These courses are restricted to maximum of 8 participants, except Varroa Management which is restricted to 16 participants, so please ensure you are available before signing up!

 In addition to the member sessions run by the Apiary Team there will be FOUR Apiary Skills Short Courses this Summer, similar to recent years, designed to help members improve normal apiary procedures.

In the last two years the courses included material suitable for our more experienced beekeepers as well as basic manipulations for newer beekeepers. This balance seemed to hit the right spot and we hope to repeat it in 2019.

Detailed programmes will be issued for each course later.

The cost is £3.00 per course to cover the hire of the Hall & any handouts.

Date Course Topic Teachers Location
Sun. May 12th 2019
9.30am – 12.30pm
How to manage Swarming successfully. David Brown

Supported by members of the ‘A’ team

 Rowde Village Hall

Rowde Apiary

Sat. June 15th 2019
9.30am – 12.30pm

Queenright and Queenless.

Queen Finding, Marking and Introduction

Robert Carpenter Turner

Supported by David Brown and members
of the ‘A’ Team

Bishops Cannings Village Hall

Bishops Cannings Apiary

Sat. Jul 6th 2019 
9.30am – 12.30pm
Varroa Management: recognition, monitoring and treatment

Robert Carpenter Turner

Supported by David Brown and members
of the ‘A’ Team

Bishops Cannings Village Hall

Bishops Cannings Apiary

Sat. July 21st 2019
2.00pm – 5.00pm
How to Extract Honey – from hive to jar. Sophie Chalmers & Dick Church  Sophie’s Kitchen

WBKA Courses / Events

The following events that will be running over the winter months by WBKA .
Those wishing to apply for any of the events should contact Richard Oliver, Wiltshire BKA’s Examination & Education Officer, (raoliver.64@gmail.com).

Honey Bee Health Certificate

This is a new course introduced by the BBKA to encourage beekeepers, who have been awarded their Basic Certificate and have at least three years of beekeeping experience, to improve their understanding and practice of beekeeping.
The assessment will cover practical skills and knowledge of beekeeping. The assessment lasts about 90 minutes and is held at an apiary other than your own.
The BBKA sees this as a stepping stone between the Basic and General Husbandry assessments. If there is sufficient interest, Richard Oliver would happily run a course to help members prepare for the assessment. This would start in late March and consists of about four theory and a couple of practical sessions.

Note 1. Entries for the assessment have to be with the BBKA by the end of March.

Note 2. A scanned copy of the syllabus will be forwarded to anyone interested.