Advanced Beekeeping Courses

Queen Raising short course

Queen Raising short course

Wed 9 Jun 2021 9:00 AM - Thu 10 Jun 2021 5:00 PM BST

Blackbury Honey Farm, EX24 6JF

Description

By selectively breeding queens from our best stocks, we can improve the health and resilience of our honey bees, their suitability and adaptation to local climate and forage, and other desirable characteristics. As beekeepers we need to have an understanding of the potential for stock improvement, and the skills with which to achieve this so that our bees can become healthy, productive, and pleasurable to work with.

During this two day course, we will develop an understanding of the processes of stock selection and queen raising, utilising a mix of classroom and apiary tuition and exercises. Students will participate in all the key practical elements of a queen raising programme.

Topics covered will include:

  • How simple selection can improve honey bee colony viability
  • Information and records required to assist selection of breeding stock
  • The different systems of queen raising
  • Grafting young worker larvae into queen cells
  • Preparing and maintaining a queen raising colony
  • Preparing, stocking, and maintaining Apidea style mating nucs
  • Clipping, marking and caging mated queens for sale or introduction


This course will also be of great interest to anyone considering studying the BBKA Module 7 (Selection and Breeding of Honeybees) examination.

Course tutors are Ken Basterfield, NDB and Dan Basterfield, NDB.

Instructions and venue information

The course is held at our Honey Farm in Devon.

Joining instructions with course outline, what to bring, and venue information will be sent to students upon booking.

Target Audience

Our Short Courses can provide valuable discussion, learning, and hands-on experience for those planning to take the BBKA Assessments above Basic level. The Short Courses are aimed at those beekeepers with some experience of the craft; they are not aimed at novices. We recommend that applicants have kept bees for at least 3 seasons.

Cancellation Policy

We reserve the right to reschedule or cancel advertised courses. Should this be necessary then you will be given the option of a refund or a transfer to another course/date. We will give as much notice as possible, but regret that we cannot be responsible for any other costs such as those relating to travel or accommodation that might result from this.

Students who have booked on courses may cancel and receive a full refund if notice of cancellation is received at least four weeks before the course start date. If notice of cancellation is received less than four weeks before the course start date, refunds will only be issued if the cancelled place(s) can be re-sold.

If a course has to be cancelled at any point due to government restrictions relating to COVID-19 we will refund course bookings in full. 

A course booking indicates an acceptance of this cancellation policy.

Location

Blackbury Honey Farm, EX24 6JF

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