BEES & BEEKEEPING EXPERIENCE
Multiple dates and times
Shillingstone Church Centre, DT11 0SW
Description
Have you ever wondered what goes on inside a beehive? Well, now’s your chance to find out!
Spend an afternoon with experienced beekeepers, learning about the Honey Bee and the craft of beekeeping. Open a beehive to see the bees at work…….and take home a souvenir jar of honey to enjoy!
WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE DAY.......
There will be coffee, tea and biscuits on arrival as you meet your experienced beekeeper Tutor and fellow guests.
We'll start with an introduction to the amazing world of the Honey Bee, tell you a bit about the beekeeper's "tools of the trade" and what to expect when we go to the apiary, where the Honey Bees live in their beehives.
With that done and with everyone's questions answered, we'll prepare to go to the apiary, choosing a beekeeping suit to fit and making sure everyone is "bee safe". Then, it's a 5 to 10 minute walk from the hall to the apiary.
We'll spend about an hour with the bees. Your Tutor will light a smoker and open a bee hive. You'll see the Honey Bees at work. Learn how to identify the different types of bee and maybe find the Queen! Look for bees in all stages of development from an egg to the adult bee, and find the honey, nectar and pollen stores. You'll be encouraged to get as close to the bees as you want, but you could simply stand and watch if that's what you'd prefer.
Then, it's back to the hall for coffee, tea and cake........and further discussion about bees!
We'll have a number of other interesting things to explore - perhaps do a honey tasting and explore commercial honey adulteration, or take a look at bees under the microscope, or learn how the beekeeper extracts the ripe honey from the hive and it ends up in the jar. On each day, there will be a number of topics to investigate.
At the end of our time together, everyone will leave with a jar of local honey - a souvenir of your afternoon with the bees!
A FEW IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW
- Opening a beehive and seeing the bees close up will be an important part of your experience. However, beekeeping is weather dependent. We hope our summer will be kind, but we can't open the beehives if it's cold or raining. If the weather forecast is poor, we may choose to cancel, giving you as much notice as possible. Should this be necessary, we will offer another date or a full refund.
- We provide beekeeping suits for everyone but please wear thick jeans or trousers and bring Wellington Boots and a pair of washing-up gloves (Marigolds or similar). NO CORDS/CORDUROY - the bees don't like it! For the same reason, avoid the colour black and, as bees are sensitive to scent, please don’t wear or use anything that has a strong perfume.
- There will be coffee, tea, biscuits and cake during the afternoon, but we are unable to provide for specific dietary needs. If you think what we provide may be unsuitable, please feel free to bring your own on the day.
- ELIGIBILITY - Minimum age is 12 years. Those aged 12 to 17 years must be accompanied by another adult on the Bees & Beekeeping Experience.
- ACCESS - Due to the location of the beehives, we are unable to provide wheelchair access. To participate fully, guests must be able to negotiate a stile and walk across a grass-covered field.
- CANCELLATION POLICY - We will refund tickets where a guest notifies us in writing at least one calendar month before the event (less £10 per person to cover costs). When cancellation is notified less than one month but more than two weeks before the event, we will do all we can to reaccommodate your booking on an alternative date, but this cannot be guaranteed as space is limited on Bees & Beekeeping Experience events. No refund will be provided where a cancellation is notified by a guest less than one calendar month before the event.
Location
Shillingstone Church Centre, DT11 0SW