PRACTICAL HANDS-ON URBAN BEEKEEPING COURSES FOR BEGINNERS

Based on the current Units of Competency as outlined by www.training.gov.au.

Courses held in Lugarno on weekends, from 10am to 3pm, generally on the third Saturday of the month. Exact address will be provided after registration.

If you have a minimum of 3 participants and a beehive, we can come to your location. This is currently only available in and around Sydney.

These days, it is impossible to know if the honey you are buying is real honey or just water with sugar. The only way to ensure that the honey is pure and unadulterated is by producing it yourself.

On top of that, bees that live in an urban environment are a lot healthier that those in the country. This is because they have a wider variety of healthy and cared-for gardens from which to extract nectar; in the country they usually just have one source of nectar from a plantation, which gives them a very narrow source of nourishment. This is reflected in the honey, as the honey from an urban environment hive is much healthier.

To maintain a beehive is no way near as difficult as it sounds. It is very easy to have a couple of beehives in your backyard and the bees will do most of the work for you.

You do not need to feed the bees, they feed themselves, you just need to provide them with a water source and a safe space.

Having bees at home is an extremely rewarding experience, you get to interact with nature in a very intimate way and will learn about these fascinating and intelligent creatures.

In this course you will earn everything you need to know about bees, the equipment needed and how much honey and wax you can expect. Discover how to make products from beeswax such as candles, soaps and cosmetic creams.

Intended audience
Suitable for anyone interested in learning about the fundamentals of beekeeping. This course is for beginners and it provides you wtih all the knowledge that you need to to setup your own beehive, maintain it and harvest from it

Outcomes
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
• identify the various methods of beekeeping
• source suitable bees and beehive position
• know of the regulations pertaining to beekeeping
• maintain a beehive successfully
• harvest honey and render wax
• recognise pests and diseases affecting bees
• distinguish the various products made from honey and wax.

Content
This course covers the following topics:
• introduction to beekeeping
• what is honey?
• history of beekeeping
• honey flora – the importance of bees
• legislation – locating the hive
• how to get the bees
• honey bees – castes, lifecycles, re-queening, types of cells
• bee dancing and what it means
• swarming and catching a swarm
• sourcing bees from a supplier
• bee hive management and inspections
• splitting a hive
• relocating a hive
• harvesting the honey and the wax
• honey bee products
• Australian native bees vs European bees
• bee stings
• bee health, pest and diseases and how to treat them
• beeswax uses – candles, cosmetics, soap
• Flow Hive
• initial and ongoing cost of beekeeping
• practical demonstration – opening a hive and inspecting it

Delivery style
Delivered in an interactive classroom environment by professional trainers and beekeepers. Beekeeping equipment is displayed and living hives are available for inspection.

Materials and Lunch Provided
Pizza and beekeeping suits are available to use during the demonstrations with the live hives.