If you like the idea of having your own hive, then come and learn the fundamentals of beekeeping and some of the astounding realities of honeybee colonies in beautiful rural West Dorset, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty right on the Jurassic Coast.

We are natural beekeepers and will teach you about our approach to bees, beekeeping and how to interact with honeybees while still protecting them and their habitat.

The course is broken into two days of theory plus an optional practical day and is designed to guide and prepare you as a beginner beekeeper so you can gain the knowledge and confidence to enable you to look after a hive of your own.

Two Day Theory

We will start from general principles, go on to talk about colony behaviour and give some insight into the bee’s activities. Colony behaviour is a vast and fascinating topic and will permeate all our teaching and your questions. We will also discuss the different types of hive available, swarm collection, the siting of an apiary, and look at the types of equipment we use. You will get to familiarise yourself with the essential equipment.

You will learn about the beekeeper’s year and honeybee colony behaviour across the seasons, and we will give you guidance on how you might like to acquire and look after your own hive. The theory of a full hive inspection with reference to swarm management will be covered, along with bee health, and how to sustainably harvest products from your hive.

 One Day Practical (optional)

After you have completed the theory element, we would like to invite you back for a practical day of beekeeping when the weather is suitable for full hive inspections. The intention is for this to be in May, for the swarm season, so you’ll be ready and raring to go.