Beginners classes
Welcome to the T&TVBKA Winter course. The aim of the Winter course is to make the general public aware of bees, bee products and beekeeping as a craft. The audience is intended to be anyone who is interested in bees, particularly honey bees, even if you have no intention of becoming a beekeeper and just want to find out more about these fascinating insects. Having said that, existing beekeepers or beekeepers who are looking for a refresher can also benefit from this course.
The course is usually held in the Miller Hall at the Apiary at 41 Whitton Road, Twickenham, TW1 1BU. It runs for eight weeks from mid January to early March and each session is two hours long. See below for the dates and times of the sessions. For more details or to sign up for the course, please contact our membership secretary or use the email address: membership@twickerbees.co.uk
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Winter course – Introduction to beekeeping in the UK
Twickenham apiary The Apiary, 41 Whitton Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, United KingdomOverall view of beekeeping in the uk. The importance of bees and pollinators and why learn about them? What are the issues around bees and pollinators. What is meant by […]
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Winter course – A life’s work
Twickenham apiary The Apiary, 41 Whitton Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, United KingdomA life’s work. start by looking at the basics - honey bees as individuals, the honey bee life cycle (insect life cycle) naming of parts, how they develop, the different […]
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Winter course – The community of the bees
Twickenham apiary The Apiary, 41 Whitton Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, United KingdomThe community of the bees. How the bee colony is more than just a collection of individuals. It can be viewed as a Superorganism. How the colony bees have evolved […]
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Winter course – Bees, Plants and Honey
Twickenham apiary The Apiary, 41 Whitton Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, United KingdomHow does the bee colony survive? Honey and pollen. How are they detected/collected and processed. How do the bees interact with the plant world? How do we interact with the […]
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Winter course – Pests and diseases
Twickenham apiary The Apiary, 41 Whitton Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, United KingdomBees have their own pests and diseases as we do. Look at what they are and how they affect individual bees, bee colonies and the consequences for beekeeping. “Meet” the […]
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Winter course – The Beehive
Twickenham apiary The Apiary, 41 Whitton Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, United KingdomDevelopment of the beehive. What constitutes a hive, how and why a hive is manipulated. Look at other pieces of equipment: clothing, tools etc.
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Winter course – Seasonal management
Twickenham apiary The Apiary, 41 Whitton Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, United KingdomHow a hive/colony is managed throughout the year. What the beekeeper needs to do during different parts of the year as the needs of the bees and the environment/weather changes. […]
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Winter course – Swarm mangement and control
Twickenham apiary The Apiary, 41 Whitton Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, United KingdomWhat is swarming? Why do bees swarm? Why is it important to beekeepers and what can beekeepers do about it.
The course will take you through the major topics of bees and beekeeping. We will look at bees in general and honey bees in particular – from their anatomy through their complex social structure, their environment and behaviours including swarming. We’ll also look at bee pests and diseases, how they affect bees and how they can be managed. No course about honey bees would be complete without talking about honey so we do this in some detail. We’ll also look at the interaction between bees and the beekeeper and how to become a beekeeper should you want to,