Twickenham apiary

What is swarming? Why do bees swarm? Why is it important to beekeepers and what can beekeepers do about it.

How 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.  How, what you do, depends on what type of beekeeper you are.

Development of the beehive. What constitutes a hive, how and why a hive is manipulated. Look at other pieces of equipment: clothing, tools etc.

Bees 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 yellow legged /Asian hornet which has been in the media. Legislation – Pest and diseases control order.

How 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 bees to get honey. How do we as beekeeper process honey for consumption and selling? Legislation – the Honey regs.

The 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 to co-operate with each other, how the colony is regulated – how it functions.