The Hive Honey shop beekeeping course

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The Hive Honey shop beekeeping course

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Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Mon Sep 25, 06 10:56 am Post subject: The Hive Honey shop beekeeping course

We've just had the most fab weekend at Bee Heaven Honey farm in Surrey on a 2 day bee-keeping course. Set in a field of rare apple trees we sat in a marquee with bee hives just the other end of the field enjoying the late summer sunshine.This is the company that run them about 4 times a year for 10 people at a time.

Saturday was theory - all about the honey bee, its life cycle, anatomy, diseases, plus a full explaination of equipment and some bee-keeping hints and tips from a man who's been tending beehives since he was 5! A very interesting and informative day we went home at 5pm with heads completely saturated with facts and information (oh and a lovely sandwich lunch from his wife)

Sunday - practical day. After a question and answer session to warm us up we all donned full bee suits and gloves and set out for the hives. James opened one up and passed frames around for us to look at. Amazing to finally get close up to bees. I was surprised how little notice they took of us as we peered in to their world. After another delicious lunch it was our turn. Paired up in twos ( me and Tim together of course) we were each given a hive to prise apart and examine. Trepidatious (is that a word?) to begin with certainly since we didn't know how much pressure would be needed to move the parts of a hive apart and we were all trying very hard to work in a slow and calm manner as James had to avoid upsetting the bees. We were lucky to find our Queen quite quickly and James captured her and she sat in my pocket for a while, safe, whilst we examined the rest of the frames - yes we remembered to put her back at the end.

No one got stung and we finished the day with a glass of champagne each as we were presented with certificates to show we'd passed the course (Tim and I have taken to calling them Bee- Worthiness certificates!) Well worth going on and we feel much more confident about having our own bees now. I can now bore for England on the Honey bee...

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Mon Sep 25, 06 11:03 am Post subject:
Welcome to one of the most fascinating & ancient crafts So you will be getting bees next spring then?

Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Mon Sep 25, 06 11:07 am Post subject:

TAVASCAROW wrote:

Welcome to one of the most fascinating & ancient crafts

So you will be getting bees next spring then?

thanx, yes that's the aim. I suspect our relatives will be asked to get us bee brushes and hive tools etc for our Christmas presents this year.

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Mon Sep 25, 06 11:08 am Post subject:
Sounds good Mrs F - love the trail of bees with the cursor on the website

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Sep 25, 06 11:09 am Post subject:

Mrs Fiddlesticks wrote:

I suspect our relatives will be asked to get us bee brushes and hive tools etc for our Christmas presents this year.

I never realised you have to groom them, doesn't it take ages to do a whole hive?

Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Mon Sep 25, 06 11:18 am Post subject:

sean wrote:

Mrs Fiddlesticks wrote:

I suspect our relatives will be asked to get us bee brushes and hive tools etc for our Christmas presents this year.

I never realised you have to groom them, doesn't it take ages to do a whole hive?

its to gently push them off a honey comb if you need to. We did see some newly emerged baby bees ( and a couple actually cutting their way out of their cells) and they are fluffier to begin with than the older ones.

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