ENVR045 - Bee Keeping: Introductory Course

Course Description

This introductory course offers you both theoretical knowledge and practical field experience in the art of beekeeping for beginners. Starting with a general history and the structure of the colony, you'll discover the physiology of the honeybee, the players in the colony, honeybee nutrition, swarming and control methods, natural and integrated pest management, hive management for production and harvest, and more.

Detailed reference materials are provided.

Course Outline

In this course, you will:

• Explore the general history of beekeeping
• Understand the structure of the honeybee colony
• Learn the physiology of the domestic honeybee
• Identify the different players in the colony
• Get introduced to beekeeping equipment and methods of start-up
• Study honeybee nutrition and the production of nectar and pollen
• Learn about swarming and control methods
• Discover natural and integrated pest management techniques
• Manage hives for honey production
• Learn about the harvest, hive products, production, and processing
• Understand diseases and pests of honeybees and control methods

Learner Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Explain the history and structure of a honeybee colony
• Identify the physiological traits of honeybees
• Recognize the different roles within a honeybee colony
• Utilize beekeeping equipment effectively
• Understand the nutritional needs of honeybees
• Implement swarming control methods
• Apply natural and integrated pest management strategies
• Manage a hive for optimal honey production
• Harvest and process hive products
• Diagnose and manage diseases and pests affecting honeybees

Notes

• You will require a light bee veil for over the head protection for the field session and can be purchased during the first evening of the course.
• A detailed set of reference material and suggested additional reading is provided with the course.