Beginners class

Welcome to a fascinating world where the more you learn the more you realise how much you don't know!

When I first thought about keeping bees, I was given three very valuable pieces of advice: 1 Join your local beekeeping association 2 Attend a beginners' course 3 Read one recommended book until you have grasped the basics.

You will soon learn that if you ask three beekeepers for advice, you will get at least four opinions, all of which may be valid! There are different ways of achieving the same end. The secret is, as my mother used to say, to understand the basic principles.

Join a local beekeeping association This is a good place to start. You will meet beekeepers with much experience and expertise which they will be very willing to share with you. Visiting lecturers at regular Association meetings are also willing to share information, both formally and informally.

Attend a beginners' course Most associations offer a beginners' course and often hold more advanced/practical courses. Look in the Bee Craft Directory, published each January (www.bee-craft.com) or follow links to courses from the British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA; www.britishbeekeepers.org.uk), Thornes (www.thorne.co.uk) and other websites.

In Northamptonshire, where I live, the course starts in September with eight theory sessions, followed by two practical apiary sessions where you can find out at the sharp end whether beekeeping really is for you. You may find 30,000-odd bees in their hive is not your thing. That is not a problem. Better to walk away then before making a significant capital investment and taking on responsibility for the care of livestock. Because honey bees are not truly domesticated, some tend to think that they can look after themselves and the responsibility of the beekeeper is somehow diminished. Today, because of the varroa mite, they cannot survive without the beekeeper's intervention. Doing nothing is not an option. If your bees are to thrive and you are going to get honey, you have to look after them and this means learning about them and their management.

Practical experience Your beekeeping association probably has an apiary and here you can get practical experience. Even if there aren't regular apiary sessions, I bet the apiary manager would welcome some help! Try to visit as many different apiaries and see as many colonies as possible. You can learn a lot by watching other people handle bees.

If you only see your bees, how will you learn that not all colonies follow you all the way back to the house?

Starting young

When you realise that bees are different, you can start assessing your own colonies and look for ways to improve them, perhaps by learning how to raise your own replacement queens, which is certainly much more satisfying than buying one.

Read a book When looking for your book, take advice from your course tutor. There are lots of beginner's books but you want one that is up-to-date and you find easy to read and understand. If all the bee books are out on loan from your local library, see if your local association has a collection or one of the members will lend you one of their favourites. The BBKA book list (www.bbka.org.uk/examboard.php) includes a number of general books for the beginner. However, don't let your first book be your only book. There is a wealth of information available for those who wish to learn.

Subscribe to a beekeeping magazine to get regular, up-to-date information on the latest beekeeping developments as well as background articles and practical advice. Bee Craft (www.bee-craft.com) includes a specific beginner's article each month, as well as articles for the more experienced. If your local association is affiliated to the BBKA you will receive BBKA News. If you join the Scottish Beekeepers' Association (www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk) or the Welsh Beekeepers' Association (www.wbka.com), your subscription will include their own publications.

There are also a number of videos which will introduce you to the craft.

For bee diseases, the National Bee Unit (www.nationalbeeunit.com) produces excellent booklets on varroa, brood diseases, and even pests such as small hive beetle which haven't arrived here - yet! One of the best things about these is that they are FREE!

Why take exams?

Why bother to take exams? In one sense, there is no point at all but in another, there is every point in the world. Going on a course and then taking an exam really helps you to learn. You may feel you don't want to learn how the sting actually operates (you just want to avoid it at all costs) but you will find that the things you learn give you a more comprehensive understanding of your charges.

The BBKA exams start with the Basic Assessment and move through the Intermediate to the Advanced Theory certificate. If your interest lies in practical beekeeping, try the Beekeeping Husbandry certificates. There are also Microscopy and Honey Judging exams. The highest qualification is the National Diploma in Beekeeping (NDB) which is offered by a separate Board (www.national-diploma-bees.org.uk).

Maybe it is many years since you took an exam. Don't be scared or worried. If you are managing your bees reasonably successfully and have taken the trouble to learn things such as the basic timetable from egg to adult, the progression of tasks in the hive and the flowers your bees work, you should have no problems with the Basic Assessment and you can progress from there.

The other exams are now modularised which means you can fit your study around your beekeeping and your lifestyle. On completion of modules 1 to 3 and one other, you will be awarded the Intermediate Theory certificate. For the Advanced Theory certificate, you have to pass modules 1-3 and 5-8 as module 4 topics (Intermediate Honey Bee Biology) are covered elsewhere. If you also pass the Advanced Beekeeping Husbandry certificate, you will automatically be awarded the Master Beekeeper certificate. Ask your local association's examinations secretary for details or go to the BBKA website.

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Ireland you will find similar systems operating there.

Studying at home If you want to study at home at your own speed, why not take the BBKA Correspondence Course? Here your own personal tutor will give you help and advice. Again, details are on the BBKA website or ring 01226 286341 or e-mail valfrancis@blueyonder.co.uk.

Residential courses Are you fed up lying in the sun on a foreign beach? Try a holiday with a real difference. Each July, the Federation of Irish Beekeepers' Associations runs a Summer Course at Gormanston, north of Dublin. It offers lectures during the week for beginners to seniors which are followed by an (optional) exam. This sounds like hard work but, believe me, it is a really enjoyable event and there are plenty of social activities going on in the evenings.

The NDB Board runs a week's residential course for those aspiring to the qualification and there are a number of shorter specialist conventions and conferences. The biggest is the BBKA Spring Convention and Exhibition held every April at Stoneleigh-Park, Warwickshire. This offers excellent lectures and workshops and a huge trade area where you can buy all your beekeeping requirements for the coming season. Next year it takes place on Saturday 21 April.

All in all, there are a great many ways in which you can learn about bees and beekeeping. I do encourage you to find the one that suits you best so that you can become as fascinated as I am with these insects.

Claire Waring is editor of Bee Craft www.bee-craft.com

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