I want one! What do you need to know to pass? Suppose I better get a bit more experience first lol, walk before I try and run. Well done
It is basic , nowt to worry about .
Firstly safely lighting your smoker !
You need to demonstrate going through a hive, remarking on what you see ( brood, stores ,room, disease signs of swarming etc)also demonstrate the collection of a sample of bees for health checks (making sure you haven't collected the Queen).
Next follows a question and answer session (an oral exam of basic principals plus some of the questions being related to the manipulations you have just done,this is to make sure you have been properly observant when doing so ) .
Sounds more of an ordeal than it is
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The examiner isn't trying to trip you up but needs to witness your competence at basic level.
I took my basic after 20 years of beekeeping but failed to mention a little chalk brood , my response to the resulting question being, "I'm so used to seeing low level chalk brood amongst colonies that I accepted it being within the norm for the time of year".
As I said "Nowt to worry about ".
John Wilkinson
