Bee experience days.

[gregior]

How do folks. This year i'm thinking about running some ' beekeeping experience days' for non beeks at one of my apiaries . It will probably just be small groups of around 5 people for roughly 3 hours with a brief introduction to beekeeping followed by a look inside a hive then maybe some honey tasting and beeswax candle rolling. I was wondering if anyone here has done anything similar? Will I need to be insured and would my BBKA membership insurance cover me? What can be done to mitigate the risks of anaphylaxis-would I need medical training epi pen etc? Any tips would be welcome.

 

[JamezF]

Regarding the Epipen, I'm fairly sure you can only get them on prescription, so it wouldn't be something for you to deal with.

James

 

[Ian123]

I’d enquire directly with the insurance company am sure you’ll not be the first, a simple email would do the trick. You also want a basic disclaimer they are common for any experience day or events.

 

[Nannysbees]

Will you have to provide the suits for those that sign up?

 

[gregior]

Will you have to provide the suits for those that sign up?

Yes I got 20 basic full suits from Simon the beek in his closing down sale £1 each! Not sure how good they will be but when I do it i'll be using my most docile colony and moving it to a new spot the day before to bleed off the flyers so hopefully they will be adequate.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Will I need to be insured and would my BBKA membership insurance cover me?

I would think you will definitely need insurance for what is basically a commercial venture - doubtful the BBKA insurance would cover this.

 

[rdartington]

How do folks. This year i'm thinking about running some ' beekeeping experience days' for non beeks at one of my apiaries . It will probably just be small groups of around 5 people for roughly 3 hours with a brief introduction to beekeeping followed by a look inside a hive then maybe some honey tasting and beeswax candle rolling. I was wondering if anyone here has done anything similar? Will I need to be insured and would my BBKA membership insurance cover me? What can be done to mitigate the risks of anaphylaxis-would I need medical training epi pen etc? Any tips would be welcome.

I think ‘bee experience days’ are a great way to involve the public without going too far initially. Better than just offering trainingcourses, which go too far for some. So good on you!

I have run experience sessions for a few years for my association, max 4 visitors so they can get close round a hive. We use two or three hives, so no one is held open too long. Now wondering about increasing the number of days now we no longer offer full courses.

This would mean briining in new ‘tutors’, not already members of the association, so might want to be paid. So we would need to work out a ‘business plan’ to see how the tutor’s time could be ‘valued’. Amng other things , we would have to allow for a loss of honey due to disturbing the hives, Umm!

Our association insurance would cover us as these days are covered by our charitable objects - to educate the public and promote beekeeping. So no need to allow for that.

Would you - or any other member of this forum - be willing to share your own ‘business plan’?

My association is in north Herts - so no risk of competition I guess.

 

[gregior]

I think ‘bee experience days’ are a great way to involve the public without going too far initially. Better than just offering trainingcourses, which go too far for some. So good on you!

I have run experience sessions for a few years for my association, max 4 visitors so they can get close round a hive. We use two or three hives, so no one is held open too long. Now wondering about increasing the number of days now we no longer offer full courses.

This would mean briining in new ‘tutors’, not already members of the association, so might want to be paid. So we would need to work out a ‘business plan’ to see how the tutor’s time could be ‘valued’. Amng other things , we would have to allow for a loss of honey due to disturbing the hives, Umm!

Our association insurance would cover us as these days are covered by our charitable objects - to educate the public and promote beekeeping. So no need to allow for that.

Would you - or any other member of this forum - be willing to share your own ‘business plan’?

My association is in north Herts - so no risk of competition I guess.

Hi thanks for the reply.

I don't really have a business plan,i'm not that organised! You say your association insurance covers this,do you know if my BBKA insurance would cover me if I was doing it for profit?

 

[pargyle]

Hi thanks for the reply.

I don't really have a business plan,i'm not that organised! You say your association insurance covers this,do you know if my BBKA insurance would cover me if I was doing it for profit?

I think you will find that Association membership of the BBKA covers the association for events and courses that they run but looking at the BBKA third party cover for individual members I don't think it's going to give you personal public liability for a commercial event you are engaged in. I'd ask them but prepare to be disappointed ...