Beginners course worth the money?

[drstitson]

Perhaps rather than waste money on UK BKA taught beginners' courses newbies should consider taking a cheap flight to visit Finman for a weekend during his short season.
That's be very educational i'd imagine!!!

Actually perhaps we should suggest that Finman puts on Beginners theory courses for UK newbies during his long winter months. could get a couple of 10 week runs in a year instead of our paltry one.

 

[Russel]

Be careful what you wish for!

 

[drstitson]

presumably the course would be sold as "introduction to 1 hive beekeeping for halfbrainers"

his follow on/intermediate courses could be entitled:
"how become whole brain, 2 hive beekeeper"

 

[dn170221]

Enjoy your course!!!
I am signed up for one in Feb can't wait!

 

[pargyle]

presumably the course would be sold as "introduction to 1 hive beekeeping for halfbrainers"

his follow on/intermediate courses could be entitled:
"how become whole brain, 2 hive beekeeper"

Love it .... I think I already have all the course notes ! Most of them on here !!

 

[drstitson]

"I think I already have all the course notes ! Most of them on here !!"

but the joy of the actual course will be the opportunity to be beaten over the head with a 30 year old, table sawn and reglued polyhive for asking questions about OA concentrations.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I thought the Hague convention had criminalised waterboarding, I'm sure what you are suggesting would have been swept up with that DrS

 

[pargyle]

"I think I already have all the course notes ! Most of them on here !!"

but the joy of the actual course will be the opportunity to be beaten over the head with a 30 year old, table sawn and reglued polyhive for asking questions about OA concentrations.

Yes ... but I'm safe on Syrup formulation - I have a City in Guilds in sugar measuring and syrup stirring !

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Yes ... but I'm safe on Syrup formulation - I have a City in Guilds in sugar measuring and syrup stirring !

well, stirring anyway!

 

[Russel]

Yes ... but I'm safe on Syrup formulation - I have a City in Guilds in sugar measuring and syrup stirring !

Brown syrup?

 

[pre1mjr]

... the course confirmed that I knew a fair bit about beekeeping

That should be your signature line.

 

[Moggett]

... the course confirmed that I knew a fair bit about beekeeping

I did a beginner's course and at the end of my first year of beekeeping won the association best newcomer award. They told me that there was no point in doing the beginner's course as I had enough knowledge already, but I did it as I wanted my son to do it too.

Looking back I now realise I knew next to nothing at the time, and still have lots to learn six years on!

 

[psafloyd]

I did a beginner's course and at the end of my first year of beekeeping won the association best newcomer award. They told me that there was no point in doing the beginner's course as I had enough knowledge already, but I did it as I wanted my son to do it too.

Looking back I now realise I knew next to nothing at the time, and still have lots to learn six years on!

 

[lorrick]

Hi Madas
I was given a swarm last year from a Bee Keeper friend that knew I wanted to keep bees so first hive bought in a panic, and the ex-Bee Keeper of 400 hives told me to go on a course, as he could not teach me anything as everyone has there own way of going about it? He could give me lots of advice but he had kept bees before the invasion of Verroa and did not know about that side of things. I was the same as you thinking what can be the benefit of a course,I soon found out. I paid £80 and went on a 6 week one evening a week course, It was the best thing I could have done, it was a lot of fun and I made some good friends I also have booked again for this year as last was so hectic with one colony splitting into two that I thought it would be more beneficial to me and the bees. Albeit they are a lot smaller, to me it is the same as looking after any animal, the more I know about them the better I feel as I am responsible for their lives, as mentioned before one slight mistake and you can wipe out a whole hive, losing you a lot of money, and bees. On a course you can ask as many questions as you like, which you can't do in books or YouTube, is there any reason that you want 2 hives to start with?
Regards
Richard

 

[pargyle]

Brown syrup?

Well that's nice Russell .... you can go on my ignore list then ! It's a short one - you are the second !

 

[Tom Bick]

I did a beginner's course and at the end of my first year of beekeeping won the association best newcomer award. They told me that there was no point in doing the beginner's course as I had enough knowledge already, but I did it as I wanted my son to do it too.

Looking back I now realise I knew next to nothing at the time, and still have lots to learn six years on!

 

[Apple]

This thread has got me thinking that a beginners course may well be worth the money, provided that one selects the correct course!

I found myself saying to one of our undergraduates today - If you ask the wrong questions you get the wrong answers!

I shall continue reading, although I definitely do not get some of the jokes.

I like Tom's picture of foundationless top bar frames, if that it what it is?

 

[pargyle]

This thread has got me thinking that a beginners course may well be worth the money, provided that one selects the correct course!

I found myself saying to one of our undergraduates today - If you ask the wrong questions you get the wrong answers!

I shall continue reading, although I definitely do not get some of the jokes.

I like Tom's picture of foundationless top bar frames, if that it what it is?

Tom had a good thread running on Foundationless frames:

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=27494

Well worth a read ... and yes, his Avatar is of one of his foundationless frames.

If you keep reading posts in a year or so you might 'get' some of the humour on here ... lots of comedians !

 

[Tom Bick]

Thanks I rather like it to cleaver girls them bees

 

[REDWOOD]

I did a beginner's course and at the end of my first year of beekeeping won the association best newcomer award. They told me that there was no point in doing the beginner's course as I had enough knowledge already, but I did it as I wanted my son to do it too.

Looking back I now realise I knew next to nothing at the time, and still have lots to learn six years on!

I knew zero..........honestly not even what was in a hive, massive learning curve, however I do remember some biology from school which helped lol