equipment for beekeeping courses?!

[thurrock bees]

Hi all
Im thinking of running my own small scale beekeeping course's. im asking members if they know what equipment i may need???

ive got the main equipment, like hives and bees, does anyone think of other bits and pieces i need/could use?? also what would be the decent price??

thanks for your input
TB

NOTE. THIS IS NOT A ADVERT,im asking for advice

 

[MrB]

what would be the decent price??

My beginers course was £25 for a 6 week course of 2 hours per week.

 

[RoofTops]

Not really equipment related but I think you need notes or handouts to be given to the students so they can remember the main points of each lesson. You also of course, need to plan out the whole course beforehand in order the notes can be written up in advance. It depends what the aim of the course is - which is another thing you need to decide on before you start. You could just have a series of practical meetings but I would suggest you do need some sort of structure to the course. Also, is this a short course or is it going to cover a full season?

I think if you can decide on what the aim of the course is and the syllabus the issues over what equipment is needed will be easier to decide. For example, if you are not going to do queen breeding then that cuts out a few bits.

 

[thurrock bees]

im looking at teaching basic beekeeping, i feel queen rearing is a extra, specialist subject.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Hi all
Im thinking of running my own small scale beekeeping course's. im asking members if they know what equipment i may need???

ive got the main equipment, like hives and bees, does anyone think of other bits and pieces i need/could use?? also what would be the decent price??

thanks for your input
TB

NOTE. THIS IS NOT A ADVERT,im asking for advice

i helped out at our begineers course 2 hours lecture on "what type of hive" we had an empty WBC, BS national ,14x12 and langstroth, and it was a very touch it and see type of day but although we said 95% of our BKA members uses National or 14x12 bottom space most of the questions were about Top Bar and Beehaus. a definte green movement inspired intake.

they then contruct a super frame at home with foundation (mind blowing attempts sometimes LOL)

our life of bee lecture again is hands on with lots of frames passed around of capped comb, brood comb, queen cells , drone comb, brace comb part worked foundation and un worked foundation. either live bees in a jar:blacks and italains to show difference (or dead bees on pins in winter, drone/queen/worker
beginners
another lecture is contruction of a Thornes hive, lecturer starts the brood box and they do a supers or finish the brood and frames in groups.

Varroa/disease is with laminated cards of EFB/AFB/Mites which they keep.

Hive inspection are done in 3 small groups with just veil hats/marigolds and heavy outdoor clothing-if they have abees suit they can attend all three inspection( incentive to buy)

Homework; we always send them home with something to do

 

[thurrock bees]

thanks mus, i will take your reply on board, some good ideas there that was not shown or talked about on my beek course.

 

[hedgerow pete]

yes i would have or make up at least some of the other hives evan if you dont keep bees in them, I have mainly 12x14 nationals but i also have a langstroff made up but never used as i have no frames for it, I also use several wbc hives with 12x14 broods i have made a top bar hive to demostrait with aswell in that way i teach the people bee keeping and allow them to sort there own hive type as bee are the same no matter what box they are in,, the hand out are very important. I use a single sheet of a4 printed out on the computer with bullet notes down it , depending on what we are planning to talk about( never seams to work that way) and also a pointer for the next time at the bee shed, so they can reaserch and come back and ask questions, the main thing is to keep it light and hummourus

 

[MuswellMetro]

i think you could get away with a langstroth/wbc and national full with hands on old comb of brood or queen cell shows much more than a picturee.

but agree light hearted approach and some scare stories, swarms etc
" stacking the top brood box on top of the supers while inspecting the bottom double brood..queen runs into the supers...re stack ,now queen is trapped by excluder in supers" ( done that, )

Homework includes reasearching cost of a Nuc and hive, then we sell them a nuc for less from a member and a cut price £hornes budget brood,flow,frames, roof and one super (purchased at janaury sales)

We used to get them to make a nuc for their bee purchase, but too time consuming pre cutting the bits from ply, now we ask £30 deposits

but we still get them to buy from us and then make at home the five replacement frames for the beek supplying the nuc

 

[BKF Admin]

See if you can beg some course notes off our members from those that have attended/run a course.

That way someone else has already thought out the structure for you.

 

[Frisbee]

Don't forget a clearly defined Health and Safety policy, plus suitable Public Liability insurance, especially when dealing with people you don't know. Your mate may just laugh when he trips over your garage step, a stranger may sue you

Frisbee

 

[plumber]

As a self centred old git my one concern is me if I was doing a beekeeping taster I would like to know I was sheiled from bodly harm ie full body suit.
that you could react any problems ie panick attacks etc. do you know what to do if I'm stung ? what if I'm alergic do you know what to do in case of anaphlatic shock do you have an epi pen, your own bee suit is an item you would expect a returning student to have. A request for them to get an IGE wasp and bee test done is an idea.

 

[Frisbee]

As a self centred old git my one concern is me if I was doing a beekeeping taster I would like to know I was sheiled from bodly harm ie full body suit.
that you could react any problems ie panick attacks etc. do you know what to do if I'm stung ? what if I'm alergic do you know what to do in case of anaphlatic shock do you have an epi pen, your own bee suit is an item you would expect a returning student to have. A request for them to get an IGE wasp and bee test done is an idea.

The man yesterday said, they have a form for every potential apiary visitor to fill out, it included questions such as - have you ever been stung? Did you suffer an allergic reaction? Do you carry an epi-pen or other medication and finally and most importantly is the person authorised to administer the epi pen/medication with you? If that person is not then the apiary visitor is not allowed at the apiary. Untrained people should not administer your medication.

Frisbee