General Husbandry Exam

[masterBK]

I'm not sure there are any general husbandry assessors in Northern Ireland so they will have to be shipped over to do it. That will cost the BBKA exam board a penny or two

 

[DanBee]

I would imagine several attend Gormanston and might be persuaded to stay over for an extra day or two...?

 

[Polyanwood]

How interested are they in your beekeeping records? I often throw them away if they blow into a puddle or get covered in syrup. They have gaps.

 

[eddiespangle]

How interested are they in your beekeeping records? I often throw them away if they blow into a puddle or get covered in syrup. They have gaps.

Very. I created some worksheets on excel to keep track of my hives.

 

[VEG]

If you made the records up would they know any different lol

 

[iand]

Very. I created some worksheets on excel to keep track of my hives.

Like you I use excel/word, I explained my system. Then offered them the
great wad of notes I had printed out for them to look at and use in the apiary etc.
It seemed to be case of yes you keep notes now we move on.

Be prepared just in case, I guess.

 

[Nellie]

I use Evernote on my phone to take inspection notes and convert to excel at leisure at home.

 

[eddiespangle]

If you made the records up would they know any different lol

Probably not!

 

[Easy Beesy]

Records are used to assess colonies for the practical bits.

 

[masterBK]

Probably not!
----------------
Oh yes we would. Candidates have failed in the past with faked records with the contents and attributes of the colonies in the apiary not matching the records eg one candidates records were showing a laying queen in a colony just days before we arrived and when opened there was no brood in that colony! Another colony had a drone layer in it and the beekeeper didn't know anything about it as it was obvious that he hadn't opened that colony for weeks. People who fake records tend to take short cuts with other things so are usually failed on several accounts. Assessors need to see evidence in the records over a period of time that the colonies have been assessed in deciding which queens to use for breeding . The colonies chosen for the various tasks are chosen based on the records. Fake records are obvious. Original records tend to have fingerprints and smudges of propolis, different shades of biro ink, tatty edges to the paper/card. You need to record things in the apiary as things get forgotten or confused by the time you get back to type it up in Excel etc. One person with dozens of colonies removed a queen from a stroppy colony aiming to introduce a replacement queen the next day. However come the next day, he introduced it to the adjacent colony in error (and of course it was killed) because he didn't record things right away and in the meantime got his colony numbers mixed up

 

[alanf]

Original records tend to have fingerprints and smudges of propolis, different shades of biro ink, tatty edges to the paper/card. You need to record things in the apiary as things get forgotten or confused by the time you get back to type it up in Excel etc.

Is there any reluctance to admit electronic records? I'm thinking of any of the commercial programs or beebase colony records. There may be forensic detail if you know where to look but no physical indicator like worn pages. I'll readily agree that records need to be timely but that's getting easier on site with phone, tablet, 4G etc.

 

[susbees]

Is there any reluctance to admit electronic records? I'm thinking of any of the commercial programs or beebase colony records. There may be forensic detail if you know where to look but no physical indicator like worn pages. I'll readily agree that records need to be timely but that's getting easier on site with phone, tablet, 4G etc.

A propolised android is forensic enough....IF the story on the records is feasible...

 

[Teemore]

I'm not sure there are any general husbandry assessors in Northern Ireland so they will have to be shipped over to do it. That will cost the BBKA exam board a penny or two

Quite correct both about the lack of assessors in NI and the likely costs that would be involved in bringing over assessors. The costs are something that will be considered once we get a 'study group' organised. In an ideal world we would only propose to bring assessors over if we had a pool of people who would be ready to do the assessment. That is some time off.

Long term I would like to see a pool of assessors develop in NI and any support we would get to achieve that would be greatly appreciated.

 

[masterBK]

To become an assessor of general husbandry is quite a long process. Beekeepers having passed the Basic obviously need to pass the General husbandry certificate themselves. They are then invited for a session to train as a Basic assessor and go on to assess several Basic candidates in their area (but not in their branch). The next step is to pass the advanced husbandry assessment. Having done that they are invited the following year to train as a general husbandry assessor. Two assessors are needed for each General husbandry candidate. If they also manage to pass all the modules they become master beekeepers and are eligible to have a go at the NDB.

 

[DanBee]

Quite correct both about the lack of assessors in NI and the likely costs that would be involved in bringing over assessors. The costs are something that will be considered once we get a 'study group' organised. In an ideal world we would only propose to bring assessors over if we had a pool of people who would be ready to do the assessment. That is some time off.

Long term I would like to see a pool of assessors develop in NI and any support we would get to achieve that would be greatly appreciated.

My understanding was that the FIBKA certificates - both practical and theory - were broadly equivalent to the BBKA certificates. I was certainly impressed by the arrangements at Gormanston for teaching and assessments during the week. Is this not something you could take advantage of that is on your doorstep?

 

[blackcavebees]

My understanding was that the FIBKA certificates - both practical and theory - were broadly equivalent to the BBKA certificates. I was certainly impressed by the arrangements at Gormanston for teaching and assessments during the week. Is this not something you could take advantage of that is on your doorstep?

That is an interesting point Dan, but not as clear cut I think as that. This is my opinion only, and I'm sure Teemore will comment when he logs in in the morning. I did the FIBKA Preliminary and after a further year of beekeeping progressed to the FIBKA intermediate which is taught in provincial centres over 2 years at local agricultural colleges at evening classes, followed by a husbandry exam at my home apiary by two FIBKA examiners (similar I think to the General Husbandry from BBKA) it will be another year before I finish this level.
My next step (2014 probably) would be to study at FIBKA Senior level, but there are no taught courses for this in Northern Ireland and unless we can get a study group going locally, the travel involved would be prohibitive for regular study groups in Eire for me. After two Senior papers, practical and scientific there is a Senior husbandry exam at Gormanstown (like BBKA Advanced Husbandry at Stoneleigh).

My goal is to progress to the NDB and the entry requirement I believe is the Senior level from any of the Regional Associations (BBKA, FIBKA, WBKA, SBKA). As a member of the BBKA, through the INIB, the module system appealed to me, and I have been considering starting these as there is a good overlap in what I'm studying at the minute. I could utilise the correspondence courses for the remaining modules and that would mean I would travel over to Stonleigh for the Advanced Husbandry. I am also secretary of our local association, which is affiliated to UBKA, which promotes the provincial exams of FIBKA. So I have either the best of both worlds or too many options!

Any advice Dan?

 

[simoncav]

In regards to electronic records, I simply exported everything to Excel and then printed a couple of sheets per hive going back 2 years. Examiners complemented me on my thoroughness...

Just make sure its true as they will catch you out. For example, last April, the weather was so awful I did not get a single inspection in all month. Put it on the records and turned out one of the examiners had the same problem!

 

[Teemore]

G'day Dan and Stephen et al.

The FIBKA exams are supposed to be 'broadly' similar and in terms of eligibility to do the BBKA's modular exams, the FIBKA Preliminary is given equivalency to the BBKA Basic. I have taken advantage of that equivalency to start the modular exams (I currently need to get my finger out and start studying properly for a couple of further papers in the Spring...) I am not about to get into a debate about which system is best - only what is best for me and my reasoning thereto.

As Stephen notes, the FIBKA Intermediate exam is taught at a few regional centres and from my position that would involve a lot of travel - I already commute for over an hour into work everyday and would easily double my daily travel time if I was to do do the Intermediate at one of those centres. Whilst I am a paid up member of an association affiliated to FIBKA, travelling to do the intermediate is not presently an option.

On the other hand, I am a member of the INIB and am thus also affiliated to the BBKA. The BBKA modular system allows me to study from home and should I so desire, to enrole on a correspondence course. To echo comments elsewhere on this forum, I read and study to learn more about bees so that I am better able to assist the colonies in my care. The syllabi for the Modular system gives me a good structure to direct my learning and it presents a format against which I can test my knowledge: the possibility of attaining a qualification is a bonus. So far I have been confident enough to study by myself and got a distinction in Module 1 - the only Module attempted so far... A venue for me to sit the exam and an invigilator was organised through the INIB's Education Officer.

I was recently chatting to a chap who is studying for the FIBKA Intermediate and he told me that FIBKA have made some changes to try and bring the Intermediate more in line with the BBKA examination system. I do not know how extensive any changes were or indeed that they were specifically intended to align the two examination systems or whether that is just one person's observed side effect so please no-one go on the offensive for me recounting my conversation (or a part thereof!)....

There is some overlap between the FIBKA Intermediate and the BBKA Modules but my understanding is that it is not a complete overlap and this is a further reason I am working through the modular system. Rightly or wrongly, my perception is that the modules are more in depth and cover a wider range of issues. For those interested, it might be worthwhile comparing the relevant syllabi.

Personally, I think that in an ideal world the beekeeping examinations offered throughout the UK and Ireland should be standardised. Perhaps CONBA can act on this.

For now the BBKA modular system is ideally suited to my needs.

 

[DanBee]

Hi Teemore - it's not my intention to get into a comparison either because I only know one system. It would be interesting to compare syllabi and exam pre-req's but to attempt a complete international standardisation would involve a lot of disruption and probably end up with something different but the same at the end of it. Just look at how long it took COLOSS to agree a common approach to monitoring and surveying colony losses, and there are still cultural/linguistic interpretational issues which require care.

From your position of time/distance/availability the BBKA correspondence course would appear to be a do-able approach - perhaps not as ideal and sociable as joining a regular meeting of like minded beekeepers, but it will lead you through the syllabus and structure your study, whilst giving a degree of motivation and of course a tutor overseeing and providing feedback.

This does not answer the practical aspects of the General Husbandry, but if you compare syllabi you will see that a lot of Modules 1 & 2 are covered in GH, plus a fair bit of disease (Module 3). The practical side comes from working with other beekeepers - particularly those noted for their handling skills - and developing your own approach. In my own environment I'd know who to recommend to work with, and some of the local inspectors would be high on this list. For yours i'm afraid I do not but the assumption was that there must be something or somebody near you.

 

[Teemore]

The social side of beekeeping is handled nicely through this forum and my local association meetings every month!! Unfortunately you also come across the odd bit of 'political' (note small 'p') manoeuvering at those meetings - all entertaining though! I think most folk gain more from a chat with other beekeepers than anything else.

In Northern Ireland the Bee Inspectors won't readily discuss handling/management techniques in an 'official' capacity so whilst I have watched them in action so to speak, they aren't really an source of extensive guidance... It has been on my mind to go and attend one of the GB based preparatory courses for the General Husbandry. I'll have another Module or two under my belt before I do that though.