
Sherborne Beekeepers' Association
Education And Training
Every year the SBKA run an 8 week introductory course on Beekeeping. The course syllabus is below, and will give a sound introduction to the basics. Students will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience of colony management, and remove some of the myths about bees.
Class of '26 was well received by the students, they were all given a pack of goodies including a book, all the students were pleased with very positive feedback on the final week, all now have their own bees, which is fantastic.
The 2027 Course will start on Tues 6th April and every Tues after that for 8 weeks
If you are interested, please complete the contact form, and a member of the association will be in touch.

Week 1 - Introduction to Beekeeping
Tues 6th April 2027
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Introduction
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Tea, coffee and cake!
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Run through books and folders
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Build both brood and super frames
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Try on Bee Suits
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Advice on where to buy equipment
Week 2 - The life of the honeybee queen, worker and drone
Tues 13th April 2027
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Development of the Queen, worker and drone
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Identify brood in all stages and honey, nectar and pollen in the comb
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Periods spent as egg, larva pupa and adult summer and winter bees life span
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Collection and use of pollen, nectar, water and propolis
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How the honeybee passes the winter
Week 3 - Equipment
Tues 20th April 2027
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Personal equipment needed to open a hive of honeybees
and importance of cleanliness.
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Able to name and explain the functions of the principle parts of the modern beehive. Different types of hives and their advantages and disadvantages
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Use of hive tool, smoker and other tools; spray, queen cages, nucs, markers bucket for washing soda
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Effects of stings and treatment

Week 4 - The Beekeeping Year
Tues 27th April 2027
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Growth of the colony
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Spring Inspections
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Swarming Season
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Harvesting
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Feeding

Week 5 - Queens, Swarming and swarm control
Tues 4th May 2027
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Reasons for swarming and events during swarming
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One method for swarm control
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How to collect a swarm
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Signs of queenlessness and tests
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Laying workers and drone laying queens
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How to introduce a new queen
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Reasons for uniting colonies and one method of uniting colonies

Week 6 - Pests and Diseases
Tues 11th May 2027
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The appearance of healthy brood
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Symptoms of AFB and EFB, chalk brood and sac brood
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Varroa and its effects
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Treatments for varroa including integrated pest
management
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Adult bee diseases Acarine and Nosema symptoms
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Disease diagnosis and sampling bees
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Notifiable diseases and legislation
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Wax moth, mice, woodpeckers, wasps and precautions

Week 7 - Honey harvest and the annual cycle
Tues 18th May 2027
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Feeding the bees sugar syrup/fondant/pollen supplement
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Robbing and prevention
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Harvesting honey and wax and legal
requirements of bottling and selling honey; hygiene
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Apiary hygiene and comb change
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Flowers for Bees

Week 8 - Handing out of Certificates and celebration of success
Tues 25th May 2027
Practical Sessions
Practical sessions looking inside the Hives is now included as part of the course from Week 2 onwards depending on the weather.