NHBKA Beginners Beekeeping Course

Our course is run over 5 afternoons and will include a practical session covering frame and hive construction. And finally there will be a visit to our honeybee apiary where opening and inspecting a hive will be demonstrated.

Our course is intended for people living in North Hertfordshire or near-by. If you are outside of our catchment area then please locate your nearest beekeeping association for their courses.

The cost of the course is only £115 + TicketSource fees. The course includes the excellent book, the BBKA Guide to Beekeeping (RRP is £18.99) and a years membership to North Herts Beekeepers Association (NHBKA) which includes the BBKA & Hertfordshire BKA. Your NHBKA membership starts as soon as we receive your membership form and payment and runs through to March 2028 and your BBKA & HBKA membership will start in February 2027 to coincide with the start of the course.  If you are already a member of another division of HBKA then we will waiver our membership costs.

This is our very popular course for those who want to take up Beekeeping in their first year. Our course is always fully booked, so please register early to avoid disappointment.

The course is run over 5 sessions and the agenda includes:-

• Part 1 , An overview history and background to the Honeybee and to Beekeeping
  • The make-up of the Honeybee colony; the history of Honeybee ‘nesting’; Honeybee Foraging and Uses within the Hive; and Materials and produce from the hive, and wide ranging uses 
• Part 2 , Modern day hives and equipment
  • Different types of hive; Beekeeping clothing; and hive tools used to maintain the hive 
• Part 3 , The new Beekeeper getting started
  • Where to keep bees; positioning the hive; obtaining a Beginners Hive, clothing, and tools ; and obtaining Bees 
• Part 4 , This is a practical session where we spend the afternoon building as many bee hives as we can (usually about 4 hives).
• Part 5, The Beekeepers First Year, Spring, summer, late Summer, and mid-winter honeybee colony and hive inspection and maintenance. An overview of the range of training and support to cover the hobbyist beekeeper with one or two hives, up to the serious beekeeper with multiple hives and associated activities. 

In late April 2027 there will be a visit to our honeybee apiary where opening and inspecting a hive will be demonstrated.

Course Dates are:-

• Part 1, 21st Feb 2027 – 14:30 to 17:00, Introduction to beekeeping
• Part 2, 28th Feb 2027 – 14:30 to 17:00, Modern day hives and equipment
• Part 3, 7th March 2027 – 14:30 to 17:00, The new Beekeeper getting started
• Part 4, 14nd March 2027 – 14:30 to 17:00, Practical, building a bee hive at Bee 1st.
• Part 5, 21th March 2027 – The Beekeepers First Year
• Late April 2027 – Meet the bees, a visit to our apiary

The addresses for the training sessions venue are:
The Garden Room,
The Sadie Centre, Hitchin Road,
Letchworth, Herts SG6 3NA
Part 4 only, Practical session is held at:-
Bee 1st Limited, Unit 1, Green Gates Farm,
Lower Titmore Green, Nr Little Wymondley,
Herts SG4 7JT