Introduction to Beekeeping Sat 25th April and Sunday 26th April 2026

Hello Beekeepers!

Here is everything that you need to know in advance:-

The course is a two day weekend course. It begins at:-

9.45am at Edgbaston Priory Indoor Tennis Centre - park at Martineau Gardens

Lunch will be at Martineau Gardens

Practical beekeeping in the apiary at Martineau after lunch

Finishing at approx. 4pm

Your tutors will be Sam Walker and Valli Cawte

Please call the gardens if you need to know more about this

What to bring:

· You will need to bring wellington boots and socks to wear in the apiary - wellingtons are only needed in the apiary, you won’t need to wear them all day

· Peaked or baseball style cap is essential while wearing a bee suit

· Bring a packed lunch

· Please do not eat any bananas before beekeeping this will be explained

· Long hair should be tied back, to prevent getting caught in bee suit zips

· Wear light clothes that will fit under a bee suit to avoid getting too hot

· A notebook and pen

What we provide:

· Protective Bee Suit will be provided

· Hot or cold drinks will be provided at Martineau Gardens

· There are drink vending machines at Edgbaston Tennis Centre, or you may want to bring a drink for the class session

Course Description:

The course will touch on the topics of:-

· What is a honey bee, how it differs from other flying insects

· Bee life cycle, colony setup

· Bee Dances, Flowers, forage, and Honey

· Hive types, and where and how to locate hives

· The costs of keeping bees: equipment, tools and clothing required

· Role of the beekeeper, swarms, harvesting honey, honey shows

· Pests, diseases, and bee husbandry

· Beekeeping organisations and insurance, Beekeeping through the year

· Live bee experience (weather permitting)

NB If the weather is not suitable to go into the apiary, there will alternative dates made available

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Host or Publisher Martineau Gardens