If you are an existing beekeeper and would like Kevin to talk to your group here are the topics Kevin has been speaking about. If you have something specific you are interested in please let us know.
In person £100 plus travelling costs
By zoom £50
Here are Kevin’s Bee Talks
Winter preparation and management
Covering the period from harvest to spring build up. Making sure you give your winter bees the best chance to build up, survive and your colony to thrive in the spring. The importance of timing your feeding. Feeding in Autumn for spring build up. The dangerous month of March.
Swarm prevention and control
How to deter bees from wanting to swarm. Selection of non swarming stock. Managing brood to maximise production.
Simple methods of swarm control and debunking a major myths about swarming.
Inspections - what good looks like and dealing with problem colonies
Based on Ted Hoopers 5 questions (and a sixth I’ve added). Identifying what you should expect to see during the season. Dealing with problem colonies and Identifying when you should take immediate action or wait and see.
Simple bee improvement
Very simple methods all beekeepers can follow to improve their own bees to be calm, healthy and productive.
“Bees don’t read the books”
Exploring this common expression, why we sometimes misunderstand the bees behaviour which can be at odds with our common wisdom. A better understanding of these incredible creatures.
What beekeepers worry about and don’t need to
As a beginner beekeeper I used to constantly worry about my colonies. As a bee-farmer I’ve learned what I really need to worry about and importantly what I really don’t. What equipment is essential and what really isn’t.
The simple Sustainable Apiary for the hobby beekeeper
Having a sustainable apiary, a ready supply of replacement queens and nucs ready to replace winter losses and possibly a surplus to supply others.
How to produce your own queens and nucs simply starting with a single colony.
Producing one or more spare queens for your own use very simply
Producing nucs to cover winter losses before they occur
Minimising the effect on honey production.
The Beefarmers sustainable apiary
Raising queens and nucs on a commercial scale for own use and for sale.
Producing queens on a 4 day cycle
Selecting breeder colonies
Setting up and maintaining starter colony
Using finisher colony
Use of mini plus mating nucs
Picking queens and introducing to nucs.
Drone production
Measuring quality
Maximising honey production
How to ensure an abundant honey crop.
The importance of stock
Autumn management - boosting your winter bees.
Spring combination
Swarm prevention - managing your comb
Supering - why, when and how to add supers
Swarm control
Summer management
Introducing Queens
Preparing colonies for introduction
Introduction methods
Using nucs to introduce queens
Direct combination of nucs