If you are interested in becoming a beekeeper and making your own honey, it is a good idea to take a course in beekeeping. Getting started can seem daunting at first, so a hands-on course with an experienced beekeeper is a good way to gain confidence and practical skills.
Depending on your region, there are many organisations that offer beekeeping courses in Australia. Some of these courses are overnight experiences which could even be taken as educational mini holidays.
Beekeeping can be a very rewarding hobby, reaping rewards of improved bee health and, of course, fresh homegrown honey!
Victoria
The Collingwood Children's Farm Apiary in Abbotswood, Melbourne provides various beekeeping courses throughout the year. They offer both introductory and specialising courses. See their website for information on the next courses.
The Beekeepers Club in Doncaster, Melbourne organises several beekeeping courses a year for its members. Membership to the club also gives you access to its monthly meetings, field trips and library — and, of course, the knowledge and company of other bee enthusiasts.
Visit the Bunyip Beekeeper for regular events and workshops. Besides from a number of local beekeeping services, they also hold regular beginner beekeeping courses.
At Bec's Beehive, Bec has designed her beekeeping workshops specifically to help beginners learn the fundamentals and care for their bees. Past participants get the chance to join in on field days and have one-on-one mentoring sessions with Bec. A great way to start with someone who can hold your hand part of the way.
A well-known registered Beekeeper, Benedict is "The Practical Beekeeper". Benedict collects swarms, manages beehives and delivers educational courses for adults and schools.
Rooftop Honey runs a number of workshops onsite at their premises in Heidelberg West. Practical modules will be conducted onsite with hives located at the venue. These workshops aim to cover all levels of beekeeping, from the totally unknown to the advanced tech-beek.
The Ballarat Regional Beekeepers frequently run beginner beekeeping workshops as well and will be launching an advanced course soon. Check the link for next dates.
There are also many other members of the Australian beekeeping community, such as Castlemaine Bee Sanctuary, Becs Beehive and Bob’s Beekeeping Courses, who organise beekeeping courses from beginner to advanced level near Melbourne.
New South Wales & ACT
Tim of Natural Beekeeping Australia offers highly popular beekeeping courses in various venues across New South Wales. He has pioneered the use of the ‘natural comb’ beekeeping method, Warré, which is very beneficial for the bees. If you are interested in learning more about natural beekeeping, his approach might be just right for you.
The Bindaree Bee Academy offers both one-day and weekend courses for beginning beekeepers. Their weekend course offers a combination of the ‘art and science’ of beekeeping, teaching the basics of both the science of honey production and the art of actual hands-on skills required for it. Attendees of the November and December courses even get to take some bees home after the course!
Beekeeping Basics run two day workshops across northern NSW combining a series of lectures and practical tasks. The course endeavours to develop sufficient knowledge, skills and confidence for you to begin keeping bees.
Queensland
Bee One Third in Brisbane has been running workshops for beginner beekeepers since 2013, engaging new and intrigued minds with the ideas and ideals of what being a part of the beekeeping community involves and the ways in which to best contribute in each participants individual life.
Kookaburra Organics offers a variety of courses on different topics including beekeeping. On their course, you can learn about the health benefits of raw honey as well as get practical experience of beekeeping. They also have the option of giving someone a giftcard for a beekeeping course, which could be a really nice surprise for someone interested in bees!
Malieta Honey in Redlands City organises three levels of beekeeping classes based on your experience. Their courses cover everything from getting started at beekeeping to advanced queen bee rearing.
South Australia
Crispin’s Beekeeping in Adelaide offers both beginners’ beekeeping courses and queen marking courses.
Beautifully named, Mademoiselle Bee Vanessa Hoo is a 2nd generation beekeeper, whose father is a French commercial apiarist, with a driving passion for bees. Vanessa is a fervid advocate for bees. She rescues our pollinators, by offering a diverse range of services around South Australia. Check her page for the latest courses.
The South Australia WEA also has beekeeping courses a couple of times a year.
More information on courses, farmers’ markets and other beekeeping-related events in South Australia can be found on the website of the Beekeeping Society of South Australia.
Tasmania
Natural Beekeeping Tasmania offers a variety of courses for beginning hive owners and those interested in building their own Warré hive. They also organise ‘meet the bees’ sessions for those who want to experience how a hive works in a safe and knowledgeable environment.
Western Australia
Smokin Honey also offer beekeeping for newbees workshops and hive tours in Perth, WA. Learn how to maintain a healthy beehive, increase pollination, and harvest your own honey.
So what are you waiting for — get beekeeping!
If there are no beekeeping courses available in your area, there is also a comprehensive online course to beekeeping: the Apis Mellifera Beekeeping Course. Completely free of charge, this guide gives you all the information you need to go out there, get the right equipment and start beekeeping!
There are plenty of options for aspiring beekeepers in Australia, whether you are interested in becoming a full-time beekeeper or a hobbyist. We need more bees, so this is surely one of the best hobbies you could take up!
Have I missed any? Send me an email so I can update today!
source:
http://www.aussieapiaristsonline.net/beekeeping-courses.html
