Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehives
Our beekeeping courses will take place at our Head Office in Rand, Lincolnshire and will be hosted by Stewart Spinks of Norfolk Honey Company.
Having started beekeeping in the 1980s, Stewart has a wealth of beekeeping experience to share and his passion for beekeeping is only equalled by his desire to help new beekeepers make the most from their pastime and enjoy the pleasure of this fabulous hobby.
In 2027 we will be offering courses for Beginners and Queen Rearing.
Beginners Course
The one day beginners course is aimed at the novice beekeeper with no experience, or someone who feels they need to revisit the basics.
The Beginners course costs just £135.
£25 deposit to be paid, and the balance will be taken two weeks before the course starts.
Price includes lunch. The course will run from 10am to 4pm, with a break for lunch.
Dates:
- Friday 7th May 2027
- Saturday 8th May 2027
- Friday 14th May 2027
- Saturday 15th May 2027
Day includes:
- A short session in the classroom to introduce the day
- Out into the apiary (weather dependant)
- Final Q&A in classroom
- Chance to look around the shop/factory
- Follow up mentoring
Subjects covered include:
- Hive types and selecting the right hive
- Smoker use
- A basic inspection
- Spotting the queen
- Understanding Pests and Disease
- Signs of swarming and how to detect them
- Planning your year
- Buying a nucleus colony
- Installing a nucleus colony
Queen Rearing Basics
On this course you will learn about producing queens from your own colonies. Selection methods, techniques and timetabling the various steps required. Some simple methods of queen rearing that beginner beekeepers should be able to use to develop their own queens even if they only have one hive. Including Artificial Swarms, simple splits, Miller method, Alley method, parent colony selection, starter colonies, finisher colonies, mating nucs and more.
The cost will be £155. The course will be on Saturday 22nd May and run from 10am to 4pm, with a break for lunch.
The Queen Rearing Basics course costs just £155.
£25 deposit to be paid, and the balance will be taken two weeks before the course starts.
Price includes lunch and a £10 voucher to use in our shop. The course will run from 10am to 4pm, with a break for lunch.
Dates:
- Saturday 22nd May 2027