Beekeeping Naturally, a workshop for Beekeepers / Guardians - Fully Booked

Join Simon Kellam, from Just Bee Eco Hives, as he leads this workshop presenting a natural and bee-friendly approach to beekeeping.

An ancestor of the modern honeybee first appeared in the fossil record around 100 million years ago. Over many millions of years of evolution, they have adapted to overcome the hurdles of climate and disease. Simon is keen to share how we can adapt lessons learned from free-living bees into our beekeeping practices, with adaptations to traditional methods to promote the bees' natural tendencies, putting their health and welfare at the forefront.

The day will include a mixture of classroom sessions, an estate walk to observe tree hives, and a tour of the Heligan Apiary with manager Tom Hardman of the Roseland Bee Group. Simon will cover the following topics:

• Free-living bees, and how honey bees can thrive without human intervention.
• Observation of wild bee colonies and an occupied tree hive
• Merits of providing a habitat for free-living bees
• A Bee-centered approach to Apiculture
• Practical adaptations you can make to your hives
• Harvesting a small amount of honey without harming the bees

A portion of the ticket sales from this event will be donated to the Natural Beekeeping Trust

This workshop encourages participant interaction with plenty of time for your questions.

Hot drinks and cake are included.

Please bring a packed lunch or pre-order on arrival from our Steward's House Cafe menu for delivery at lunchtime.

‘Please note: This course builds on practical beekeeping techniques and will appeal to those who want to help their own bees thrive with minimal intervention. Therefore, this workshop is recommended for those who already have bees or for those who have had previous experience with them. Local beekeeper Colin Rees runs a number of BBKA courses throughout the year, an ‘Introduction to Beekeeping’ which might prove useful. Please contact Collin on 01872 501313 or 07939 971104’

Wednesday 24th May & Wednesday 5th July.

9:45 am for 10.00 am start - 4:30 pm

£30pp

If you want to get involved with keeping bees naturally or are interested in supporting wild honey bees in your local area, you might enjoy Simon’s talk, ‘Bees In Trees’, in The Heligan Kitchen on 7th June, at 7pm.