The Practical Beekeeper offers beekeeping classes and courses that will have you setting up your own backyard hive and help you with your beekeeping journey.
The best place to view the course options is to visit our booking page or follow on Facebook
If you’re interested in a course don’t forget to check out the FAQs at the bottom of this page.
We run courses with our friends at CERES in Brunswick and at Bundoora Park Farm. Occasionally we might offer a course in another location. To check what courses are coming up head over to Facebook to our events calendar.
Our courses are seasonally focused. Each class includes a general introduction and some information about what makes up a hive. You’ll also get to take a look inside. Then, we’ll also focus on an aspect of beekeeping that is relevant at that time of year.
COURSE OUTLINE
Courses are interactive, informal and hands on. Details of each courses start time, duration, location and price can be found on our Facebook events page.
- Introduction to the history of beekeeping
- Getting started with a new hive
- Seasonal focuses
- Re-queening and splitting a hive
- Extracting honey
- Preparing for winter
- Preparing for Spring and swarm control
Mentoring
On top of these practical, hands on courses The Practical Beekeeper can offer a special mentoring service for those wanting to really extend their knowledge. If you have your own hive and you’d like an extra pair of hands and some expert advice then this is for you. Benedict can tailor the sessions to your hive and your learning needs and charges for these session by the hour. A maximum of three trainee beekeepers per session.
Adult Education FAQs
I’m allergic to bees, can I still do the course?
If you know you have a severe allergy to bees you would be welcome to attend our classroom sessions however we would not recommend that you take part in the practical or hands-on part of the day. We take every precaution to ensure our students don’t get stung but the bees do have a mind of their own and we can’t guarantee your safety if you have an allergy.
What should I wear/bring?
Most of our classes take place outdoors so you’ll need clothing suitable for the weather on the day. Even if it is very hot you will need long pants, long sleeves and closed shoes for the practical part of the day. Please bring a narrow brimmed hat to use with our beekeeping veils (like an old fashioned pork pie hat). You’ll also need gardening gloves or similar, sunscreen and a bottle of water.
Is there parking available?
At CERES and Bundoora Park Farm there is plenty of parking available. If we hold a course in another location we’ll provide parking information on the event page.
Do I need to bring lunch?
It’s a good idea to bring some snacks and a packed lunch. CERES also has a café if you’d prefer
How old do you need to be to do the course?
We usually suggest an age of 16 and above for the adult courses but feel free to contact me if you have a special request
Got another question about our Adult Education courses? Give us a call or send us an email.