This is an introduction to beekeeping for beginners. During the course of the day, we aim to explain the nature of the honey bee and how it can be kept and managed to the benefit of both the bees and the beekeeper.

The day is divided into two parts. In the morning there are talks, an exhibition of equipment and lunch; then in the afternoon there is a visit to the apiary where people can look inside a hive, suitably equipped with a bee-suit and assisted by an association member. As with most beekeeping, the afternoon is weather dependant, and if it is raining this part of the Introductory Day is postponed to the following weekend.

The morning session (10.00am):

The event starts with registration and housekeeping, together with tea and biscuits. Topics covered during the morning talks usually include:

• How bees develop (workers, queens and drones), and how they behave.
• The jobs bees perform in the hive: feeding young, attending queen, processing honey, wax building, hive ventilation, guarding, collecting nectar, pollen, propolis and water.
• The techniques involved in keeping your bees healthy and how you can look after them safely and in harmony with your family and your neighbours.
• The benefits of keeping bees, including the importance of pollination and an outline of how to harvest the honey and wax products that your bees will provide.
• An explanation of the problems that bees and the beekeeper face, together with the way in which they can be overcome.
• The different types of hives, equipment and protective clothing together with an explanation of their use, availability and cost. Some of these will be on display for examination