Learn About Beekeeping

Join Our Beginners Course

Our training course is intended to give you a good grounding in beekeeping, building your confidence and knowledge by working with an experienced beekeeper. We will introduce you to bees and bee handling during your first season. The theory part of the course provides you with the necessary knowledge to manage your own bees during your second season.

The course will have three elements; we expect that beginners will participate in all of these.

1. Taster day (dates to be confirmed)

If you are interested in learning more about beekeeping, our taster sessions consist of a half-day introduction to beekeeping. After a talk by an experienced beekeeper, we will provide you with the opportunity to see the inside of a working hive and introduce you to some of the equipment associated with beekeeping.

This may be sufficient to satisfy your curiosity, but if you wish to learn more, we will provide you with the opportunity to visit local apiaries and enrol in the winter theory course.

To sign up for the Taster Day, or to get more information, please contact our Training Co-ordinator via the contacts page.

Photograph of bee hives

2. Apiary visits with experienced beekeepers

Get ‘hands-on’ experience of inspecting bees with an experienced beekeeper and an understanding of the commitment required to be a beekeeper.
– You will need to invest in a bee suit.
– You should be prepared to commit to six inspections during the summer season.

3. Winter Theory Course

We will be holding our winter theory course at Nell Bank in Ilkley, the dates & times are:

  • Saturday 24th January 2025 10am – 4pm
  • Saturday 28th February 2025 10am – 4pm
  • Saturday 21st March 2025 10am – 4pm

The course is intended to give you a theoretical introduction to beekeeping and provides you with the necessary knowledge to manage your own bees.

These sessions will cover:

  • The hive
  • The colony
  • Queens
  • Swarms
  • Forage & hive products
  • Pests & diseases
  • The beekeeping year

We will follow these with practical sessions at a local apiary in the spring to give an opportunity to put theory into practice before you decide to get your own bees.

The cost of the course is £140, which will include membership of Wharfedale Beekeepers Association and the BBKA Guide to Beekeeping textbook.

If you would like to sign up for the course, please contact us through the form below.

(Please note, the cost of the Taster session will be deducted from the cost of the full course for those who wish to continue beekeeping, having attended the taster session.)

For more information on our beginners’ training, please contact the Training Co-ordinator via the contacts page.

Sign up for the winter theory course

Please let us know roughly where you are based so we can match you to a more experienced beekeeper in your area

Learn more about bees and beekeeping

For those wishing to increase their understanding of bees and to improve their way of working with them, the BBKA offer practical assessment opportunities in the following:

BBKA Practical Assessments

Basic Certificate, Husbandry, Health, Breeding, Microscopy and Judging

WBKA will support and assist those preparing for these assessments.

LaurieApiary scaled

BBKA Module Exams (in March & November)

For those wishing to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of various aspects of beekeeping through written examinations, the BBKA offer Modules in:

Management; Forage & Products; Pests & Diseases; Biology; Behaviour;
Selection & Breeding; Management, Health & History

YBKA already has a system of study days focused on these examinations. WBKA will also support and assist those preparing for them.