‘Meet The Bee’ – Your Chance For A Fascinating New Experience

Published on: 3 Aug, 2015
Updated on: 11 Aug, 2015

The first time you see a beehive opened in front of you is a memorable experience. It is certainly one us beekeepers remember.

Reactions can be a mixture of surprise that the bees didn’t fly up in their face, disbelief at the vast numbers of bees and amazement at their docility when they are picked up.

Where’s the queen? Inspecting a live frame of bees.

Now there is a chance for you to share that experience. The Guildford Beekeepers Association (GBKA) are offering non beekeepers the opportunity to have their first encounter, close up with the bees.

The ‘Meet The Bee’ session is on Saturday, August 15th at 2pm to 3:30pm at Birtley House in Bramley. Cost is £10 and pre-booking is required.

It will give those who have never looked inside a hive, or even if they have but are thinking a bit more seriously about starting beekeeping, the chance to open up a live colony and see the bees in action.

GBKA will provide the protective bee suits or jackets but jeans or light coloured trousers and wellingtons or boots and a pair of washing up gloves to complete the standard bee protective equipment are recommended.

Hands on training session at Birtley House with experienced and trainee beekeepers inspecting a hive

The ‘Meet The Bee’ session will be followed by tea and cakes with GBKA members at 3:30pm. Attendees can chat with experienced and not-so-experienced beekeepers getting a real flavour of what can be expected if they decide to keep bees.

Beatiful photograph of a bee taking nectar and pollen from a white snowdrop

A beautiful photograph of a bee taking nectar and pollen from a white snowdrop

If this does firm up initial interest and they decide to go ahead and keep their own bees, GBKA’s next theory course begins in January 2016 – generally 10 evening sessions held at Birtley House.

These lively sessions would give the aspiring beekeeper the solid foundation to successfully keep bees and harvest honey. Following on, there are practical, hands-on training meetings at the Birtley House training apiary in April 2016. See the GBKA website for more details (www.guildfordbeekeepers.org.uk).

If you want to book a place at ‘Meet The Bees’, contact Hugh Coakley by emailing to hugh_coakley@hotmail.com.