Backyard Beekeeping Basics Online Workshop

Are you a new beekeeper or considering starting, but want to know more? Are you looking to learn more about how to manage a beehive as part of your backyard garden or permaculture setup? This workshop provides you with an insight into the skills and experience required to safely and effectively manipulate a bee hive and carry out general management practices.

In addition to providing you with a broad understanding of the history and biology of a colony of European honey bees, at the end of the workshop participants will know what steps need to be taken to get started in beekeeping.

The session runs for 2 hours via Zoom and has plenty of time for questions and answers. Participants will leave with the enthusiasm to get started as beekeepers.

Course content:

• Protective clothing and occupational health and safety
• Hive components and assembly
• Bee biology and seasonal management
• Legislation
• Diseases and pests of bees
• Extracting honey
• Inspecting hive for disease
• Purchasing hives
• Other products from the hive

Trainer bio

Benedict Hughes is a fully qualified trainer and a well-known registered Beekeeper. As The Practical Beekeeper he collects swarms, manages hives, extracts honey, teaches and loves bees.

Benedict is a member of the Beekeeper State Quarantine Response Team with the Victorian Government (emergency beekeeper). He is the resident Beekeeper at Ceres Environment Park in Brunswick and is approved by the City of Darebin to keep bees in Darebin Parklands and Bundoora Park Farm. 

Benedict regularly runs sessions about bees and about backyard beekeeping for kids and adults. He can be found on Facebook and Instagram as “PracticalBeekeeper”

What to bring

• Notepad
• Writing materials

Appropriate for

The workshop is suitable for participants aged from 14 years onwards.