Hygienic behaviour workshop

Come and learn how to test your hives for hygienic behaviour. Bees displaying high hygienic behaviour have lower levels of disease and are better producers of honey. Hygienic behaviour is a type of social immunity behaviour and involves three stages: detection of diseased brood, uncapping of brood cells, and either removal of brood or recapping of brood cells. Bees use hygienic behaviour to control AFB, chalkbrood, wax moth and varroa mites.

In this one day course, you’ll learn how to:

• perform the pin kill and the freeze kill methods;

• measure recapping rates in your hive (a strong indicator of Varroa Sensitive Hygiene);

• measure and interpret mite drop counts on sticky boards;

• the theory behind hygienic behaviour

• the theory of the UBeeO test 

Morning tea and lunch are included. We have a selection of beekeeping suits if you forget your own.

We are a friendly group dedicated to sharing knowledge with beekeepers of all experience levels.