Backyard Beekeeping Basics

Are you already started in beekeeping but want to know more? Maybe you are just 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 beehive and carrying 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 and has plenty of time for questions and answers. Participants will leave with all the enthusiasm to get started as beekeepers.

Sunday sessions are from 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm and Friday sessions are from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm.

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

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

Benedict is also a commercial migratory beekeeper who runs around 100 beehives across Victoria. He produces small-batch, raw local honey which is available through Farmers Markets and select retail outlets. His bees also provide pollination services for Almonds and other horticulture crops.

Benedict is the resident Beekeeper at Ceres (Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies) and is approved by the City of Darebin to keep bees in Darebin Parklands and Bundoora Park. 

Benedict regularly runs school incursions about bees and beekeeping, he also delivers adult educational courses at Melbourne Polytechnic and CERES in Brunswick as well as at Edendale Community Environment Farm in Eltham.

Benedict is also the founding President of The Australian Pollinator Alliance, a not-for-profit dedicated to promoting the health of bees and all pollinators, critical to our food and natural environment, through education, research and conservation.

You can find him on Facebook and Instagram as @Practical_Beekeeper.

CERES reserves the right to cancel workshops due to insufficient numbers.

If we cancel the workshop you will be entitled to a 100% refund, or you may choose to transfer to another date, subject to availability.

If you decide to withdraw 7 or more days prior to the workshop date CERES will retain a 10% administration fee.

If you decide to withdraw less than 7 days prior to the workshop date CERES will retain 100% of your workshop fee.