2026 Course application

Canterbury Beekeepers (a branch of Kent Beekeepers Association) is pleased to offer a one day course on Sunday 10th May, 0900-1600.  We will introduce beginners to the world of beekeeping, with a mix of  classroom and practical sessions spread over the day.  Our base will be Littlebourne Village Hall, which is a 5min drive from our training apiary in Palmsted Wood, where we will give all course members an opportunity to open a beehive, and practice some basic beekeeping operations.

The Syllabus for the day will be based around the following schema

  • Session 1: Reasons for beekeeping, Identifying honeybee castes, life cycle of colony, yearly cycle of beekeeping
  • Session 2: beekeeping hardware- hives, frames and tools
  • Session 3: How to inspect a colony – safety, clothing, stings, what to look out for
  • Practical: approximately 60min practising inspection skills at our training apiary.  PPE and Beehives supplied
  • Session 4: Managing a colony – reproduction and swarming, diseases and pests. 

Provided that the weather is not too wet or cold, we’ll spend time in the apiary, so come dressed for a (short) walk in the woods – sturdy shoes, or better, wellie boots, long trousers.  Avoid wearing lots of perfume or aftershave.  We will provide beesuits, but if you can bring long-sleeved gloves – marigold type, or thinner surgeons’ gloves – that fit you snugly, that will make handling tools,and frames of bees easier for you. If the weather is inclement on 10th May, we will only do the classroom based discussions, and hope that the weather is better on Sunday 17th May, 1230-1430, for meeting the bees.

The course will be run by a group of enthusiastic members of Canterbury Beekeepers:  Adrian Davis (Chairman), Magdalene Mei Halkes (committee), Alan Hawkins (committee), and Andy King.

The cost of the course is £65/pp, which will include teas/coffees on the day, and a season’s friend membership of Canterbury Beekeepers, if you are not already a member.  Please bring your own packed lunch.  The numbers will be limited to 20 delegates.

To secure your place please pay £65 by bank transfer to:

  • Kent Beekeeepers Association
  • Sort code 30-91-60
  • Account number 00371771
  • Amount £65
  • Please mark your transfer with your surname/course0526  (e.g. Smith/Course0526).

  If you have any questions or queries about payment, please contact Adrian Davis at chairman@canterburybeekeepers.org.uk

We invite you to complete your application by filling out the details below:

2026 beekeeping course, Sunday May 10th

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Email is the main way we communicate with members. By providing an email address you consent to its use for the following purposes:

* Communication from the branch secretary * Managing Canterbury branch activities (use by committee members)

we will only use this to communicate time sensitive info like last minute changes due to weather etc…
GiftAid on membership*
The cost of this course also includes membership as a Friend of the Canterbury Beekeepers until October 2025. Using Gift Aid means that Kent BKA can claim back £1.25 from HRMC, for the membership part of the course fee. Please acknowledge the following statements by indicating agreement or declining.

* I am a UK taxpayer and want to Gift aid my subscription to KBKA

* I understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax that the amount of GiftAid claimed on my subscriptions in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference.

Use of personal information*
Canterbury Beekeepers are geographically spread out, and getting to know beekeepers close to you is a good way to accelerate your learning. We have neighbourhood groups that supplement the regular branch meetings. Any friend of the branch is welcome to join these informal gatherings. To put you in contact, we need your permission to share some of your personal information.
Stings*
As part of the course, we will invite you to meet a colony of bees. Of course, we will provide you with appropriate protective equipment, but you do need to acknowledge that there is a small chance of stings. For a very small number of people, there is a potential for anaphylactic shock if they were to get stung. If you know this applies to you, we need to know ahead of time. Before entering the apiary, we will ask you to sign a disclaimer about the hazards of stings. The document is Branch-Apiary-Attendance-Register-Statement-of-Terms-and-Conditions. We will ask you to read it and sign an acknowledgement on the day).
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