Advanced Course
The 2012 Advanced Course will be held at the FERA Laboratory, York, between Monday 16th July and Friday 20th July 2012.
Recognising the fact that access to appropriate beekeeping tuition presents difficulties for many aspiring National Diploma candidates, the Board holds Advanced Courses of a five day duration. Since 1999 the course has been housed in the prestigious Fera Central Science Laboratory and has enabled students to work and study within the first class facilities of the National Bee Unit and to bridge the gap between the national Advanced or Senior awards and the requirements for the National Diploma Examination. The visiting lecturers are all leading figures in their particular aspect of apiculture.
The courses covers topics such as husbandry, botany, teaching, laboratory techniques, disease recognition and legislation pertaining to beekeeping. Additionally, there will be a focus for each year's course, usually one of: adult bee diseases, queen raising, or botany. The 2012 course had a focus on queen raising, including grafting, artificial insemination, and mating nuclei.
Students in the laboratory |
 |
Experience has shown that there is a need for most students to gain experience and confidence in handling bees in depth and with appropriate speed in both their own and other people's apiaries. Access to the National Bee Unit's apiaries allows students to work with a large number of colonies and an active queen raising programme.
 |
Fieldwork |
Students and tutors are accommodated together in modern en-suite rooms at the University of York. The communal kitchen and dining areas add a relaxed social environment that complements the daytime study and tuition. A full week immersed in advanced beekeeping techniques and in the company of some excellent beekeepers is certain to invigorate your beekeeping and enhance your skills.
The course fee of £495 includes accommodation, all meals, and laboratory/apiary consumables, and represents excellent value.
Priority is given to those applicants wishing to undertake the NDB examination, but anyone who is likely to benefit from training at the highest level may be accepted on to the course.
For further information, or to make an application, please contact Ken Basterfield NDB 