SELBY & DISTRICT BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION
(Charity No. 509743)
Caring for Honeybees in the Selby area
Fundiing and support from
Selby Town Council
A member of the Yorkshire Beekeepers Association
even more
about us ...
Additional information about Selby Beekeepers and the services we offer to the community and our members.
courses &
training
We hold a special course for beginners at which you will learn a lot of the theory behind the craft of beekeeping. Our courses are over 6 weekly 2 hour sessions and will prepare you for your first hands-on practical session at our association apiary.
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Download or view the course content here.
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After completing the theory course, at our apiary, you will be guided week by week through structured sessions in the hands of one of our experienced beekeepers. There are 6 beekeeping themes that each apiary session will follow. After you have completed our apiary sessions, you will be capable of inspecting a colony of honeybees in complete confidence. And as a member of our association, you may be allowed to leave your first colony of bees at our apiary for a short period of time until you found a more permanent location.
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See our About Our Courses page for details of our next Beginners Theory Course and register your interest with us.
shows
We will attend local shows and craft fairs as part of our mission to promote the honeybee and the activities of the association. It is at such shows that much interest is generated from the public and many follow this up to participate in our nexr available Beginners Course and eventually become beekeepers.
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It is also at these shows that we get the opportunity to sell the products that our bees produce for us - honey and beeswax products. You will often find several types of beekeepers honey available and will have the opportunity to taste them before deciding to purchase. You can taste as many as you like and there is no obligation to purchase.
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At these events, you will often find live bees you can watch at work in a special Observation Hive and on occasions, you may be thrilled with a live beekeeping demonstration held within a specially constructed cage.
talks
With the vast amount of knowledge and skills a beekeeper acquires, they are ideal candidates for giving informative talks or presentations to a wide variety of user groups.
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Selby Beekeepers have given talks to several Gardening Clubs and other associations in Yorkshire as their hobby is closely related to that of the beekeeper.
When attending such talks, we normally take along a variety of equipment, hives and live bees in a small Observation Hive. Spotting the queen is often the highlight of the evening! At these events, there is usually the opportunity to sample our products and purchase any of our hive products we will have on display.
schools
As part of our mission, we want to bring bees into our primary schools classrooms and educate the children about our bees as part of the national curriculum.
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We have already successfully spent a full morning with one of our local primaries at which 50 Key Stage 1 pupils sat through a "child friendly" presentation. After the presentation, the children then had the opportunity to watch the bees at work in our Observation Hive in the classroom. Some of them were blessed to actually see the queen laying eggs in the honeycomb - something they will not forget. The school has now requested that this become an annual event for the children.
honey
tasting
So you thought all honey was the same?
Our bees work tirelessly to produce each unique batch of honey and they come in several different styles.
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With Summer Honey, Spring Honey, Soft Set Honey, Cut Comb, Chunk Honey or a specialised flavour like Heather or Lavender - there's bound to something that will captivate your taste buds!
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At the events we attend, you will have the opportunity to taste any of our honeys that are on sale and without an obligation to purchase.
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If you like it - you can buy it. If not - just try another. And remember - each year the honey will be different depending on the flowers that the bees visit.
advanced
training
To improve and advance the skills of our beekeepers, we will hold specific sessions at our apiary designed to teach advanced techniques necessary for the proper care and management of a colony of honeybees.
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These sessions may include Swarm Control, Swarm Prevention, Swarm Collection, Varroa Control, Winter Preparation, Splitting a Colony, Queen Rearing and other relevant topics as they become necessary.
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Such sessions become essential for those who aspire to attain their beekeeping qualifications through the British Beekeepers Association formal examination process. At the very minimum, we will encourage all of our members to take the simple Basic Assessment exam in their 2nd full year of beekeeping.
have-a-go
days
Have you ever thought about becoming a beekeeper but were not really sure if it is for you?
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Well now you can find out if this is the pastime you want to take up at one of our "Have A Go" days.
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For just a few hours, we will don you in a beesuit and you will inspect a full colony of 40,000 bees under the expert guidance of one of our experienced beekeepers. We will provide you with a beesuit to protect you from stings - all you need to bring is a pair of wellington boots and some Marigold kitchen gloves.
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If after the event you want to learn more, simply talk to your tutor for more information.
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See our website for details of our upcoming courses.
demonstrations
A feature of our apiary is the "Bee Free Zone" in which members of the public can sit, watch and listen to a live inspection of a full colony of honeybees during our weekly inspection of the colonies. This is also be a great opportunity to learn something of the life of our bees from the many educational posters and signs we have on display.
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The inspection will be conducted by one of our experienced beekeepers and he or she will talk you through the process of examining the colony and the different clues your beekeeper is looking for.
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With a bit of luck, you may get to see the queen walking around a frame of comb and your beekeeper will show you the nest she is working on.
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The Bee Free Zone also features a permanent Observation Hive where you can watch the live activity of the bees as they go about their daily business.