Intro to Backyard Beekeeping

This workshop is for those who are curious about whether backyard bee keeping is a good fit. This workshop is designed to give you an overview of keeping bees in an urban setting.

You will be taken through the honey bee year, from opening the hive in the spring, to pulling honey through to wrapping them up for winter. We will discuss hive placement, keeping your neighbours sweet as well as a review of applicable legislation and regulations. This workshop is geared towards those interested in keeping a few hives of their own or simply interested in knowing more about honey bees and honey.

What you will learn:

• Bee biology
• Why keep bees?
• The equipment required to keep bees, including the costs involved in starting your own hive and the commonly used types of beehives
• The bee calendar year
• How to register bees
• Where to keep beehives
• Pros and cons of backyard beekeeping
• Hive products: so much more than honey

What you will take home:

• A sample of local raw honey
• A hand-out of resources and next steps
• Connection to a community of other "newbees"
• Knowledge of where to buy bees, equipment and other necessities
• Access to future courses

This workshop is for you if:

• You live in an urban setting
• You currently don't have a hive and have been tinkering with the idea but really don't know where or how to get started
• You have a hive or two and want to hone your skills to effectively keep bees
• You are a DIYer who just needs someone to tell you exactly how to be successful, what not to do, what to ensure you do, and how not to make fatal mistakes.