Wild Close Bees

Beekeeping Experience Days.

We very much look forward to welcoming you to Wild Close for a Beekeeping Experiance day.

There will be a maximum of 5 guests to ensure that you all have opportunity to see the bees and that we have space to observe COVID-19 social distancing regulations.

Plan for the afternoon: The afternoon starts with a short session in the honey parlour to talk through the colony make up; what bees we will see, what roles they have in the hive, how the hive is constructed, what the frames look like, how they are made, how to handle the frames. We can practice this with ‘dry’ frames.

We will then go into the apiary and look at up to 4 colonies, starting with a very small nucleus hive with just a few bees and gradually work up to a really busy hive.

Everyone will have the opportunity to get ‘hands on’ and we have another apiary a short distance away which we may visit depending on the temperament of the bees and what is happening in each of the colonies.

We will then return to the honey parlour and talk through honey processing and wax extraction. We may have frames to spin depending on the nectar flow and time of year. It will then definitely be time for a cup of tea and the opportunity to try some Wild Close honey. Depending on time we can talk about / demonstrate the wax extraction and candle making and lipsalves, beeswax wraps etc.

Inclement Weather Plan: Bees do not like flying in the rain and would not be impressed if we started opening their hives in the cold. If it looks like really bad weather, we will make a decision no later than the day before to postpone the event.

Legal: We have Third Party Insurance through the BBKA but you will be attending this event at your own risk. We are bee enthusiasts, not a commercial enterprise but are complaint with HSE legislation. We will reduce all risks as low as practicable but there are always things to trip over and bees do sting, particularly if you do not treat them with respect.

Equipment: We will provide bee suits and gloves, please wear thin but covering clothing underneath - it can be quite hot, but this is an extra layer for sting protection. We always wear wellies as the bees will climb upwards from the floor and a sting on the ankle is quite painful. If you are wearing your own bee suit, please make sure that it is washed before coming into the apiary to ensure the biosecurity of my bees. A baseball cap can be helpful to keep the hood in place and remember glasses if needed to be able to see the tiny eggs and larvae. Please do not wear strong perfume/aftershave.

Details that we require from you: Sizes for bee suits and gloves if you have not already done so.

Questions / things that you would like to see / do / talk about. Please let us know what previous experience you have with bees so that we do not go over things which you already know.

Refreshments: We will provide unlimited cordial / tea / coffee and cake: let us know if you have any allergies or dietary restrictions. Please remember say when you need refreshments, we can get quite carried away talking about the bees…