Natural Bee Keeping - Using the Warre hive

Join us for a fun and hands-on session about natural bee guardianship! Discover the benefits of the Warre hive, a simple and super eco-friendly way to keep bees buzzing happily.

This workshop, run by Charity Buddy (registered charity no 1189284) and delivered by Guy Thompson from Haslemere Museum, is ideally suited for people who are looking for ways to support free-living honey bees in their area, or for those seeking a more natural and sustainable way of overseeing their bees.

The day will include a mixture of classroom sessions and an estate walk to observe free-living bees.

Who is this workshop suited to:

• Beekeepers seeking a more ‘natural’ way of overseeing their bees

• People wanting to take up beekeeping in a bee-centric way

What to expect:

During the day we will consider an alternative method of beekeeping guided by the biology and natural behaviour of the honey bee.

This bee-centric approach is non-intrusive, low intensity and requires little work; it reduces stress on both the bees and their surroundings to mutual benefit.

Without chemical intervention or supplementary feeding, bee colonies will adapt to novel stressors and provide a modest but delicious honey harvest.

• Participants will be shown in detail how to use a bee-centric Warre hive to support the colony, but the principles demonstrated can be applied to a wide range of bee hives such as Layens and top bar hives.

• The Layens and top bar hive will also be viewed on site.

• We will also consider the merits of passive tree hives, which the bees occupy without intervention.

Topics covered:

• A Bee-centered approach to apiculture

• Practical adaptations you can make to hives to make them more bee-friendly

• Free-living bees, and how they can thrive without human intervention

• Observation of wild bee colonies in occupied tree hives

• Merits of providing a habitat for free-living bee

What to bring:

• A bee suit if you want to get close to the hives (if you don’t have one and need to borrow one, please let us know at the point of booking a ticket.

What to wear:

• Covered footwear (no open sandles/flip flops)

• Long trousers and a long sleeved shirt (if it’s a hot day you can wear shorts and bring trousers to change into for the walk)

Food and Refreshments:

We will provide soft drinks and a light lunch for attendees.

If the event is sold out, or want to come but can't make this date, please use this link to let us know https://www.charitybuddy.org/contact

“anyone who thinks they are too small to make a difference, has never met the honey bee”

See our charity's website for more information about us https://www.charitybuddy.org/

Natural Bee Keeping - Using the Warre hive

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