Before we got our bees, before we bought a single piece of equipment, we did the one thing that every beginner beekeeper should do: we took a course.
The Randalstown & District Beekeepers Association (RANDBKA) runs an Introduction to Bees course, and it was genuinely one of the best things we’ve done. Here’s what we learned — and why we’d recommend it to anyone thinking about beekeeping.
Why Take a Course?
You can watch YouTube videos until your eyes glaze over. You can read every beekeeping book on Amazon. But nothing compares to standing next to an experienced beekeeper, watching them open a hive, and having them explain what you’re looking at in real time.
A course gives you:
- Hands-on experience before you commit to buying bees
- Confidence that you’re not going to accidentally harm your colony
- A community of people who know what they’re doing and are happy to help
- The chance to discover if beekeeping is actually for you before spending money
What the Course Covered
The RANDBKA Introduction to Bees course walked us through the essentials:
Colony Life
We learned how a colony works — the queen, the workers, the drones, and how they all have specific jobs. Bee Girl was fascinated by the waggle dance (the way bees communicate the location of flowers to each other). Honestly, so was I.
Hive Components
We learned the parts of a hive — the brood box, the supers, the frames, the crown board, the roof. Before the course, a beehive was just a box. After the course, we understood every layer and why it’s there.
Handling Bees
This was the big one. Actually handling frames covered in bees. Bee Girl took to it naturally — calm, gentle, steady hands. I was slightly less composed. The instructors were patient and encouraging, and by the end of the session, we were both lifting frames with confidence.
Spotting the Queen
Finding the queen in a hive full of thousands of bees is like a real-life game of Where’s Wally. The course taught us what to look for — her longer abdomen, her different movement pattern, and the way the other bees give her space. We didn’t find her on our first attempt. Or our second. But that’s normal, and that’s okay.
Recognising Healthy Brood
We learned what healthy capped brood looks like versus signs of problems. This is crucial knowledge because catching issues early can save a colony.
Seasonal Management
Bees need different things at different times of the year. The course gave us a basic understanding of what to do in spring, summer, autumn, and winter — and when to leave the bees alone (which is harder than it sounds when you’re excited about your new hobby).
What Bee Girl Thought
I asked Bee Girl what her favourite part of the course was. Her answer: “Holding the frame and seeing the queen for the first time. She was massive.”
(The queen wasn’t massive. She was normal-sized. But through 11-year-old eyes, she was massive.)
Our Advice for Anyone Considering a Course
- Do it before you get bees, not after. You’ll feel so much more prepared.
- Bring your kids if they’re interested. Bee Girl was the youngest on our course and everyone loved having her there.
- Don’t worry about being stung. Proper protective equipment is provided, and the bees are usually calm during inspections.
- Ask every question that comes into your head. There are no silly questions in beekeeping — except maybe “do the bees know my name?”
- Join your local association. The ongoing support is invaluable. Having experienced beekeepers a phone call away has saved us more than once.
Finding a Course Near You
If you’re in the Randalstown area of Northern Ireland, the RANDBKA runs courses regularly. Visit randbka.org for details.
If you’re elsewhere in the UK or Ireland, search for your local beekeeping association. Most run beginner courses, and many are very affordable. The British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) and the Ulster Beekeepers Association both have directories to help you find one near you.
What Came Next
After the course, we knew we were doing this. The next step was getting our equipment and our first colony — which turned out to be an adventure in itself. More on that in our next post.