Beginners' courseCwrs dechreuwyr
Beginners' hub
Everything you need for the course in one place: whether this Sunday's session is on, your hive record card, and quick guides to keep in your pocket at the apiary.
Is the apiary on this Sunday?
Sunday session forecast
Next 7 days at the apiary
Forecast for Penllergaer from Open-Meteo.com (free, updated hourly). Rain % is the highest chance during the day, wind is in mph.
Get the WGBKA app
Add this hub to your home screen and get a notification when a Sunday session is on or cancelled. It's free, there's nothing to download from an app store, and the record card and checklists work even without signal at the apiary.
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Documents
Print these or save them to your phone.
WGBKA hive record card
One card per hive. Fill in a line every time you inspect, so you (and anyone helping you) can see how the colony is doing. A4 landscape.
Download and print ↓ DOCRecord card (Word)
The same card as a Word file, if you'd like to add your own columns.
Download ↓ PDFChair's welcome
A welcome to new beekeepers from the Association's Chair.
Read ↓ MAPApiary directions
How to find the training apiary in Penllergaer, postcode SA4 9DH.
See directions ↓ QUIZTest yourself
Ten quick questions. Are you a queen, a worker or a drone?
Take the quiz →How to fill in the record card
Write the hive number and the queen's colour at the top, then one line per inspection. Keep it short: a tick, a number or a letter is enough.
| Date | The day you inspected. |
|---|---|
| Q | Queen seen? A tick if you saw her. If not, eggs tell you she was there in the last 3 days. |
| Qc | Queen cells. How many, and whether they are play cups, charged (with an egg or larva) or sealed. Charged or sealed cells mean the colony may be preparing to swarm. |
| Eggs | Eggs seen? Look for tiny upright "grains of rice" at the bottom of the cells. |
| Larvae | Open brood: white, curled grubs. |
| Sealed | Sealed (capped) brood: biscuit-coloured cappings. |
| Frames laid on | How many frames have brood on them. Count part-frames as the number of full frames they would make. |
| Stores | Honey and pollen, as the number of full frames' worth. |
| Health | Anything unusual: chalkbrood, deformed wings, patchy brood, sunken or greasy cappings. Ask a mentor if you're unsure. |
| Varroa | Mite level, low to high (or your mite count if you did one). |
| Temper | 1 to 10, where 10 is very calm and gentle. |
| Feed | Any syrup or fondant given, and how much. |
| Supers | Number of supers on the hive. |
| Weather | Temperature, and c = cloudy, s = sunny, r = rainy, f = fair. |
| Notes | Anything you did or need to do next time (e.g. "added super", "check for queen next week"). |
| Inspected by | Your initials, and your mentor's if they helped. |
Tip: "BIAS" means Brood In All Stages. Eggs, larvae and sealed brood together tell you the queen is laying well, even if you didn't spot her.
Queen marking colours
Queens are marked with a dot of paint so they're easy to find. The colour shows the year she was born, by the last digit of the year.
A rhyme to remember it: Will You Raise Good Bees.
Inspection checklist
Every inspection is about answering five questions. Go in with a plan, work calmly, and be done in 10 to 20 minutes.
The five questions
- Is the queen present and laying? Eggs and young larvae are your proof.
- Do they have enough room? For the queen to lay and for bees to store nectar. Add a super before they run out.
- Are they building up as you'd expect for the time of year?
- Any signs of disease or pests? Varroa, deformed wings, unusual brood.
- Any signs of swarming? Charged or sealed queen cells.
Before you open the hive
- Read your last record card entry.
- Light the smoker and check it stays lit.
- Have a spare box or frame ready if you might need one.
- Stand to the side of the entrance, not in the flight path.
- Smoke gently at the entrance, wait a minute, then open.
Afterwards
- Fill in the record card while it's fresh.
- Make sure the roof is on and the entrance is clear.
- Put out the smoker safely.
Coming along to the apiary
- Sessions run on Sunday mornings, 10am to 12pm, from late April to the end of September, weather permitting. Check the status at the top of this page before you set off.
- Suits are provided. Bring your own gloves (Marigolds are fine) and wellies.
- Bring your hive record card and a pen.
- Please wait at the entrance for an instructor before going in.
- If you know you react badly to stings, tell the instructor before the session.
Directions: leave the M4 at junction 47 and take the A48 towards Gorseinon. Take the first exit at the roundabout onto Swansea Road, then turn left onto Clos Ty Mawr and go through the steel barrier. The apiary is about 200 yards on the left. Postcode SA4 9DH (open in Maps).
Useful links
Learning and bee health
- BeeBase (National Bee Unit): register your apiary and read the free disease guides.
- Welsh Beekeepers' Association
- Dave Cushman's beekeeping site: a huge free reference.
- YouTube is a good place to watch inspections before you try your own.
Kit and suppliers
- E.H. Thorne
- Maisemore Apiaries
- BB Wear (suits)
- Bee Basic (suits)
- Old Castle Farm (hives)
- Second-hand kit and the Association's jars and syrup: For sale
Questions about the course? Email beginners@wgbka.org.