Beginner Beekeeping Course 2024 Presented by Doug Purdie

Learn urban beekeeping in Sydney with Doug Purdie

This one day course will cover all the basics you need to start European honeybee beekeeping in your backyard or farm, included in the course is all the basic information you need to get started on the journey to harvesting your own honey. The course includes both classroom and apiary sessions ending with a harvest of honey right from the hive.

Course Location: 

Randwick Sustainability Hub - Meeting room ​27 Munda St​​ ​Randwick​ 2010 

Get directions

Topics covered are:

• Native bees, European honeybees which ones are best for me.
• What sort of hive should I buy
• Where do I get bees from
• So what’s going on inside the hive, what are all those bees up to?
• What is honey and when to harvest it.
• How to inspect a hive (you will open a hive and do a guided inspection)
• How to keep your hive healthy what’s the commitment?
• Varroa destructor management 
• Other pests and diseases and the management of them
• Where to put your hive and how to move one.
• Registering, insurance and other paperwork.

 For information about other courses visit http://www.thebeevangelist.com.au

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About Doug:

Doug became a beekeeper after selling a neighbour’s honey at his local farmers’ market as a community fundraiser. Realising all he knew about bees was that honey was great on crumpets, he was horrified to learn about the issues bees face worldwide. It inspired him to do more research, and then to do his bit to educate people about the importance of pollinators - and to spread the word about what a pickle we’d be in without them.

He started The Urban Beehive with business partner Vicky Brown in 2010 and their first hive was installed later that year at a hotel in Sydney’s CBD. The business now has over 100 hives across Sydney from the Royal Botanic Gardens to the airport, producing bespoke honey for all sorts of clients, from corner cafes and five-star restaurants to airlines, runs courses in Centennial parklands and operates the only city based beekeeping shop. Doug has moved on from The Urban Beehive and is continuing his Bee Evangelist work running education courses.

Doug is the author of two books: Backyard Bees, a best-selling beginner’s guide to beekeeping published in 2014; and his most recent book, The Bee Friendly Garden, which aims to encourage all Australians to provide for our beneficial insects by planting flowering plants and using less insecticides in their garden. He has served as president of the NSW Amateur beekeepers association and is a founding member of the Sydney city branch , served on the NSW DPI biosecurity panel, and was the beekeeping consultant on the  ABC TV catalyst program The great Australian bee challenge.