BEEKEEPING PRELIMINARY SYLLABUS
The course includes studies of beekeeping under the following headings
Equipment
The student will be:
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able to name the parts of a modern beehive
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aware of the concept of the bee space and its significance in the modern hive
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able to assemble a frame and fit it with wax foundation and properly nail the frame
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aware of the reasons for the use of wax foundation
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aware of the various spacing of combs in the brood chamber and super for both foundation and drawn comb
Manipulation of a Colony of Honeybees
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How to approach the hive to open it
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Where to place hive parts during manipulations
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How to use the hive tool and smoker
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How to manipulate frames
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How to interpret what is on the frame-living and non living
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Observe hygienic practice going from hive to hive
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Check for disease in the colony or brood
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Keep hive notes/records
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Take care of bee suit /gloves and other clothing to maintain hygiene and safety
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Hygiene and safety when moving between apiaries
The student will be:
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aware of the need for care and attention when handling a colony of honeybees
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aware of the reactions of honeybees to smoke
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aware of the beekeeper’s equipment needed to open a colony of honeybees
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able to open a colony of honeybees and keep the colony under control
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able to demonstrate the use of smoke
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able to demonstrate the use of the hive tool
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able to remove combs from the hive and identify
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worker,
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drone
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queen cells or cups if present
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to comment on the state of the combs
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check if any disease is evident
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able to identify
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members of the three castes,
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identify brood at all stages
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able to demonstrate the difference between
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drone,
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worker
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honey cappings
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able to identify
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stored nectar,
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honey and
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pollen and
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enough room for development
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able to decide if the queen has enough
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room to lay brood and
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if more super room needed
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able to decide if the hive temper is acceptable or should some action be taken
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able to catch/take a sample of
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worker bees for disease examination
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brood comb for DAFM
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Natural History of the Honeybee
The student will be:
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able to give an elementary account of production of
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queens,
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workers
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drones in the honeybee colony
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aware of the existence of
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laying workers and
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drone laying queens
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able to specify the periods spent by each caste in the four stages of its life cycle (egg, larva, pupa, adult)
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able to read the hive like a book: be able from an examination of eggs, larval age and cappings to estimate when the queen was present
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able to give an elementary description of the function of the members of each caste if the life of the colony
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Have an appreciation of wax production by the worker bee and the use of this wax by the bee
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able to give a simple description of nectar and describe how it is collected and brought back to the hive
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able to name the main local flora from which honeybees gather pollen and nectar
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able to give a simple description how nectar is converted into honey
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aware of the use of nectar and honey in the life of the colony
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aware of the collection of water and its uses in the colony
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able to give a simple description of the collection of pollen and its importance in the life of the colony and also its importance in our lives
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able to describe the origins, collection, and use of propolis in the honeybee colony
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able to give an elementary description of swarming in a honeybee colony
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able to give an elementary description of the way in which the honeybee colony passes the winter period
Beekeeping
The student will be:
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able to give an elementary description of the siting of colonies
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able to give an elementary description of the year’s work in the apiary and the management of a colony throughout a season
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able to describe how and when to feed bees and the preparation of syrup
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aware of the need to add supers and the timing of the operations
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aware of the use of the queen excluder
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able to give an elementary account of one method of swarm control
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able to describe how to take a honeybee swarm and how to hive it
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aware of the condition of queenlessness
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be able to perform a test for queenlessness, in case the queen has stopped laying
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able to describe the signs of laying workers and a drone laying queen
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able to describe how a queenless hive may be re-queened
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aware of the dangers of robbing and how robbing can be avoided
Disease and Poisoning
The student will:
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Know briefly how Varroa mites breed in the brood.
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Be able to indicate on the comb which cells are preferred by the mite for breeding.
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Be able to state at least one approved treatment in the students own country.
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Identify signs of AFB and EFB and distinguish between them
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Be able to indicate which cappings might look suspect.
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Be able to demonstrate, using a matchstick, how a field test for AFB could be done.
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Be able to state where a comb sample containing the diseased brood should be sent for testing.
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Be able to discern, if larvae in the comb have the proper “C” shape, colour and segmentation which healthy larvae exhibit and eliminate suspect EFB signs
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Be able to state where a comb sample containing the diseased brood should be sent for testing.
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Check for other identifiable disease symptoms.
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Be able to describe the appearance of healthy brood and how it differs from diseased brood or chilled brood
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Be aware and know the appearance of
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Acarine,
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Nosema and
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amoeba
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and their effect upon the colony
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Know how to obtain expert assistance if any disease or poisoning by toxic chemicals is suspected
Harvesting or Removal of honey from the hive
The student will be:
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able to describe the methods used to clear honeybees from supers
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able to describe the process of the removal of honey frames from supers
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able to describe what hygienic conditions which must be observed when extracting honey in one’s home
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the preparation and labelling if the honey which is intended for sale
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aware of the value of bees to farmers and growers and of the hiring of colonies for pollination services
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able to describe a way in which comb can be stored to prevent wax moth damage
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able to describe a way by which mice can be excluded from the hives in winter