Online courses

The length depends on the course. We offer online training in beekeeping basics, bee health, feeding, queen rearing, hive products and instrumental insemination of queens, as well as a pack that bundles several together. Each has its own number of lessons and estimated time, which you can check on the relevant product page.

The online courses have no fixed start date: you begin when you like and take as long as you need. Once bought, access to the material is unlimited and for life, so you can go back over it as often as you want, ask questions and test yourself with the assessment quizzes.

Access is straightforward: when you buy the course on the website we give you immediate access to the virtual classroom. The classes are recorded on video and always available, and we include slides, books and PDF guides so you can carry on learning after you finish.

Note that the 100% practical queen insemination course is held in person, on a set date: that one does not follow the same format as the rest.

To be a beekeeper it is essential to understand the biology and behaviour of bees, and to have some grounding in botany so as to follow the flowering seasons and the best sources of nectar and pollen. Hands-on experience in hive management is invaluable and comes with time and with exchanges among fellow beekeepers. It is also crucial to know about bee health, in order to identify and treat disease with the support of a vet.

Knowing about bee nutrition matters too, so as to spot and prevent starvation and get the best from the colonies. Understanding extraction techniques and the handling of products such as honey, wax, pollen and royal jelly is fundamental. Although this knowledge comes with years of practice, a willingness to keep learning and improving is the key to this fascinating, constantly evolving profession.

To get started in beekeeping you need a basic grounding in handling bees, which you can gain through our online courses. You will also need basic equipment: hives, a protective suit, a smoker and hive tools (hive tool, brush and so on). It is important to have a suitable place to site the hives and to comply with local beekeeping regulations.

A beekeeper's earnings can vary widely depending on several factors: the scale of the operation, how efficiently honey, pollen, wax and other hive products are produced, and the ability to sell direct. Profitability is also shaped by external factors such as the weather, market prices and production costs.

Broadly speaking, with good management and diversification it is possible to earn a significant income, though there is always variability. For more detail, see our study on profitability in beekeeping on the beekeeping blog.