Bega Valley, New South Wales

Natural Beekeeping WorkshopA Two Day Course for Beginners

14th & 15th September

Read More

14th & 15th September

Saturday & Sunday
9:30am to 4.00pm each day
$470
One time payment
Bookings Closed.
See upcoming classes & courses
Limited to 20 people
Beekeeper, Adrian Iodice, is holding up a Kenyan top bar hive frame of honeycomb, showing five class participants a piece of honeycomb covered in bees.
Natural Beekeeper, Adrian Iodice, with open hands towards a Kenyan Top Bar Hive. He is explaining the positioning of the hive.
A close-up shot shows numerous bees crawling on a section of golden honeycomb.
A close-up shot shows numerous bees crawling on a section of golden honeycomb.
Six adult course participants, standing behind two newly built Kenyan Top Bar Hives.
A close up view of several bees, clustered on a piece of honeycomb inside a Kenyan Top Bar Hive.
Beekeeper, Adrian Iodice, is carefully inspecting a frame of honeycomb covered with bees inside a wooden Kenyan Top Bar Hive.
Two fair-skinned hands are carefully lifting a frame of golden honeycomb densely covered with dark bees out of a light-colored wooden Kenyan Top Bar Hive. The hive is open, revealing multiple top bars and another frame of honeycomb with bees below. The setting is outdoors in a sunny environment with blurred green foliage in the background. The focus is on the delicate process of inspecting the bee colony and their honeycomb within this type of natural beehive. The bees appear to be Western honey bees (Apis mellifera).

Discover the benefits of bee-centric beekeeping.

Explore natural practices that support bee health and productivity.

Adrian’s course highlights the importance of natural honeycomb, sustainable hive management, and effective swarm catching techniques. You’ll gain practical skills and insights into the lives of bees, helping you create a thriving and healthy hive environment while supporting broader ecological balance.

enrol now
A selection of various Kenyan top bar Hive images framed inside honeycomb shapes. Some are close-ups and some are images of Adrian teaching beekeeping courses.

Discover the benefits of bee-centric beekeeping.

Explore natural practices that support bee health and productivity.

Adrian’s course highlights the importance of natural honeycomb, sustainable hive management, and effective swarm catching techniques. You’ll gain practical skills and insights into the lives of bees, helping you create a thriving and healthy hive environment while supporting broader ecological balance.

enrol now

This course is for you if:

  • You are a beginner eager to learn beekeeping and start your own hive with confidence.

  • You are an experienced beekeeper looking to deepen your knowledge and adopt natural practices.

  • You want to deepen your connection to and appreciation of the miraculous lives of bees.

  • You are interested in sustainable beekeeping that supports bee health and the environment.

  • If you live in Bega Valley, Merimbula, Bermagui, Tathra or the surrounding area

Adrian Iodice is holding up a top bar with honeycomb covered in bees. Students close by are leaning in to see.
Adrian Iodice is holding up a top bar with honeycomb covered in bees. Students close by are leaning in to see.

Discover

  • The developmental stages and lifecycle of honey bees and their roles in the hive.

  • The benefits of natural honeycomb for bee health and sustainable beekeeping.

  • How to safely catch a swarm and the essential tools required.

  • Best strategies for beehive placement to ensure productivity.

  • Healing products from honey bees like honey, propolis, and beeswax.

  • Kenyan top bar hive management techniques for efficient beekeeping.

A detailed close-up shows a single Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) with a light brown and black striped abdomen, delicate translucent wings, and fuzzy thorax. It is positioned on a section of golden-brown honeycomb, with its head and front legs inside one of the hexagonal cells. The background is softly blurred.
A detailed close-up shows a single Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) with a light brown and black striped abdomen, delicate translucent wings, and fuzzy thorax. It is positioned on a section of golden-brown honeycomb, with its head and front legs inside one of the hexagonal cells. The background is softly blurred.

What’s included?

  • Comprehensive course notes

  • A live Kenyan Top Bar beehive inspection in the Bega Valley area.

  • Blueprint for building a Kenyan Top Bar Hive

  • A comprehensive list of beekeeping literature and resources

  • Refreshments featuring homegrown bread, butter, and raw honey

Adrian Iodice is pictured, carefully opening a wooden Kenyan Top Bar Hive. Bees are visible inside the hive and flying around the entrance. Adrian is preparing to inspect the hive.
Adrian Iodice is pictured, carefully opening a wooden Kenyan Top Bar Hive. Bees are visible inside the hive and flying around the entrance. Adrian is preparing to inspect the hive.
NEEDS TO BE EXTRACTED FROM FULL TESTIMONIAL
Anne Lavery
Nimmitabel, New South Wales

Meet the facililtator

Photo of Adrian Iodice smiling at camera.

Bees have such a beautiful nature; it doesn’t take much to fall in love with them.

~ Adrian Iodice

Adrian Iodice

Adrian Iodice has a deep passion for natural sustainable bee care. He started beekeeping with standard conventional Langstroth hives and since 2010, he began experimenting with and studying various hive designs.

Adrian is one of the pioneers of the ‘Natural beekeeping’ movement in Australia. In 2012 he studied biodynamic beekeeping at ‘Mellifera Centre for Organic Beekeeping’ in Rosenfeld, southern Germany. He has come to the conclusion that the ‘Kenyan top bar hive’ is the better hive suited to his needs and he feels that every ‘backyard beekeeper’ should truly consider the hive design they will eventually use for the wellbeing of their bees.

He teaches natural, sustainable beekeeping workshops all over Australia.

The venue

Course Outline

Learn natural beekeeping in this course, starting with Adrian Iodice’s personal journey and the sacred nature of bees.

You’ll understand the spiritual connection with bees and their vital role in nature, emphasizing sustainability and the health of the bees.

The course delves into various bee products, including honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, bee venom, and wax, explaining their uses and benefits.

Following this, the course covers bee biology and behavior, discussing worker bees, drones, and queens, and addressing swarming. You’ll learn how to manage queens and swarms, catch a swarm, and install it into a hive, highlighting a holistic approach to beekeeping.

A major part of the course is dedicated to the Kenyan Topbar Hive. You’ll learn about its history, components, setup, placement, and management.

The course includes an inspection of a Kenyan Topbar Hive for hands-on experience, and covers transferring bees from a Langstroth hive to a Kenyan Topbar Hive, promoting sustainable practices.

The course also emphasizes practical aspects of beekeeping, focusing on essential tools and safety measures. You’ll learn to harvest and process honeycomb and wax efficiently, ensuring you’re well-equipped to manage your hive responsibly.

Lastly, the course addresses common pests and diseases like Varroa mites, American foulbrood, and small hive beetle.

By understanding these challenges, you’ll be better prepared to maintain a healthy and thriving bee colony.

This comprehensive outline ensures you gain a thorough understanding of natural beekeeping practices, fostering a deeper connection with your bees and promoting a sustainable environment.

FAQs

Fantastic experience and education. Your enthusiasm and passion for the bee hive organism and its important place in our world was well received and caught. Thoroughly enjoyed the course and came away invigorated and positively charged to make a difference in my local world. You're such a great teacher with so many accounts/stories to relay.
Andrew Shelton
Eltham, Victoria

Bega Valley, New South Wales

Natural Beekeeping WorkshopA Two Day Course for Beginners

14th & 15th September

Read More

14th & 15th September

Saturday & Sunday
9:30am to 4.00pm each day
$470
One time payment
Bookings Closed.
See upcoming classes & courses
Limited to 20 people

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