“You may open your papers… now.”
I don’t know about you but that sentence puts a knot in my stomach! Yet, Matt voluntarily took exams in November to make sure he is constantly learning and growing as a beekeeper. Having already achieved a distinction in the Basic Assessment, Matt is now working towards an Intermediate Theory Certificate. This theory certificate paired with a General Husbandry practical certificate allows someone to become a Qualified Beekeeper. I’ve no doubt Matt will achieve that rank before long!
There is no obligation to complete the British Beekeeping Association’s exams – many beekeepers don’t take them – but, naturally, the more you study and put your knowledge to the test, the better you understand your bees and the better you can care for them. That’s why, over time, Matt plans to work through all the BBKA assessments!
This time, Matt took Module 1 ‘Honey Bee Management’ and Module 6 ‘Honey Bee Behaviour’.
The topics covered in the ‘Honey Bee Management’ module include:
- The different types of hives that can be used to house honey bee colonies
- Siting of apiaries
- The year’s work in the apiary
- Feeding
- Swarm control
- Splitting and uniting colonies
- Use of nucleus colonies
- Marking and clipping queens and queen introduction
- Dealing with Drone laying queens, laying workers, queenlessness and bad tempered colonies
The ‘Honey Bee Behaviour’ module covers:
- The life cycle of a honey bee
- Behaviour of the worker, queen and drones
- The role of pheromones and dancing in the hive
- Honey bee learning, orientation and navigation
- The role and collection of water, nectar, pollen and propolis
- Behaviour when swarming and superseding
- Comb building behaviour
- The effects of pathogens, parasites and pests on bee behaviour
Stick around! It’s likely that most, if not all, of these topics will be covered here on the Actual Honey blog.
Of the two modules, Matt was most fascinated by ‘Honey Bee Behaviour’. He is looking forward to the days becoming brighter and warmer, not because he wants a tan but because he’ll be able to open up the hives again and see his bees! Armed with new knowledge, he’s hoping to spot some of the behaviours that were covered in the syllabus and understand exactly what they mean. It must be incredible to observe bees and recognise what they’re communicating through their movements.
Experiences like that are the reason Matt aspires to become a Master Beekeeper. ‘Master Beekeeper’ isn’t a pompous title Matt has reserved for himself, it’s the official name for those who have passed every BBKA assessment. I think earning that title would be motivation enough to study hard and sit every exam!
The results are in: Matt passed! In Honey Bee Management, Matt scored 73%, achieving a Pass with Credit. In Honey Bee Behaviour, Matt scored 61%, achieving a Pass. Half of Matt’s Intermediate Theory Certificate is done and that’s another step completed towards mastery.
