Description

An Introduction to Sustainable Beekeeping & Log Hives – Saturday August 26th – 10am – 4:30pm

Honeybees are forest dwellers and prefer to live in tree cavities 4 to 6 metres above the ground. These tree cavities provide the perfect conditions for honeybees to live protected and undisturbed. Unfortunately, most of these tree cavities are a scarcity in today’s Irish landscape but we can help the bees with sustainable solutions such as log hives. These hives are designed to mimic the preferred habitat as closely as possible. During the workshop we will delve into the natural life of the honeybee and have a look at how to mimic their natural environment. We look at different designs, talk about locating them and much more. We will observe wild colonies present on the site and discuss what we can do to improve the colonies’ health.

 

Learning outcomes

  • The natural life of honeybees
  • How to get started with bee friendly hives
  • Factors that influence a colony’s health
  • Choosing a suitable location for your log hive
  • Designing a bee friendly garden

 

Practical skills

  • Preparing the hive
  • Swarm collection

 

Cost: €80

 

Bookings & Information

Our courses always get positive feedback from participants and you will benefit from on hand expert tutors with years of experience in their field. It’s a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and spend some time in our gardens, orchards and woodlands in beautiful East Clare.

You can book courses online or you can telephone us on 061 921866 or 921856.

  • Workshop prices: from €80
  • 10% discount for supporters.
  • Workshops suitable for adults only.  Children under 18 years are not permitted to attend.
  • There is a 100% refund for cancellations made at least 2 Weeks prior to the course date. No refund after that time.
  • Café serving lunch and refreshments

The Night Orchard Pop Up Café will open onsite at Irish Seed Savers on each course day serving hearty lunches, soups, homemade cakes and tea / coffee. The café is vegetarian and uses organic, locally sourced, in-season ingredients to produce healthy and nutritious food.