Beekeeping Experience
He is not worthy of the honey-comb
That shuns the hives because the bees have stings
- William Shakespeare
Discover the world of the honey bee with an exclusive up-close and personal experience at our Elephant house apiary in the heart of Kent on the edge of the North Downs.
Located in Aylesford in Kent the apiary is set within Cobtree Manor country Park surrounded by ancient woodland and features green open spaces, wooded paths, picnic areas, a wooden fort playground & sculpture trail.
The experience will be held in the old Elephant house, that once was part of the old Maidstone zoo in the mid 1900’s.
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I look forward to introducing you to the fantastic world of the honey bee - and I hope that this beekeeping experience may inspire you to become a beekeeper yourself.
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Beekeeping Experience
Seated around a solid oak table in what once housed elephants as part of the old Maidstone zoo, the elephant house is located in the heart of cobtree manor country park, the 4 hour experience will cover the basics of beekeeping and will allow you to get a bee’s eye view of the hive and the honey bees at work.
It is perfect for those interested in bees, ecology or honey!
I will talk you through the basics of the honeybee, the beehive and the tools used.
You will learn about the different bees and their roles within the colony.
You will also get to make your own beeswax candle.
A buffet lunch will be served, before it is time to get suited up in a full beekeeping suit to view inside one of our honeybee hives, which are located around the lake.
You will have the opportunity to handle frames of bees yourself (perfect photo opportunity), while we carry out an inspection - looking for the queen, eggs, larvae and checking how much honey and pollen they have stored.
You will also get to take home a jar of our delicious honey, the Beeswax candles you have made.
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Complimentary tea and coffee will be available for the duration of the event.
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The day will run from 10.30am and will last around 4hrs including a lunch break.
If you have any special dietary requirements, please email us at least one week before the event, so that we can make necessary arrangements for you.
So that we can provide the correct size suit for you, please could you provide us with your height and waist size upon booking. You can email this information to: arms_apiaries@outlook.com along with the date of the event and your name.
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Please bring wellington boots or hiking boots. It is best not to wear strong perfume or aftershave.
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Each event is upto a maximum of 6 people.
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Experiences will take place in late-Spring and Summer and are weather dependent.
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Please purchase via the link below stating your preferred date in the notes section.
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If the event is fully booked for your chosen date, another will be selected.
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Public liability insured
UK Asbestos awareness
UKBR Member
British Beekeeping Member
