BBKA -Basic Assessment
- An exam for beekeepers who have kept at least one colony for 12 months.
- It is a practical exam with an oral section.
- It takes not more than an hour.
- It is held at an apiary that is not your own.
- Manipulation of the equipment
- Light the smoker
- Open the hive
- Examine frames.
- Identify pollen stores.
- Identify honey stores
- Identify drones, workers and the Queen
- Identify worker brood cells
- Identify drone brood cells
- Identify brood at all stages
- Take a sample of bees
- Describe beespace and its purpose.
- Assemble a brood frame.
- Natural History and Beekeeping questions Describe:
- the bee life cycle
- suitable flora in the vicinity
- how bees survive the winter
- the effects of being stung
- how to extract honey
- Swarming and swarm control questions Describe:
- why bees swarm
- one method of swarm control
- collecting and hiving a swarm
- how to identify laying workers
- how to identify a drone laying queen
- how to introduce a new queen
- how to unite colonies.
- Diseases and Pests questions Describe:
- appearance of healthy brood.
- the importance of apiary hygiene
- the importnce of brood comb replacement
- appearance of American Foul Brood (AFB)
- appearance of European Foul Brood (EFB)
- how to detect and control Varroa mite
- current legal requirements regarding notifiable diseases
- how to identify acarine (a mite)
- how to identify nosema (a fungus)
- how to identify and treat for wax moth
- how to protect hives from mice.
More details are available on the BBKA site
The syllabus can be downloaded from the BBKA here.
A suggested reading list can be downloaded from the BBKA here..
Even if you are not keen on exams it is worth looking at the syllabus:
- Use it to organise your learning
- Use the reading list to help your learning.
- Become a better informed beekeeper.