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.
- For more information on the content look here.
- 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 importance 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 site.
A suggested reading list can be downloaded from the BBKA.
For more information on the content look 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.