On 1st July and 15th July, four members, Will Van De Merwe, Todd Wilkins, Julia Wigfield and Richard Evans have had their assessment at our training Apiary for the BBKA Healthy Bee Certificate.
In order to do the assessment, you need to have completed the BBKA Basic Certificate and have had at least 3 years of beekeeping experience. If you are interested in this for next year, full details and the syllabus are available on the BBKA website – Honey Bee Health | British Beekeepers Association (bbka.org.uk)
My assessment was on 15th July at 12:00, the weather forecast was not looking good and there was concern that the rain was going to postpone it. I arrived nice and early and sat in my car whilst I waited for Julia to finish her assessment, which started at 10:00.
I went through early at 11:30, which ended up being a good job because as I started to carry out the second part of the practical, which in my case was a shook swarm, the thunder started.
I just managed to get the bees closed back up and return to the shelter of the shed when the heavens opened.
The assessment covers a disease inspection, and then either a Bailey comb change or shook swarm, intermingled with loads of questions on pests, diseases, poisoning and general bee health.
I was nervous, and when asked to collect the equipment I needed for a shook swarm it didn’t help that I walked past all of the equipment that had been brought out of the shed for me, and spent a few nervous minutes desperately trying to find the equipment that I had checked was all there the day before but seemed to have disappeared, with a slightly bemused assessor wondering what I was doing!
It all seemed to go well, and I hope I answered all the questions correctly and I showed the assessor I could carry out the required practicals to the standard expected. But I will now have to wait 6 weeks before we find out whether we passed or not!
I would like to thank the assessors for the two dates, Stuart Roberts and Nigel Collier. I certainly felt as at ease as I could with the assessor that took myself and Julia through it, Nigel Collier.
