Recipes
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Beetopia New Zealand - "All things Bees" is located just outside of Matakana, at 158 Omaha Flats Road where onsite you will find:
Our beekeeping supplies showroom
Ability to purchase equipment including everything you need to get setup as a new beekeeper (bees, hiveware, suits, tools etc.) or to grow your existing apiary. Order placement to secure bees from our local bee breeder
The Beetopia Apiary and classroom training facility
Accommodation options - for overnight stays at our "Bee & Bee" for anyone who may be travelling from out of town.
Our next beginners courses will be held from September 2019 with a local beekeeper. The course provides the basics required for hive management at an introductory level and includes:
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bee recognition (distinction between worker / nurse / drone / queen bees )
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distinction between honey / nectar / capped honey
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the all important "life cycle of the bee"
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understanding how to use bee hive equipment
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advice on how to register your beehives and mandatory requirements for beekeepers in New Zealand
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Hands-on-lesson in hives
The courses run in small numbers with a total of 5 students per course. We believe this adds value giving attendees plenty of hands on time in the hives and the ability to ask one on one
questions with our instructor.
2019 beginner’s beekeeping course dates
As my courses are weather dependant and spring in Aotearoa is notoriously unpredictable, therefore bear in mind please if the weather is wet and/or too windy we cannot open the hives and therefore are obliged to postpone course dates.
Courses are held on Saturday mornings from 9 am - 12.30 noon in Matakana. Tea & Coffee & Honey drinks provided during morning break. Honey Tasting and Equipment overview at end of course.
Protective Beekeeping Clothing & Gloves provided
Cost per person $150 plus GST
Payment required before commencing the course.
Payment details provided upon confirming course date.
Beginner Beekeeping Course Dates
September 28th
October 5th - 19th - 26th
November 9th -16th - 23rd -30th
December 7th 14th
January 18th - 25th
February 1st - 15th - 22nd - 29th
March 14th -28th
Stockroom
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Beekeeping protective clothing for adults and children all sizes
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Beekeeping gloves all sizes
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Smokers
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Hive tools
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Nuc boxes
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Frame holders
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Top feeders
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Wooden frames
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Plastic frames
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Wax foundation full depth & three quarters
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Supers
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Supers full depth
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Hive mats / lids / bases
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Queen excluders - plastic / metal
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Queen catchers
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Queen marking pens
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Queen rearing equipment
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Honey extraction equipment
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Bees for sale
The Worker
My daughter Michelle is a budding beekeeper and often helps me in our apiaries plus she’s great at taking meticulous notes on what’s happening in each hive and updating our apiary agenda after each inspection. Michelle also helps out in Beetopia’s beekeeping supplies store and holds beeswax wrap courses - in fact her Maori line of wax wraps are very popular. Her 4 year old son Perry Paolo is our youngest and most enthusiastic beekeeper and honey consumer!
The Worker
My daughter Michelle is a budding beekeeper and often helps me in our apiaries plus she’s great at taking meticulous notes on what’s happening in each hive and updating our apiary agenda after each inspection. Michelle also helps out in Beetopia’s beekeeping supplies store and holds beeswax wrap courses - in fact her Maori line of wax wraps are very popular. Her 4 year old son Perry Paolo is our youngest and most enthusiastic beekeeper and honey consumer!
Avenir Light is a clean and stylish font favored by designers. It's easy on the eyes and a great go to font for titles, paragraphs & more.
Our beekeeping Courses & Education
At our Beetopia hands-on learning apiary, indoor classroom & outdoor training facility, we offer group courses, one-on-one private training and educational projects to schools, home schooling and ECC. We also travel to various locations and offer our services on site.
Our next beginner's courses will be held from September 2024 with a qualified beekeeper. The course provides the basics required for hive management at an introductory level and includes:
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bee recognition (distinction between worker / nurse / drone / queen bees )
-
distinction between honey / nectar / capped honey/pollen
-
the all-important "life cycle of bees"& castes
-
understanding how to use all beehive equipment
-
info on how to register your beehives and mandatory requirements for beekeepers in New Zealand
-
Hands-on-lesson in hives
-
Honey Tasting
The courses run in small numbers as we believe this adds value and gives attendees plenty of hands-on time in the hives and the ability to ask one on one questions with our instructor.
2023/4 Beginner’s beekeeping
As courses are weather dependent and spring in Aotearoa is notoriously unpredictable, please bear in mind if the weather is wet and/or too windy we cannot open the hives and therefore might be obliged to postpone course dates.
Our half day courses are held on Saturday or Sunday mornings from 8.30am am - 12.30/ noon in Matakana. Tea & Coffee & Honey drinks and scrumptious snacks provided during morning break. Honey Tasting and Equipment overview at the end of the course.
Protective Beekeeping Clothing & Gloves provided. Cost per person $220pp
2024/25 Dates
September 8th -22nd -29th
October 6th - 20th
November 3rd - 17th
December 1st - 15th
January 12th (Disease Recognition)
February 9th - 16th
March 2nd -16th
Payment required before commencing the course.Payment details provided upon confirming the course date.
Pollinator Education - Fun Lessons -Talks -Honey Sessions - Bee experience
We offer tailor-made learning opportunities to schools, ECC, libraries, corporates and private groups. Below are a few groups we have successfully catered for :
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Matakana Primary School
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Leigh Primary School
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Pakiri Primary School
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Ahuroa Primary School
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Wainui Primary School
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Muddy Toes ECC
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Warkworth & Wellsford ECCs
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Warkworth & Wellsford Libraries
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Chelsea Sugar Team Bonding
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Kowhai Festival and A&P Show
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Mitre 10 Flower Show
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Many many Garden groups
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Residential Care Homes
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Home Schooling groups
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International Chefs
Disease Recognition & Varroa Education Courses.
Contact us for details of course dates and more info.
Thank you for sharing your amazing passion with our young explorers. Your lessons showed an indepth knowledge of not only beekeeping and its associated activities but also an ability to make this relevant to tamariki of all ages.
We loved having you at our school. Please bee back
Ngā mihi
Michelle Nell
Principal Ahuroa School
Grass’ passion and knowledge for all things bees inspired a schoolwide term long inquiry which we called Pollinators and Petals. During this inquiry, Grass delivered a superb series of informative lessons which were interactive and made even more interesting with all of the 'beeautiful' hands on materials and resources she brought with her. Grass pitches the learning perfectly for our different year levels and has a lovely way with all students.
Kerrin Jamieson
Principal Leigh School
Grass was so enthusiastic and provided fun, engaging hands-on lessons. The lessons were relevant, well prepared and always pitched at an age appropriate level. The students gained a wealth of knowledge (as did the teachers). Over a year later and the students are still talking about the things they learnt from Grass. We are really looking forward to working with Grass again to set up our own bee hives here at school.
Darrel Goosen Principal/Tumuāki
Beetopia New Zealand
"All things Bees"
is located just outside of Matakana
181 Omaha Flats Road