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!
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Tastings
During our delicious Honey Tasting experiences, the important aspects of 'terroir ' which relate to the soil, climate, plants and region are also explained.
Treat your taste buds to Rewarewa, Pōhutukawa, Kānuka, Tāmahi, Clover, Multiflora, Tāwari. Honeydew, Mānuka and Thyme to mention just a few.
NB : *Bookings essential - *Weather dependant activities
Native forest walk & Honey Tasting 1hr **
Adults and 12-16yrs $110pp.
(Not suitable for children under 12)
Enjoy an easy forest walk to learn how to identify some of NZ native trees and plants ie: Rewarewa, Tawari, Poroporo, Kanuka, and Manuka while also learning about bees, their life cycle and their struggle to survive. The walk includes sitting in a native forest for a presentation of a beehive and its mysteries.
The walk ends deliciously by tasting honey from both the North & South islands of NZ, plus savouring varietals from plants that were viewed during the native forest walk.
Family Mini Tour & Honey Tasting 30min **
$25 per person (Under 2 free)
Great activity for families with young children. View a beehive in our garden while learning about bees and what they forage on before stepping inside our honey tasting shed to view a beehive and the sensory table where children can touch and smell pure beeswax products AND taste honey!
Custom made & Special Events
Bee Hive Experience & Honey Tasting 2hrs **
Adults $180pp. 12-16yrs $140pp.
(Not suitable for children under 12)
Enjoy a fun, fact-filled lesson about both native bees and honey bees, their life cycles, their struggles to survive and how we can actively help them. This is followed by a hands-on-lesson inside a live beehive working alongside an experienced beekeeper.
Then we will delight you with a sensory experience while sitting within our native forest classroom and you will savour deicious honey from both the North & South islands while learning about how to help our our Ngaro huruhuru - Native bees.
Bee Experience 1hr **
Adults $140. 12-16yrs $100pp.
(Not suitable for children under 12 )
Open up a beehive and work alongside a beekeeper so you see the inner working of a hive. Get to spot a queen bee and her tireless worker bees while learning about the bees' life cycle and how they produce diverse honey types.
Gain advice on native bees, bumblebees and honey bees, their environment and how to help them survive.
Complete protective gear provided.
Custom made beekeeping courses for children accompanied by an adult can be organised. Also suitable for home-schooling groups
Custom made beekeeping courses and/or honey tastings for special events, community groups, hen/stag days, anniversaries etc, can be organised.
Send us an email for more information and pricing