Bee Experiences for guests at Carr Dyke Farm

We’re introducing a new experience for guests staying at Carr Dyke Farm! We’ve been keeping bees for a few years now, and would love to share the experience of this fascinating subject with some of our guests.

The ‘bee experience’, subject to availability and booking before your stay, gives you the chance to get up and close with a colony of honey bees. Have you ever held a frame of bees? Seen how a colony works? Searched for a Queen? If not then this could be your opportunity – if you have, then maybe you just want to have another go.

Our bee experience package includes:

Approximately 1 hour with an experienced and qualified beekeeper (Simon Castleman – member of the British Bee Keeping Association) in our apiary at Carr Dyke Farm.

·      A bee suit and gloves will be loaned to you for the experience – it’s recommended you wear a baseball cap and rubber welly boots on your feet, and wear trousers and a long sleeve top.

·      You will be given an introductory talk about bees, how a hive operates, and the overall beekeeping

season including why bees swarm, what happens in winter and what forage they like.

·      You will be given the chance to use the smoker, help open the hive, and look inside the hive
under Simon’s guidance.

·      Simon will lift the frames and explain the bee’s life and all the elements of creating honey.

·      You will be given the opportunity to search for the queen (which is not always successful!),
hold a frame and learn about inspecting the bees.

·      Simon will explain the process of making honey.

·      You will finish off with putting the hive back together and a gift of a local jar of honey.

·      Jen or James from JB Farming will join if possible.

If you’re nervous but want to have a go, don’t worry – we’ll be there to take care and re-assure you.
You are able to leave the experience at any point.

Please note opening a hive is very weather dependent – if the weather is deemed too wet or cold,
we’ll unfortunately have to cancel or postpone your bee experience (the bees work together to keep the
hive temperature at an optimum – it’s not good to disturb them if the weather changes!)

Should you knowingly suffer from anaphylaxis or any other severe allergies, unfortunately
you will not be able to partake in the bee experience. This experience is available for adults and children aged over 10 years old. Children must be supervised by a responsible adult. The experience is for two-six people.

To register your interest in a bee experience please email us on: jbfarminginfo@gmail.com

Cost: Two adults: £40, additional adults £15

Children: £10

Bee keeping

FAQs

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  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

FAQs

  • Bees are awesome but please remember they are a wild insect, and therefore guests taking part in this experience do so at their own risk, and must follow the instructions of the tour leader.

  • Bee experiences cannot take place in cooler or wet weather, as it can cool the inside of the hive too much, full refunds will be issued if the experience is cancelled due to bad weather.

  • Availability is on request prior to your stay – we need to contact Simon in advance to book. Payment is on-site. It is unlikely we can organise everything for your experience once you are on-site.

  • Bees are a wild insect, and can be unpredictable. You will be asked to follow instructions from the tour leader and if it is deemed unsuitable to continue the experience due to the bees having a ‘bad day’ you will be asked to walk away from the apiary quietly.

  • At times we have colonies that have been depleted due to the circumstances, and need to be left alone so experiences are dependent on availability. We also do not offer experiences in winter. Inspections begin around mid-March – mid-September.

  • Please make your tour guide aware if you have any relevant allergies, or are apprehensive about taking part. We cannot allow guests that knowingly suffer from severe reactions to bee stings or anaphylaxis or other severe allergies to take part.

  • Being stung during an inspection/experience is unusual through your bee kit and if handling a well-natured colony, but on occasion it does happen. We do not accept responsibility for any discomfort or issues arising from bee stings. We recommend you contact 111 in such an event or your local GP.

  • If you don’t enjoy being near the bees, we simply ask you to walk away from the apiary. Once a certain distance from the apiary, the bees should no-longer be near you. We will then check for any bees on your suit before you remove the protective bee suit.

  • A protective bee suit and gloves. It is recommended you wear a long sleeved top and trousers underneath with knee-high wellies or rubber boots, and thick socks if you’d prefer.

  • As we develop the experience, children aged 10 or over can take part but must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.