New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Level 4) (Queen Bee Rearing)
New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Level 4) (Queen Bee Rearing)

New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Level 4) (Queen Bee Rearing)

New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Queen Bee Rearing) (Level 4)

This programme will teach you how to rear queen bees for a commercial bee product producer or to operate your own queen-rearing operation. You’ll be able to work independently or supervise others.

Important

Enrolments for 2023 are closed. 2024 dates to be advised by 1 November 2023.
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Key Details
Telford Distance
Qualification:
Certificate
Level:
4
Credits:
60
Duration:

36 weeks, part-time.

Blended Delivery - Online study with workshops at various locations. Please indicate your location on your enrolment form. 

Study Modes:
Blended Delivery
Dates:
To be advised – Please Enquire
Fees:

Direct Material Costs $723.00 (GST inclusive).

International Fees can be found here.

Direct Material costs include:

  • 1 Cloake board with attached queen excluder
  • 4 metal Bozi cell bars
  • 2 empty full depth frames for cell bars
  • 100 plastic cell cups (bayonet/winged for metal cell bars)
  • 2 Chinese grafting tools or double or triple OOO paintbrushes
  • 5 cell protectors
  • 5 Mailing cages for virgin or mated queens
  • 5 roller cages for placing over 10 day old crowning queen cells
  • Two empty nucleus hives for queen mating (per student)
  • 8 frames of foundation
  • 2 single frame feeders 

Textbook included in material fees:

Woodward, D. R. (2010). Queen bee : biology, rearing and breeding. Northern Bee.

Some Course Details May Change

As part of our move into Te Pūkenga we're aligning our courses nationally. This is ongoing, and means that some course details including fees, and entry requirements may change. In the meantime please go ahead and apply as normal, we will keep you advised of any changes, and we are always available to answer any questions you might have.

Apiculture is one of New Zealand's fastest growing industries and apiarists are in high demand.

Graduates of this programme will be well-received by the industry, which needs a steady supply of quality queen bees to ensure the genetic diversity of existing and new hives. In turn, you'll be helping to ensure the wellbeing of our wider community, as a strong bee industry is critical to ensuring the ongoing supply of food.

Topics that will be covered:

  • Queen Bee Biology, Rearing and Breeding
  • Beehive Management for Queen Bee Rearing
  • Disease, Hive and Business Management
AP200.1 31/08/2020 21/05/2021 0.05
AP301.2 31/08/2020 21/05/2021 0.0333
AP3.01.1 31/08/2020 21/05/2021 0.0167
HS310.3 31/08/2020 21/05/2021 0.0167
AP302.2 31/08/2020 21/05/2021 0.0417
AP303.3 31/08/2020 21/05/2021 0.0167
AP304.1 31/08/2020 21/05/2021 0.0167
AP305.1 31/08/2020 21/05/2021 0.025
AP306.2 31/08/2020 21/05/2021 0.025
AP309.1 31/08/2020 21/05/2021 0.0167
AP309.2 31/08/2020 21/05/2021 0.025
EXAM 31/08/2020 21/05/2021 0.0417
AP307.1 31/08/2020 21/05/2021 0.125
AP307.2 31/08/2020 21/05/2021 0.0417
AP310.1 31/08/2020 21/05/2021 0.025
AP210.2 31/08/2020 21/05/2021 0.02

AGRI4251  Queen Bee Biology & Management Plan 

AGRI4252  Queen Bee Rearing 

AGRI4253  Bee Breeding 

AGRI4254  Beehive Management

This programme will enable you to rear queen bees for a commercial operation or to operate your own queen-bee-rearing operation. Graduates will be able to work independently and could supervise others.

Application Criteria

Note: It is assumed that queen bee rearing Level 4 students have passed the NZ cert Api (Level 3) and that they have a bee suit, gloves, smoker, hive tool and copies of the three books Practical beekeeping in NZ, Control of Varroa and Elimination of American foulbrood without the use of drugs. It is also assumed that they have completed and passed the one-day AFB disease recognition course. If they do not have the equipment or textbooks above they will need to purchase this and complete an AFB course, all at their own expense.

Each student needs to supply one beehive for the course which has two full depth brood boxes. This hive is transported into a student apiary and used for raising queen cells. The lecturer also supplies one double brood box beehive per student for raising queen cells. Each student needs to purchase two hive doctor nucs with 8 frames and 2 frame feeders.

Entry Criteria

The applicants should have completed at least three years at secondary school and achieved National Certificate of Educational Achievement (Level 1) or equivalent. They must be 16 years or over on the date the programme of study commences – unless an exemption from school has been given. There must be a reasonable likelihood of success at level three, as evidenced by cv or record of learning.

It is expected that learners will obtain work experience in a practical beekeeping environment, working in accordance with all health and safety best practices, and be assessed throughout a beekeeping season to achieve this qualification.

Language Requirements

Applicants, whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the language of instruction in schools is not English, are required to provide evidence of having achieved one of the following:

  • NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance, or
  • an International Baccalaureate Diploma or Cambridge A¬ level qualification for which the teaching and assessment was conducted in English; or 
  • Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA),orTrinity College  London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL); or
  • Successful completion of all primary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand primary school years 1 to 8) and at least three years of secondary education (being the equivalent of three years from New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in  either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States one of the countries listed in Rule 18.5 where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or
  • Successful completion of at least five years of secondary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or
  • Successful completion of a Bachelor ‘s Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters’ Degree or Doctoral Degree, the language of instruction of which must be in English and which must be  from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States or
  • Successful completion of one of the following internationally recognised proficiency tests listed below to the level required  of the programme of study and  with all scores achieved in a single test during the two years  preceding the proposed date of enrolment.

Certificate at Level 3

IELTS test - General or Academic score of 5 with no band score lower than 5

TOEFL Paper based test (pBT) - Score of 500 (with an essay score of 4 TWE)

TOEFL Internet based test (iBT) - Score of 35 (with a writing score of 14)

Cambridge English Examination - B2 First or B2 First for schools with a score of 154.  No less than 154 in each skill. 

OET - Minimum of Grade C or 200  in all sub-tests

NZCEL - a) Expiring Level   b) Current:

a) Level 3 (General) or (Workplace) b) Level 3 (General)

Pearson Test of English (Academic) – PTE (Academic) score of 36 with no band score lower than 36

Language Cert – B1 Achiever International ESOL Written (LRW) PASS with no less than 25/50 in each skill and Spoken (S) PASS

Trinity ISE - ISE I with no less than distinction in any band

Block Course Locations

• Christchurch (National Trades Academy)

• Cromwell, Central Otago (Bannockburn Road)

• Dunedin (Momona Hall)

• Hamilton (Fraser High School)

• Kaukapakapa (Auckland)

• Lincoln (Biological Husbandry Unit)

• New Plymouth, Taranaki (Coastal Taranaki School, Okato)

• Tauranga (Whataroa Road)

• Wellington (Newtown School)

Queen Bee Rearing Timetable 2023-24 (dates may change as agreed between tutor and students)

Te Pūkenga, 11 Bannockburn Road, Cromwell 9342

Lecturer: David Woodward

Month, Year, Workshop

Day, Date and Time*

Description of Activity

August 2023

Lecture/tutorial 1

Tuesday 29th August

7-9pm

Orientation –overview and outline of course, PPE, on-line resources, beehives, queen rearing equipment, textbooks, timetable, enrolment, costs, AFB* course completion.

 

Sept 2023 Theory and practical

Workshop 2

Saturday 2nd September

9.00am – 5.00pm

Health and safety. Prepare a seasonal queen bee rearing  and pest and disease management plan. Assessment 1, 7 & 9.  Prepare business strategy, goals, objectives and action plans. Seasonal calendar. Identify selection criteria for breeder queen bees. Prepare queen rearing equipment.

Sept 2023 Theory and practical

Workshop 3

Sunday 3rd September

9.00am – 5.00pm

Prepare a seasonal queen bee rearing management plan. DKO of queen bee rearing. Make up frame and cell bars. Record keeping. Assessing hives as breeders. Apiary diary.

Sept 2023

Lecture/tutorial 4

Tuesday 12th September

7-9pm

Prepare a seasonal queen bee rearing management plan. Implement pest and disease management plan.

Sept 2023

Lecture/tutorial 5

Tuesday 26th September

7-9pm

Queen bee and drone bee life cycles, anatomy and reproduction processes. DKO hive manipulations. Breeder selection.

September 2023 Theory and practical

Workshop 6

Saturday 30th September

9.00am – 5.00pm

First graft. Prepare equipment Assessment 2 Select cell builder hives for first graft, carry out, hive manipulations for cell raising in morning, insert Cloak board, leave 5 hours, graft larvae in afternoon, feed sugar and protein

October 2023 Theory and Practical

Workshop 7

Sunday 1st October

9.00am – 5.00pm

Check graft, manipulate cells and cell bars, record keeping, apiary diary. Assessing hives for breeding and adult pests and diseases. Assessment 6 DKO hive manipulations and nutrition. Varroa treatments in.  Make up nucs.

October 2023

Practical Workshop 8

Tuesday 10th October

5.30-7.30pm

Remove queen cells from first graft, place into incubator, transfer to nucleus or queenless hives, make up and introduce cell bars. Monitor nucs.

October 2023

Lecture/tutorial 9

Tuesday 24th October

7-9pm

Queen bee and drone bee life cycles, anatomy and reproduction processes. Assessment 3. Breeder selection.

November 2023 Theory and practical

Workshop 10

Saturday 4th November

9.00am – 5.00pm

Second graft from selected breeder, carry out, hive manipulations for queen bee rearing set up cell builder in morning, insert Cloak board, leave 5 hours, graft larvae in afternoon, feed.

November 2023 Theory and practical

Workshop 11

Sunday 5th November

9.00am – 5.00pm

Check graft, manipulate cells and cell bars, record keeping, apiary diary. Make up nucs. Assessment 4 & 6 breeder selection.  Techniques for banking queens.

November 2023

Practical workshop 12

Tuesday 14th November

5.30-7.30pm

Remove queen cells from second graft, place into incubator, make up two nucleus hives, introduce queen cells into each nuc, bank surplus queens. Monitor nucs

November 2023

Lecture/tutorial 13

Tuesday 28th November

7-9pm

Queen bee and drone bee life cycles, anatomy and reproduction processes. DKO hive manipulations.

December 2023 Theory and practical

Workshop 14

Saturday 2nd December

9.00am-5.00pm

Third graft, carry out hive manipulations for queen bee rearing, set up cell builder, graft larvae in afternoon, feed, check nucs for mating, conduct individual breeder queen records on two preferred mated queens, catch queens.

December 2023 Theory and practical

Workshop 15

Sunday 3rd December

9.00am – 5.00pm

Check graft, manipulate cells and cell bars, record keeping, apiary diary, marking and caging queens, splitting hives or nucs. Assessment 5 hive manipulations. Varroa strips out

December 2023

Practical workshop 16

Tuesday 12th December

5.30-7.30pm

Remove queen cells from third graft, place into incubator, transfer to nucleus or queenless hives, make up.

December 2023

Lecture/tutorial 17

Tuesday 19th December

7-9pm

Queen bee & drone life cycles, anatomy & reproduction processes. DKO hive manipulations. Individual breeder queen records. Update on-line diary. Review calendar. 

 

Christmas Break

January 2024

Lecture/tutorial 18

Tuesday 16th January

7-9pm

Queen bee & drone life cycles, anatomy & reproduction processes. DKO hive manipulations. Individual breeder queen records. Update on-line diary. Review calendar.

January 2024 Theory and practical

Workshop 19

Saturday 20th January

9.00am – 5.00pm

Fourth graft, carry out hive manipulations for queen bee rearing, set up cell builder in morning, insert Cloak board, leave 5 hours, graft larvae in afternoon, feed.

January 2024 Theory and practical

Workshop 20

Sunday 21st January

9.00am – 5.00pm

Check graft. Individual breeder queen records. Assessing breeder hives offspring F1 generation. Hive manipulations, prepare cages, catch and mark queens. Monitor brood and adult pests and diseases and record in apiary diary.

January 2024

Practical workshop 21

Tuesday 30th January

5.30-7.30pm

Remove queen cells from fourth graft, place into incubator, transfer to nucleus or queenless hives, make up and introduce cell bars. Bank surplus queens.

February 2024

Lecture/tutorial 22

Tuesday 6th February

7-9pm

DKO genetics, bee breeding programmes, and instrumental insemination of queen bees. Assessment 8. 

February 2024 Theory and practical

Workshop 23

Saturday 10th February

9.00am – 5.00pm

 

Fifth graft, carry out hive manipulations for queen bee rearing, for production of royal jelly insert Cloak board, leave 5 hours, graft larvae in afternoon, feed. Bank queens

February 2024 Theory and practical

Workshop 24

Sunday 11th February

9.00am – 5.00pm

Check graft. Individual breeder queen records. Assessing breeder hives F1 generation offspring. Hive manipulations. Possible ai field trip to Betta bees breeding programme

February 2024

Practical workshop 25

Tuesday 20th February

5.30-7.30pm

Harvest royal jelly from fifth graft, place into incubator, transfer to nucleus or queenless hives, make up and introduce cell bars. Bank surplus. Varroa treatments in

March 2024

Lecture/tutorial 26

Tuesday 5th March

7-9pm

Possible guest speaker from Betta Bees on bee breeding programme.  DKO genetics, bee breeding programmes.  

March 2024 Theory and practical

Workshop 27

Saturday 9th March

9.00am – 5.00pm

Non-grafting technique (Simple, Alley, Miller or Ezi- queen) Checking for mated queens, AFB compliance requirements, queen abnormalities, implementation

March 2024 Theory and practical

Workshop 28

Sunday 10th March

9.00am – 5.00pm

Non-grafting techniques. Uniting and feeding hives.  Wasp control.

March 2024

Lecture/tutorial 29

Tuesday 19th March

7-9pm

Possible guest speaker on commercial queen bee rearing programme. Analyse seasonal queen bee rearing and pest & disease management plans, recommend improvements.

 

April 2024

Lecture/tutorial 30

Tuesday 2nd April

7-9pm

Analyse seasonal queen bee rearing and pest and disease management plans, and recommend improvements. Submit seasonal calendar and on-line apiary diary.

April 2024 Theory

Workshop 31

Saturday 13th April

9.00am – 5.00pm

Powerpoint presentation on Analysis of seasonal queen bee rearing and pest and disease management plans, and recommendations for improvements.  Review business strategy, goals, objectives and action plans. Assessment 7 & 9. Varroa strips out and wintering down.

April 2024 Theory

Workshop 32

 

Sunday 14st April

9.00am – 5.00pm

Powerpoint presentation on Analysis of seasonal queen bee rearing and pest and disease management plans, and recommendations for improvements Assessment 7 & 9.

Must submit seasonal calendar and on-line apiary diary.

May 2024 Theory

Workshop 33

 

Saturday 4th May

9.00am – 5.00pm

Assessment 1-9 Resits if required, could be class, small group, one to one or on-line sessions.

AFB*=Students are expected to have passed the AFB disease recognition course and be approved beekeepers by the AFB Pest Management Agency. If you have not passed this course, you will need to book and complete the next available course.

*Timetable dates are correct at time of printing but may be subject to change.

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