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Background to Beekeeping: Start with Why!
Rating: 4.6 out of 5(357 ratings)
1,369 students

Background to Beekeeping: Start with Why!

WHY before the HOW! Learn WHY you should become a beekeeper and get a good overview of beekeeping around the world.
Created byThomas Carroll, PhD
Last updated 7/2025
English

What you'll learn

  • Explain the surprising multiple benefits of beekeeping
  • Explain the history and current status of world bees and beekeeping
  • Explain the broad approaches to beekeeping
  • Encourage you to make your beekeeping unique to your particular skills and interests
  • Give an overview of world production and trade in honey
  • Decide if beekeeping is something you want to start
  • Give the first key step on your journey to becoming a successful beekeeper

Course content

3 sections • 17 lectures • 2h 36m total length

  • Introduction6:28

    This lecture introduces you to the course instructor and also gives you an overview of the course content which is focused on providing you with  the 'Why' of beekeeping before you get lost in the detail of the 'How' of beekeeping.  Please download the document 'Key Beekeeping Terms' and refer back to it when you come across a beekeeping term you don't understand. 

    Practical Hive Inspection: If you would like to see what it is like to open a hive of bees come join me as I put on my beesuit, light my smoker and go and inspect one of my beehives (see link to the video in the lecture resources). 

  • A little bit about Bees14:39

    This lecture explains the key difference between bees and wasps and gives an overview of bee species, which ones are used for honey production and why.

  • Introduce yourself
  • Status of Bees around the World12:49

    In this lecture we look at the health of bees worldwide and why it is important to the future of humanity to have healthy bees.

  • What can we do to help bees?10:22

    In this lecture we will look at what we can do as individuals and as a community of concerned people to help bees and avert their decline.

  • Why keep bees? Part 116:08

    In this lecture we will look at the very many and often surprising benefits of bees and beekeeping part one.         

  • Why keep bees? Part 222:57

    In this lecture we will look at the benefits of bees and beekeeping part two.

  • Case Study: My own beekeeping Journey6:16

    In this lecture we will look at a case study of the benefits of bees and beekeeping.

  • Broad approaches to beekeeping11:37

    In this lecture we will look the broad types or categories of approaches to beekeeping.

  • History of beekeeping11:24

    In this lecture we will look at a brief history of beekeeping.

  • The honey trade - an overview10:55

    An overview of the international honey trade: which are the main honey producing countries worldwide, which countries are the main importers and quality concerns raised in the market.

  • Bee stings14:02

    Honey bees sting and if you become a beekeeper you must expect some stings along the way.  This lecture will give you an overview of bee stings.

Requirements

  • You need to be able to use a computer at beginner level to view the course content
  • No beekeeping experience necessary - just your interest in bees and beekeeping!

Description

Take this course as one of your first courses in beekeeping and it will set you on the right path in beekeeping for years to come.  Beekeeping has very many benefits/potential benefits.  Established beekeepers may not even be aware of all the benefits they, their family and community are getting from their beekeeping hobby or enterprise.  This course will give you an excellent overview of the history and current state of bees and beekeeping around the world, the honey trade, why you should get into beekeeping, how you can benefit personally from beekeeping and how your local community and the planet will thank you as well.  The course will give you the WHY of beekeeping which is essential before you get lost in the detail of the HOW. 

Remember reasons always come first and once you understand why you should start beekeeping you will always figure out the how.  Having a thorough understanding of the  WHY of beekeeping is absolutely essential to your success as a beekeeper.  The course ends by giving you a key step on the road to learning the HOW of beekeeping appropriate to where you live in the world. 

The course will also help you to decide how you want to approach beekeeping in your particular context and how you might bring your own unique skills and interests to beekeeping to make it your very own.  This big picture view of beekeeping is really important because it is so easy to get lost in detail which might or might not be appropriate to where you live (just try searching for beekeeping videos on YouTube and you will find so many videos it is hard to know which ones are useful or appropriate!).

In developing this course I draw on a lifetime of beekeeping experience in Ireland and in Africa. 

In addition to other resources and links included with the course there are two free downloadable beekeeping books (PDF format) written by the course creator for your further reference.

The course has been revised and updated for 2021/2022.

Who this course is for:

  • Anyone interested in beekeeping for beginners
  • Anyone interested in learning about bees and bee keeping
  • Anyone interested in having a better understanding of the beekeeping industry & honey trade
  • Anyone interested in understanding the benefits of bees and beekeeping
  • Anyone interested in starting a small scale beekeeping enterprise
  • Anyone wondering if beekeeping is a good hobby to start
  • Existing beekeepers who want to broaden their understanding of beekeeping

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