Online Course, Coaching & Support
A guided beekeeping season with an online course, live classes, coaching and support for new and beginner backyard beekeepers.
Online Course, Coaching & Support, $289 AUD/year
Everything you need to build confidence this season
2026/27 Guided Beekeeping Cohort
Your course and support include the full 2026/27 season of guided training, coaching and support.
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Seasonal Beekeeping Lessons
Practical lessons released throughout the season when they're most relevant.
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Live Group Beekeeping Coaching
Join Nathan regularly to discuss what's happening in your hives right now, ask questions and learn from other members.
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Private 1:1 Beekeeping Coaching
Bring your own hive challenges, photos and questions for personalised help.
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Hive Inspection Feedback & Q&A
Get another set of experienced eyes on what you're seeing inside your colony.
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Member Community
Share what you're seeing and learn alongside other backyard beekeepers going through the same season.
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Recordings & Reference Library
Miss a session? Catch up later. Plus keep useful training and resources available when you need them.
Practical Beekeeping, Taught from Experience
Hi, I’m Nathan.
I started with a single hive in my backyard and plenty of questions. Over time, that grew to as many as 100 hives across several apiaries in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. I’ve tried different hive types, made plenty of mistakes and learnt most of what I know by working with bees.
Today, we help 300+ new beekeepers get started each year. Some haven’t bought their equipment yet. Others already have bees but aren’t always sure what they’re seeing when they open the hive.
Why I Created This Course and Support
Our hands-on workshops are a great place to start, but there’s a lot to take in during one day. Beekeeping is seasonal, and often the most useful advice is the advice you receive when you actually need it.
Most backyard beekeepers also have only one or two hives, so it can be difficult to know what’s normal. Through the course and support, you’ll see what other beekeepers are finding, learn from clear photos and video inside the hive, and talk through it together during our live sessions.
From time to time, I’ll also invite experienced people I trust to share what they’ve learnt.
It’s the kind of ongoing support I would have found incredibly helpful when I started.
What You’ll Learn
1 Module
Getting Started with Beekeeping
Understand the essentials before buying bees or equipment.
2 Module
Your Hive & Equipment
Know what you really need and how everything works.
3 Module
Getting Your First Bees
Learn how to establish your colony and get through the critical early weeks.
4 Module
Managing a Healthy Hive
Inspect confidently and recognise when something needs attention.
5 Module
Practical Beekeeping Skills
Build the hands-on skills every beekeeper needs.
6 Module
Harvesting Your Honey
Know when and how to harvest without compromising your colony.
Bonus module
Varroa Management for Australian Beekeepers
Learn how to monitor, understand and manage Varroa as part of your regular hive management routine.
Included with the Course
- Understanding Varroa and its lifecycle
- How Varroa affects a colony
- Monitoring methods
- Understanding mite counts
- When action may be required
- Integrated Pest Management
- Treatment approaches
- Treatment resistance
- Seasonal Varroa planning
- Record keeping
2026/27 Guided Beekeeping Season
Live Classes & Replays
Join any time this season
Start with the lessons available now, then take part in the upcoming live classes. Confirmed replays help you catch up.
2026/27 Class Schedule
Learn alongside other backyard beekeepers through the season.
See the full schedule below. Enrolled members can check their course and messages from Nathan for class and replay access.
- 7:15pm
- Room opens
- 7:30pm
- Live class begins
- 8:15pm
- Teaching finishes
- 8:15–8:45pm
- Questions & discussion
All times Melbourne (AEST/AEDT). Daylight saving starts 4 October 2026 and ends 4 April 2027. Interstate members should check the time difference.
| Melbourne date | Class | Access & status |
|---|---|---|
| Module 1, Foundations | Replay available to enrolled membersUse the replay link supplied by Nathan | |
| Module 2, Hive Setup and Equipment | Scheduled classCheck your course for updates | |
| Module 3, Colony Acquisition and Installing Bees | Scheduled classCheck your course for updates | |
| Module 4, Hive Management and Bee Health | Scheduled classCheck your course for updates | |
| Swarm Management, group challenge | Scheduled classCheck your course for updates | |
| Module 5 session 1, First Hive Inspections | Scheduled classCheck your course for updates | |
| Module 5 session 2 | Scheduled classCheck your course for updates | |
| Module 6, Honey Harvesting | Scheduled classCheck your course for updates | |
| Overwintering, group challenge | Scheduled classCheck your course for updates | |
| Season Review and renewal | Scheduled classCheck your course for updates |
Online Course, Coaching & Support · $289 AUD per year, billed annually.
Imagine This…
It’s a warm spring afternoon.
You open your hive without feeling nervous. You recognise eggs. You spot healthy brood. You understand what the bees are telling you. You close the hive knowing everything looks exactly as it should.
That’s the confidence we’re here to help you build.
Is This Right For You?
You don’t need any previous beekeeping experience. This will suit you if:
- ✓You’re preparing for your first hive and want guidance through your first season
- ✓You already have bees but aren’t always confident about what you’re seeing
- ✓You’ve attended a workshop and would like ongoing help as the season unfolds
- ✓You want somewhere to ask questions before a small issue becomes a bigger one
- ✓You’d find it helpful to learn from what other backyard beekeepers are seeing in their hives
It may not be the right fit if:
- ✕You’re looking for advice on running a large commercial operation
- ✕You only want a course you can complete in a weekend, without ongoing guidance or live sessions
Beekeeping changes throughout the year. The course and support are designed to help you learn as the season unfolds and put what you learn into practice in your own hive.
Online Course, Coaching & Support
$289
AUD per year
Includes:
- Complete beginner beekeeping course
- Practical video demonstrations
- Live group coaching
- Seasonal beekeeping guidance
- Downloadable checklists and resources
- Bonus Varroa Management module
- New lessons and updates
- Member community and support
Less than $25/month, billed annually.
Student Stories
Real photos. Real smiles. Real beginners. Real bees.
In their own words
Hear From Our Beekeepers
Three beekeepers who started exactly where you are now.
Meet Scott
Scott shares two years of beekeeping experience in Hurstbridge, Victoria. He explains why he recommends beginner beekeepers buy a nucleus of bees rather than catch swarms and, as a carpenter and furniture maker, how he decorated his Langstroth hive and built a 32 frame horizontal Langstroth in his workshop.
Meet Mick
Mick Wilmott talks about getting into beekeeping on a rooftop terrace in the centre of Melbourne's CBD.
See how urban rooftop beekeeping is not only possible but has had a positive impact on the local ecosystem.
Meet Krissy
Krissy is a backyard beekeeper based in Wallan, Victoria. Working with Nathan and Beekeeping Apprentice she built her confidence, set up her Flow Hive, installed a strong colony and harvested loads of honey, all in her first year of beekeeping.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m a complete beginner. Is this really suitable for me?
Do I need to already have a beehive?
What’s included for $289 AUD per year?
Why is this an annual subscription rather than a one-off course?
I’ve already attended the Beekeeping Apprentice Workshop. Are the course and support still worthwhile?
How much time do I need to complete the course?
Does the course cover Varroa mite?
Is the course relevant to Australian beekeepers?
What if I have questions about my own hive?
Should I join the course or attend a live workshop?
Ready to Start?
Beekeeping doesn’t need to be confusing.
Join hundreds of Australians who are learning to keep healthy, productive colonies with confidence.
Joining after the season has started?
You’re welcome to join throughout the 2026/27 season. Catch up at your own pace with recordings of earlier lessons and live sessions, then take part in the upcoming live sessions. You’ll also have access to the member community and your one-on-one beekeeping coaching, so you can get help with what’s happening in your own hive.
Online Course, Coaching & Support
$289
AUD per year
- Online Course
- Live Coaching
- Seasonal Challenges
- Bonus Varroa Management module
- Member Resources
- Ongoing Support
Less than $25/month, billed annually.
Community
Join a Growing Community of Beekeepers
Beekeeping Apprentice has been helping beginner beekeepers learn, ask questions and build confidence for years. Hundreds of educational videos, posts and practical tips shared.
23K+ followers
