Beekeeping
Study Beekeeping, also known as Apiculture, at Otago Polytechnic to immerse yourself in the outdoors, and gain a career surrounded by bees. Learn how to care for, own, breed and maintain bee colonies and hives to produce honey.
Our Beekeeping qualifications can give you the skills and knowledge to work with bees. Depending on your goals, you can study what you need to become a beekeeper for commercial operators or an independent beekeeper with a small number of hives.
Apiculture is one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing industries and there is such high demand for this that it is listed on Immigration New Zealand’s Immediate Skills Shortage List. Beekeeping employment opportunities are vast in New Zealand, as is owning your own business or simply assisting nature as a passionate enthusiast.
Beekeeping qualifications
Agriculture & Animal Healthcare
There is international demand for manuka honey and other beehive products. During this programme, you’ll gain the skills and confidence to manage your own beehives. You’ll meet commercial apiarists in your local area and have the chance to complete an American Foulbrood (AFB) disease recognition course. Topics include bee behaviour and life cycle, beekeeping equipment, harvesting and extracting honey, and suitable bee forage plants.
Duration
33 Weeks Part-time
Delivery
Online with block course(s)
Location
Multi-location
Career potential
Commercial Assistant Beekeeper, Small Hive Beekeeper
Agriculture & Animal Healthcare
Gain the skills to operate as a Leading Hand in a commercial operation or to run your own commercial operation. This programme is for people who are single source, comb, or medical grade manuka honey producers, pollination service providers or self-marketing producers. Courses include Plants; Pollination and Nutrition; Bee Diseases and Management Plans; Seasonal Management and Food Safety; Beehive Products; and analysing management plans.
For domestic students, our August 2022 intake will be funded until 31 December 2022 with the Government's Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund (TTAF) - this means your tuition fees until December are free and you'll just have to cover any additional/living costs.
Duration
33 Weeks Part-time
Delivery
Online with block course(s)
Location
Multi-location
Career potential
Honey Producer, Independent Beekeeper, Medical Grade Manuka Honey Producer, Pollination Provider
Agriculture & Animal Healthcare
This programme will teach you how to rear queen bees for a commercial operation or to operate your own queen-rearing operation. You’ll be able to work independently or supervise others.
Duration
33 Weeks Part-time
Delivery
Online with block course(s)
Location
Multi-location
Career potential
Commercial Bee Operations, Independent Beekeeper, Queen-Rearing Operations
Study beekeeping for free
Take advantage of these qualifications being fully-funded in 2022.
Contact us
If you’re not sure what to study and would like some guidance, we’re here to help. Feel free to chat to us directly about any questions you may have.
