Farming
A course by
NMIT
Gain the skills and knowledge needed to rear queen bees for your own business or as part of a commercial operation in New Zealand's growing apiculture industry.
Blended study
This is a mix of online learning & face-to-face sessions
Available in 2 locations
It will take a total of 33 weeks
This course requires 15 hours per week

Describe the life cycle, anatomy, and reproduction processes of queen and drone bees.

Understand bee genetics in relation to bee breeding and explain the importance of breeding programmes for stock improvement.

Identify and assess characteristics of breeder queen bees for selection.
Designed at Level 4, this certificate prepares students to independently rear queen bees for commercial sale or to operate their own queen-rearing businesses. Students gain skills in bee biology, queen rearing and breeding, beehive management, disease control, and the business aspects of a queen bee rearing operation. The part-time programme features both online evening classes and monthly in-person workshops, combining theory with extensive practical experience.
What you need to know first
New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Level 3) or equivalent industry skills and knowledge

Apiculture
Agriculture
Animal Science

Queen bee rearer for commercial operations
Owner/operator of a queen-rearing business
Apiculture industry supervisor
Farming
A course by
NMIT
Gain the skills and knowledge needed to rear queen bees for your own business or as part of a commercial operation in New Zealand's growing apiculture industry.
Blended study
This is a mix of online learning & face-to-face sessions
Available in 2 locations
It will take a total of 33 weeks
This course requires 15 hours per week

Describe the life cycle, anatomy, and reproduction processes of queen and drone bees.

Understand bee genetics in relation to bee breeding and explain the importance of breeding programmes for stock improvement.

Identify and assess characteristics of breeder queen bees for selection.
Designed at Level 4, this certificate prepares students to independently rear queen bees for commercial sale or to operate their own queen-rearing businesses. Students gain skills in bee biology, queen rearing and breeding, beehive management, disease control, and the business aspects of a queen bee rearing operation. The part-time programme features both online evening classes and monthly in-person workshops, combining theory with extensive practical experience.
What you need to know first
New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Level 3) or equivalent industry skills and knowledge

Apiculture
Agriculture
Animal Science

Queen bee rearer for commercial operations
Owner/operator of a queen-rearing business
Apiculture industry supervisor
Completion of an industry-approved American Foulbrood recognition and destruction course before graduation
Completion of an industry-approved American Foulbrood recognition and destruction course before graduation