The practical skills every beekeeper needs.
£29
Knowing what to do in your hive is one thing. Actually doing it confidently and correctly is another. This module covers the core techniques that make the difference between managing your colonies well and just hoping for the best.
- 17 detailed video lessons on essential beekeeping techniques
- Step-by-step guidance on splits, merges, nuc making, and colony management
- Practical methods for handling common situations with confidence
Technique is everything in beekeeping. This module builds the practical foundation you’ll rely on for the rest of your beekeeping life.
This module is part of the The 14-Day Beekeeper (£149). Only buy this individual module if you’re specifically interested in this subject, without the context of the full course.
Why Buy This Module?
Reading about beekeeping and doing it are very different things. This module is about doing it.
- You’ll know how to split and merge colonies. These are the two fundamental management techniques in beekeeping. Get them right and you’ll control your colony numbers, manage swarming, and combine struggling colonies effectively.
- You’ll understand how space works in a hive. Too much space, too little space, when to add a super, when to take one off—this module explains the logic behind it all so you can make good decisions in the moment.
- You’ll handle common problems without panicking. Hopelessly queenless colonies, bees that need moving, a colony running on single brood when it shouldn’t be—this module walks you through the techniques to deal with each situation.
- You’ll get support. Got a question about a technique you’ve tried or need to try? Reach out. We’re here to help you work through it.
Module Lessons
This module covers 17 specific topics. Each lesson gives you practical, experience-based guidance you can apply straight away.
1. Introduction
An overview of the techniques covered in this module and why mastering these core skills makes every other aspect of beekeeping easier.
2. How To Install a Nuc
A complete, step-by-step guide to installing a nucleus colony into your hive—from timing and preparation to what to do in the days and weeks afterwards.
3. Never Leave Space In Your Beehive
Why unoccupied space in a hive creates problems—and how managing space correctly keeps your colony healthier and reduces pest risk.
4. Techniques – Single Brood vs Double Brood
The difference between running your colony on single or double brood—the pros, cons, and how to manage the transition between configurations.
5. Brood and a Half
What a brood-and-a-half setup is, when it’s used, and why Laurence has views on whether it’s actually a good idea.
6. When To Add A Queen Excluder and Super
The timing of adding a queen excluder and super is more nuanced than it first appears. Learn the signs that tell you the colony is ready and how to get the timing right.
7. Foundation Wall and Checkerboarding
Two techniques for encouraging bees to draw comb and fill supers more effectively. Learn when and how to use each approach.
8. How To Balance Beehives
Why balancing colonies across your apiary leads to better results—and the practical technique for redistributing brood and bees between hives.
9. How To Split A Beehive
Step-by-step guidance on making a split—one of the most useful tools in your management toolkit for swarm control and increasing colony numbers.
10. Techniques – Making a Split
A deeper look at splitting technique—different approaches for different situations and how to choose the right method for what you’re trying to achieve.
11. Techniques – Making a Nuc
How to make a nucleus colony from an existing hive—what frames to take, how to ensure success, and what to watch for in the weeks that follow.
12. Techniques – Merging Colonies
How to safely combine two colonies into one—including the newspaper method, when to merge, and what to do with the spare equipment afterwards.
13. Techniques – Hopelessly Queenless
What to do when a colony is hopelessly queenless and can’t resolve the situation itself. Learn the options available and how to act decisively.
14. Test For Queenlessness
How to confirm whether a colony is queenless without simply looking for the queen. A practical test that gives you a reliable answer quickly.
15. Moving A Beehive
The rules for moving a hive safely—the 3ft or 3 mile rule, how to prepare bees for transport, and how to minimise disruption when relocating a colony.
16. 3ft or 3 Mile Rule
Why you can’t just move a hive a short distance without consequences—and the practical approaches for relocating colonies within your apiary.
17. Why I Stopped Using 14 x 12
Laurence’s experience with 14×12 brood boxes—what he learned, why he moved away from them, and what it means for your equipment choices.
Part of the 14-Day Beekeeper
This Techniques module is one of 14 modules in the The 14-Day Beekeeper—our complete training program with 300+ video lessons, the Beekeeping Blueprint system, and 12 months of HiveQ membership.
If you’re new to beekeeping or just starting out, the complete course will serve you better. This module assumes you already understand basic hive knowledge, colony dynamics, and inspection techniques. Without that foundation, the management decisions covered here can be difficult to apply confidently.
The full course builds that knowledge step-by-step, so by the time you reach techniques, you’ll have everything you need to put it into practice.
What students say
Learn why beekeepers choose us.Learned so much
was watching your videos long before you started 14DBK. Your simple method of getting the information across and genuine love of beekeeping shines through. My wife and I have now finished the course but are still learning so much from the HiveQ community. The ability to return to relevant modules at any time is an absolute blessing.
All anyone needs to start beekeeping
14DBK – Bought when it first launched and it’s been invaluable. Books, although valuable, lack the ability to watch someone actually do what they teach. 14DBK and the youtube channels new direction to education is all anyone needs to start beekeeping.
A reference library
I loved this course, as a new beekeeper it has been very helpful and we certainly be a reference library going forward that I can go back to time and again, I can fully recommend this for newbies and experienced beekeepers
A wealth of knowledge
Purchased the 14 day beekeeping course for my mum for christmas. She loved it! And we are excited to be going into 2026 with a wealth of knowledge and understanding of bees that we didnt have before.
Why Learn From Laurence?
Laurence Edwards has been teaching beekeeping for over a decade. His YouTube channel has helped hundreds of thousands of people start beekeeping with confidence, and his Beekeeping Blueprint system helped him increase his own honey yields by 400%.
This isn’t theory from a textbook. It’s practical, tested advice from someone who keeps bees every single day and has made every mistake so you don’t have to.
