The Mentor Scheme is usually run along the following lines:

A young person under the age of thirty, wishes to take up beekeeping.   During his/her first season the beginner (novice) would be given the loan of a National Hive and a nucleus of bees (a small colony which would occupy about half of the full hive.)  During this year an experienced beekeeper (adopting the role of mentor) would be assigned to assist the novice with manipulations and together watch the small colony develop into a full sized one, the novices knowledge and confidence growing all the time.

Then in his/her second season the novice would know whether they wished to remain a beekeeper or not.  They would then be expected to buy their own hive at this stage and return the loaned hive to the Association, while keeping the bees.  At a later date the novice would be expected to provide a nucleus of bees for the use of any new members to the mentor scheme.

The Mid-Antrim Beekeepers' Twist

In addition to the above we also operate a mentor scheme designed to wean more experienced members away from the old CDB (Congested District Board) Hives, to the now more common National Hive and help them to discover the benefits of this more portable alternative, essential to trouble free migratory beekeeping.