LAS1010 - Beekeeping and the Art of Honey Making

MQF Level

Duration and Credits

Semester 2

4 ECTS

Mode of Study

Part-Time Evening

Honeybees are a traditional part of the Maltese landscape. They are important pollinators of many horticultural crops and wild flora. Besides, honeybees are also important in the pollination of agricultural and horticultural crops and even though we have no quantification in economic terms, the figure must be high in relation to the local market inputs. Thus honeybees constitute an invaluable resource to the Maltese agricultural community and to the environment.

This Unit will provide the basic information required for anyone interested in setting up an apiculture industry and provide knowledge on how to keep bees, production of queens, knowing and recognising bee diseases and their control.

It will also provide a focus on how the honey bee collects nectar from the different floral sources present in the Maltese Islands and how these transformed in the three main types of honey: multifloral spring honey, wild thyme honey and autumn honey. It will provide basic information on honey extraction and honey handling and all properties associated with good honey.

Method of Assessment

Assessment Component/s

Weighting

Assignment

100%

Main Reading List

Cutajar, J.P. (1973) The life of the honeybee. Union Press Valletta, Malta. 52 pp. [in Maltese]
Hooper, T. (1997) Guide to bees and honey. 4th edition. Marston House. 272 pp.
Longo, S. (1990) L鈥檃rnia tradizionale maltese. Apicolt. Mod., 81: 147-150.
Longo, S. (1992) A soli 100 km dalla Sicilia conoscere l鈥檃picoltura a Malta. Apitalia, 19 (3/4): 19-22.
NSO (2004). Apiculture Census 鈥� Malta.
Priore, R. (1980) L鈥檃picoltura nell鈥檌sola di Creta. Natura e montagna, 4: 39-42.
Sheppard, W.S., Arias, M.C., Grech, A. & Meixner, M.D. (1997) Apis mellifera ruttneri, a new honey bee subspecies from Malta. Apidologie, 28: 287-29.

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This micro-credential is offered as part of the programme for the Liberal Arts and Sciences and will only be offered subject to a minimum number of applications received. More information can be found on the PLAS website.

Information for International applicants

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Learning Outcomes: Knowledge and Understanding

By the end of the Unit the student will be able to:

Understand the interactions between honeybees and the environment with special reference to pollination;
Appreciate all products that honeybees are able to produce such as honey, beeswax, propolis and pollen;
Understand better the work of honeybees both inside and out of the hive.

Learning Outcomes: Skills

By the end of the Unit the student will be able to:

Practise beekeeping;
Recognise bee diseases and would have enough basic knowledge on how to manage them;
Have relevant experience in queen making;
Produce good quality honey.

Non EU Applicants:

EUR180

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Micro-credentials offer the possibility of providing flexible learning pathways to respond to evolving needs and new developments, thus enabling students to tailor their studies to their needs. Micro-credentials may be combined or transferred into larger credentials, such as certificates, diplomas and degrees, provided that the relevant programme requirements are met. Applicants wishing to transfer micro-credentials to a programme of study are encouraged to seek the advice of the relevant academic entity.

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