There are more than 35,000 beekeepers in the UK

The course has been running for 12 years but this year staff at Llysfasi College have had to turn people away.

Course lecturer Wyn Jones has 25 bee hives in the garden of his home in Ruthin, he said people are looking for more unusual hobbies.

"We're into eating everything healthily now and people are looking for new hobbies," he said.

Honey

"If bees didn't sting, everybody in the country would keep bees.

"I started bee keeping when I was in college and it was part of the national curriculum.

"I produce honey and beeswax, there are a multiple of products you can use from keeping bees and then we sell it on."

Bees have been around for millions of years - they were fully developed in their present form long before modern mammals had evolved.

Students will learn how to keep bees

Honeybees are the most important producers of honey.

They gather nectar from flowers and plants and carry it to the hive or nest.

Other worker bees then take over, preparing it for storing by adding enzymes.

Once the bees have collected the pollen and nectar, they process and store honey in honey combs in the beehive.

Enrol

There are more than 35,000 bee keepers throughout the UK.

A spokesman for Llysfasi College said a few years ago staff had struggled to find people wanting to enrol on the course.

This year's intake is 13 and others have been turned away because of a lack of spaces.

The course will run for three weekends and teach fledgling beekeepers what equipment they will need to start off.

Pupils will go to an apiary on Saturday to see and handle the bees.