Interested in keeping bees?  We want to help!  We are providing equipment and training to five Berea households this summer.  More bees mean better pollination for our gardens and fruit trees, and the production of tasty local honey! 

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We will provide the following:

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• Complete top bar hive

• Bee suit

• Smoker

• Hive tool

• Book on beekeeping

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We work with the top bar hive, which is different from the more commonly used Langstroth hive. For an excellent introduction to beekeeping with top bar hives, we suggest you watch this video, Les Crowder is the author of the book we use.

 

What do you have to do?

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• Have a suitable backyard in Berea

A good location for a hive has an east or south exposure, and full sun from early morning until mid-afternoon (late afternoon shade is helpful in the summer). Not too close to neighbors or high traffic areas, but not so far away that you won’t visit it regularly.

 

• Attend 3 free, half-day classes on beginning beekeeping (Saturday April 11, April 25, May 2)

Classes start at 1pm and are held at the Berea Urban Farm. Weather permitting, classes include both lecture/slide show and hands-on work with the BUF hives.

 

• Pay for your bees

We will do a joint order, so you don’t have to worry about that, but you do have to pay $150 for the bees for your hive.