Honeybees are a joy to keep in the backyard simply for their buzzing presence and, on hot days, the smell of honey, wafting through the air within ten feet of the hive. They increase pollination in your yard and therefore increase your yields from fruit trees and vegetables. You may also harvest honey from the hive. Learn what you need to know to feel ready to have a Langstroth backyard beehive – how to get bees, what equipment you need, where to put the hive, what the bees need, and what you need to learn/do to keep your bees healthy. There will be local honey to try!

We recommend that if you do get bees, that you also take our hive inspection class and year round varroa mite management.  

Instructor: Brenda McCormick has been keeping bees for several years on the East Coast and in the Bay Area. She is an active member of the East Bay beekeeping community.