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 two more classes: Hive Inspection and Year Round Varroa Mite Management.  

Instructor: Jennifer Radtke has been keeping bees in her backyard for 14 years, and has developed the beekeeping education program at the Oasis. She is former vice-president of the Alameda Co Beekeeping Association.