Calling All Beekeepers!

 
The Capital Area Beekeeper’s Corner serves mid-state Pennsylvania beekeepers in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York counties. Our purpose is to provide thorough, timely information to help improve the practice and quality of beekeeping throughout Central PA.

There are many beekeeping groups throughout south-central Pennsylvania. They invite new beekeepers to join them and benefit from the wealth of experience represented by their members, many of whom operate large-scale apiaries both private and commercial. Beginners and professionals alike benefit from these groups by sharing observations and experiences about bee activities. We encourage you to check back frequently to find a group and meeting or event closest to you.

How to Become a Beekeeper

If you’re looking to begin the hobby of beekeeping this is a great place to start! The Capital Area Beekeeper’s Corner hosts hundreds of pages and links to information on all aspects of beekeeping, for beginner and master alike. Our library of links helps answer common questions many soon-to-be beekeepers ask, like as where to buy bees, what tools and supplies are necessary for success, how to extract and bottle honey and much more. More seasoned beekeepers will find links to information on advanced techniques and methods.

We update the site regularly with dates, times and locations of beekeeping classes or other events held around the mid-state. Often sponsored by local clubs these early spring classes and seminars cover all aspects of beekeeping A to Z. Taught by experienced beekeepers, classes can feature presentations by scientists and researchers working and studying bee science and successful colony management strategies. If you know of an event not listed, please forward information about it to the email address shown in the lower right column.

After attending a class and finding a group, the next step is to find a mentor. A mentor is an experienced beekeeper who comes to your location and helps you “work the hive”, that is, learn more about the process of beekeeping. Mid-state bee groups offer new beekeepers an opportunity to learn from accomplished members. The aim of good beekeeping, of course, is to ensure apiary practices that lead to healthy, robust bee colonies producing the highest quality hive product. A mentor helps get you started which means you develop and benefit from the best method approach to raising honeybees. This fundamental support can make the difference between frustration and enjoyment in beekeeping.

Bees are susceptible to disease and pests just as we are, and knowing what to look for or how to treat problems is an important aspect of healthy beekeeping. All clubs listed, as a service to hobbyist beekeepers, offer hive visits. These visits, conducted by seasoned beekeepers, help new beekeepers assess the health of their colonies and are a great opportunity to learn best practices! This statewide practice helps all of us identify and react to threats early and reduce colony losses from disease and other factors.

The statewide organization Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association serves beekeepers in all 67 PA counties and provides information and techniques specific to our climate. The PSBA meets annually in Lewisburg Pa in late fall. We highly recommend you consider a membership.

Enjoy your stay and we’ll bee seeing you again soon!