Think You Want To Keep Bees?

Have you heard about the decline of bees and beekeeping? Did you experience a crop failure? Are you noticing less bees in your gardens? Do you want to live more sustainably or grow more of your own food? Whether you are environmentally motivated, hungry for honey or short on pollination, beekeeping may well be for you!

A honeybee carrying pollen flies to a white blossom

Your path

Four steps from curious to keeping bees.

Step 1: Learn
Not ready to keep bees yet? Start by learning more about them.
Where to get information
Step 2: Take a class
Nothing replaces the classroom experience. Classes run through most of the year, with few in summer.
Find a class
Step 3: Join a club
Clubs offer speakers, workshops and mentoring. Many lend extractors, too.
Find a local bee club
Step 4: Get bees
When you are ready, find nucs, packages and queens from the sellers CSBA lists.
Where to get bees

A letter to new beekeepers

The CSBA, and its regional affiliates, offer a variety of services for new beekeepers–from classes to discounts on woodenware and package bees to ongoing training and mentoring. Many Clubs have extractors for lending or honey houses to process in, too.

I do not know why anyone would keep bees without being a member of a regional association or, if there are none in your area, without being a member of the CSBA. There is so much information that you receive with your nominal membership fees. The camaraderie and sheer wealth of knowledge contained within any of the associations is amazing! The Associations actively provide speakers and workshops on pertinent topics throughout the beekeeping year. Look at the CSBA calendar for what is available in your area.

Perhaps you are not ready to keep bees and are just interested in learning more about them. TAKE A CLASS! There are a TON of classes available throughout most of the year for the curious. (There are few classes available in the summer as it is prime bee season.) Look here for class offerings that are vetted to feed into the Master Beekeeping Program, or connect with your local beekeeping club to see what more your area has to offer!

Perhaps you are genuinely committed to keeping bees, TAKE A CLASS! Even if you have read books and informational articles, nothing replaces the classroom experience. JOIN AN ASSOCIATION if one is near you! Beekeepers are a chatty group and they will provide you with a slew of alternatives to handling any problems which may occur.

Welcome to the fun, entertaining and educational world of beekeeping. We hope you join. We hope you stay joined. We are committed to making beekeeping another enjoyable pastime for you.

Sincerely,
Ed Colby
CSBA president 2016-2020