Beekeeping
Pennsylvania has a long history with beekeeping, and anyone with an apiary in the state has to be registered. If you’re new to beekeeping, Penn State Extension has all the information you need to get started. Learn beekeeping basics such as how to raise honey bees, queen bee rearing advice, beekeeping cell builder basics, and best management practices for bee health.
How to Start Beekeeping
Before you buy your first hive, there are lots of things to consider for anyone thinking about starting beekeeping. It helps learn about bee biology and behavior, hive management, equipment, and bee products, and you’ll be better prepared.
As well as growing your own vegetables and raising chickens in your backyard, beekeeping is an excellent way to be more self-sufficient. There is also a huge industry around beekeeping, and honey bees are the most widely used and dependable pollinators.
One of the most important individuals in any bee colony is the queen honey bee. Numerous methods can be used to produce queen honey bees such as grafting using a cell builder or starter. However, if you’re about to start a new colony or renovate an existing one, you can also install packaged bees.
Beekeeping Basics: How to Raise Honeybees
Interest in hobby beekeeping is hot, but to become a successful beekeeper, it’s crucial you learn about honey bee biology, how to manage bee colonies, and other beekeeping basics. For horticultural professionals, there are Best Management Practices for Bee Health to follow, and these are just as relevant for hobbyist beekeepers as well.
A key part of beekeeping is raising and working with the queen. She is the most important individual in any productive hive.
Honey bees can suffer from a range of different maladies, and you need to be able to recognize and treat them. Environmental stressors can have a big impact on the health of your bees, as can honey bee parasites, pests, and predators. Varroa mite, for example, can weaken the bee immune system. However, feral honey bees are thought to have naturally developed mechanisms to deal with these mites. Honey bees can also be infected with a host of different viruses and bacterial diseases such as American Foulbrood.
- Webinars
Free
Plant and Pollinator Protection Act: How a Bill Becomes a Law
When Watch NowLength 1 hourRecorded May 28, 2024Event Format On-Demand | RecordedJoin this webinar to discover how Senator Carolyn Comitta's Plant and Pollinator Protection Act (SB 1198) progresses through the legislative process and what it means for beekeepers and pollinators. - Online Courses
$139.00
Beekeeping 102: Organic Honey Bee Colony Management
Sections 6Length 5 hoursLearn organic colony management practices like managing Varroa mites and other pests with IPM methods, and to keep honey bees healthy without hard chemicals. - Webinars
Free
BeeCheck: A Communication Tool to Keep Your Bees Safe
When Watch NowLength 1 hourRecorded May 14, 2024Event Format On-Demand | RecordedLearn more about BeeCheck, including how to register and what to expect from this platform. - Articles
Virus en abejas de miel
Las abejas de miel pueden ser infectadas por una gran variedad de virus. Sin embargo, si la colonia está en buen estado de salud y no experimenta estrés crónico, la mayoría de estas infecciones virales no son problemáticas. - Articles
Manejo de abejas de miel a través de las estaciones
En Pensilvania, el estilo de vida de las colonias de abejas melíferas está estrechamente relacionado con las estaciones debido a la alta variabilidad en la disponibilidad de plantas, temperatura, y precipitación. - Articles
Apicultura, ¿cómo empezar?
La apicultura es una actividad nueva y apasionante para muchas personas. - Articles
An Introduction to Honey Bee Breeding Program Design
Honey bee breeding is a long-term, labor-intensive process that is becoming more popular and accessible. - Articles
Spotted Lanternflies and Beekeeping
The spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula, is an introduced plant hopper from China that is rapidly expanding its range in the United States. - Articles
Alcohol Wash for Varroa Mite Monitoring
An alcohol wash is the best method for monitoring Varroa mite populations in honey bee colonies. - Articles
Honey Bee Management Throughout the Seasons
The honey bee colony lifestyle is closely linked to the seasons when the availability of flowering plants, temperature, and precipitation vary dramatically. - Articles
An Organic Management System for Honey Bees
Outlines the practices, treatments, and steps for managing honey bees using an organic management system. - Articles
Enfermedades de la Abeja de Miel: Loque Americana
La loque americana únicamente afecta a las larvas de la abeja de miel, debilita a la colonial y provocando rápidamente su muerte. - Articles
Métodos para el control de Varroa destructor: un enfoque de manejo integrado de plagas
El parásito Varroa destructor (Figura 1) es actualmente la plaga más importante de la abeja de miel occidental (Apis mellifera). - Articles
Queen Cell Production: Grafting and Graft-Free Methods
Queen production allows beekeepers greater autonomy and independence, enabling individuals to better meet the goals of honey production, pollination, colony production, and genetic selection. - Webinars
Free
Pollinator Series: Queen Bee Rearing Basics
When Watch NowRecorded Jun 17, 2020Event Format On-Demand | RecordedJoin us for this live webinar to learn all about queen bee rearing! - Webinars
Free
Pollinator Series: Mason Bee Management for Orchard Pollination
When Watch NowRecorded Jul 1, 2020Event Format On-Demand | RecordedThis webinar will introduce you to the mason bee life cycle, and provide instruction on where, when, and how to manage them sustainably and responsibly. - Webinars
Free
Pollinator Series: Bee Biodiversity in Pennsylvania
When Watch NowRecorded Jul 15, 2020Event Format On-Demand | RecordedThis webinar is all about Pennslvania bees and open to gardeners, farmers, and bee-enthusiasts. - Articles
Beekeeping: Cell Builder Basics
Honey bee colony behavior is dynamic and extremely adaptable, which allows for easy manipulation and management of these amazing social insects. - Videos
Colony Division: An Easy Method to Split a Colony
Length 12:24This short 2-part video provides an overview of colony reproduction and illustrates a simple step-by-step method for dividing or splitting a colony. - Articles
Viruses in Honey Bees
Honey bees are infected with many different kinds of viruses. However, most virus infections are not problematic, if the honey bee colony is healthy and does not experience chronic stress. - Articles
An Introduction to Queen Honey Bee Development
The queen is the most important individual in a colony. She is the only bee capable of producing workers and tens of thousands of workers are required for strong colonies. - Articles
Honey Bee Diseases: American Foulbrood
American foulbrood only attacks honey bee larvae, weakening the colony and quickly leading to its death. - Articles
Methods to Control Varroa Mites: An Integrated Pest Management Approach
Varroa mites (Varroa destructor), are the most influential of all of the pests and diseases of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) today. - Articles
Tracking the Health of Feral Honey Bees in Pennsylvania
Dr. Margarita M. López-Uribe is leading a project to map feral bees and analyze their immune systems. If you are aware of an unmanaged honeybee colony, please let us know.