Here's a quick guide to finding your local beekeeper's association. They can help you remove bee swarms from your property and help educate you about bees!
Recently, someone asked me for help with finding local beekeepers in her area. She wanted a source of local honey but was also interested in tending bees in her backyard. She just didn’t know where to begin with the equipment, climate, local laws, and everything else! I directed her to our local beekeepers association, the Buncombe County Beekeepers Chapter.
Local Beekeeping Associations
Beekeeping associations are a community of like-minded people who tend to bees in the same geographic area. In the United States, they are usually grouped by county.
If you have found a swarm or need other time-sensitive help, find your local beekeepers! The best way to find beekeeper meetings near you is to visit your favorite search engine and type in your zip code, county name, or city name and the phrase “beekeepers association” in the search bar.
The best way to find your local beekeepers is to visit your favorite search engine and type in your zip code, county name, or city name and the phrase “beekeepers association” in the search bar.
That search should guide you to a group of people who are enthusiastic and willing to help you, and who live in your neck of the woods! That was how I found a beekeepers association in Charlottesville, Virginia years ago, when I first decided to learn all about bees and honey.
Most beekeeper associations offer classes that give you information about bees, hives, their maintenance, and all sorts of beekeeping knowledge. I learned so much more in a single face-to-face class with people who had real hands-on experience than I had in the hours and hours of researching alone on the internet!
Local beekeeper associations are invaluable because it gives you mentors who can come and look at your hives with you. Also, the knowledge about tending bees that is specific to your area is incredibly helpful. For example, do you know what is blooming and when? What are the native predators and threats to your hives? If you’re in Western North Carolina like me, you need to know when the dearths and flows will hit your bees! Honey & the Hive has a great list of our local bee meetings across WNC.
Many beekeeper associations also work cooperatively to purchase larger, more expensive supplies like honey extractors that the members can take turns using. Some also go in together to order their bees and equipment to save on shipping and convenience fees.
I want honey, not bees!
Even if you don’t want to keep your bees, you can reach out to your local beekeepers and find sources to buy local honey in bulk! There are also other options, for example, I found a website called “Local Honey Finder” that might help, too.
I also asked a few friends about how they found their local beekeepers, and here’s what they said:
Carol J. Alexander (author of Homestead Cooking with Carol – Bountiful make-ahead Meals) suggested that you could reach out to your County Extension office or visit your farmers market.
Angi Schneider of SchneiderPeeps.com is tapped into her bee community – her son is a beekeeper who does bee removals! She says, “The vast majority of my son’s business comes from either word of mouth or our county extension office. Occasionally, from the feed store.”
Kelly Bisciotti (MusingsofaModernHippie.com) did a Google search for local beekeepers and came upon her local beekeeper’s association website, as I suggested above. See? It works!
Homestead Lady has a post called “How to Prepare for Beekeeping” if you are ready to start making equipment lists and jumping on board with backyard hives!
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Posted In Ask A Pixie, Bees, Blog, NC
Tagged: asheville, Ask A Pixie!, bee city usa, beekeeping, bees, farm market, honey, links, local, networking
Amber Shehan
Hi! I'm Amber Pixie, and this is my site. Enjoy the recipes, information, posts, and please feel free to message me if you have questions!
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My wife and I live in the Ypsilanti area. Recently we discovered a bee hive on our home and we didn’t know when it started. My wife is very nervous and I’m trying to find out how can we get rid of it.
I don’t know if whey are Wasp, or honey, or any other breed, it’s a large nest so how can we get rid of them? Help please!
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I may have a developi honey hive in my bird box but would like bee keepers opinion i would glady give to a genuine bee keeper with the understanding that the hive has the chance to develop before removing i do not have any fear of honey bees when not disturbed they generally dont sting anyone interested please message me thank you
Good luck to you! If you haven’t yet, you might want to do a google search for “local beekeeper” and your zip code to find someone to get the swarm.
I have bees make a hive in my trees stump. They are from a neighbours hive and I would like them to return them to it.
Hi Claire! Have you checked with your neighbor to see if they can come and get the swarm? They might be able to give it a new hive and it’s a win-win for everyone!
I have bees in my Little house. Don’t want the honey but need the bees removed do you know someone that can help me I live in Miami 33176 phone number
7863629597
This is John Bethel on Marco Island Florida. I have a honey Bee nest, at least 100 bees, under an overhang of my house. During recent remodel extended exterior stucco wall to the ground for 2 foot overhang and two feet high. Bees dug under wall and are now a danger to our little dog.
I would like to save the bees and remove them. Any ideas how to find a bee keeper.
Do a google search for your zip code and the phrase “beekeepers association” – for example, I found these folks who might be able to help! https://www.yellowpages.com/marco-island-fl/beekeepers
Let’s love bees
I live in Riverhead. I have bees living under my front stoop and they are now entering my basement. Is there a local apiarist who can help remediate this problem? I would really prefer to relocate the hive as opposed to killing it.
Robert, just do a google search for your zip code and the phrase “beekeeper association” to find folks near you who can help! Good luck!
Soo, excited to be entering into this new beekeeping world! I grew up with a neighbor who has several beehives, and we had a hive that lived in a big oak tree! I shall never forget the sound of the humming oh, and the beautiful flowers my dad grew as a next door neighbor just made life beautiful! I love to BEE, A BEEKEEPER!
Hurray! I hope to get some hives set up soon – something’s gotten in my way doing it every year! 🙂
I have detected a very active swam of either bees or other insects entering into my wall cavity. I can see the entry point . And can hear constantly their clicking sound .
Now if they are bees I don’t them killed by a pest control company.
Hi,
I live in Pasadena, Ca and recently have noticed bees near my front door usually at night so I assume they are sleeping or resting. I encourage neighbors, friends and family to not bother them – usually they are gone by the morning. This morning several bees were found scattered around dead. This is truly a tragedy because bees are essential to our environment. Can anyone tell me why this is happening?
Bees in the garden bin
I am going to by land and I would love to have a bee keeper keep his bees on my land