Backyard Beekeeping

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.

This class is tailored to urban beekeeping in the San Francisco Bay Area climate, especially the East Bay. However, if you plan to keep bees somewhere else, you will still learn a lot in this class, as most applies to urban beekeeping everywhere.

We recommend that if you do get bees, that you also take our Hive Inspection class in April/May and Year Round Varroa Mite Management class in May/June.  

Note: The time to get bees is April and May. It's great to take the fall/winter to look over your yard for a sunny place to put them and prepare for their arrival.

You will get video and audio recordings of the class.

Instructor: Jennifer Radtke has been keeping bees in her backyard for 17+ years, and has developed the beekeeping education program at the BioFuel Oasis. She was vice-president of the Alameda Co Beekeeping Association for 3 years. She has a yearly bee mentorship program through her business Learn from the Bees. She's kept bees in Oakland, Berkeley, Orinda, Piedmont, El Sobrante, and Minnesota.