The purpose of the Stony Kill Foundation Beekeepers Association is to learn to recognize the broad spectrum of the apiary experience by becoming a beekeeper. Regardless of your level of expertise, the goal of this group is to share apiary experiences and knowledge while mentoring or supporting each other. Topics include the anatomy, biology, and life cycle of the honeybee; different types of honeybees; disease recognition, both gross and microscopic; treatments; bee hardware construction and use; beekeeping tools such as the hive tool and smoker; pollen production and other products of the hive; apiary setup; how to obtain bees, both swarms and purchased packages, as well as installing them in the hives; creating a “beekeepers calendar”; feeding honeybees; inspection; bee lining to locate wild bees; collection, extraction, processing, and bottling honey; and, most important, gaining confidence, inner calm, and a deep appreciation of Apis mellifera, the honeybee.

The Bee Association meets monthly from February to November, offering members the opportunity to attend working meetings and guest lectures. Since we are working around the bee’s schedule, working meetings may take place on Saturdays and are generally held in the SKF Bee Yard located outside the Manor House. Protective suits are encouraged for working meetings. Once the weather warms up, we’ll plan to meet outdoors at the picnic tables as much as possible. For meetings that are held in our Learning Center, we will offer a Zoom meeting option for those who would prefer to join us virtually. To join, become a member of the Stony Kill Foundation and indicate that you are interested in joining the beekeeping program. Membership includes attendance to all SKF Beekeepers Association meetings and use of the extractor once a year ($20 each additional use). For non-members, there is a drop-in rate of $10 per meeting. Visit our Beekeepers Association Facebook page for more info.

2022 Bee Association Meeting Schedule