Keeping Honey Bees in the City

Many people think you need to be on a farm or in the country to keep honey bees.
THAT’S NOT TRUE!
All you need is a lot 50′ x 100′ and some basic knowledge and you can be harvesting fresh, pure honey, bees wax, pollen for your family, and friends or sell your excess honey as a part-time business.
No prior experience or “Bee” knowledge is necessary.

Class Dates: August 2, 2025 (Saturday)
Class Length: 1 day (9 AM – 5 PM)
Price: $125
Class Location: 1721 E. Sprague Rd., Seven Hills, Ohio 44131 (10 miles south of Cleveland, Ohio)

Class Description
An 8 hour fully inclusive, hands-on program

Urban beekeeping is easier—and more rewarding—than most people imagine. Keeping Honey Bees in the City is a lively 1.5-hour p

rogram designed to show how honey bees can thrive in backyards, community gardens, rooftops, and small urban spaces while benefiting both people and pollinators.

Participants are introduced to all the essential equipment needed to get started, including hive styles commonly used in cities, protective gear, smokers, hive tools, feeders, and basic extraction equipment. Each item is clearly explained—what it does, why it’s needed, and which pieces are truly essential versus optional upgrades—making beekeeping approachable for beginners and apartme

nt or small-lot residents.

The program also walks through the tools and supplies used throughout the season, from installing bees and managing comb to

 monitoring health and preparing for winter. Emphasis is placed on bee-friendly, city-appropriate practices, local regulations, and how bees forage safely and successfully in urban landscapes.

A highlight of the session is a month-by-month calendar of events in a typical apiary year, showing what beekeepers do—and

 what the bees do—through the seasons:

• • Spring: Hive setup, colony growth, and early nectar flows

• Summer: Honey production, routine inspections, and swarm prevention

• Fall: Honey harvest, beeswax recovery, and winter preparation

• Winter: Minimal maintenance to support and plan for the next season

Participants will also learn about the valuable products that come from a healthy hive, including:

• Honey for food and gifts

• Beeswax for candles, salves, and crafts

• Propolis for traditional medicinal and wellness uses

• Increased pollination, resulting in healthier gardens, higher yields, and more vibrant urban green spaces

This program is ideal for beginners, gardeners, educators, and anyone curious about pollinators. By the end, attendees will understand just how manageable urban beekeeping can be—and how a small hive can make a big difference in the city. 🐝

Topics to be covered are:

• What equipment to get, where to get it, and how to use it
• Why keep bees?
• Bees and the history of beekeeping
• How bees make honey
• Parts of a bee hive
• Tools and clothing  (hands-on)
• Building a hive
• Putting together honey frames
• Placement of a hive
• How to ordering bees
• Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter Management
• Setting up a colony
• How to handle bees without fear of being stung
• The effect of weather
• How to take honey off the hive (harvesting your honey)
• Judging honey quality
• Selling your honey
• Preventing swarms
• Pests and Diseases of the honey bee (and what to do about them)
• How to get maximum honey production
• Moving and combining hives
• Releasing a Queen Catching and installing a swarm (Free Bees!) We will use various demonstrations and hands-on activities as well as video tapes and a text book (purchase optional) to insure that this will be a comprehensive class. Our object is to give you the knowledge and confidence to start and manage your own apiary (bee colony). At the conclusion of the class, all you will need to do is to place 2 phone calls – one to order your bees and the second to order a hive and accessories (we will provide you with a list).