Welcome to the Kalamazoo Bee Club
We are here for the purpose of educating people about beekeeping, supporting beekeepers, and to provide bee-related services to the greater Kalamazoo area community. The Kalamazoo Bee Club is an open club—anyone can be a member and no membership fee or dues are collected. We provide education through monthly programs (generally in the form of an educational presentation), field days during the non-winter months at the club apiary, and our annual Bee School.
Club Field Day:
Sunday, September 11 @ 1:00
There will be a field day at the Kalamazoo Bee Club’s apiary (weather permitting) at the Colony Farm Orchard on Drake Road. This is a great way to get some hands-on experience with the club hives and also a wonderful opportunity to get your questions answered! We will be doing sugar roll tests on the hive to monitor mite loads. We will also be harvesting honey as well, and deciding on what mite treatments we will be needing.
Open to the public! Information and directions can be found on the Field Days page!
Wednesday, September 14, 2016, at 6:30 p.m
Kalamazoo Nature Center
7000 North Westnedge Ave., Kalamazoo (map)
Stephen Repasky
Urban Beekeeping
& Community Apiaries
Stephen Repasky is a second-generation beekeeper from Pittsburgh, PA. He is a certified Master Beekeeper through the Eastern Apicultural Society and is also the current president of Burgh Bees, 1st vice-president of the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association and a member of the Board of Directors for the American Beekeeping Federation. He is also an active member of the Keystone Queen Breeders Cooperative and is a member of the Penn State Center for Pollinator Research Advisory Board and the Pennsylvania State Apiary Advisory Board. Stephen keeps around 100 colonies and is involved in honey production, queen-rearing and the selling of nucleus hives each summer to those interested in starting or expanding their own beekeeping adventure! He had his first book published by Wicwas Press in 2014 entitled ” Swarm Essentials” and can be seen teaching beekeeping classes in the Pittsburgh area or presenting lectures on a variety of beekeeping topics at local clubs and many regional and national conferences around the United States.
Community Apiaries
Based on the idea of community gardens, a community apiary gives opportunities to those who aren’t ready to dive into beekeeping and those who do not have space or ideal conditions for honey bees to take part in the fast growing hobby! Steve will discuss the idea of a community apiary and the challenges that go along with operating one in your own community.
Urban Beekeeping
Recent studies show that urban hives can be healthier than rural hives – but is that really the case? Steve will discuss pros and cons of urban beekeeping along with ideas and tricks to make urban beekeeping easier and profitable!