Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild...Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild Education Opportunities Two Hour Introduction to Beekeeping @ Awbury Arboretum Presented twice: April 7 and October 6,

[ Founded in 2009 ]

Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild

P R O G R A M S 2 0 1 8

www.phillybeekeepers.org

8th AnnuAl Natural Beekeeping Symposium

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p r e s e n t s

s At u r d Ay, f e b r u A ry 10, 2018

t h e f r A n k l i n i n s t i t u t e


Cover Photo © Addison Geary

P R O G R A M O F E V E N T S

PEPPER HALL - 3rd FLOOR

8:00 – 9:00 Registration and Vendors Open

THE FRANKLIN THEATER - 1st FLOOR

9:00 – 9:15 Opening remarks

9:15 – 10:45 Dr. Thomas Seeley - Honeybees in the Wild

10:45 – 11:00 Break

11:00 – 12:30 Dr. Leo Sharashkin - Natural Beekeeping That Works

PEPPER HALL - 3rd FLOOR

12:30 – 2:00 Lunch Break & Vendors Open

1:30 – 2:00 Ms. Karen Roccasecca - PA State Apiarist

THE FRANKLIN THEATER - 1st FLOOR

2:00 – 3:00 Dr. Thomas Seeley - Darwinian Beekeeping

3:00 – 4:00 Dr. Leo Sharkashkin - Selling Honey for $20/Pound

4:00 – 4:15 Break

4:15 – 5:15 Question and Answer 5:15 – 5:45 Closing Remarks and Rafflee

Thanks to the Philadelphia Waldorf School for sponsoring the 2018 Natural Beekeeping Symposium.


O u r M i s s i O n :The Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild works to encourage and promote urban beekeeping through fellowship and education, and to raise awareness of the importance of bees to our environment.

Provide Education: Annual Natural Beekeeping Symposium Beekeeping Classes Philadelphia Honey Festival Speakers Programs

Raise Awareness through:

Participation in community events Encourage Fellowship at: Monthly Meetings Mentoring new beekeepers Summer Solstice Picnic Winter Solstice Gathering

Support pollinator health and sustainable beekeeping by:

l Developing a consistent supply of locally adapted nucleus hives for members

l Working with horticultural groups to plant trees that provide good forage for honeybees and native pollinators

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© Addison Geary© Addison Geary

© Addison Geary

DISCOVERPHILADELPHIA’SRIVER GARDEN


Philadelphia Honey Festival

September 7, 8, 9, 2018The mission of the Philadelphia Honey Festival is to educate the public and

increase awareness of the importance of bees to our environment, the impact of

local honey on our economy, and to promote urban beekeeping and gardening for all.

The 3-day festival offers free family fun at three historic locations throughout

the city. We will kick off our festival on Friday evening at Glen Foerd

on the Delaware in NE Philly. Saturday, the Honey Festival continues

at the Historic Wyck House and Garden in Germantown.

The 9th Annual Honey Festival concludes on Sunday

at Bartram’s Garden in West Philadelphia.

Details can be found at https://phillyhoneyfest.com

The Honey Festival offers the chance to experience open hive demonstrations,

honey extractions, honey tastings and sales , a stunningly alive bee-bearding

demonstration and a sweet lineup of children’s activities.

The Guild partners with

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Grounds open dawn to dusk. For tour hours or a listing of events, visit our website or like us on Facebook!

Glen Foerd is a Fairmount Park Property operated by Glen Foerd Conservation Corporation in cooperation with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation.

www.glenfoerd.org 5001 Grant Avenue, Phila, Pa 215-632-5330

Glen Foerd on the Delaware RIVERFRONT ESTATE & MUSEUM

Historic mansion, breathtaking river views, and events throughout the year. So much to experience at Glen Foerd!

www.phillybeekeepers.org 5

The Guild participates in a wide range of community events related to food, science, agriculture, and just plain old fun. These are some of our favorites from the last few years. Look for us this year too.

The Philly Farm & Food Fest - A huge one day marketplace of local deliciousness with proceeds to benefit Fair Food whose work supports local farms. Date to be announced. Proceeds benefit Fair Food and whose work supports local farms and food. http://phillyfarmfest.org

Saul Agricultural High School Country Fair 2018 - Saul Agricultural High School. Date forthcoming.

The Philadelphia Science Festival - a nine-day, community-wide celebration of science featuring lectures, debates, hands-on activities, and more. April 20-28, 2018 http://www.philasciencefestival.org

Chestnut Hill Home and Garden Show - Sunday, May 8, 2018 from 11am-5pm Germantown Avenue. https://chestnuthillpa.com

Harvest on Henry - Farming in Philadelphia? You bet! Weavers Way Coop and Saul High School present the Harvest on Henry Farm Festival at the Henry Got Crops Farm in Roxborogh. 2018 date TBA.

The Awbury Arboretum Fall Festival - The Harvest Fest is Saturday, October 13, 2018. www.awbury.org

Community Events:

City Wide Events:

Philadelphia Honey Festival – Preview Events (Sneak a Peek at What’s Planned for September! Join us at these summer events!)

Wyck House and Garden – Celebration of the Roses – Saturday May 26th ,

Bartram’s Garden – River Festival – June/July

Strawberry Mansion – Strawberry Festival – June

Glen Foerd on the Delaware – Jazz Age - July

© Addison Geary


Education OpportunitiesTwo Hour Introduction to Beekeeping @ Awbury Arboretum Presented twice: April 7 and October 6, 2018 from Noon-2pm

If you are thinking about starting a backyard beehive then this is a great overview class for you! Experienced and successful Guild Members will share their experiences as apiarists. they will review a beekeeper’s typical first year and share local resources available. The class is designed for beginners.

Registration and details will be posted on phillybeekeepers.org and awbury.org

March 3, 2018Day-long classroom instruction for new beekeepers on March 4PLUS hands-on Field Days May 19 and July 21

Part 1: A six hour classroom experience covering: bee biology, equipment, hive set-up, where and how to obtain your first bees, and hive management.

Part 2: Three hours in the classroom / three hours hands-on in an apiary will cover recognizing common pests & disease, integrated pest management, and natural beekeeping approaches.

Part 3: Three hours in the classroom / three hours hands-on in an apiary will explain how to “Read” the frames , make management decisions including Splitting, Replacing Queens, and Winterizing your hives.

Register at Event brite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/getting-started-with-honey-bees-3-day-course-2018-meets-3-saturdays-tickets-40985130629?aff=es2

Mentoring/Networking

Guild meetings begin with 30 minutes devoted to answering questions for new beekeepers, open hive talks for all, and networking for established beekeepers. New beekeepers are matched with mentors during the short course.

Details on all opportunities can be found:www.phillybeekeepers.org

2018 Education Programs

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Getting Started with Honey Bees - 3 Day Short Course @ St. James School

© Addison Geary


Save The Dates2018 Guild Meetings And Events

Mark Your Calendars

January 19

February 10 – Saturday, Symposium

March 15

April 19

May 17

June 23 – Saturday- Picnic

July 19

August 16

September 7,8, 9 - Honey Festival Speakers

October 18

November 15

December 8 – Saturday – Pot luck

All general meetings begin @7:00pm @ St. James School in East Falls, the 3rd Thursday of each month except as noted:

Read About Bees!There are many great books about bees and beekeeping. A short list includes:

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Beekeeping by Dean Stiglitz/Laurie Herboldtsheimer- How to start beekeeping in a treatment-free way; easy reading.

Beekeeping for Dummies by Howland Blakiston – Traditional beekeeping reference book; easy reading & lots of information.

Langstroth’s Hive and the Honey-Bee by L. L. Langstroth

– The classic beekeepers manual written by the inventor of the “modern” hive in 1859 or so.

Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper by C. Marina Marchese

– Organized differently than the standard teaching texts; pleasure reading that’s instruc-tive. Good for people who are just enamored with the idea of beekeeping and want to support beekeepers but probably won’t ever keep bees themselves.

The Backyard Beekeeper by Kim Flottum

– An absolute beginners guide to keeping bees in your yard and garden.

Natural Beekeeping by Ross Conrad – Organic approaches to modern apiculture.

Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild10

The guild is grateful for the participation of these groups in our Guild Brochure. We look forward to continuing to build rewarding partnerships.

Bees and Trees:

The most important factor in the survival of honeybees and native pollinators is a robust and reliable food supply. And the most important sources of food for all polli-nators is not flowers but trees. Unfortunately , the amount of forage providing nectar and pollen for the honey bee nationally is dwindling due to habitat loss and modern agricultural practices.

The Guild is embarking on work to educate its members and the public about which trees and shrubs are most important to pollinators. We are working to estab-lish partnerships with existing public, private and non-profit groups who are already doing great work making Philadelphia a green tree city!

Everyone can help feed honeybees when they plant a tree! Choosing the right tree is the trick! There are pros and cons to all potential selections. Here are some considerations:

1. Cost- What are you capable of spending? Remember, Tree Philly provides FREE trees and some trees you can get from seeds and cuttings every year!

2. Effect of Global Warming- Will the tree you select grow well here 20 years from now? What trees from down south might do well here?

3. Nectar and Pollen Production- Not all trees and shrubs produce nectar/pollen honeybees like! And some trees do not need bees to pollinate them (the wind does it).

4. Size-Are you planning a street tree under electrical lines or a yard tree with no height restrictions? Shrubs are a great alternative in small spaces and backyards.

5. Tree Maintenance – Some trees generate more leaves and debris than others. What will you and your landscape support?

Building Partnerships with Local Horticulture Groups

Get Beekdaddy

If you can!


What can you do?Plant a tree! This list can be a starting point for your discussion with a landscaper. Complete detailed information is available on the Guild’s website. http://phillybeekeepers.org(Approximate bloom times and heights are listed.)

Street Trees - Tall l Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) Apr, 60-75’ l Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) May-June, 80-100+’ l American Linden (Tilia americana) June, 60-80’ l Maackia (Maackia amurensis) September, 30-50’

Street Trees - Short l Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) April-May, 20-30’ l Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) May, 20-30’ l Washington Hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum) June, 25-30’

Other Trees l American Hazelnut (Corylus americana) Feb-March, 15-20’ l Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) May, 30-60’ l Bee Bee Tree (Tetradium daniellii) July, 25-40’ l Franklinia (Franklinia alatamaha) July, 10-20’ l Shining Sumac (Rhus copallinum) August, 20-30’

Bushes l Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) June, 5-10’ l Summersweet Clethra (Clethra alnifolia) July, 4-8‘ l Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) August, 3-6’ l New Jersey Tea bush (Ceanothus americanus) Sep, 3-4‘

Did you know- planting a few bee friendly trees can be the equivalent of a large

pollinator garden?

Their respective websites hold a wealth of information

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Shipping Available

All woodenware available

assembled and painted

Hives are constructed using

precision box joints.

Our hand hold cutter leaves no tear-out!

W O O D W O R K I N G

1985 Mine Road • Paradise, PA 17562

717-806-0193Manufactured in Lancaster County, PA

Unassembled Frames

Assembled Frames

Wax Foundations

Shallow Super & Illinois Super

Hive Body

8 Frame Equipment

Deep and Medium Nuc Boxes

Honey Processing Equipment

Smokers, hive tools and much more.

Your Complete Bee Hive

Supply Company

Made with Eastern White Pine

Can I keep bees at my Philly row home?The short answer is YES! City Council declared Philadelphia a Bee Friendly city in 2016! You’ll want to learn the best practices on “how-to”, but it does not take a lot of room. Many folks have bees on their roofs. You need a sunny location, a space that’s about 4feet by 4 feet to accommodate the hive and the beekeeper while tending to the bees, and a location with a natural barrier or fence so that when the bees leave the hive, they do not fly up and not straight out into a pedestrian way. The Philadelphia Guild can help with classes and network-ing opportunities to learn more.

There are Three Types of Bees in the Hive: the Queen, Workers, and Drones

The Queen:• Will live normally between 1

and 4 years.• Consumes royal jelly pro-

vided by the workers• Has a non-barbed stinger• Without a queen, the colony

will eventually die• Develops in 16 days, from

egg to emergence from the queen cell.

The Workers:• Worker are all females.• Can number between 40-

60,000 in a strong hive.• Performs a multitude of tasks

to include: Tending to the queen, feeding larvae, feeding

drones, nectar ripening, producing heat, collecting water, house cleaning guard duty,

field collection of pollen and nectar, to list a few.

• Will die if she stings. Has a barbed stinger that if left behind after stinging.

• Will live 6-8 weeks in the summer, working until her wings give out.

• Will live 4-6 months in winter when not actively working/foraging.

• Develops in 21 days from egg to emergence.

The Drones:• Sole responsibility is

fertilization.• Leaves hive for 2-3 hours

each day.• Has no stinger• If the workers stopped

feeding them, they would die of starvation.

• Develops in 24 days from egg to hatching to emergence.

[email protected] Monday - Friday 11am-7pm • Saturday and Sunday 10am-5pm

WWW.PHILLYHOMEBREW.COM

Come Check Out Hive Central At The New West Philly Location!

Your One Stop Shop For All Beekeeping And Mead Making Supplies

1314 S. 47th St., Philadelphia, PA 19143

215-596-5408

1447 N. American St., Philadelphia, PA 19122

215-755-4556

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215-596-5408


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215-755-4556



1-GUILD APIARY Led by: J a m e s R o m a n c h e kCommittee Purpose:

• Develop the Apiary as a source of over-wintered stock bee packages for Guild members.

Members are needed to: • Provide regular beekeeping activities throughout the season as scheduled/communi-

cated by the committee

2-BEES AND TREES AND OTHER SPECIES Led by: K i r k W a t t l e s Committee Purpose:

• Create and provide resources for beekeepers in Philly about how to increase and diversify bee-friendly forage.

• Network with horticultural groups to encourage their awareness of how trees serve bees.• In Guild activities, increase public awareness of pollination and forage issues.

Members are needed to:• Explore ways of working with tree groups and share what we learn• Find ways to articulate our perspective with the wider public in Guild Activities.

3-MENTORING/NETWORKING FELLOW GUILD MEMBERSLed by: K a t h y M a yCommittee Purpose:

• Establish, maintain and encourage use of a mentoring program for new beekeepers. • Provide networking and benchmarking opportunities for seasoned beekeepers.

Members are needed to:• Act as mentors for new beekeepers and assist with Open Hive Talks at the start of meetings.• Assume role of Hive Steward for St. James Hives• Attend portions of Short Course to meet new beekeepers and match them with guild

member mentors.

4-EDUCATION COMMITTEELed by: S u z a n n e M a t l o c k , K a t h y M a yCommittee Purpose:

• Present the “Annual Natural Beekeeping Symposium”• Facilitate the “Beginner Beekeeping Short Course”• Lead all aspects of the Guild’s premier annual event: Philadelphia Honey Festival

Members are needed to:• Develop marketing media and implement marketing plans for all three events• Coordinate various aspects of the Symposium under the leadership of the Sympo-

sium coordinator

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Philadelphia BeekeepersGuild CommitteesJanuary 2018

ONE BENEFIT OF ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP:Members who complete a minimum of 12 volunteer hours work with any committee will earn rights to one of the Guild’s Overwintered Nucs--if and when available in the spring/summer of each year.


• Present short course presentations/ apiary discussions under the leadership of the Short Course Coordinator

• Organize various aspects of the annual Honey Festival under the leadership of the Festival coordinator

5-COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT – BUILDING AWARENESSLed by: K a t h y M a yCommittee Purpose:

• Present annually - for the Board’s approval - recommendations for the year’s event participation.

• Organize participation in the identified events. (2017: Harvest on Henry, Science Festival, Philly Farm and Food Fest)

• Respond on behalf of the Guild when questions arise ([email protected]) about honey bees.

Members are needed to:• Staff all events

6-LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRSLed by: - D a v e H a r r o d Committee Purpose:

• Proactively engage local elected officials/community leaders on behalf of the Guild in the interest of the bees

• Develop a better understanding of political issues/policies that affect the city environ-ment and honeybees.

Members are needed to:• Participate in grassroots awareness efforts (i.e. communication/education opportunities).

2016 – The Guild is currently looking for volunteers• To be guest Instagrammers/Twitterers• With web design skills to update and help maintain the website• With media/marketing background to write press releases for events• With general administrative skills to update contact lists, research media contacts• With grant writing/application skills

© Addison Geary

Bee CultureTHE MAGAZINE OF AMERICAN BEEKEEPING

EVERYTHING ANDANYTHING FOR

EVERY BEEKEEPER

12 BIG Issues

1 FREE Calendar

$25www.BeeCulture.comwwwwww BBBBBBBBeeeeC

Guild Member Exclusive:

Guild members have

exclusive access to the

Guild’s electric extractor

and a state certified kitchen

for extraction. Events are

being scheduled at Awbury

Arboretum during July

and August. Dates will be

announced soon. A $25

usage fee plus one pound

of honey will be charged

to each member.

Local Honey Bees For Sale

AVAILABLEEARLYAPRIL:5FrameNUCSinnon-returnablecardboardboxes

LATEAPRIL/ALLSUMMER:4FrameNUCSfromourOVERWINTEREDCOLONIES

NUCSwith2-3DEEPFRAMESofsolidbroodBeeingnurturedbyNurseBees,THEIRMAMA,AndadequatefoodstoreswillsimplyXPLODE

Onceinstalledinyourequipment

Visit911HONEY.COMformoreinfo&pricingToreserveyourNUC,WeneedonlyYourVitals:Name,Phone#,email(ifavailable)and#ofNUCSneeded,neednotany$now.

2018WORKSHOPSattheBeeFarm• Wenowoffer4WORKSHOPSwithoutfeetothoseonourNucLists• Held1stSaturdayofeachmonth,AprilthruJuly,beeginingat10am• InformalworkshopsfocusonTheBeesNeedsinupcomingmonth• WeencourageQ&A;sharingofapproachestothisArt&Adventure• Wedelightincollaboratingtowardsself-sustainingbeekeeping• Willassistwithplanning&concernsthroughouttheyearTRUEPollenPattiesforsale,8%Pollenfromourhives$4.00/#

Worcester Honey Farms, Inc.www.pabeekeeper.com

2011 Shearer Rd • Lansdale, PA 19446 • 610-584-6778www.pabeekeeper.com

[email protected]

Hands-On Beekeeping ClassScheduled for five Sundays from February through July, maximum 25 students/class. The instructor is com-mitted to presenting a knowledgeable & enjoyable, interactive, & intensely hands-on workshop. We encourage contact throughout the course for ad-vice, help, or a sympathetic ear.

[email protected]

Early Spring PackagesThis is 24th year working with pack-age producers in same location—queen pedigree from overwintered feral colonies in PA and Michigan. Includes 3-lb workers and Italian queen.

Pickup is five miles from Valley Forge, Norristown, and Lansdale. Join us for a package installation demo at 2:00pm.

Download a reservation form at www.pabeekeeper.com.

[email protected]

Honey Bee NucsReserve your nuc now. Be sure to include email or phone so that we can call to arrange pickup. Location is five miles from Valley Forge, Norristown, and Lansdale. Email [email protected] or down-load a reservation form at www.pabeekeeper.com.

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PhiladelphiaBeekeepersGuild

Amazon SmileYou can support the Guild when you shop on AmazonSmile! AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organiza-tion every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, (NOTE: the different URL) Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. You can designate the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild as your preferred charity. The AmazonSmile Foundation will do-nate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases.

The Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild became a 501c3 - non profit entity in 2016. We will gratefully accept member and non-member tax deductible contri-butions to support our mission of educating and raising awareness of the importance of bees to our environment

Visit us at: www.phillybeekeepers.orgContact us at: [email protected] Join us: For our Monthly Meetings St. James School 3217 Clearfield St., 19132

7:00 PM the third Thursday of each month

© Addison Geary

Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild...Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild Education Opportunities Two Hour Introduction to Beekeeping @ Awbury Arboretum Presented twice: April 7 and October 6,

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