The Home Buzz: How to Make a Native Bee House (A Family Workshop)

While most people are familiar with or have at least seen hive beekeeping using the iconic Langstroth box, a stackable modular tower of hanging frames, where non-native honeybees protect their queen and store their honey, most native bees are actually solitary. They utilize less sophisticated nesting sites, usually hollowed stems and/or natural crevasse in the landscape, to rear their young and store food for the winter. Join Chris Kelly, a Cornell trained entomologist and beekeeper, as he reveals the secret lives of these lesser known but more populous bee, all while making fun and attractive bee homes to be included in your garden or yard. This is a family workshop for all ages.

CHRIS KELLY is a committed Long Island beekeeping educator. As a hobbyist and professional, he is uniquely able to address the concerns of both. The onset of colony collapse disorder highlighted the critical need to bridge historical practices with current day needs – his business, Promised Land Apiaries is focused on providing an ethical artisanal product responsibly made from start to finish. PLA’s primary drive is the health of the honeybee hive, without the intrusion of artificial supplements. What makes PLA distinctive is Chris’ personal relationships with professionals and academics in the field of apiculture. What started as a Long Island boy scout looking for his next merit badge became a lifetime of beekeeping.

AUDIENCE: All Ages.

WEATHER: Fair weather only.

SPECIAL NOTES: Please dress appropriately to be outdoors: comfortable shoes and socks, wide brimmed hats, sunscreen, insect repellant and water are recommended. To be a source of healthy insects for our birds and other insect-feeding wildlife, Landcraft does not spray the garden to manage ticks. Please take appropriate precautions.

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Host or Publisher Landcraft Garden Foundation