Discover Backyard Beekeeping in South East Portland

Events

Feb 9

Learning the Ropes With Portland's Honey Bee Experts

Have you ever considered keeping honey bees in your own backyard? Whether you’re interested in having access to fresh honey, beeswax for candle making or other crafts, or simply supporting the species and their important work in our local ecosystem, becoming a backyard beekeeper can offer significant rewards.

If you’ve been tempted to dip your toes into the world of beekeeping, you’ll want to pay a visit to Portland’s honey bee experts at Bee Thinking on Southeast Hawthorne. The folks at Bee Thinking are leading the charge in providing home beekeepers with hives made from sustainably-harvested wood, and they provide everything that a beginner could possibly need to get started keeping honey bees. Inside their attractively-curated showroom and retail shop in SE Portland, you can find bee hives, protective gear, starter kits, and even the bees themselves! They also have an online shop where many of their offerings are available for purchase, but note that all bees must be picked up in PDX.

If you’re looking to take things a step further with some hands-on experience before you get started in your own backyard, you’re in luck. Bee Thinking offers a number of affordable classes for budding bee keepers and the bee-curious alike. In their Beginning Beekeeping class, participants will learn basic information about honey bees, popular hive designs, how to manage backyard hives, and much more. The Beginning Beekeeping class is held twice a month, and the cost of the class ($35) can be deducted from a hive purchase if you choose to move forward with your beekeeping adventure.