Honey Bees
These days, keeping honey bees healthy takes work and planning
Here are some resources to help you be a responsible bee steward:
If you are thinking about keeping bees...
- Check out What to Know Before Getting a Hive
If you already keep bees, explore:
- UMass Extension programs related to Honey Bees, including workshops
- Our guide to intermediate and advanced bee classes in Massachusetts
DID YOU KNOW? Nearly half of all crops in Massachusetts rely on pollination by honey bees, bumble bees or solitary native bees in order to produce fruit. And Massachusetts is home to more than 4,000 beekeepers, the vast majority of whom maintain fewer than five hives. An additional 40,000 hives (belonging to commercial beekeepers) travel through Massachusetts each year to provide pollination services for large-scale animal-pollinated crops like apples and cranberries.
