Welcome to the Los Angeles County Beekeepers Association, founded in 1873, to foster the interest of bee culture and beekeeping within Los Angeles County. Our primary purpose is the care and welfare of the honeybee. Our group membership is composed of commercial and small scale beekeepers, bee hobbyists, and bee enthusiasts. So whether you came upon our site by design or just 'happened' to find us - we're glad you're here! Our club and this website are dedicated to educating our members and the general public. We support honeybee research, and adhering to best management practices for the keeping of bees.

The Latest Buzz:

August 08, 2017

2017 (Volunteer Sign Up)

August 08, 2017/ Jeff Laun

LOS ANGELES COUNTY BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION
BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
VOLUNTEER SIGN UP AVAILABLE NOW
FOR THE
LOS ANGELES COUNTY FAIR - BEE BOOTH

Pomona Fairgrounds
(Across from the 'Big Red Barn')
1101 West McKinley Ave.
Pomona, CA 91768
http://lacountyfair.com/

Fair Opens Labor Day Weekend (Fri-Mon)
Fair Runs September 1-24, 2017 (Wed-Sun)

From September 1 through September 24, 2017, volunteer members of the Los Angeles County Beekeepers Association and the Beekeepers Association of Southern California will be on hand at the LA County Fair Bee Booth educating thousands of school children and the general public about honeybees and their importance in our lives. The LA County Fair is one of the largest county fairs in the country and the most-visited event in the Los Angeles region in September. It's an end-of-summer tradition for many.

VOLUNTEERS LACBA and BASC Members:

Bee Booth Sign Up: Sign up is available online through Evite. Cyndi Caldera (our splendid Fair Coordinator) has sent out email inviations with the link to Sign Up Now. If you have not received your email invitation by 8/14/17, please contact Cyndi via email at: Cynthia.Alvarado56@yahoo.com and give her your email so she can send you and Evite. If you do not have access to email, you can call Cyndi at 323-243-0756 and you can sign up with her directly. If you have any questions regarding sign up or the fair, please contact Cyndi via email or telephone.

Bee Booth Set Up - 8/26/17 9AM: Come help set up the Bee Booth on 8/26/2017 from 9AM until we're done (approx. mid-afternoon). Enter through Gate 1. Drive to the Bee Booth across from the Big Red Barn. On Bee Booth Set Up Day ONLY you can park near the Bee Booth. There's plenty to do and we have lots of fun!!!

Bee Booth: The fair runs from September 1st-24th (Wed thru Sun) except for Labor Day Weekend (Fri thru Mon). We have 3 shifts per day (no less than 4 volunteers per shift). Shifts available: All Labor Day Weekend and all Saturdays and Sundays: 9:30-1:00, 12:30-5:30, 5:00-10PM. On Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays: 8:30-12:30, 12:00-5:30, 5:00-10.

Bee Booth Take Down - 8/24/2017: We start taking down the Bee Booth in the evening. The more help we have, the quicker we're done. We need to be finished and off the fair grounds by 11PM.

Parking:
Lot 9 (across the street from the fair): Walk across the street, enter through the gate, go under the tunnel, turn right. We're across from the Big Red Barn.
Lot 17: Go across the race track to the far side of the Big Red Barn.

Tickets: Tickets will be at WILL CALL at the McKinley Entrance. They will be under Bee Booth Exhibit under your name. Please allow approx. 15 min. to get your tickets.

Come help educate your community about bees! Mingle with fellow beekeepers! You'll learn more than you could ever imagine about bees by being a part of the LA County Fair Bee Booth. This is a great opportunity to share what you've learned in Beekeeping Class 101. We guarantee you won't be bored. And we could use your help!

We had a great time at last year's fair. See our 2016 Bee Booth Photo Album on Facebook.

Gather round our fabulous HONEY BEE OBSERVATION HIVE. See if you can FIND THE QUEEN! Let us spark your interest in honey bees, their amazing lifestyle and social structure, how they help feed the world, how they have survived for millions of years, and learn what you can do to help the bees.

Honeybees are responsible for nearly 1/3 of our entire diet in regards to the pollination services they provide for a large majority of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes.

On view is the beautiful honey bee photography by international photojournalist & bee photographer Kodua Galieti http://www.koduaphotography.com/

HONEY! HONEY! HONEY!

Delicious pure, natural, 100% raw local honey direct from Los Angeles County beekeepers.
HONEY STIX in delightful colors, YUMMY flavors!

September 14, 2014

LA County Fair - Bee Booth Come Meet The American Honey Queen

September 14, 2014/ Jeff Laun

Come on over to the LA County Fair and check out the Bee Booth. It's a hive of activity with Queen Susannah, the American Honey Queen, sharing stories and little known facts about honey bees. Come find the queen! See the workings of the hive. Pick up some honey stix. And Meet the American Honey Queen.

Thank you Queen Susannah - You are the best!

The American Honey Queen Program
https://www.facebook.com/AmericanHoneyQueenProgram

Follow the American Honey Queen as she Buzzes Across America
http://www.buzzingacrossamerica.com/

September 13, 2012

LA County Fair - Bee Booth (Raw Local Honey)

September 13, 2012/ Jeff Laun

Visit the Bee Booth at the LA County Fair - Now Thru Sept. 30 (Wed - Sun)

Watch the bees bring in nectar to make Honey!!!

How Do Bees Make Honey?

Honey is the sweet fluid produced by honey bees from the nectar of flowers. Worker honey bees transform the floral nectar that they gather into honey by adding enzymes to the nectar and reducing the moisture.

What is Raw Honey?

While there is no official definition of raw honey, it generally means honey that has not been heated or filtered.

Why is most honey filtered?

According to USDA Grading Standards for extracted honey, filtered honey is honey that has been filtered to the extent that all or most of the fine particles, pollen grains, air bubbles, or other materials normally found in suspension, have been removed.

Honey that is filtered by packers is filtered for various reasons:

1. Many consumers prefer honey that is liquid and stays liquid for a long time.

All honey crystallizes eventually. Suspended particles and fine air bubbles in honey contribute to faster crystallization. Filtering helps delay crystallization, helping the honey to remain liquid for a much longer period than unfiltered honey.

2. Many consumers prefer honey to be clear and brilliantly transparent.

The presence of fine, suspended material (pollen grains, wax, etc.) and air bubbles results in a cloudy appearance that can detract from the appearance. Filtering is done to give a clear brilliant product desired by consumers. For the filtered style of honey, USDA Grading Standards for Extracted Honey give higher grades for honey that has good clarity.
Honey is filtered to remove extraneous solids that remain after the initial raw processing by the beekeeper.

Various filtration methods are used by the food industry throughout the world. Ultrafiltration, a specific kind of filtration used in the food industry, should not be confused with other filtration methods generally used in the honey industry. When applied to honey, ultrafiltration involves adding water to honey and filtering it under high pressure at the molecular level, then removing the water. It is a much more involved and expensive process which results in a colorless sweetener product that is derived from honey but is not considered “honey” in the U.S.

Honey that is filtered through more traditional methods is still “honey,” even if pollen has been removed along with other fine particles.

For more information on filtration and pollen’s role in honey, click here.

Why does my honey look/taste different than I'm used to?

Honey comes in many colors and flavors - these are called honey varietals and they are determined by the type of flowers the bees visited for nectar. Some are light and sweet; others are dark and bold. Pick the honey you like and enjoy!

Honey’s Nutritional Profile!

Honey is composed primarily of carbohydrates (natural sugars) and water, as well as trace enzymes, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids. Providing 17 grams of carbohydrates and 64 calories per tablespoon, honey is an all-natural sweetener without any added ingredients.

Generally, darker honeys have higher antioxidant content than lighter honeys.

For a complete nutrient listing, please visit USDA’s National Nutrient Database at:
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/.

For more information on filtration and pollen’s role in honey, click here.

Why can’t I feed honey to my baby less than 1 year of age?

Honey may contain Clostridium botulinum spores that can cause infant botulism - a rare but serious disease that affects the nervous system of young babies (under one year of age). C. botulinum spores are present throughout the environment and may be found in dust, soil and improperly canned foods. Adults and children over one year of age are routinely exposed to, but not normally affected by, C. botulinum spores. Honey is safe to consume during pregnancy and lactation. While infants are susceptible to the infant botulism, adults, including pregnant females, are not. The concern for babies stems from the fact that infants lack the fully developed gastrointestinal tract of older humans. Since the mother is not in danger of developing this condition, the unborn baby is protected. Spores are inactivated when manufactured food products (such as cereals or nuts) receive a roasting heat treatment. Graham crackers or cereal, for example, would not contain any viable microbial spores.

The above information is from the National Honey Board: http://www.honey.com

Photography by Kodua Galieti!

Visit the LA County Fair!!!! BUZZ BY - SAY HI!!! Pick up some LOCAL RAW HONEY!!!