The LACBA on World Bee Day and the LA County Fair Bee Booth

Let’s Celebrate the Bees on
World Bee Day

On this day Anton Janša, the pioneer of beekeeping, was born in 1734.
The purpose of the international day is to acknowledge the role of bees and other pollinators for the ecosystem. The UN Member States approved Slovenia's proposal to proclaim 20 May as World Bee Day in December 2017.

Image Credit: Kodua Galieti

Image Credit: Kodua Galieti

The Los Angeles County Beekeepers Association

The Los Angeles County Beekeepers Association was established in 1873 to foster the interest of bee culture and beekeeping within Los Angeles County. Our membership is composed of commercial and small scale beekeepers, bee hobbyists, and bee enthusiasts.

Our primary purpose is the care and welfare of the honeybee. Our association and this website are dedicated to educating our members and the general public about bees.  We support bee research, and adhering to best management practices for the keeping of bees.

LA County Fair
Bee Booth

We were deeply saddened to hear that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the LA County Fair has been cancelled for 2020. 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 has been an end-of-summer tradition for many. 

LA County fair bee booth

LA County fair bee booth

For over twenty years, the LACBA has provided and maintained the Bee Booth at the LA County Fair educating thousands of school children and the general public about honeybees and their importance in our lives. 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.

Bee Booth Clyde Steese.JPG

Catch the Buzz About Bees!

Honey bees are one of the most fascinating creatures on the planet.
Inside the Bee Booth, fair goers gathered round our fabulous HONEY BEE OBSERVATION HIVE. Experienced beekeepers sparked their interest in honey bees, explaining their social structure, how the bees help feed the world, how bees communicate through scent and the 'waggle dance,' how they travel for miles to gather nectar to make honey, the jobs assigned to the worker bees, the duties of the drones, how a bee becomes a queen, and how they have survived for millions of years.

Scroll through our Photo Gallery!


Take A Walk Though The Bee Booth!

The LACBA Supports!

Over the years, the LACBA has been a generous supporter of bee research organizations through sales of honey at the Bee Booth and other events. Here’s a list of some of the organizations we’ve been honored to help fund:

We Need Your Support!

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all the events where the LACBA has previously had the opportunity to raise funds though honey sales (such as the LA County Fair Bee Booth, among others), have been cancelled. The honey bees don’t know this. The bees keep on buzzing, they keep on flying, they keep on making honey, and some keep on dying. We need your help. The bees need your help.

We ask for your support:

  • Buy your honey and bee products from local beekeepers at farmers markets or direct from the beekeeper. LACBA member beekeepers: https://www.losangelescountybeekeepers.com/honey-bee-products.

  • DONATE to the Los Angeles County Beekeepers Association. The LACBA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Funds raised go to honey bee education and research.

Thank You!

Enjoy World Bee Day!

Randy Oliver (Scientific Beekeeping) to Speak at BASC & Orange County Beekeepers Association

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, September 28, 29 & 30, 2017, come learn about bees and beekeeping with Randy Oliver (Scientific Beekeeping). 

When: Thursday, September 28th, 6:30pm-8:55pm
Where:
La Mirada Civic Center (Resource Room)
Cost: (FREE)
Randy Oliver will be speaking at the September meeting of the Beekeepers Association of Southern California. (See details/flyer below and here.)

Friday, September 29th, 7:00pm (doors open at 6:30pm)
Where: OC Fairgrounds (Silo Building)
Cost: $5.00
Join Randy Olliver and the Orange County Beekeepers Association at the OC Fairgrounds. (See details/flyer below and here.)

When: Saturday, September 30th, 9am-4pm
Where: The Irvine Ranch Education Center,
Cost: $40 / $50. 
Orange County Beekeepers Association Event.

Randy will present a full day disease and pest management workshop, intermediate beekeeping topics, also covering other common problems such as insufficient honey or pollen stores, and a hands on demonstration. You have got to see Randy handle a hive - he's amazing!

$40 registration fee for members of the OC club. $50 registration for non-members so bring a friend. Sack lunch and drinks will be provided. Seats are limited to 35 so don't delay. Sign up here http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07eejcjz002b0afc0f&llr=uikx5dkab

Thursday, September 28, 2017
BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
La Mirada Civic Center
Resource Room
13710 La Mirada Blvd.
La Mirada, CA 90638

6:30pm-8:55pm
Friday, September 29, 2017
ORANGE COUNTY BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION
 OC Fairgrounds
88 Fair Drive (Silo Building)
Costa Mesa, CA 92626 

7:00pm

Saturday, September 30, 2017
ORANGE COUNTY BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION
 Irvine Outdoor Education Center
2 Irvine Park Rd.
Irvine, CA 92869
9:00am-4:00pm

Randy Oliver:

Randy is a regular contributor to the American Beekeeping Journal, owner/author of scientificbeekeeping.com, and one of the premier beekeeping speakers in the US. We are very fortunate to have him share his knowledge with us. This is a rare chance to ask questions of one of the most respected researchers in the field ! Join us and enjoy an informal presentation on Randy's latest research projects and hive management.

“I started keeping bees as a hobbyist around 1966, and then went on to get university degrees in biological sciences, specializing in entomology.  In 1980 I began to build a migratory beekeeping operation in California, and currently run around 1000-1500 hives with my two sons, from which we make our livings.

In 1993, the varroa mite arrived in California, and after it wiped out my operation for the second time in 1999, I decided to “hit the books” and use my scientific background to learn to fight back.  I started writing for the American Bee Journal in 2006, and have submitted articles nearly every month since then (see “Articles by Publication Date”–scroll to the bottom for the most recent).

My writing for the Journal brought me requests to speak at beekeeping conventions, which has also allowed me the chance to visit beekeepers from all over North America and several other continents.  I read most every scientific study relating to beekeeping, and regularly correspond with beekeepers and researchers worldwide.

What I try to do in my articles and blogs is to scour scientific papers for practical beekeeping applications, and to sort through the advice, opinion, and conjecture found in the bee magazines and on the Web, taking no positions other than to provide accurate information to Joe Beekeeper.

I regularly update the articles on this site as new information becomes available, and solicit constructive criticism or comments.  Perhaps the best venue for such discussion is at the Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology.  Be sure to subscribe to updates, and I’ll email you monthly when I add content to the sitehttp://scientificbeekeeping.com/scientific-beekeeping-newsletter/