Upcoming events

Dates and Locations may be updated as necessary

Monthly meetings are usually last Monday of each month at 7pm.   

Always: we have mentors available for new beekeepers, reach out to someone on our mentor list here.  

March 2025 Beginner Beekeeper Class

Cost is only $50 for individual or $75 per family  

To Register send your check made payable to PORTAGE COUNTY BEEKEEPERS and mail to: 

Kim Ryan

806 New Milford Road

Atwater, OH 44201

This is a 2 part class:  

Part One: Saturday, March 15, 9:00 am – 1:30 pm

Part Two: Saturday, March 22, 9:00 am – 1:30 pm

Topic: Beginning Beekeeping Class

This course is an introductory course in beekeeping and will teach you all you need to know to get bees into your hives and start beekeeping! We will not only provide you with the knowledge so that you can maintain your hives but also with the knowledge so your hives will thrive. 

Location: In person at Portage Soil and Water, 6970 OH-88, Ravenna, OH 44266-9188 (meeting room in back)

See facebook event page  or the class website for more information

Monday March 31, 2025 at 7pm

Topic: Myths of Beekeeping

Speaker: Tom McCormack,  EIS Master Beekeeper

Do you feel like you're hearing the same old information year after year about how to take care of your bees? Well, your knowledge of the beekeeping world is about to be turned upside down! Tom McCormack,  EIS Master Beekeeper, who has consulted in the Republic of Kenya, Republic of Uganda, and Republic of Panama is going to debunk almost everything you've been told about beekeeping! He currently runs 130 hives and is in his 43rd year of doing Farmer's Markets. He teaches three free bee schools. He is also going to share some of his secrets on marketing honey. Get ready to learn like you've never learned before!

Location: In person at Portage Soil and Water, 6970 OH-88, Ravenna, OH 44266-9188 (meeting room in back)

See our facebook event page for more information!

Monday April 28, 2025 at 7pm

Topic: Apiary Diagnostics: how to use the tools of the trade to monitor colony health, marking queens, and get a special discount on a diagnostics kit from Better Bee after the presentation.

Speaker: OSBA speaker Emily Mueller

Location: In person at Portage Soil and Water, 6970 OH-88, Ravenna, OH 44266-9188 (meeting room in back)

Monday May 19, 2025 at 7pm (date change due to memorial day)

Topic: Raising Queens: Learn how to become a sustainable beekeeper by raising your own queens!

Speaker: OSBA speaker

Location: In person at Portage Soil and Water, 6970 OH-88, Ravenna, OH 44266-9188 (meeting room in back)

Monday June 30, 2025 at 7pm

Topic: Jerry Hayes will be with us to talk about how much simpler beekeeping is when you learn how to read frames!

Speaker: Jerry Hayes, former research technician at the USDA/ARS Baton Rouge Bee Lab, Dadant & Sons Regional Mgr., Dadant & Sons new product Dev. and AR Mgr., Chief of the Apiary Section for the Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Service, Monsanto Honey Bee Lead, VP of Vita Bee Health North America and now Editor of Bee Culture Magazine

Location: In person at Portage Soil and Water, 6970 OH-88, Ravenna, OH 44266-9188 (meeting room in back)

Monday July 28, 2025 at 7pm

Topic: Becky Scott will demonstrate how to extract honey from start to finish using the club's extractor. She will also discuss other methods of harvesting honey like cut comb and the crush and strain method.

Speaker: Becky Scott

Location: In person at Portage Soil and Water, 6970 OH-88, Ravenna, OH 44266-9188 (meeting room in back)

Monday August 25, 2025 at 7pm

Topic: Joseph Patituce, former county inspector and commercial beekeeper, will talk about what it's like to be a commercial beekeeper and stories from his inspector days! 

Speaker: Joseph Patituce

Location: In person at Portage Soil and Water, 6970 OH-88, Ravenna, OH 44266-9188 (meeting room in back)

Monday September 29, 2025 at 7pm

Topic: Geoff Westerfield, Wildlife Management Supervisor at the Ohio Division of Wildlife, will talk about predator pests that you may not realize are visiting your hives and reveal the results from their area active trapping project. There could be a bear closer to you than you think! 

Speaker: Geoff Westerfield, Wildlife Management Supervisor at the Ohio Division of Wildlife

Location: In person at Portage Soil and Water, 6970 OH-88, Ravenna, OH 44266-9188 (meeting room in back)

Monday October 27, 2025 at 7pm

Topic: Tentative:  making value added products using honey, propolis, beeswax, bee bread

Speaker: To be determined

Location: In person at Portage Soil and Water, 6970 OH-88, Ravenna, OH 44266-9188 (meeting room in back)

Monday November 24, 2025 at 7pm

Topic: Barbara Bloetscher, retired State Apiarist and Entomologist with Ohio Department of Agriculture will be coming to our club to speak about fall preparation and winter colony survival! You will not want to miss this program!             

Speaker: Barbara Bloetscher, retired State Apiarist and Entomologist with Ohio Department of Agriculture

Location: In person at Portage Soil and Water, 6970 OH-88, Ravenna, OH 44266-9188 (meeting room in back)

December 2025 

Topic: Tentative social gathering!

Location: In person at Portage Soil and Water, 6970 OH-88, Ravenna, OH 44266-9188 (meeting room in back)

Summit County Beekeepers - http://www.summitbeekeepers.com

Medina County Beekeepers - http://www.medinabeekeepers.com

Geauga County Beekeepers - http://geaugacountybeekeepers.org

Trumbull County Beekeepers - https://www.facebook.com/trumbullbeekeepers/

Columbiana & Mahoning County Beekeepers - https://cmcba.net/

Stark County Beekeepers - http://www.starkbeekeepers.org

Greater Cleveland Beekeepers - http://www.greaterclevelandbeekeepers.com

Ohio State Beekeepers Assoc. - http://www.ohiostatebeekeepers.org