Our Story

Berks Bees began as a backyard hobby and has grown into a passion for sustainable beekeeping. Our goal is simple: produce pure, local honey while caring for healthy, thriving bees. Every jar comes from hives managed right here in Berks County.

It all began with gardening really. My wife and I live in Wyomissing, PA and have a small <1/4 acre property. Since 2011 we have tried to maximize the diversity of the veggies, herbs, fruits and flowers we grow and harvest from our small backyard. 

Around 2013/2014 we thought it might be cool to have honey bees so I did a little research, read a book, and bought some initial equipment. But then life got a little busy and the equipment actually sat up in our attic for a couple of years unopened and still in the original shipping boxes. In late 2015 I decided that I needed to just give it a try and see how things would go. I took a beginner beekeeper class in Lancaster and then ordered my first bees in early 2016. 

"They" tell you not to harvest any honey the first year but who really listens to that. I was so excited to taste some extremely local honey that I harvested just a small amount in the fall of 2016 and it was the darkest honey I have ever seen. And it was delicious! 

2017 brought an amazing Spring and early Summer honey crop of nearly 150 lbs from the 2 hives. But then sadly I lost both hives over the winter heading into 2018. 

Intrigued by the bees and determined to hone the beekeeping craft, I dug deep into the literature (i.e. Google and Youtube) and was determined to rebuild during the summer of 2018. I successfully overwintered 2 strong colonies and 2019 is looking very promising as I have been busy building my own hive bodies and frames, and learning about colony expansion, queen rearing and treatment free beekeeping. 

--Jordan, Berks Bees, Wyomissing, PA