Coming Fall 2022
2023 Host-a-Hive — Register or Renew
See below for overview.
In the meantime… Bee Social!
Connect with friendly, local beekeepers at our monthly Bee Social! Join us the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm, right here in the Garden Supply Co. greenhouse (1421 Old Apex Road, Cary, NC 27513).
Host-a-Hive Overview
Our Host-a-Hive program provides you the opportunity to be a part of the beekeeping effort here at Garden Supply Company. You will benefit from the experience in several ways:
Contribute a working beehive to our community for the season
Learn about honeybees, pollinators and the plants they thrive on
Visit store hives and observe honeybees with resident beekeepers
Participate in on-site and virtual beekeeping classes
Enjoy 10 pounds of honey from your own hive at the end of the season
The beekeeping season here in North Carolina typically begins around the middle of March. At this time we start new hives from packages and split existing hives so we can carry on the strong genetic traits our bees have.
Host as many hives as you want! Groups welcome (family, friends, corporate). Host-a-Hive makes a great birthday or holiday gift!
What a memorable way to help save the bees and enjoy 10 jars of local honey from your hive as an additional reward! Please refer to the information below for frequently asked questions and updates to our program.
Your investment
Your investment for the season is $485. This investment helps cover the cost of:
Hive boxes
Treatments needed to keep the hive healthy
Beekeepers time spent inspecting and working in your hive to maintain it’s vigor
As a host, you are providing these bees a place to live and a safe healthy environment in which to thrive!
Classes & Program Enrichment
As a Bee Host, you may join us for our beginner beekeeping class to give you a better idea of how we will care for our colony throughout the season. Class dates are to be determined however are expected to begin in April or May.
We’ll send emails and post to social media the following dates and details for this year’s Host-a-Hive program enrichment opportunities:
Basic beekeeping class (virtual)
A Wonderful World of Beekeeping (virtual) lecture
Pollinator gardening class at GSCO
Coordinated off-site tour of pollinator gardens
Specialty store coupon (1 per hive)
YouTube video of personal hives (upon request)
View our calendar for details and regular updates.
Start Date
Hosting begins in April! This gives us time to establish your colony safely in the hive boxes.
Customize Your Hive
This is our favorite part! You will receive a ten frame hive body. Stop by the store to pick up your hive. We encourage you to paint these hives and this year, we require names on the front of your your hive box! We believe naming them makes them stronger….and gives our apiary so much personality. Plus, it helps our beekeepers tremendously! Return the named and/or painted hive to the store and we will get everything else set up. REMEMBER, put your name clearly on the outside of the box. Call 919.460.7747 or jason@gardensupplyco.com with any questions or to reserve your hive for pick-up.
Host-A-Hive Updates
As we go through the season we will keep you up to date on the hives through email and social media. Special appointments can be made to meet at the store to discuss specific questions.
Hive Location
We strive to provide the best care and opportunities for our bees to thrive. That usually means following the nectar providing flowering plants and trees. While many hives will stay at our home base apiary at Garden Supply Company, located at 1421 Old Apex Rd., Cary, we also operate honey collecting bee yards across the state. Throughout the changing seasons, we take bees to areas that will provide them with the resources they need, and we’re able to harvest some honey as well! We can not locate the hives at individual’s homes. For the health of our bees, we keep them in our apiaries to keep a close eye on them.
Hive Care
Jason Cirioli and our beekeeping experts at Garden Supply Company will be your hives’ keepers. You do not have to care for the hive yourself. You are, however, welcome to visit during open bee yard days or by appointment. Contact Jason for an appointment at 919.460.7747 or jason@gardensupplyco.com.
The Sweet Reward
The sweet reward of hosting is 10 pounds of honey in October in the form of ten 1 pound glass jars with custom labels on them. Depending on the strength of your hive the honey you receive will come from solely from your hive. It is necessary to leave a certain amount of honey in each hive for the bees to have food during the coming winter. As a result if there is not enough surplus honey on your hive, we will still be able to provide you with honey from our apiary. At the end of the beekeeping season, you will have the opportunity to take your bees and the hive home ($245 additional fee), or sign up again for the next year (20% discount). If you do not want to participate further, you are welcome to take your decorated hive home with you at the end of the season (no additional fee).