Who are We?

The Central Ohio Beekeepers Association is a non-profit organization under the rules of the State of Ohio and is dedicated to promoting bees and beekeeping in Central Ohio.

We provide educational opportunities throughout the year at our monthly meetings, which are held on the 3rd Wednesday of most months at the Franklin Park Conservatory, 1777 E Broad St, Columbus, OH.

We offer our “Bee School” in February and March (4 consecutive Mondays or Tuesdays for 2 hours each meeting), or one Saturday class (8 hours). We give you basic information about beekeeping, physiology of bees, behavior, health concerns, and other topics to provide the student with information about beekeeping. Additionally, we offer out “Bee Yard” where new beekeepers are given hands on experience. We install new packages of bees into new equipment, just like a new beekeeper would do, and over the summer we inspect the hives. New beekeepers can compare what they see in the Bee Yard with what they see in their own hives, and can ask questions of the mentors at the bee yard. Winnie Williams coordinates the First Year Bee Yard.

Winnie Williams

Winnie Williams

Queen Bee of the Bee Yard

We also have an “Advanced Bee Yard” for beekeepers that have had bees for at least one year. Here we discuss other items of beekeeping that are not covered in the First Year Bee Yard. The Advanced Bee Yard is held at the apiary at the Franklin Park Conservatory. Meetings are generally held the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month from late April through September. Contact Jim Tippie at jimtip2@aol.com. Jim manages the Advanced Bee Yard. The apiary, bees and bee hives are owned by the Franklin Park Conservatory, and the Central Ohio Beekeepers works with the Conservatory to maintain the bees, check on their health, and work to ensure the bees survive the winter.