Western Reserve Region

Beekeeping in Northeast Ohio

Western Reserve Region

Counties: Lorain, Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, Ashtabula, Medina, Summit, Portage, Trumbull

Beekeeping Organizations in the Western Reserve Region:

OSBA Mission Statement

The Ohio State Beekeepers Association serves beekeepers in Ohio and is associated with other organizations who have an interest in beekeeping.

• Provide our membership with current beekeeping information and represent them when beekeeping issues arise in Columbus and at the Department of Agriculture.
• Provide our membership with a quarterly newsletter.
• Provide our members with OSBA discounts to major beekeeping magazines.
• Provide a yearly Fall educational meeting.
• Support other beekeeping organizations in the state of Ohio by providing speakers, and publishing information about their activities in our newsletter.
• Support the 4-H project in Ohio.  Any 4-H member working on a beekeeping project can get on our mailing list for our newsletter.  Some OSBA members also serve as mentors to these young people.
• Support our Ohio State University bee programs — research and extension.
• Join OSBA Now!

You can help – Plant a Bee Friendly Garden

• Sweetly aromatic or have a minty fragrance – herbs such as borage, basil, oregano, thyme, or sage.
• Open in daytime – Bees return home at sundown.
• Seasonality of plants – Have something growing thought the gardening season.
• Water Sources – Bees need something on which to land – stones in a birdbath or rocks in a pie plate filled with water.
• Reduce your pesticide usage.  Apply in the evenings, when bees aren’t flying.  Chemicals will have time to dry.  Go chemical-free!
• Create more micro-habitats in your backyard – multi-cropping or garden areas reserved for insect forage … cover cropping allows extra forage and enriches the soil.
• Consider planting clover in your yard.  Companion crop your tomatoes with buckwheat.
• Shop at Amazon Smiles to make a donation to OSBA.

Regional honey plants blooming in order from early spring thru fall:

Note, Those listed with a *  are invasive species,  and while they may be good honey plants already available in your area, they should not be  planted or encouraged.   Instead Buy the Ohio Pollinator Oasis Seed Packet for an assortment of native plants chosen to support pollinators! or plant other native honey plants.

• Goldenrod
• White and Purple Asters
• Yellow Sweet Clover
• Birdsfoot Trefoil
• White Dutch Clover / White Sweet Clover
• Giant Catmint
• Butterfly Weed
• Giant Milkweed
• Spotted Knapweed (Purple Star Thistle)
• Japanese Knotweed*
• Bush Honeysuckle*
• Autumn Olive*
• Multiflora Rose* – mostly a pollen source

* Note that these species are considered by ODNR as non-native invasive specicies.     While they provide a source of nector and pollen to honey bees, you may wish to avoid planting them on your property.  See Invasive Plants of Concern.

Products of the Hive:

Honeybees Provide:

Pollination – food on our table, colors in our garden.

Honey – It doesn’t just sweeten your tea!  It provides carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and aromatic acids.   Used in medicine to combat bacteria and speed healing.

Propolis – Medicinal uses.

Royal Jelly – Medicinal uses.

Wax – Candles, Polishes, balms, creams.

Venom – Helps auto-immune diseases.

Support your local bee organization and purchase local honey!