Summer Bee College
2026 UF/IFAS Bee College (August 14-15, 2026) in Bristol, Florida - our 19th year helping to improve the lives of honey bees everywhere!
local beekeeping resources
ST. JOHNS COUNTY BEEKEEPING
🚧 We’re currently rebuilding this website into St. Johns County’s premier beekeeping resource. New educational content is being added weekly.
Beekeeping in St. Johns County
Welcome to StJohnsCountyBeekeepers.com, your educational resource for beekeeping in St. Johns County, Florida. Whether you’re preparing to install your first hive or have years of experience managing honey bee colonies, our mission is to provide practical, locally relevant information that helps beekeepers build healthier, more productive colonies.
Beekeeping is more than simply owning honey bees. Successful colony management requires understanding seasonal changes, recognizing signs of a healthy hive, managing pests and diseases, preventing swarms, and making informed decisions throughout the year. Our goal is to share knowledge that helps beekeepers in St. Augustine and throughout St. Johns County become better stewards of honey bees through education and responsible management.
Supporting Better Beekeeping Through Education
Healthy honey bee colonies don’t happen by accident—they are the result of informed management and continuous learning.
StJohnsCountyBeekeepers.com exists to promote responsible beekeeping by sharing reliable educational resources, practical management techniques, and information specific to beekeeping in St. Johns County. Our goal is to help beekeepers develop the knowledge and confidence needed to care for their colonies while supporting healthy pollinator populations throughout Northeast Florida.
Whether you’re just beginning your beekeeping journey or looking to refine your management practices, we hope this website becomes your trusted resource for honey bee education in St. Augustine and beyond. Honey bee management in St. Johns County is different from many other parts of the country. Our mild winters, extended brood cycles, coastal environment, abundant forage, and year-round pest pressure create unique opportunities and challenges for local beekeepers.
Understanding our local conditions helps improve colony health, increase honey production, and reduce common problems before they become serious. From spring nectar flows to late-summer dearths and hurricane preparation, successful Florida beekeeping requires adapting management practices to the environment.
Whether your hives are located in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra, Hastings, Elkton, Fruit Cove, Julington Creek, World Golf Village, Crescent Beach, or elsewhere in St. Johns County, local knowledge can make a significant difference in the success of your apiary.
AUGUST BEEKEEPING
August Beekeeping Guide
As Northeast Florida enters the late-summer nectar dearth, beekeepers should focus on harvesting surplus honey, reducing varroa mite populations, and preventing robbing behavior. Completing these tasks now helps colonies remain strong and increases their chances of surviving through winter.
| AUGUST CHECKLIST | |
| Harvest Surplus Honey | |
| Treat For Varroa Mites | |
| Feed Your Honey Bees |
Bo Sterk, Founder and President of Bees Beyond Borders
Advanced Beekeeping Class
Bo Sterk will be hosting his annual Advanced Beekeeping Class - "An Education on Honey Bees" in Fall 2026!
Learn to Manage Honey Bee Colonies
Successful beekeeping begins with understanding how a honey bee colony functions.
Throughout this website you’ll find educational resources covering every stage of colony management, including:
- Installing new colonies
- Performing hive inspections
- Identifying queens, eggs, larvae, and brood patterns
- Recognizing healthy versus unhealthy colonies
- Swarm prevention and colony expansion
- Seasonal feeding strategies
- Honey production and harvesting
- Varroa mite monitoring and treatment
- Small hive beetle management
- Queen replacement and requeening
- Preparing colonies for changing seasons
- Best management practices for Northeast Florida
Whether you’re managing one hive in your backyard or multiple apiaries, learning why bees behave the way they do is one of the most valuable tools a beekeeper can have.
Two Bees In A Podcast
two bees in a podcast is hosted by members of university of florida's honey bee research and extension laboratory
