Looking for Beekeepers in SW Pennsylvania

Hello,
I am new to this bee web forum and actually new to beekeeping. I am starting out with 4 hives this spring on my farm and am planning to practice sustainable/natural beekeeping. I would appreciate any contact with other beekeepers in the area. I have gone to 2 different bee club meetings, one was almost 2 hrs away though and their members are all quite a distance from me. The other club was about an hour away which I just recently visited with and it seems like with those I've met we are geographically challenged.

I am about 15 miles north of Uniontown and about 8 miles west of Connellsville in Fayette County, which is SE of Pittsburgh.

I still have 2 other bee clubs to visit that are in the greater region. I plan to go to their next meeting in April. They are about 1 hr and 1/2 or so travel distance.

So I thought I'd try this forum to see if there is any folks out there in the area.

Many thanks,
Marika

Welcome to the forum Marika,
I am located about an hour west of you near Monongahela. I got back into beekeeping in 2005 with 4 colonies and have grown to 30 or so, I go to alot of farmers markets and have met quite a few beeks in the area. Haven't had the time to go to any bee clubs, most are a little too far away to go.
There is alot of good info on this site, hopefully when you have any questions you will get the answers you need.

Best of luck this year with your bees.

Al

Thanks for the shout back Al! Wow - you went from 4 hives to 30! Yikes! How long did that take? I am starting w/4 as well, so just wondering... Also, do you have any local sources for nucs and queens? So far the folks I've talked to seem to be getting them from other parts of the US. It would be nice to develop local sources.

-Marika

Al,
I did see you said you got back into bk in 2005, so I reasked how long it took because its hard to fathom 4 to 30 for a newbie like me... I have to laugh, though as I hear warnings from folks that I'll be seeing my hives multiply like rabbits... I guess that's probably a nice problem to have :)
-Marika

Marika,
Since I got back into beekeeping, it has definitely been an up and down roller caster. First year I overwintered only 2 of 5 colonies. The next year I grew to 18 through packagers and divisions, that winter (particularly the extremely cold Apirl of 2007) knocked me back to 6 colonies. I bought 14 Carniolan packages from Koehnen that spring. Since then, I have been steadily grownig through divisions and gathering swarms.
As for a source for a local source for nucs and queens, I knew of one, but I believe he is having some problems with foulbrood. I am getting 20 Carniolan queens from Koehnen's in three weeks. I may have a few nucs available. I also will have a few summer nucs available from a few of my best overwintered queens. Let me know if you need any.
Al

Al,
Sure sounds like a roller coaster! I hope this turns out to be a good year for you (and me too)....

I think there needs to be more of a movement to local sources - especially as we see africanization move geographically further north and sources therefore becoming less reliable.

Thanks for the offer on nucs/queens... I will keep you in mind. Right now though I am set.

I've paid for all my starters this year and am actually driving down to GA to pick up my bees from a fellow who has been doing chemical free beekeeping for over the last 15 years and has done very well in cross breeding. We will see how it goes.
Will be getting Russian cross from him.

Marika