SF Beekeepers membership comes with many benefits, including access to extractors and other club equipment, eligibility for club bee purchases, discounts on classes and services, and admission to the popular annual holiday party/prize raffle - not to mention friendship and support from fellow beekeepers in helping to preserve the honeybee!

Click here to join now! Among the benefits ...

Regular monthly meetings take place the first Wednesday of each month. Normally, they are held in person at St John Armenian Church ,275 Olympia Way, SF. Depending on conditions, meetings may also be held on or simulcast through Zoom.

Beekeeping classes: These highly popular classes are held in February and March with a deep discount for members. In two, four-hour sessions we teach novices everything they need to get started. And we provide refresher opportunities for second and third year class participants.

Queens & Bee package purchase: Membership entitles you to purchase bees and fertile queens at below-market prices. We get our bees from a high-end breeder (a club-friendly breeder and cost not accessible to mere mortals). The purchase happens in the Spring (generally, mid-April)

Extractor rental: Your membership entitles you to rent the club's Maxant motorized honey extractors, which can extract six medium frames tangentially or three deeps tangentially at a time. The cost is $25 per rental plus a refundable $100 damage deposit.

Find buyers for your honey, wax, pollen and other bee-based goods. As a member, you can apply to list on our honey sales referrals page, which can put you directly in touch with SF residents looking for a local beekeeper.

Annual Summer/Fall BBQ takes place in August or September, in place of the monthly meeting at the Church. We present information geared toward newcomers like how to make extractions better, what's going on in your hive, and how to get ready for winter.

December Annual Meeting and holiday party. This is where we elect officers, do club business, meet new beekeepers and catch up with beekeeping friends. Members and their guests are invited for the pot luck dinner after the meeting.

Members-only Online Group: We use Groups.io. This group is open to members only. Use it to ask questions, form extractor groups, sell old gear (no commercial sales), or just ask for help. Expect an invite once you join.

Community: This might be the biggest benefit. Other than sharing your journey, membership gives you access to longtime beekeepers who willingly pass on knowledge and learning - including a free survey of your existing hive(s) or prospective hive site. It's good to belong!

Most importantly, membership helps support bees and beekeeping. As the largest and oldest SF beekeeping society, SFBA works to promote the welfare of honeybees and those who manage them. Members work on a volunteer basis doing outreach to schools and civic groups, conducting classes to train beekeepers, replenishing lost stock through our annual "bee pack" purchase, and offering swarm removal services citywide at no or low cost.

Ready to join? Just click here to become a member today!

Or go to the Member home page for more links to member services.

Any questions, drop us a line here. Otherwise, hope to see you at a meeting soon!