Help replace hives damaged or destroyed in the storm
Information for new and experienced beekeepers
Help select the area’s best tasting honey on Dec. 2
Join the association and access the members-only section
News
Articles and news for beekeepers and friends of bees, plus, updates on our upcoming activities and events.
How Can We Help You?
These are just some of the services we offer to community
Capture a Swarm
If you’ve spotted a swarm of bees outside their nest, we can help re-home them.
BEES IN YOUR BUILDING?
If bees are living in your house, outbuilding or anywhere else they don’t belong, we may be able to help.
REQUEST A SPEAKER
Ask our experienced beekeeping experts to talk to your group, class, or gathering.
BUY BEES OR QUEENS
Some of our members sell packages, nucs, and queens. Many are bred for our higher altitudes.
Find Bee Supplies
We maintain a relationship with multiple vendors in the area. From hives to tools and protective clothing, they have you covered!
Buy Honey
Buy local honey, including our famous sourwood honey, as well as beeswax and products made from beeswax
Did You Know?
When honey bees collect nectar and pollen from blossoms and flowers, they help pollinate some of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts we eat, increasing harvests and helping farmers feed the world. The bees consume some nectar but turn much of it into honey and store it for later use. At the peak of the season a beehive might contain 100,000 bees and more than 100 pounds of honey.
TCBA members provide local bees with a safe, secure place to live and help protect them from predators, invasive mites, and deadly viruses. In return, we collect honey the bees have made from a wide variety of sources, including tulip poplars, wild flowers, clover, basswood and sourwood trees.
About us
Promoting the art and science of beekeeping
The TCBA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping bees and beekeepers flourish in our neighboring communities. We achieve our goals via education, outreach, cooperation and mentoring.
Association Officers
Here are the dedicated beekeepers that keep our association humming.
After keeping bees years ago, I returned to it in 2020 and have been excited by the advances made in testing for and treating mites. Keeping bees in the Appalachians has made me more aware of and attuned to the seasonal changes and great variety of plants that surround us.
David Reeder
President
I moved to the area in 2018 having been an educator for 20 years. I was looking for a hobby to keep my mind and body busy. That was when I discovered beekeeping. What an adventure and sense of community I have found.
Tammy Hardy
Vice President
I was first introduced to the fascinating world of beekeeping while living in Pennsylvania where I kept 10 colonies more than 30 years ago. Today, I tend to four colonies. I thoroughly enjoy the fellowship, mentorship, resources, and activities of the Toe Cane Beekeepers Association. With this talented group of beekeepers, I am ready to take my apiary to new heights!
Martine Miller
Secretary
Two years ago, my wife expressed an interest in getting into beekeeping, being the daughter of a beekeeper. After nearly a year of studying and being TCBA members, we finally have 3 hives and both enjoy volunteering with the association.
Brian Brumbaugh
Treasurer
My bee story began in 1977, but I returned to the bee world 9 years ago with 9-12 colonies at Whippoorwill Hill Apiary in Avery County. The Toe Cane club has not only helped my beekeeping knowledge but has broadened my circle of great friends. Mentoring new keepers and giving presentations to school groups also has been rewarding
Debbie Griffith
Member-at-Large
