2024 Western PA Beekeeping Seminar

The Western PA Beekeeping Seminar is back for 2024!!

We are once again excited to offer a wide range of informative speakers and vendors for all of your beekeeping needs. This is one of the largest beekeeping seminars in the state that you do not want to miss!

Our upcoming seminar date is Friday, February 9th and 10th, 2024 and will be held at the Gateway Senior High School in Monroeville located at 3000 Gateway Campus Boulevard, Monroeville, PA 15146

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Online registration for the event is now open! Early bird pricing is $65 per person, so make sure you purchase your tickets now as the ticket price will increase as we get closer to the event. Ticket pricing will increase to $75 after December 1st, and $85 for those purchasing tickets after February 1st or walking in. Anyone registering after February 1st will not be guaranteed lunch.

Click here to purchase your tickets! 

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The initial gathering starts on Friday night with a speaker sharing on a topic of interest from 7-8:30 PM.  There will be no Friday registration so you don't need to be registered to attend the Friday session.

On Saturday registration begins at 7:15 AM with coffee and donuts and the morning session will begin at 8:15. At this time, we are happy to announce the following confirmed speakers for our 2024 event: James Tew, Brock Harpur, Karen Roccasecca, Robyn Underwood, David Peck, and Mark Gingrich.

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We will have several breaks where attendees can shop the many bee equipment vendors who will be in attendance. The 2024 vendor list for the seminar is a work in progress and will be updated as we get vendors added.

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After lunch until 4:30 there will be three breakout sessions which will offer a variety of topics.

Volunteers: In order to make this event happen, we need volunteers to help the day of operations. Volunteers will receive a free t-shirt for your efforts. If you'd like to volunteer, please email Bill Kopar at wkopar@gmail.com

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Honey Donation: We encourage all beekeepers to bring a one pound jar or less of honey for donation to the Rosedale food bank located in Verona. Those that donate honey will be given a free raffle ticket.

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T-shirts: Below is a sample of this years event shirt design. Pre-orders are open now on the Eventbrite site. A limited number of event T-shirts will be available at the seminar for sale. We do recommend that you pre-order a shirt in advance as the in person shirts will be limited.

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​Hotel information: We have secured a block of hotel rooms near Gateway Highschool at the Springhill Suites for anyone that would like to reserve a room. The room rate is $118 a night. Please click on the link below below to reserve your room. Last day to book is Monday, January 24th, 2024

Click here to book your group rate for the Spring Hill Suites

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For those that would like to stay at the Hampton Inn, please click the link below. Room rate is $119 a night.

Hampton Inn room link

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Event schedule:

Friday February 9th, 2024 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm Beekeeping Discussion - Dr. Robyn Underwood and Selina Bruckner - Beekeeper Survey Results

Saturday February 10th, 2024

Morning Session 8:15 am to 11:40 am will be in the auditorium 

7:15 - registration begins - coffee and donuts available in the cafeteria

8:15 - Welcome - Joe Zgurzynski and Hannah Durkin 

8:25 - Dr. James Tew - What a strange bunch we are 

9:15 - Break 

9:35 - Karen Roccasecca - State Apiarist - State of Beekeeping Pa.  

9:45 - Dr. David Peck - Collective Intelligence in Honey Bees, and the Honey Bee Dance Language  

10:35 - Dr. Robyn Underwood - Penn State Ext Educator - Apiculture 

10:45 - Dr. Brock Harpur - Lessons on bee genetics throug the eyes of a drone 

11:35 - Remarks by PA Honey Queen / PA state beekeeping association president / Survey distribution  

11:45 - Lunch Break - Vendors Open 

Breakout Session I (1:15 - 2:05 pm)

Dr. James Tew - Thieving Bees - A surprisingly common behavior

Dr. David Peck - Queen Bee Biology

Dr. Robyn Underwood - Honey Bee Anatomy  

Breakout Session II (2:25 -3:15 pm)

Karen Roccasecca - Approved Hive Treatments

Dr. Brock Harpur - Honey Bee genetics in the US - PA. edition

Hannah Durkin - Cooking with Honey

Breakout Session III (3:35 - 4:25 pm) Auditorium

Round table discussion moderated by Joe Zgurzynski and Hannah Durkin

Dr. Robyn Underwood, Dr. Brock Harpur, Dr. James Tew, Dr. David Peck

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