My Journey to Sustainable Beekeeping

Our guest author, Claude Klemowits, shares his experience of going from a rookie beekeeper to a sustainable teacher in his article "My Journey to Sustainable Beekeeping".

A great day in the bee yard with my granddaughter Yara.

I made a simple comment to my friend Don, who had two beehives that I’d like to try beekeeping someday. It was one of those passing remarks you don’t think much about. But a year later, when Don was moving out of state, he asked if I wanted his hives. The bees were already gone by that point, but I agreed to buy his equipment—despite knowing nothing about beekeeping.

I acquired the equipment in the fall of 2017. Determined to learn, I spent the winter reading a beekeeping book, joining a local bee club, and ordering two packages of bees for the spring.

That first year (2018) was a learning experience. I struggled to find the queen, my mite counts were questionable, and I wasn’t confident in my treatments. At the time, my bee club had taught me that the best overwintering method was using candy boards, ventilating hives to reduce moisture, and buying new bees every spring. Despite following what I had learned from others, I lost one of my two hives.

Like many beekeepers, I assumed the solution was to buy more bees. The following spring, I ordered another package and a nuc, bringing me to three hives. I believed what I was taught—that you must purchase bees yearly. I didn’t realize then that sustainable beekeeping means not having to write a check for new bees annually, as my bee club had shown me.

In June, a friend had a swarm, and I was able to catch my first hive of “local” bees. Most likely, this was an overwintered package of bees that had swarmed on their previous owner. However, the winter of 2019–2020 was tough—I lost three of my four hives. The one that survived? The swarm colony. That was a lightbulb moment: bees don’t have to come pre-packaged.

Learning the Importance of Sustainability

That winter, our bee club hosted a talk by Dr. Megan Milbrath. One thing she said stuck with me: our club could provide all the bees we need by sharing resources among members. That idea of sustainability resonated with me. Someone later sent out a list of local bee suppliers; Lloyd Street Bees was at the top.

Inspecting nucs for overwinter survival and recording the results.

The following spring, I ordered two virgin queens from Trevor at Lloyd Street Bees, plus a nuc for insurance. Since I had no experience installing queens, I took Trevor up on his offer to help. When we opened my overwintered hive to install the queens, we discovered swarm cells—meaning the colony was preparing to swarm. Suddenly, we were scrambling to find an extra box to make a split. By the time we finished, I had three additional hives.

(Splitting is the process of creating multiple colonies from one hive. Read more about it here)

Later that summer, I caught another swarm, bringing me up to six hives going into winter. Once you reach four or more hives, you have the flexibility to experiment without worrying about losing everything. That year, I also took Trevor’s overwintering class, which helped me improve my mite management and hive survival techniques.

Sustainable Beekeeping in Practice

Beekeeping is a family event with my daughters Zoe and Mel.

Since then, I haven’t bought packaged bees. I occasionally purchase queens from Lloyd Street Bees to diversify genetics or expand mid-season, but my colonies sustain themselves.

With successful overwintering, I usually have extra nucs to sell each spring. (A nuc, or nucleus colony, is a small, established hive that can be used to start a new colony. Read more about it here)

I’ve overwintered about 12 hives for the past three years, which is manageable since I still have a day job. I also work with new beekeepers, just as others once helped me. I believe in paying it forward—mentorship is just as important to sustainability as good hive management.

Sustainable beekeeping isn’t just about keeping bees alive through winter. It’s about fostering mentorship, planting wildflowers for forage, and helping others become self-sufficient beekeepers.

Lessons Learned

Here are my five biggest takeaways from my journey:

1. Sustainability is key. Buying bees every year isn’t necessary if you learn how to manage hives effectively.

2. Mite management is critical. Monitoring and treating for mites makes all the difference in hive survival.

3. Swarm-catching and splitting are valuable skills. Local (free) bees are often stronger than purchased ones.

4. Education never stops. Joining a club, taking classes, and learning from experienced beekeepers accelerates success.

5. Mentorship strengthens the beekeeping community. Teaching others is one of the best ways to improve beekeeping practices overall.

Beyond The Hives

My cat knows quality honey.

I’ve been a beekeeper for the past eight years. You could say that I’m no longer in my awkward teenage years and have moved on to being a young adult beekeeper. That means experimenting with new ideas and sharing my experience. Now, I’ve moved beyond keeping bees—I introduce new people to beekeeping through mentorship, selling honey, and raising queens. Sustainable beekeeping goes beyond the hives; it thrives through community and education.

Claude Klemowits, based in Waukesha, WI, has been beekeeping for eight years under Prairieville Apiary. He manages around 12 hives, practices queen grafting, and sells extra hives and queens as they become available. In addition to beekeeping, he maintains a native wildflower garden to support pollinators and enjoys mentoring new beekeepers. He can be reached at claude@wisconsinprecision.com.