As the popularity of beekeeping continues to grow the Fort Harrod Beekeeping club has been there to help the residents of Mercer County and those other counties that surround it.

The Fort Harrod Beekeeping club started in the winter of 2015 by the Mercer County Horticulture agent. The club initially had only 10 members and now has grown to around 50. The club meets monthly for a short business meeting followed by a speaker or activity. Members of the club receive access to a variety of equipment the club has purchased, this is great benefit for someone new to beekeeping since this equipment is often costly. 

During 2020 while the club could not meet in-person the leaders of the bee club took it upon themselves to start recording educational bee videos. Along with the help from the Horticulture Agent recording the videos, the club produced timely topics to place on their Faceboook page. Topics included how to build a swarm catching box, what do you do once you catch a swarm, splitting hives, catching a swarm, hive management, and treating for varroa mites. 

As COVID restrictions were lifted members could meet in person again and hit the ground running.  The club started offering their annual honey extraction class, honey tasting event, and participating in different outreach programs. One of the main goals of this club is to share information on beekeeping with other beekeepers and members of the community. 

The club has partnered with Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill by providing educational information at their Harvesfest and winter bee school. Continuing programs include: giving extra swarms out to new beekeepers or youth interested in keeping bees, providing mentors to new beekeepers, maintaining hives at the Extension Office for educational purposes and participating in the Mercer County Extension Earth Day where they reach all the 5^th graders in the entire county.  The Fort Harrod Bee Club continues to provide educational resources for anyone interested in honey bees in the Fort Harrod Area.