About Garden Variety Bees

How it all started…

A few years back, I was driving home from a mead tasting in San Diego—six hours on the road and plenty of time to think about New Year’s resolutions. One of mine? Learn to make mead. That resolution turned into a deeper curiosity about bees… which turned into a full-on obsession.

Like many new beekeepers, I started out on my own. But I quickly realized that Arizona beekeeping was different. Africanized bees, extreme heat, and limited forage all made it more intense—and sometimes more dangerous—than what I was reading in mainstream beekeeping books or seeing on YouTube. I needed local knowledge. And so did everyone else I met.

In February of that same year, I created Arizona Backyard Beekeepers, a Facebook group to connect and support local beekeepers. Today, it’s one of the most active and positive beekeeping communities in the state. Together, we’ve grown a network of bee-lovers who share advice, promote live removals over extermination, and help each other create more docile hives through careful requeening. I’m endlessly proud of what we’ve built.

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What you’ll find here

Garden Variety Bees is where I share everything I’ve learned along the way. You’ll find:

  • Season-by-season beekeeping tips tailored to Arizona’s climate

  • Hive management strategies that work in hot weather

  • Bee health and treatment schedules that fit our year-round growing season

  • Info on Africanized bees and how to safely work with or requeen them

  • Local forage plant suggestions for boosting nectar flow

  • Hands-on resources for both new and seasoned keepers

I also run Honeybee Bootcamp, an online course for beginner beekeepers in Arizona who want to get started the right way, and I’ve created a Start Here page to guide you through the site if you’re new.

I love Arizona bees. I love helping Arizona beekeepers. And I love sharing what I’ve learned to help you grow into the kind of confident, capable beekeeper our state needs more of.

Thanks for being here—and welcome to the hive.

– Cricket

Speaking Requests

I absolutely love talking about bees! If you are looking for a speaker to inspire and educate your group, send me a message. My mission is to help others understand the importances and brilliance of the honeybee and all that they bring to our lives.

Include the date, time and location of your event.