Northwestern Pennsylvania Beekeepers Association
The Buzz of Beekeeping in Northwest PA!
The Northwestern Pennsylvania Beekeepers Association (NWPBA) serves five counties, including Warren, Erie, Crawford, Venango, and Mercer. Membership began with 25 people and has grown to over 300. Some of our members are professional beekeepers, while others are just getting started. All of us share an interest in the wonderful and remarkable world of the honey bee!
The purpose of the NWPBA is to provide our members with interesting and practical information about honey bees and beekeeping techniques. The club also provides the general public with educational programs about benefits of bees and beekeeping in our communities. The NWPBA is an important resource that maintains a working relationship with local media, farm organizations, and those who have a growing interest in beekeeping.
We are a 501-C3 non-profit, charitable organization.
February Guest Speaker: Heather Broccard-Bell, ph.d.
Dr. Broccard-Bell will be joining us on February 21st to discuss head-butting behaviors in honey bees.
Dr. Heather Broccard-Bell grew up in rural western Canada and spent her early 20s working in the cutting horse industry. She obtained degrees in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Animal Behavior before beginning to conduct honey bee research as a postdoctoral fellow under James Nieh at the University of California San Diego in 2014.
Her postdoctoral studies focused on in-hive vibrational communication (e.g., waggle dancing), and the effects of pests and pathogens on learning and behavior.
Heather transitioned into industry in 2021, accepting the position of Honey Bee Health Researcher at NOD Apiary Products Ltd in Trenton, Ontario. Her current role is a
combination of field and laboratory research, education, product development and testing – and a LOT of beekeeping!
Notably, she was recently fortunate enough to be
part of a team that ran a field trial in Thailand investigating the use of formic acid to control Tropilaelaps.
Dr. Broccard-Bell will be joining us on February 21st to discuss head-butting behaviors in honey bees.
If you share our interest, please join us!
We will help each other in our beekeeping operation/hobby. Our monthly meetings are in early spring and fall in Edinboro, PA. They typically include a Headliner Guest Speaker, Member Spotlight and a Q&A Beekeeper panel, along with door prizes and social opportunities to network with your beekeeping neighbors.
2026 Meeting Dates:
February 21, 2026 - Speaker: Dr. Heather Broccard-Bell
March 21, 2026 - Speaker: Ryan Williams
April 18, 2026 - Speaker: Dr. Jim Tew
October 17, 2026 - Speaker: Dr. Dewey Caron
November 21, 2026 - Speaker: Dr. Deb Delaney
There are also monthly beek breakfasts held at the IHOP in Erie on the 3rd Wednesday of each month.
Please see our Meeting/Event Schedule for more information.
Current Board:
President: Shannon O'Lone
Vice President: Jennifer Willert
Treasurer: John Prinkey
Secretary: Dylanna Jackson
Past President Advisor: CiCi Sweeny
Ad Hoc:
Cynthia Deep
Matt Foradori
Steve Odom
Adam Strickland
NWPBA Past Presidents:
2001 - 2010 Charlie Vorisek
2011 Norm Pratt
2012 Charlie Vorisek
2013-2014 Kirk Johnson
2015-2016 Paul Gorlowski
2017- 2021 Charlie Vorisek
2021-2023 Ken Andryc
2024-2025 CiCi Sweeny
SMOKER PELLETS are available!
Please click the image below if you would like to purchase smoker pellets.
In collaboration with Ernst Conservation Seeds, we are happy to offer a high quality, 100% Bluestem Switchgrass pellet smoker fuel. The pellets create a sweet smelling, thick, white smoke. Each bag contains approximately 6 lbs of pellet fuel. All proceeds benefit the Northwest Pennsylvania Beekeepers Association.
NWPA Beekeepers Association
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