OTHELLO — Some people grow vegetables in their backyard. Some keep chickens and collect the eggs. A class tomorrow in Othello will help folks discover another thing they can grow in their yards: honey. 

“We've had some interest in the last year or so from people that … would like to have some information on how to get a small apiary going in their backyard,” said Kena Sohler, owner of Tri-Cities-area apiary BeeBlesst. Sohler will teach a basic class on beekeeping Saturday morning at Ironworks Cafe and Market in Othello. 

“We'll go over things like bee biology and science, and then a little bit about pests and diseases and how to how to manage that, and then their preferred habitats and equipment needed,” Sohler said. “So that people, if they're interested, can feel comfortable maybe starting with a hive or two or a few in their backyard.” 

That’s how Sohler and her husband, Scott Sohler, got started back in 2011, she said. Like many people, Sohler had an instinctive fear of bees that had to be overcome. 

“It was pretty intense when I first started doing it,” she said. “The very first time with the suit on and the bees everywhere, I tell you, I wanted to run, but I didn't. And now it's just so calming and wonderful.” 

Today Beeblesst has between 150 and 180 hives and is planning to cross the 200-hive mark this year, Sohler said. Their son, Brandon, manages the apiary, she said. 

Beekeepers in Washington state are required to register their hives with the Washington State Department of Agriculture, but that’s the only legal restriction that applies to Grant or Adams counties, according to the Washington State Beekeeping Association. Some neighbors may get nervous, but others are happy to have pollinators in their neighborhood. Sohler said she recommends putting hives near a fence with a small space between the entrance and the fence, and neighbors often don’t even know the bees are there. 

“It's always been OK for all the years that we've done it,” Sohler said. “We are out in the boonies, but many people are in town, and we've helped people set up, and most people don't have a problem at all. People have noticed there's not a lot of bees in their neighborhoods, and so they want people to have the bees. It's best to make friends with the neighbors, give them honey, help them pollinate their gardens, and most people are perfectly fine with it.” 

There were 874 beekeeping operations in Washington in 2022, the most recent year for which data was available, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Nineteen of those were in Grant County and another seven in Adams County. The climate of the Basin presents some challenges, Sohler said. 

“Because we’re in the desert, the wildflowers are sometimes a bit limited,” she said. “It’s mainly April and May … we can get a dearth at a time when there really isn’t a whole lot for (the bees) to eat. We monitor ours, and we do occasionally have to feed them sugar syrup.” 

Moisture can be a problem too, Sohler said. During the rainy times in the spring and fall, too much moisture can get inside the hives and harm the bees. 

Getting started in beekeeping isn’t as expensive as it might appear, Sohler said. Setting up a single hive, along with the protective equipment, can be done for $200-$300, she estimated. Used equipment can be found on the websites of various beekeeping associations, which also makes the cost more reasonable. A single hive can put out between 20 and 40 pounds of honey a year, Sohler said, depending on location and how the hives are managed. An apiarist who gets more honey than they need can legally sell the extra, as long as it’s unprocessed. 

“If you’re just going to extract it out of the comb and put it into the jar (it’s legal to sell),” she said. “We don’t even filter it through a sieve; it (just goes) through strainers and straight into the jar, and then it’s considered raw honey.” 

On top of it all, simply getting out into the fresh air and working with bees is beneficial, Sohler said.  

“I feel like it's kept me young,” she said. “It keeps you moving and doing and the health benefits are incredible.” 

Backyard Beekeeping Basics Class 

9 a.m. March 8 

Ironworks Cafe and Market 

335 S. Broadway Ave., Othello 

Info: www.beeblesst.com 

    Scott, left, and Kena Sohler of Tri-Cities started out with a single hive in 2011, and their hobby has grown to 150-180 hives and a thriving honey, beeswax and skin care business.
  

Beekeeping isn’t just for people living out in the country. A hive or two can be set up in a backyard in town as well.