Friendly Bee Education, Conservation, and Rescue since 2012.
Eugene • Oregon
Curious about keeping honey bees but not sure where to begin? Beekeeping can look complicated from the outside, but with a little good information it becomes much easier to understand what you need, what you don’t, and what to expect during your first year.
Plan Bees is here to help make that first step easier. From choosing basic equipment and finding your first bees to understanding seasonal care and what you’re seeing inside the hive, our goal is to give beginning beekeepers clear, practical guidance without making things more complicated than they need to be.
Found a swarm hanging from a tree or structure?
We offer free honey bee swarm collection in Eugene and Springfield. Send a photo and location so we can discuss help. For an established colony inside a building, find a specialist referral.
Learn about honey bees
Bumblebees are native bees with seasonal colonies. Timing varies by species and conditions. We can help you understand coexistence options and discuss whether relocation is feasible when a nest cannot safely stay where it is.
Meet our bumblebees
We have an amazing array of native bee, butterfly, and syrphid fly species in the Willamette Valley. Each of these curious creatures plays an important role in our ecosystem. There are easy ways you can help support them, including planting native flowers, providing nesting habitat, and avoiding both herbicides and pesticides.
Dive deeper into our pollinators
Plan Bees Sterling Apiary
Plan Bees’ teaching beeyard outside of Eugene.
Bees are essential pollinators for our food systems and native ecosystems. In the Willamette Valley, we're home to honey bees, several species of bumblebees, and hundreds of amazing native bee species, each playing a vital role in our environment.
While honey bees are often the most visible, our native bees and bumblebees are equally important for pollination. They have unique behaviors and habitat needs, and many of them are facing challenges from habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change. By learning about these incredible creatures and how to coexist with them, we can all contribute to a healthier ecosystem for everyone.
As a community service, our approach focuses on education, relocation, and habitat preservation. Whether it's moving a honey bee swarm to a managed hive where they can thrive, providing options for bumblebee nests, or helping with strategies for other native bee species, we're committed to solutions that work for both people and pollinators.
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