David Skrzypek

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David has more than 25 continuous years of beekeeping experience; he began in Sacramento, Calif., and continues in the Pacific Northwest. He is also a builder and general contractor, licensed and bonded in Washington State.

 

He draws great satisfaction in proliferating the honeybee population, mentoring new beekeepers (just as he was/is mentored), and constantly learning through beekeeping and research. Raising bees without chemicals and breeding queens from the strongest overwintered stock are ways that David is contributing to conscientious beekeeping.

 

There's always more to learn. David is currently in the Oregon State University Master Beekeeper program, with mentoring under researcher Dr. Dewey Caron. He chose this out-of-state program because of its rigorous, research-intensive nature.

 

David has also attended workshops in top bar beekeeping (Corvin Bell), queen-rearing under Sue Cobey at Washington State University at Pullman, and apitherapy with the American Apitherapthy Society. 

 

• Member, Puget Sound Beekeepers Association

• Member, Vashon Beekeepers

• Member and Certificate, American Apitherapy Society​

• Recent education/talks: 

  • Apimondia International Apicultural Congress: "Beekeeping together with agriculture," Montreal, Canada, Sept. 8-12, 2019

    • Apitherapy workshop  - prevention of allergies from venom​

    • Apitherapy workshop - innovative hive products and practices

  • Thomas Seeley on "The Lives of Bees: The Untold Story of the Honeybee in the Wild," Seattle, May 2019

  • UC Davis Symposium on Bee Health, Davis, CA, March 2018; May 2015

  • Oregon State University annual beekeeping conferences in 2015, 2016, and 2017

  • Oregon State Master Beekeepers annual conference, 2015, 2016, and presenter in 2017

  • American Apitherapy Society annual conference, New York City, 2015

• Service: Instructed the Harbor School beekeeping elective Fall 2015, Spring 2016; ongoing garden, Audubon and fruit club talks; and preschool/elementary school presentations.

• Test apiary sites for interdisciplinary research on mite genetics found in treatment-free beekeeping.

 

When he's not in the shop or in his bee suit, you'll find David surfing. He also enjoys woodworking, making artisan top bar beehives and other projects.