In this Galena Farms Beekeeper Feature, we meet Laurel Spigler, a beekeeper and homesteader from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, whose journey into beekeeping has been defined by resilience, curiosity, and a willingness to learn through both success and failure. Now entering her third season with the bees, Laurel reflects on the steep learning curve that many new beekeepers face and how those early challenges ultimately shaped the way she approaches hive management today.

Working with bees opened a door to a more hands-on connection with nature: learning the equipment, tending the hives, and observing the intricate behavior of the colony. For Laurel, it was a unique and visceral experience unlike anything she had done before.

Topics covered:

  • Learning from early colony losses and beginner mistakes

  • Integrating beekeeping into a growing homestead lifestyle

  • Choosing affordable, beginner-friendly hive equipment

  • Using online education and media to accelerate beekeeping knowledge

  • Experimenting with AI tools to analyze hive inspection photos

  • Understanding the colony as a single organism

  • Using abundance and scarcity to influence hive behavior

  • Scaling honey production and planning for future expansion

Whether you’re just starting your first hive, recovering from early colony losses, or trying to better understand what’s really happening inside the hive, Laurel’s journey is a reminder that beekeeping is a process of constant learning. Every season brings new challenges, new observations, and new opportunities to grow as a beekeeper.