About Us

KEITH’S STORY

Keith Roberts first realized his fascination for bees during a trip to the L.A. County Fair. He was struck by the large observation bee hive set up by the Los Angeles County Beekeepers Association (LACBA) and spent most of his day at the booth asking questions and gathering information about honeybees. He continued his education from there through reading every beekeeping book he could find and engaging in a powerful mentorship with Walt McBride who taught him much of what he knows about bees. Keith became an adept beekeeper as well as the Vice President and subsequently the President of LACBA. Keith is still active in the club and shares his knowledge and experience whenever he can, including teaching beekeeping 101 classes on a monthly basis. In 2014, Keith partnered with Danny Finkelstein to realize his ultimate dream of creating a hub for the beekeeping community in the San Fernando Valley. This hub is known today as The Valley Hive.

DANNY’S STORY

Danny spent most of his adult years building, running, and operating two industrial supplies companies. When he sold his businesses in 2008, he used the resources and skills gathered through years of entrepreneurship to start a property management company where he focused on flipping foreclosed upon homes. While rehabbing one of his new projects, he happened upon a colony of bees living in one of the walls. Having little experience and knowledge around bees, he called a beekeeper to extract the hive safely. This incident ignited an energy in Danny to continue to learn more. From here, Danny began attending LACBA meetings and ultimately connected with his now business partner Keith. With Keith’s immense knowledge and passion about bees and Danny’s business expertise, The Valley Hive became a reality.

OUR MISSION

Whether you are a ‘newbee’ just starting out or a seasoned veteran, The Valley Hive is here to help with all your beekeeping needs. From picking out the right bee suit to extracting your first honey harvest, we are here every step along the way. Sharing our passion for the bees by providing education, extraordinary service, and high-quality products is our true mission.

We are bee lovers. Equally, we love beekeepers. Not all bee situations are the same, nor are all people. We specialize in creating custom tailored solutions for managing the bees in your apiary, whether in an orchard or a back yard. We are in this stinging insect thing together. Unlike some of your closest friends and family, we get it. So welcome to The Valley Hive and thank you for being part of our vision. We invite you to come visit us: enjoy our bee inspired shop, taste our raw-local honey, take a beekeeping class, or join us in the garden at Topanga Nursery. We’re glad you found us!

“All too often, bees find you. They move into one of your walls or you witness a swarm moving across your yard.”