Meet The Keepers

George Datto

Co-Founder, Co-inventor

George began as a hobbyist beekeeper in 2008 with an apiary at his farm in southeastern Pennsylvania. He is President of the Chester County Beekeepers Association of Pennsylvania (CCBA), where he created the apprentice and citizen science programs for the 700-member organization. He also leads the queen mating program and manages the CCBA nucleus colony apiary, which helps promote and distribute high-quality local genetics. George manages 70 hives at seven apiaries, including Winterthur Museum and Garden in Delaware and SIW Vegetables in the Brandywine River Valley.

Nat Wolfe

Co-founder, co-inventor

Nat is a retired Master Carpenter and proud grandfather who, in addition to being an expert woodworker, is also a highly knowledgeable mechanic, electrician, welder – you name it. With an innate talent for engineering and product design, Nat is a born inventor who embodies the do-it-yourself mentality. Nat was introduced to beekeeping by George, and immediately started thinking about ways to reduce the physical demands of the Langstroth hive. The first prototype they created together was a two queen hive called "The Nat Hive" in honor of Nat's contribution to the design. It has since evolved into the Two Queen Keeper.

Dave McNeeley

Co-founder, manager

Dave befriended Nat’s youngest son when they were in fourth grade, and from then on was like a part of the family. A small-town kid with a love for the outdoors, he somehow found himself in New York City, where he spent many years managing operations and logistics for an events company. After relocating closer to home and starting a role in digital marketing, he learned that Nat and George needed help launching their business and immediately offered to assist them any way that he could.

Our Values

 

INNOVATION: We believe that challenging norms and seeking creative solutions to improve beekeeping practices is a fundamental part of progress.


SCIENCE-DRIVEN APPROACH: We use science to guide our design choices and business practices. Our understanding of honeybee biology is the foundation of our approach to making effective and eco-friendly products.


TRANSPARENCY: We are open about our business processes and marketing and will never rely on gimmicks to make a profit. We believe that honesty is the foundation of trust with our customers and community.


QUALITY PRODUCTS: We create top-quality products that excel in the apiary, and we're committed to using sustainable materials and methods to ensure a better future for beekeeping.


SUPPORT FOR BEEKEEPERS: Our goal is to help beekeepers become better at their craft, enhancing honeybee health. We want to help build a stronger community of beekeepers who share knowledge and resources.


RESPECTFUL COLLABORATION: We treat all beekeepers and fellow industry partners with respect, acknowledging diverse perspectives and goals. We encourage open dialogue and cooperation to strengthen the beekeeping community.


ENJOYING THE JOURNEY: We take pleasure in this journey, knowing that our passion for beekeeping fuels our commitment to creating positive change in the industry.

 

Some Background

The concept for the hive was first imagined in 2016 when George invited Nat to tag along while he went to check on some of his hives. Nat was immediately struck by how labor intensive it was to perform hive maintenance… repeatedly lifting heavy, honey-filled supers was a lot of work! So, in true Nat fashion, he started thinking about ways to alter the Langstroth design and eliminate the need for any lifting. The two of them got to work and started building prototypes, eventually creating an early version of what is now the Two Queen Keeper. 

George took their prototypes from the shop to the field and put bees in them. Over time, they observed how the bees responded to small design changes and worked through the early flaws. They hit the road and brought their hives to several beekeeping conventions, where they were met with equal parts skepticism and enthusiasm: skepticism from those who saw “two queens” and “no lifting” and didn’t bother to give them a chance, and enthusiasm from those who decided to stop and take a closer look. It was immediately clear to them that they had created something valuable, but they had one major problem: beyond making small quantities of the hive themselves and selling by word of mouth, they didn’t know how to scale their business and take things to the next level. It wasn’t long before the pandemic hit, beekeeping shows took a hiatus, and their progress was stalled. They continued to develop the product (enter the One Queen Keeper) but had no clear path forward - they knew they needed help, but they had no promising leads.

Dave first heard about the hive project while visiting with Nat’s family in 2018. After the pandemic, Dave got a job in marketing and moved back to the area. While hanging out with Nat’s son at a Thanksgiving get together in 2022, he asked him how the hive project was coming along. After learning that Nat and George were in need of someone that could help them bring their products to market, he immediately offered to help. After a handful of meetings, the three of them decided to partner and The Keeper’s Hive was formed in the Spring of 2023. 

The next chapter of our story hasn’t been written yet, but we hope that you’ll be a part of it!