It turns out there are a few beekeepers out there with plenty of buzz of their own. Even between a demanding schedule of acting, playing in a rock band, or even serving as First Lady, many famous folks have found time to support bees in their backyard.Though more and more people are taking up beekeeping every day, here is our most up-to-date and definitive guide to famous beekeepers. If you prefer to leave the pollination to the pros – or even the amateurs, like those below – remember that every bottle of pure, raw and unfiltered Local Hive Honey supports pollinator conservation and education.

Flea – Bassist, Red Hot Chili Peppers

When he’s not rocking out onstage, Flea cares for three hives in an apiary he established. Turns out fleas and bees get along just fine.

Scarlet Johansson – actress

Scarlet was given a beehive by Samuel L Jackson as a wedding president when she married actor Ryan Reynolds.

Morgan Freeman – actor

We’ve written about Mr. Freeman’s apiary inclination before. In recent years, he’s become a vocal advocate for bees everywhere.

Michelle Obama – First Lady

Michelle Obama established a hive in the garden at the White House. It’s since become the White House chef’s main source of honey.

Karen Pence – Second Lady

Mrs. Pence has long been a pollination proponent. She kept a hive at her residence in Indiana and, in June 2017, she installed a beehive at the Vice President’s residence as well.

Steve Vai – guitarist

Best known for his Grammy-winning solo albums and work with Frank Zappa, the guitar virtuoso harvests his own honey and is an honorary member of the British Beekeepers Association.

Leonardo DiCaprio – actor

For DiCaprio, beekeeping is an escape from the hustle and bustle of life in LA. He has several hives in his home garden.

Sir Edmund Hillary – mountaineer

Sir Hillary’s father’s beekeeping business actually provided the capital he needed for his famous Everest exhibition.

Sylvia Plath – author

Plath owned several hives and found beekeeping to be a source of inspiration for her literature and poetry.

Maria von Trapp – singer

Maria von Trapp – immortalized by Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music – spent most of her later years caring for bees in Vermont after her family fled Austria.

Henry Fonda – actor

An amateur beekeeper throughout his life, Henry served as the inspiration for his son Peter, who portrayed a beekeeper in the 1997 movie Ulee’s Gold.

Martha Stewart – TV host

Stewart has kept bees since the 1970s to pollinate the flowers and fruit trees in her home garden.

Daymond John – Founder, FUBU

The Shark Tank host learned about bees’ declining populations when a beekeeper pitched on the show. John was so inspired that he set up more than 30 hives on land he owns in Dutchess County, NY.

Leo Tolstoy – author

In his novel War and Peace, Tolstoy uses the beehive as a metaphor for human civilization. His wife, in her diary, describes his obsession with bees while writing the book.

Aristotle – philosopher

A keen early observer of nature, Aristotle was among the first in western history to observe the structure of the hive, including the roles of drones and their queen – which he assumed was a king.

If you want to learn more about backyard beekeeping, email us at beekeeping@localhivehoney.com.