How Bad Is It? Using Mite-Drop Counts to Measure & Control Varroa Infestation

By Larry VandeVenter -- Boston beekeeper; BABA and Classroom Hives board member. Like pinballs, mites regularly fall off bees and end up on the hive's bottom board.  Counting the number of fallen mites that land on pull-out trays under screened bottom boards can accurately measure a hive's mite infestation levels.  Larry has translated three years […]

Frontiers in Small Hive Beetle Control

Frontiers in Small Hive Beetle ControlDate: Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, 7:00-8:30pm via Zoom Location: Zoom Register for Lecture As far back as the 1960s, the American beekeeping industry had identified Aethina tumida as a potential threat to US beekeeping. Decades before their arrival in the United States, Caron (1978) stated that “One can only hope […]

Bees & Pesticides Workshop by Caro Munoz, Ph.D. candidate

Caro Munoz will present the results of her 2021 research into the pesticides bees bring back to the hive and how the effects of these pesticides relate to their interaction with crops and wild plants. Overlooked in their significance, insect pollinators play a paramount role in maintaining ecosystem balance and are vital contributors to the […]

Vitellogenin – The Swiss knife of honey bees

Over the last 20 years, my big passion in research has been Vitellogenin. Vitellogenin is a very old protein, more than 700 million years old. If we think of life on Earth in general, that time point is likely prior to the evolution of most, if not all, multicellular life forms. Since then, Vitellogenin has […]

Ask The Beekeeper

A discussion and Q&A with Dave Lewcon of Dave Lewcon Apiaries, Uxbridge, MA Now is the busiest time of year for bees and beekeepers alike.  It's easy to get overwhelmed with the speed of a growing hive, changing brood patterns, and the myriad of never-seen-before surprises and behaviors that befuddle both novice AND experienced beekeepers.For […]

Hope in the Fight Against Varroa

Virtual Event Virtual Event

Did you miss this presentation? If you're a BABA member, you can find it here. A Presentation by Project Apis m. Executive Director Danielle Downey & Dr. Bob Danka, USDA-retired. Varroa mites remain the primary threat to honey bees for most beekeepers.  The ultimate solution to the Varroa destructor problem will be bees that can defend […]

BABA Presentation: Honey bees and native flower visitors in a Boston suburb

Virtual Event Virtual Event

Prof. Primack's talk presents survey results on insect visitation to various plants in Newton, showing that honey bees, bumblebees, and solitary bees coexist on the most popular flora. The findings highlight the diversity of bee species visiting cultivated, native, and pollinator garden plants in the suburb. He will conclude with strategies to protect native pollinators, including minimizing pesticide use and planting pollinator-friendly gardens.

Free – $10.00

Meet the Beekeeper: Peter Byerly

Boston Nature Center 500 Walk Hill Street, Mattapan, MA, United States

Join us at the Boston Nature Center (BNC) for a Meet the Beekeeper session each Saturday this summer. Peter will be giving a presentation and a "hive dive" where you'll have the opportunity to look at real beehives in their summer glory! You'll be able to see how a beehive works, some beekeeping techniques, and, […]

Free

BABA: Meet the Beekeeper – Summer 2024

Boston Nature Center 500 Walk Hill Street, Mattapan, MA, United States

Join us at the Boston Nature Center (BNC) for a Meet the Beekeeper session each Saturday this summer. You'll have the opportunity to look at real beehives in their summer glory! You'll be able to see how a beehive works, some beekeeping techniques, and, of course, honeycomb, raw honey, baby bees, and if you're lucky, […]

BABA: Meet the Beekeeper – Summer 2024

Boston Nature Center 500 Walk Hill Street, Mattapan, MA, United States

Join us at the Boston Nature Center (BNC) for a Meet the Beekeeper session each Saturday this summer. You'll have the opportunity to look at real beehives in their summer glory! You'll be able to see how a beehive works, some beekeeping techniques, and, of course, honeycomb, raw honey, baby bees, and if you're lucky, […]

BABA: Meet the Beekeeper – Summer 2024

Boston Nature Center 500 Walk Hill Street, Mattapan, MA, United States

Join us at the Boston Nature Center (BNC) for a Meet the Beekeeper session each Saturday this summer. You'll have the opportunity to look at real beehives in their summer glory! You'll be able to see how a beehive works, some beekeeping techniques, and, of course, honeycomb, raw honey, baby bees, and if you're lucky, […]

BABA: Honey Show Judging; What’s It All About

Presented by Mary Duane, President of Massachusetts Beekeepers Association The presentation will cover the basics of the judging process at a honey show. Mary's presentation will address both what can be entered in a honey show and what a judge is looking for in a sample of liquid honey or an article of beeswax.  Additionally, […]