Boston Area Beekeepers Association

Honey Harvest
2015-09-12 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Instructors: Bill Perkins and Boston Area BeekeepersMaximum # of Participants: 25
Cost: $5 for non-members
Signup: BNC Website
Harvest & process honey with us from comb to jar. This family-friendly workshop will involve a discussion of where honey comes from and its various uses in different cultures, while engaging participants in the process of extracting this liquid gold from the comb. During the event we will reflect on the honey bees’ year’s work, dip our fingers for a licking experience of our very own, and taste test various honeys. This participatory workshop will cover the full cycle of extraction, including cleanup.
To register contact Boston Nature Center at 617-983-8500. An online registration link will be posted here as soon as it is available.
Directions: http://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/boston-nature-center/directions)

Preparing Your Beehive for Winter (Metro North session)
2015-09-15 18:00 - 20:00
Panelists: Anita Deeley (TBH & Langstroth) & Mel Gadd (Warre, TBH & Langstroth)Suggested donation of $5
One of the greatest challenges to beekeeping in Massachusetts is getting colonies through the winter. Last year Eastern MA beekeepers lost over 50% of their colonies over the winter months; the bees (and beekeepers) need all the help they can get. Come learn from a panel of experienced local beekeepers the techniques they have used and found to be successful for overwintering. The panel will include Anita Deeley of Beverly Bees (and one of the state’s Apiary Inspectors) and Mel Gadd of Clumsy Dog Apiary. These beekeepers have experience tending and overwintering Langstroth, Warre and Top Bar Hives. This session will be indoors and include guidance on how to prepare your hive for winter, with time for Q & A after the panel discussion.
The building we will be meeting in is the Perry and Marty Granoff Music Center (Granoff for short); its address is 20 Talbot Ave, Medford, MA and we will be in Room 155. There is a visitor parking lot on the College Ave side of the building. The closest T stop is Davis (off the red line) and the 94 and 96 buses both stop across the street from the building (College Ave @ Dearborn).

Preparing Your Beehive for Winter (Metro South session)
2015-09-19 14:00 - 16:00
Instructors: Rebecca Rosenblum (TBH) & Ed Karle (Master Beekeeper, Langstroth)Maximum # of Participants: 30
Cost: $5 for non-members
Signup: BNC Website
One of the greatest challenges to beekeeping in Massachusetts is getting colonies through the winter. Last year Eastern MA beekeepers lost over 50% of their colonies over the winter months; the bees (and beekeepers) need all the help they can get. Come learn from a panel of experienced local beekeepers the techniques they have used and found to be successful for overwintering. The panel will include beekeepers tending Langstroth and Top Bar Hives (all of whom have successfully overwintered their hives). This session will be indoors and include guidance on how to prepare your hive for winter, with time for Q & A after the panel discussion.
To register contact Boston Nature Center at 617-983-8500. An online registration link will be posted here as soon as it is available.
Directions: http://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/boston-nature-center/directions)

Urban Agriculture Fair 2015
2015-09-27 10:00 - 14:00
It’s Fair time! The Urban Agriculture Fair returns to the Loring Greenough House (12 South Street, JP), on Sunday, 9/27, from 10am to 2pm, for another four hours of family fun and games, demonstrations, contests, and displays. Make apple cider (fresh and ‘hard’), watch bees tend their hive, pat a chicken, toss eggs, win prizes, and much more! And if you have garden goodies, kitchen concoctions, baked beauties, and other homemade/homegrown creations, enter them at the Judging Table for a chance to win swag, bragging rights, and ribbons (including the coveted “Pomme d’Or” gold ribbon)!

Beekeepers, bring along your smokers. The second annual Smoker Stoker contest is sure to be a nail-biter. If you can keep your smoker lit longer and stronger than anyone else, you take home a beautiful new Maxant (‘made in Mass’) hive tool!
For more information, see the Ag Hall website.

Backyard Beekeeping Workshop
2015-09-27 11:00 - 13:00
Ever want to keep honey bees, either for their delicious honey or simply the benefit of additional pollinators on your property? Learn the fundamentals of backyard honey bee care during this workshop hosted by experienced backyard beekeeper Joel Govostes. The program will cover topics including how to get hives started, how to maintain your hives throughout the different New England seasons, and honey harvesting.Tuition is $20 per person. Workshop is hosted by Wright-Locke Farm. Registration via wlfarm.org is REQUIRED (option to pay the day of the event is available).
Register: https://www.wlfarm.org/events/

BABA Oct 2015 Meeting
2015-10-13 18:30 - 19:30
This first meeting of the “slow season” will bring an opportunity for beekeepers new and old to gather, discuss highlights from – as well as issues they dealt with over – the summer, and concerns/questions we have going into the winter. We hope to see you there.Directions:The building we will be meeting in is the Perry and Marty Granoff Music Center (Granoff for short) at address is 20 Talbot Ave, Medford, MA, Room 155. There is a visitor parking lot at street level on the College Ave side of the building (despite what the signs say we have been told that parking after hours does not result in ticketing, but if you are nervous you may wish to park along the street or take public transportation). The closest T stop is Davis (off the red line) and the 94 and 96 buses both stop across the street from the building (College Ave @ Dearborn).

Beekeeping 101: An Introduction to Honey Bees as a Hobby
2015-10-17 13:00 - 16:00
Instructor: Sadie BrownMaximum # of Participants: 30
Cost: $25 for Mass Audubon members, $30 for non-members
Signup: BNC Website
Did you know that you can keep bees in your backyard? Even small urban yards (or roof tops) can play host to a hive of honey bees, and those who tend them can enjoy honey, beeswax, pollen and of course, the bees themselves.
In this three-hour workshop, you will learn what it takes to keep a busy, productive hive of bees happy. Learn where to get your bees, how to set up and maintain the hive, and what types of activities and time commitment are required throughout the year. This is a beginner’s course, so no previous knowledge is required. The workshop will include lots of time for Q&A, and is a good precursor to a more in-depth Bee School if you are uncertain whether keeping bees is right for you.

To register contact Boston Nature Center at 617-983-8500. An online registration link will be posted here as soon as it is available.
Directions: http://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/boston-nature-center/directions)

Hands-On Workshop - Winter Hive Prep
2015-10-24 00:00 - 23:59
Hands-On Workshop – Winter Hive PrepSaturday, 10/24 (time TBD)Agricultural Hall, 245 Amory St, Jamaica Plain, MACome learn how, and actually build, components to help your bees overwinter successfully.Updates to this meeting will be posted as we get closer to the meeting date.

BABA Nov 2015 Meeting
2015-11-10 18:00 - 21:00
Speaker: Nicolas Vidal-Nanuet, Veterinarian, Beekeeper, Author, NY Bee Sanctuary board member, visiting from France on book tour, author talk at 7pm with book signing to follow

Massachusetts Beekeepers Assoc Fall Meeting
2015-11-14 09:00 - 15:30
More information on www.massbee.org/meetings/2015-fall-meetingSpeaker: Don Hopkins – North Carolina Bee Inspector talks about colony inspections, diagnosis, and treatments of common ailments.Speaker: Ed and Marian Szymanski – talks about Massachusetts Honey Plants.
Time: 9:00AM – 3:30PM
Location: Red Apple Farm, Phillipston, Massachusetts
Lunch: King Phillip Restaurant – TBA
“MBA Honey Show” Enter your best honey and beeswax products.
Morning presentation “Apiary Inspection System in North Carolina” Considered a model inspection program, Don will provide an overview of the bee inspection program, and offer practical suggestion on how to evaluate a bee colony.
Afternoon presentation “Even Farther South: Bees in Bolivia”. Working with Dewey Caron and local beekeepers in Bolivia, Don will talk about his experiences and the importance of beekeepers taking responsibility for their bees.
Don Hpokins – became interested in bees at the age of 5, when beekeeper Dave Pruden was also the bread delivery driver in his neighborhood. He didn’t get a hive until he was nine or ten, but he has kept bees almost continuously since then. He joined the Morris County Beekeepers Association as a junior member, as well as the Somerset County 4-H Beekeeping Club. During his early years as a youth beekeeper he was inspired by New Jersey State Apiarist Jack Matthenius. As a senior member of the Morris county organization he served as program chair and then president of the MCSBA in the early 80s. He attended his first EAS meeting in Wooster Ohio in 1978.
After moving to North Carolina in 1988, Don started working for the NC Department of Agriculture in 1989 as a bee inspector. In 1994, he became the NCDA&CS State Apiarist. Joined the Apiary Inspectors of America in 1995. He was president of AIA in 2000 and 2010. At EAS, Don has presented several workshops, primarily on bee diseases. His primary interest is honey bee health and biology. The North Carolina inspection program is considered one of the best in the U.S. Don will discuss the NC program and the importance individual beekeepers make to a well organized inspection program.
Don has been on many volunteer projects to educate and learn from beekeepers in other countries. His trips to Bolivia have given him experience with Africanized Honey Bees and insight as to how the beekeepers there work with the bees. His observations will be part of his afternoon presentation at the Fall MBA meeting

BABA Dec 2015 Meeting
2015-12-08 18:30 - 20:00
As part of the meeting, there will be an Indian beekeeping presentation by Jonathan Abbott. Jonathan is a Masters student at MIT who studies improvements to Indian beekeeping using mechanical engineering. See some of the similarities and differences in beekeeping techniques and learn some cool things that might help your hives.Best parking is on Vassar Street (free at 5PM) or take 1 Bus or Kendal T Stop.
web.mit.edu/jabbott/Public/Bee/BABADirections.jpg
You may find parking closer on Mass Ave if lucky.

Bee-themed Holiday Party
2015-12-10 19:00 - 20:30
Join the BABA Board and members for a bee-themed holiday party at Follow the Honey. If you’re looking for wonderful bee-related gifts for the honey lover, beekeeper (or beekeepers to be) in your life, this is the place. Stop by, say hello, and help out one of the most unique shops in Harvard Square.

BABA Bee School Winter 2016
2016-01-21 19:30 - 21:00, 2016-01-28 19:30 - 21:00, 2016-02-11 19:30 - 21:00, 2016-02-25 19:30 - 21:00, 2016-03-10 19:30 - 21:00, 2016-03-17 19:30 - 21:00
DetailsWe will cover basic techniques of “organic” beekeeping, including materials and equipment, beehive structure, the life cycle of bees, hive development and dynamics, seasonal apiary work, honey and hive products, common pests and diseases, and hive management – with an emphasis on treatment-free and ecologically-friendly management techniques. We will taste local and varietal honeys, and learn about harvesting and using bee products. You will learn everything you need to know to set up your own backyard apiary.
Dates
Six Thursday evenings Jan-March from 7:30-9:00pm (see below for exact dates and times). There will also be a hands-on field date in April, date TBD based on weather & bees’ activity, and a 3/24 backup date to make up for a possible snow day.
Location
Urbano Project, 29 Germania Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 (located in the Brewery complex on Amory Street, across from Stony Brook T Stop)
Please register ASAP by clicking here.
Space and time to enroll is limited. Pre-registration highly recommended (space may fill up and only those pre-registered will be guaranteed a seat).
Cost: $165
** COURSE FEE INCLUDES A HANDS-ON WORKSHOP ON A DATE TBD IN APRIL
Scholarships
Limited scholarships are available to interested individuals experiencing financial hardship. If you are interested in a scholarship, please send an email describing your circumstances to info@bostonbeekeepers.org.
Course books will be provided on the day of the class, for an additional $10.
Course Instructors
The course will be taught by members of Boston Area Beekeepers Association (www.bostonbeekeepers.org). This year’s instructors include Rachael Bonoan, Noah Wilson-Rich, Paul Quigley, Dave Strickler, Mel Gadd, Bill Perkins and other experienced local beekeepers. For more on our organizing team & core instructors please visit: https://bostonbeekeepers.org/membership/board-directors.

BABA March 2016 Meeting
2016-03-08 18:30 - 20:00
Join us in hearing about honey bee health in Massachusetts from our new chief apiary inspector, Kim Skyrm! Kim is also interested in getting feedback from the regarding re-design of the Apiary Program so please come with suggestions and/or comments.
On-street parking available on Pike Street (which is a one-way road exiting onto Albany Street). The entrance to Best Bees and the Lab is off of Pike.
Directions to the Urban Beekeeping Lab & Bee Sanctuary
By Bike: Take the Southwest Corridor to Melnea Cass Bike Path to Albany Street (or from other parts of the city take Mass Ave to Albany). Turn onto Pike Street (across from Hampden Street; Boston Body Works is on the corner and actually shares the building with the Urban Beekeeping Lab/Best Bees). Once on Pike Street, the building on your left is your destination, but the entrance is around back so bring your bike around into the lot. Our entrance door is the last door on the left, just before the stairs and the end of the parking lot.
By Bus: MBTA stops nearby (follow directions for biking or driving from there):
Silver Line 4 & 5 (corner of Washington Street & Mass Ave)
#1 bus (corner of Albany Street and Randall Street)
#47 bus (corner of Harrison Ave and E. Lenox St.)
#9 bus (corner of Mass Ave and Albany St.)
CT3 bus (Albany St. opposite Boston Medical Center)
#10 bus (corner of Mass Ave and Albany St.)
#276 bus (corner of Mass Ave and Albany St.)
CT1 bus (corner of Mass Ave and Harrison Ave)
By car: Once on Albany Street be on the lookout for Pike Street. It is a small street located directly across from Hampden Street. The Bee lab is behind Boston Body Works. There is a parking lot behind the Urban Beekeeping Lab. Some parking is available in the lot off of Pike Street (directly behind the building) or on Pike Street. Of note, ignore the Do Not Enter signs by the side of the building; they were put there by our landlord to reduce traffic and are not legal.
Our entrance door is the last door on the left, just before the stairs and the end of the parking lot.
get directions

The Mighty Mason Bee
2016-03-12 10:00 - 12:00
Mason bees, or orchard bees, are prodigious pollinators. Unlike honey bees, mason bees are solitary (and native to the Americas) and, as such, all females are fertile and produce eggs which they lay in small deep holes packed with food (a pollen and nectar mix), and seal with mud. And they’re really cute & gentle.
Learn about our native mason bees and how to provide them an attractive nesting house. The workshop ends with a mason bee house construction project after which every participant will leave with a mason bee house ready for the bees’ arrival — any day now! Provide them a home and they will move in.
They’ll be here soon but they’re only active for a few weeks; they showed up in Boston by April 16 last year.
The entire two-part workshop will be taught twice, once from 10-12 and again from 12-2.
Attendees are encouraged to bring an empty can measuring anywhere from 2 – 3.5 inches in diameter and 4-5 inches tall. You’ll see why…
Registration is required for this paid (but affordable) event. Visit http://masonbees.bpt.me/
get directions

Beekeeping 101 : An Introduction to Honey Bees as a Hobby
2016-03-13 09:30 - 12:30
Note: Pre-registering through this link (or by phone: 617-983-8500) with BNC is the only way to guarantee a spot.
Sponsored by Boston Nature Center and Boston Area Beekeepers Association
Instructor: Bill Perkins – Boston Area Beekeepers Association
Non-members can join today during checkout and take immediate advantage of member prices.
Did you know that you can enjoy bees and bee products right in your backyard? Urban yards (and even rooftops) are often excellent locations for beehives. In this introductory workshop, you will learn about the fascinating world of the honeybee. We will talk about what it takes to keep a busy, productive hive of bees happy; how to set up and maintain a hive; and what kind of time commitment is required. This is a beginner’s workshop, so no previous knowledge is necessary. We will end with some local honey tasting.
Fee: $25 members / $30 nonmembers.
Registration is required.
|| get directions

Founder of Gaia Bees talks about new practices toward a bee-centric Apiculture
2016-03-30 19:00 - 21:00
Please join us to receive a very special guest, Michael Joshin Thiele, Founder of Gaia Bees, who advocate for a fundamental shift inApiculture and develops new practices toward a bee-centric approach. Michael is coming to the East Coast for the first time as a participant in a 2 day intensive at the Harvard Divinity School on The Spirit of Sustainable Agriculture, so we are very honored to have him gather with us for an evening.

Michael Joshin Thiele is leading an innovative approach within the biodynamic apiculture movement and teaches in the United States and abroad. Gaia Bees is engaged into the research of wild Apis Mellifera and new dimensions of apiculture in a sociocultural, agricultural and spiritual context. In the last decade, Michael has been involved with the creation of Honeybee sanctuaries and refuges as a means of protection and education. The most recent project is the Honeybee Sanctuary & Refuge at Green Gulch Farm.
The underlying concept of a “Landscape Apiarium” is the leading principle in this bee-centric approach. In 2013, he worked as a biodynamic consultant for the USDA in the Dominican Republic. His work is documented in various national and international magazines, books and film documentaries (“Queen of the Sun”). For one of the most recent interviews (2015) go to:
Michael will explore how the bio-integrity of Honeybee nests can inform and heal our apiaries and landscapes, and how the wisdom of Honeybees can be an inspiration for the evolution of new paradigms of life.

Swarm Management & Making Splits
2016-04-30 12:30 - 15:30
An intermediate level beekeeping workshop with Dean Stieglitz. Basic hive inspection & smoker manipulation tips will also be covered.Saturday, April 30th (rain date May 1) 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Location: Fenway Victory Garden Apiary; refer to the Google map at: https://www.google.com/maps?cid=1704224708794287105 and enter at Path Q. Then ask around — almost anyone in the garden will know where the apiary is.
This intermediate level beekeeping workshop will discuss the causes of and reasons for honeybee swarms, how to manage and reduce the swarm impulse in your own hives, and what to do if you notice swarming behavior in your colonies. Making swarm control splits will also be discussed.
This workshop is free, but donations are gladly accepted. Space is limited so please pre-register via EventBrite, HERE. Space is limited; if you do not register, you may not be able to get in.
Please wear long pants, closed toe shoes, and bring your veil if you have one. Gloves are also recommended — you may have a chance to handle and observe activity on populated frames. Please be advised that live, populous hives full of tens of thousands stinging honeybees will be opened. By showing up to this workshop, as with almost any workshop held in an apiary, you might be stung.
Dean Stieglitz is a beekeeper, author, and owner of Golden Rule Honey in Leominster, MA. Dean will also have Golden Rule raw honey for sale, as well as copies of his book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Beekeeping, so bring some spending money if you’re in the market for either.

Tour de Hives 2016
2016-06-26 00:00 - 23:59
Buy tickets for 6th Annual Boston Tour de HivesThe Tour de Hives will engage, educate and enchant you with a first-hand look at honey bees in hives across the city, guided by the humans who tend them.
On Sunday, June 26th, join us for a bicycle tour of apiaries in Somerville, Malden, and Medford, followed by a picnic lunch. Come celebrate the bees with us.
Apiaries Featured On The Tour Include
Site A: First-year Backyard Beekeeper First-year beekeeper Carl Palme will show his hive, discuss how he got started, and answer basic questions about hive management for newbees
Site B: Tufts University – Honey Bee Research See the different life stages of honey bees through the glass of observation hives, and learn from Tufts University PhD candidate Rachael Bonoan about her work linking honey bee nutrition to brood development
Site C: Tufts University – Native Pollinator Research See the inner workings of bumble bee hives and learn from Tufts University PhD candidate Kelsey Graham about her research on the impact of the invasive wool carder bee on native pollinators
Site D: Community-owned Backyard Flow Hive Check out the new hive design that last year inspired the sixth-most successful crowdfunding campaign EVER. Hear perspectives from a group of beekeepers who are giving it a try this season while implementing shared hive ownership and management.
Site E: Seasoned Backyard Beekeeper Experienced backyard beekeeper Carl Puglisi will cover topics including successful overwintering strategies, mite prevention, and splitting hives Site F: Groundwork Somerville Visit honeybees and native pollinators at the Somerville South St. farm and hear about how they fit into Groundwork Somerville’s work in community education and engagement.
Each group will visit 3 of the above sites.
REGISTRATION
We will have groups starting out from two locations in the morning. You will have the opportunity when buying your ticket to select your preference to begin your ride at Fellsmere Park, near Malden Center on the Orange Line, or at Nathan Tufts Park, near Davis Square on the Red Line. We will do our best to accomodate requests. Meet up at your location at 9am on the morning of the tour to get your teeshirt, join your group, and start the ride!

BYO PICNIC LUNCH
After a full morning of cycling and bees, all groups will gather at Fellsmere Park for a picnic lunch and a chance to mingle! Please bring a bag lunch, bicycle, helmet, and water bottle! The total cycling distance is ~10 miles.
Please contact us if the suggested early-bird registration fee of $25 is prohibitive for you. Any proceeds raised will bee reinvested in education & outreach initiatives by the BABA (formerly Boston Beekeepers Club).
Many thanks to this year’s sponsors!
* Best Bees Beekeeping Services
* Follow the Honey

Meet the Beekeeper
2016-07-23 10:00 - 12:00
The next Hive Dive/Meet the Beekeeper will be July 23 — from 10:00 to noon. Robbing will be the featured topic. Hive robbing picks up in late summer, and this will be a chance for us to discuss how to proactively protect against robbing, and how to stop it once it starts.Directions: http://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/boston-nature-center/directions

September BABA Meeting: Overwintering
2016-09-13 19:00 - 21:00
Lots of exciting changes will be happening for BABA this year! These changes (see below) will be discussed at 7:00pm.At 7:30 pm, we will have a talk on overwintering from Mel Gadd, beekeeper for Drumlin Farms. Mel has experience with Langstroth, Top Bar, and Warre hives.
After Mel’s presentation, he will take any questions you have about getting your hives through the winter!
MEMBERSHIP DUES
As of September 2016, annual BABA membership dues will be instated. As a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your dues can be written off as a donation and will go back to educating beekeepers, bee enthusiasts, and the general public alike. Also, with dues BABA will be able to bring in speakers from around the U.S. rather than just from the Boston Area (not that we don’t have awesome speakers in the Boston Area!). We will be accepting dues payments at this meeting and soon, on our website. Please feel free to bring any questions regarding dues to the meeting.
Dues-paying members will receive the following benefits:
• Discounted (sometimes even free) entry to BABA meetings featuring noted speakers. Going forward, there will be a suggested $5 donation to attend the regular monthly meeting if you are not a due-paying members.
• Discounted registration for BABA’s annual Bee School.
• Discounted and priority registration for BABA’s annual Tour de Hives
• Opportunity to be nominated for and elected to the BABA board of directors.
• Opportunity to vote on which featured speakers from around the U.S. BABA will invite.
• And more as BABA grows!
Dues will be:
• Student: $15/year
• Individual: $20/year
• Family: $25/year

NOMINATIONS FOR BOARD MEMBERS
We will be accepting nominations for board members. The positions on the BABA board and their responsibilities are as follows:
• President – Coordinate Bee School, insurance compliance (teaching apiary, Boston Nature Center, Tour de Hives, etc.), allocating emails to appropriate contacts
• Vice President – Oversee committees, workgroups, and events (e.g. Tour de Hives planning committee, educational workgroups)
• Treasurer – Collects membership dues payment and tracks funds, works with Vice President to fund events
• Secretary – Membership chair, documentation, storage
• Webmaster – Keeps our website up to date
Each board member serves a year-long term and is welcome to serve longer. The current board will review nominations and make the final decision regarding who will make up the board for the coming year. If you would like to nominate someone (or yourself), please come prepared to fill out a nomination form with his/her name, the position being considered, his/her contact information, and why he/she would make a good board member.
LOGO DESIGN CONTEST
BABA doesn’t have a logo and we want your help! Submit your entry here (PDF, JPEG, or TIFF) by 11:59 pm on October 4, 2016. The submissions will be compiled and discussed at the general October meeting (October 11). The current board will make the final decision on which logo is picked. A good logo must be informative (we’re beekepers from the Boston Area!) but simple enough to print on t-shirts, flyers, and all sorts of other BABA paraphernalia!

Tufts Research Update
2016-10-11 19:00 - 21:00

Beekeeping in Tanzania
2016-11-15 19:00 - 21:00

Honey DNA & Beekeeping Tech
2016-12-13 19:00 - 21:00
Dr. Noah Wilson-Rich will present on Honey DNA & Beekeeping Technologies.

Urban Beekeeping - Pest Management
2017-01-10 19:00 - 21:00
Anita Deeley will be presenting on Urban Beekeeping & Pest Management
