Middlesex County Beekeepers Association of Mass (Massachusetts) MCBA

Middlesex County Beekeepers Association of Mass
The MCBA has members throughout Middlesex County, MA and the surrounding area. The theme of our club is "beekeepers helping beekeepers," finding enjoyment and fulfillment in keeping bees. The club maintains a Members only web site to post questions and exchange information between meetings - a great way to stay in touch. We welcome new members and offer classes in beekeeping for beginners.

Meetings - The MCBA meets monthly to discuss topics relevant to beekeeping in the area. Topics include hive management, bee pests and diseases, swarm management and predator advice, plants and pollination, and extracting honey. In addition, the club runs a number of annual activities including a course on the Basics of Beekeeping, an annual Spring Workshop, and a display at various County Fairs.

What we offer - Members of MCBA range from beekeeping hobbyists with one or two hives to those who run beekeeping businesses with several hundred hives. All members enjoy the following benefits: Access to the club’s large library of videos and books on beekeeping, members' interactive web site, the opportunity to learn from established beekeepers’ experiences, as well as those of State and Regional bee associations, subscription to the club’s monthly newsletter, and the chance to sell beeproducts at the fairs. We also have extracting equipment available for Members to rent and offer discounts on subscriptions to "Bee Culture" and "American Bee Journal" magazines.

Membership -To join, please complete the Membership Application, enclose a check for $10.00 for annual membership, payable to 'MCBA' and send it to:

MCBA
c/o Jennifer Reed
81 Westford Street
Dunstable, MA 01827
978-649-5635
e-mail

All beekeepers in the region are welcome to join. New and established beekeepers and those who wish to learn about and perhaps become a beekeeper themselves are welcome. We are an active club that helps new beekeepers get started, sharing the ideas and experience of established beekeepers.

Newsletter - "The Middlesex Bee" newsletter is published by the MCBA monthly. The Club meets on the fourth Saturday of the month during the summer and the fourth Friday of the month during the winter. See our schedule of meetings. Click on the link below to download a recent newsletter. The newsletters are in Adobe Acrobat format.

Hive Placements of honeybee colonies on your property can sometimes be arranged by club members. E-mail us to inquire (link near page bottom). There are essentially no feral (wild) honeybee colonies left, so this service is often valuable to beekeeper and farmer alike.

Swarm Coordinator Our swarm coordinator helps members collect swarms spotted in our area. Alix Bartsch can be reached at 781-862-2716 (home) or 781-630-1129 (cell). Before you call be sure you can answer the following questions:

2. Location (address, tree, or in a house/wall, how high up? are ladders or other equipment needed?)

5. Contact information - Alix will coordinate with an interested member who will need to contact you directly.

Exterminators will not kill honeybees and often refer homeowners to find a beekeeper. Conversely, beekeepers are not exterminators and will not remove other insects. Please make sure they are honeybees and THANK YOU for your interest in helping this important pollinator.

Our Meeting Schedule
Meetings are held rain or shine.

Meetings Dates (Also see the Middlesex Bee below, for detailed directions)

Upcoming meetings and events:

September MCBA meeting – Saturday, September 25th from from 1 to 3 pm at the home of George Miller, 21 New Estate Road, Littleton, Mass.

Each meeting begins with "Bee Talk," a forum for discussing current conditions, asking question about your hives and general discussion about bee related topics. If you are not a member feel free to attend a meeting, meet other members and ask questions to learn more about club activities and the membership. Be sure to introduce yourself to one of the club officers at the meeting to receive an introduction to MCBA. Our meetings begin with "Bee Talk," a time to discuss current conditions, ask questions, learn about what to expect as the seasons change.

During the summer months, club meetings are held at different member's homes that volunteer to host an outdoor meeting and participate in a hive opening for the members. MCBA's "master beekeepers" walk the members through how to open a hive and what to look for. The opportunity to view a hive and hear the long time beekeepers share their advice and "bee wisdom" is a unique and highly attended highlight of the meeting.

Maps to our indoor meeting location.

Club Resources for Members

Members receive the Middlesex Bee, the club's newsletter. Click the link below to view a recent copy (.pdf).

Middlesex Bee

Club Extractor

The club extractor, a 3-frame hand-powered Maxant unit is available for rent to members. There is a fee of $15.00 for 48 hours, which also includes uncapping equipment. There are additional charges if unit is kept more than 48 hours.

Library

Jim our Librarian, brings a selection of books from the MCBA library to each of our meetings. Members may borrow the books and purchase copies of videos about beekeeping and related topics. The club has an extensive collection of books and videos covering all aspects of beekeeping from beginner to advanced.

Honey Sales

The club organizes honey sales by its members at one or more fairs in the area each year.

Members' Web Site

All MCBA members are invited to join the MCBA Members Web Page. The Members' Page is an interactive web site where members can post information, ask questions or just follow along between meetings. All club contacts and resources are listed there.

Beekeepers Helping other Beekeepers

Our club has volunteers that are available to help out (mentor) new beekeepers when they have a question or need someone to look over there hive and offer suggestions or answer questions. The MCBA also offers a members only interactive web site where members can ask questions and learn about current conditions between meetings.

Beekeepers School for beginners

Experience the fun and the rewarding hobby of beekeeping from MCBA's experienced beekeepers. During the winter months, the MCBA sponsors a number of "Introduction to Beekeeping" courses at various locations and times. Classes are intended to give you enough basic information to care for a bee colony. Upon completion of the beekeeping course, students are given a one-year free membership in the MCBA. Registration information for courses in 2011 will be posted here as it becomes available.

MCBA Brochure

Member Home Pages and other Links

Click on the links below to go to the Home Pages of MCBA members, providing unique products and services.

New England Beekeeping Supplies, Inc. - Supplies and a helping hand, Rick
[Check Rick's site and don't miss his "how to install a package of bees" video clip]

Massachusetts Beekeepers Association (MBA)

The Massachusetts Beekeepers Association (MBA) is the state's organization for beekeepers, which has more than 200 members. They hold two general all-day meetings each year, one in the Spring, and one in the Fall with a major speaker. Members receive a quarterly Massachusetts Bee newsletter.

Bee problems in and around your home?
Honeybees in your attic or basement?
Contact Rick Reault at 978-957-5359.
Rick offers a removal service and can relocate honeybees.

For Information or Questions

For questions, information or applications on either organization contact
Rick at (978) 512-9222 or e-mail Rick@nebees.com

.Welcome to

MCBA
Massachusetts, USA