Announcements
AERIAL SPRAYING FOR MOSQUITOES
Aerial spraying has been completed as of 8/28 for Worcester and Middlesex counties. If your hives were affected please contact MA Chief Apiarist Kim Skyrm at 857-319-1020 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Use the below links to see the area affected and to check the latest status:
https://massnrc.org/spray-map/middlesex-worcester.htm
There is a possibility of a second round of spraying two weeks after the first, depending on various factors including weather. Please stay tuned and we will update this site as information becomes available.
WCBA HONEY EXTRACTORS !
WCBA has several extractors available for rent to our members. For details see here.
NEXT WCBA MEETING - Saturday, September 21 at 1:00 PM
Foppema's Farm (Formerly Keown Orchards) 10 McClellan Rd. Sutton, MA
SPEAKERS: Ken Warchol & Other experienced beekeepers
TOPIC: Final preparations for the winter months
Ken will open a hive and demonstrate what needs to be done in the beehive to
prepare it for the long winter months. Food stores and feeding, treatments, brood
rearing, wrapping and winter care of the hive will be covered. This is a must for new
beekeepers hoping to overwinter their hives successfully—hope to see you there.
Please bring protective equipment, folding chairs and sunscreen.
KID'S DAY - NATIVE BEE HOUSE PROJECT - Looking for Volunteers!
At our August WCBA meeting, Worcester County League of Sportsment's Clubs' (WCLSC) VP, Joe Afonso described their "Kid's Day" project which will prepare, assemble and distribute up to 400 Native Bee Hives to young Worcester County conservationists.
Joe and the WCLSC have asked WCBA to partner with them and are looking for volunteers in each phase of the project. For more details, see our Events page.
HONEY BEE SWARM COLLECTION AND COLONY REMOVAL
Honeybee swarms are a natural process where the bees divide their colony and half of them leave home along with their queen, to start a new hive. Before they find their new space, they may hang around in a temporary spot for a few hours. If you see a honeybee swarm, keep your distance and please don’t panic--they are normally fairly gentle. Do call a beekeeper who will come and get them.
A list of Worcester County Beekeepers who are on call to collect swarms can be found here. Most will also travel to nearby towns.
Sometimes a swarm will decide to take up permanent residence inside a structure such as in the walls of a house. If you are in need of someone to remove a colony and the associated honeycomb from a structure, please see this link.
Honey as a Wound Dressing
Did you miss our February meeting? Would you like to get another look at those great slides from Drs. Allen and Jane Dennison? You can find them here.
77th Annual WCBA Bee School
Bee School is finished for the year. Congratulations, Bee School Graduates!
SLIDES and VIDEOS from PREVIOUS MEETINGS
Insurance For Beekeepers (April 2018) -- Wendy Ashe of A&B Insurance in Westford
Temperature Probes for your hives (April 2018) -- Max Weagle, WCBA Director
Advanced Honey Bee Nutrition (October 2017) -- Dr. Eric Mussen, UC Davis
HIVE INSPECTIONS
If you are interested in having an inspector check your hive, please submit an online inspection request here:
MDAR Apiary Inspection Request Form
You can also call 617-626-1801 to request a visit from an inspector.
MA POLLINATOR PROTECTION PLAN
The MA Pollinator Protection Plan has been released and can be found at http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/agr/farmproducts/apiary/pollinator-plan.pdf
DOES YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS NEED UPDATING?
If your membership is up to date but you are not receiving club emails (quarterly newletter & important announcements), please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to update your email in our records.