Announcements
NEXT MEETING - Friday April 12 at 6:30pm - CHEF SUPPER
Knights of Columbus Hall, Mannville Street, Leicester, MA
Please join us for our final indoor meeting of the year. We will begin with a chef supper (bring a dish big enough to serve 10, based on the first letter of your last name below). At 7pm we will have a short business, followed by a presentation from our MA Chief Apiary Inspector Kim Skyrm on the upcoming season's programs and services at the state level.
A-I vegetable/side
J-R dessert
S-Z main course
Hope you can join us for lots of great bee talk -- spring is coming fast!!
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.
2018 WCBA memberships expired on December 31, 2018
The WCBA bylaws were changed during 2018 so that the membership year is now the same as the calendar year. This means that 2018 memberships are officially expired as of December 31, 2018.
You will be taken to our membership web site to enter your information and create an online profile, if you don't already have one. WCBA does not store your credit card and we will never share your personal information with any third party.
To renew by mail please print and fill out the form found here and mail with your check.
77th Annual WCBA Bee School
Bee School began on March 7th, 2019! The school runs for eight Thursdays from 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM at the Grafton High School in Grafton, MA.
The fee is $35 which includes membership in WCBA through the end of 2019.
NOTE: Registering for WCBA membership does not sign you up for bee school. You must complete the separate bee school application.
For more details including syllabus and schedule, see the Bee School page here.
To register online, please use this link.
To register by mail, please download and mail this form with your check.
WCBA EXTRACTORS
WCBA has several extractors available for rent to our members. For details see here.
HONEY BEE SWARM 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.
Legislative update
MA bill H.4041 did not get a vote in the House during the session ending 7/31/18. The new legislative season is upon us and we are restarting our efforts to pass reasonable pesticide restrictions in Massachusetts. Please watch for the WCBA Spring 2019 newsletter for a full legislative update.
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
The MA apiary inspection service will be available soon. If you are interested in having an inspector check your hive, or any hive that died, 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.