State of the State: Update on Honey Bee Health in the Commonwealth
Join the outreach educational teams from the Department of Agricultural Resources Apiary Program, Forest Pest Education Program, Pesticide Enforcement, Farm Viability and Agricultural Business Training Program, State Veterinarians, Marketing and Finance Departments along with our partners at the USDA Farm Service Agency to get an update on honey bee health and associated support services available for beekeepers in the Commonwealth. Each event will include presentations that cover information and data focused on regulations, biosecurity, honey bee health, beekeeping practices, pesticides, invasive pests, marketing, grants, financial assistance, and business development as well as a Q&A session for attendees.
Events will be held virtually via Zoom on Tuesdays from 7pm-9pm and are free and open to the public, but *may not* bee recorded so bee there.
Pre-Registration required:https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6DXOay_gRE27rTOvUv2cUg
- December 10, 2024
- State of the State - MDAR Apiary Program End of the Year Review
- December 17, 2024
- Asian Honey Bees and Tropilaelaps mite
- January 14, 2025
- MDAR Marketing Programs and Services
- MDAR Business Classes
- MDAR Grants
- USDA ELAP Program
- January 28, 2025
- MDAR Pesticide Update
- MDAR Veterinary Update
- February 4, 2025
- Interested in BEE-coming a Beekeeper? Learn about How to get started, State Laws/Regulations, Seasonal Management and More!
- February 25, 2025
- MDAR Bee Aware Honey Bee Health Survey Results
- USDA Honey Bee Health Survey Results
- Seasonal Bee Sample Data and Trends
- MDAR Research Projects Update and Data
- March 4, 2025
- Yellow Legged Hornet
- Spotted Lanternfly
- Northern Giant Hornet (formerly known as the Asian Giant Hornet)
Honey Bee Education Days at the State Apiaries
Honey Bee Education Days flyer
The honey bee colonies and associated grounds of the State Apiaries are seasonally managed by the MDAR Apiary Program Team with support from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst (UMass) Agricultural Learning Center (ALC) Farm and the Bristol County Agricultural High School Team of the students, faculty and farm managers. Each apiary consists of 4-20 honey bee colonies established in Langstroth hives setup on wooden stands surrounded by an electric fence. The agricultural land that surrounds each apiary consists of vegetable production, food forests, orchards, pollinator gardens, and cut flower cultivation plots. Each apiary is considered to be(e) a critical component of each farm given the pollination services that honey bees provide to flowering plants. The State Apiaries also serve as a vessel for education, outreach demonstrations and research related to agricultural sustainability, pollination, honey bee health, beekeeper education, and colony management.
Join the MDAR Apiary Program Team at the UMass and Bristol State Apiaries to get a tour of live honey bee colonies, hands-on demonstrations related to colony management, and exposure to the latest information on how to best sustain bee health in the Commonwealth. Events will be held live and in person (rain or shine!) simultaneously at both State Apiary locations below on Fridays from 1pm-3pm, unless indicated otherwise below. Events are free and open to the public, no pre-registration required.
Attendees should wear closed-toed shoes, pants, and long-sleeved shirts. Protective beekeeping gear will be provided (limited supplies available), if needed.
State Apiary Locations:
1. University of Massachusetts – Agricultural Learning Center Farm (ALC)
911 North Pleasant St
Amherst, MA 01002
*To park, drive directly into field adjacent to apiary/sheds
2. Bristol County Agricultural High School
135 Center St
Dighton, MA 02715
*To park, take dirt road past Frank Costa Memorial Park adjacent to Taunton River then follow signs
- April 11, 2025 – Winter Evaluation & Spring Prep
- May 9, 2025 – Spring Management & Summer Prep
- June 13, 2025 – Summer Management (Dighton location only!)
- (Sat) June 14, 2025 – Mass Bee Field Day event (Amherst location only!) (Massachusetts Beekeepers Association: https://www.massbee.org)
- July 11, 2025 – Pests, Parasites & Pathogens & Summer Management
- August 15, 2025 – Honey Extraction & Fall Prep (Amherst location only!)
- September 12, 2025 – Honey Extraction & Fall Prep (Dighton location only!)
- October 10, 2025 – Winter Prep
Northeast Honey Bee Update: Lunch and Learn Series
Northeast Honey Bee Update flyer
Join the Apiary Inspectors and Extension Faculty from New England and New York states to “Lunch and Learn” virtually via Zoom Webinars on Fridays from 12:00pm-1:30pm. Attendees will get the opportunity to meet the dynamic group of Apiary Inspectors and Extension Faculty who support apiculture in our region as well as ask questions related to honey beekeeping and get advice from the experts in the field. These events are designed to support the beekeeper journey of ensuring the health, seasonal management and treatment of honey bee colonies. Bee sure to come prepared with questions to ask the inspectors!
The events are free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rR8Q1HvSTGClgQY2zSKgQA. Events *will not* bee recorded so BEE THERE or BEE SQUARE.
- April 4, 2025
- June 6, 2025
- August 1, 2025
- October 3, 2025
To learn more about apiary inspection visit Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA).