State of the State: Update on Honey Bee Health in the Commonwealth
State of the State flyer - 2026
Join the outreach and educational teams from the Department of Agricultural Resources—including the Apiary Program, Forest Pest Education Program, Pesticide Enforcement, Farm Viability, Environmental Justice, and Marketing and Finance divisions—along with our partners at the USDA Farm Service Agency and this year’s special guest, the Northeast SARE Program, for a virtual Zoom Webinar. We’ll provide updates on honey bee health and share information about the support services available to beekeepers across the Commonwealth. Each event will feature presentations covering key updates on regulations, honey bee health, beekeeping practices, pesticides, invasive pests, marketing, grants, and environmental justice, followed by a Q&A session for attendees.
Events will be held virtually via Zoom on Wednesdays from 7–9pm and are free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required: Pre-register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VG6PBLHYRUq7Wvy2jnAdeg.
Please note that sessions will not be recorded — so BEE THERE or BEE SQUARE!
- January 7, 2026
- State of the State - MDAR Apiary Program End of the Year 2025 Review
- January 14, 2026
- MDAR Pesticide Update
- Interested in Bee-coming a Beekeeper? Learn about How to get started, State Laws/Regulations, Seasonal Management and More! etc.
- February 4, 2026
- MDAR Bee Aware Honey Bee Health Survey Results
- USDA Honey Bee Health Survey Results
- February 11, 2026
- MDAR Programs and Support Services:
- Marketing
- Grants
- APR Program
- Environmental Justice
- USDA Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP)
- MDAR Programs and Support Services:
- March 4, 2026
- Tropilaelaps mites
- Yellow Legged Hornet
- Spotted Lanternfly
- Northern Giant Hornet
- March 11, 2026
- Northeast SARE Program Grants
- MDAR Apiary Program 2015-2025 decade in Review - Research projects, Program data and more!!
Honey Bee Education Days at the State Apiaries
Honey Bee Education Days flyer - 2026
The honey bee colonies and surrounding 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 students, faculty, and farm managers. Each apiary consists of 10–20 honey bee colonies housed in Langstroth hives set on wooden stands and protected by electric fencing. The agricultural land surrounding each site includes vegetable production fields, food forests, orchards, pollinator gardens, and cut-flower plots. Because of the essential pollination services honey bees provide to flowering crops, each apiary is considered a critical component of the farm ecosystem. The State Apiaries also serve as hubs for education, outreach, demonstrations, and research related to agricultural sustainability, pollination, honey bee health, beekeeper training, and colony management.
Join the MDAR Apiary Program Team at the UMass and Bristol State Apiaries for guided tours of live honey bee colonies, hands-on demonstrations in colony management, and the latest information on sustaining honey bee health in the Commonwealth. Events will be held live and in person (rain or shine!), simultaneously at both State Apiary locations on Fridays from 1pm–3pm, unless otherwise noted. All events are free and open to the public, with no pre-registration required.
Attendees should wear closed-toed shoes, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts. Protective beekeeping gear will be provided as needed (limited supplies available).
State Apiary Locations:
- University of Massachusetts – Agricultural Learning Center Farm (ALC)
911 North Pleasant St
Amherst, MA 01002
*To park, drive directly into field to apiary/sheds - Bristol County Agricultural High School
28 Center St
Dighton, MA 02715
*To park, follow sign to Standish House parking lot
- April 17, 2026 – Winter Evaluation & Spring Prep
- May 15, 2026 –Spring Management & Summer Prep
- June 12, 2026 – Summer Management (Dighton location only!)
- June 13, 2026 (Saturday) – Mass Bee Field Day event (Amherst location only!) Massachusetts Beekeepers Association: Mass Bee website
- July 17, 2026 – Pests, Parasites & Pathogens & Summer Management
- August 21, 2026 – Summer Management & Fall Prep
- September 11, 2026 – Honey Extraction (Dighton location only! - 11am-1:30pm!)
- October 16, 2026 – Winter Prep
Northeast Honey Bee Update: Lunch and Learn Series
Northeast Honey Bee Update flyer - 2026
Join Apiary Inspectors and Extension Faculty from across New England and New York for a virtual “Lunch and Learn” series held via Zoom Webinars on Fridays from 12:00pm–1:30pm. Participants will have the opportunity to meet the dynamic team of professionals who support apiculture throughout the region, ask questions about honey beekeeping, and receive expert guidance on colony health, seasonal management, and treatment practices. These sessions are designed to support beekeepers at every stage of their journey—so bee sure to come prepared with questions for the inspectors!
These events are free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required: Pre-register for afternoon events here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_y5hKOVHyTuep7N7BoovQvA
Events *will not* bee recorded so BEE THERE or BEE SQUARE.
- April 3, 2026
- June 5, 2026
- August 7, 2026
- October 2, 2026
To learn more about apiary inspection visit Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA).