Monadnock Beekeepers Association
Dedicated to Promoting Beekeeping in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire
Beekeeper initiatives
MBA Meetings
** Next MBA Meeting, March 2, 2023 **
Meetings are monthly, February through November.
First Thursday of the month, Keene Public Library, Huntress Auditorium,
5:30-7:30 pm.
Meetings are hybrid (virtual and in-person) and open to the public. If there is a speaker, there may be a small fee for non-members.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81519158631?pwd=SWp4ajVkeWRjZGFNMzNyMDFVbDdwZz09
Meeting ID: 815 1915 8631
Passcode: 993883
About the MBA
The Monadnock Beekeepers Association is a beekeeping club for anyone interested in honeybees, in the Monadnock and Connecticut River Valley regions. We hold meetings once a month, in-person and virtually. Please feel free to come to a meeting or contact us if you have an interest in honeybees or beekeeping.
MBA Bee School
The Monadnock Beekeepers Association Bee School is a two day event every February, followed by monthly on-site practical instruction. Bee School is open to all new and prospective beekeepers. The course fee includes textbook (Beekeeping for Dummies, 5th edition), all classes, and MBA membership.If you miss this year’s Bee School, contact us to join MBA and we may be able to set you up with an experienced beekeeper who lives near you as a mentor!
MBA Apiary Project
The Monadnock Beekeepers Association is working toward sustainable beekeeping, eliminating our dependency on the importation of southern nucleus colonies ("nucs"), packages, and queens by promoting local survivor genetics. We use resource management techniques to raise nucs and queens from our survivor colonies.
A nucleus hive is a miniature colony with all the components of a full-size colony, including a laying queen, workers, brood at all stages of development, pollen, and honey. The benefits of a nuc are that the bees are working together to establish their colony. The queen is mated, accepted, and laying. The nucleus colony gives you about a four week head start toward getting your hive prepared for winter.
Learning Opportunities
* Bee School for new and prospective beekeepers every February.
* Sustainability Seminars for beekeepers with at least 3-5 years of experience.
* Speakers and discussion at monthly general meetings
Latest news
Michael Palmer speaks to the MBA
Michael Palmer, of French Hill Apiaries in St. Albans, NY, joined us by Zoom for our November 2022 meeting, for his talk "The Setup, Use and Management of Brood Factories." Mike is a worldwide authority on sustainable beekeeping techniques, and shared some of his techniques for producing high-quality locally-adapted bees and queens, and increasing production.
Membership Growth means more opportunities and resources for all.
The Monadnock Beekeepers Association exists because people interested in honeybees in the Monadnock region join and contribute to the club. You don't even need to be a beekeeper to join! You just need to share our interest in these fascinating creatures.
Our dues are a modest $20 per year (January through December). Members receive first notification, early access and no/reduced cost to speakers and other opportunities.
Our dues are a modest $20 per year (January through December). Members receive first notification, early access and no/reduced cost to speakers and other opportunities.