The Bristol County Beekeepers Association is hosting the Mass Bee Annual/Fall Meeting at the Fall River campus of Bristol Community College on Saturday, November 4, 2023.

Event registration is free to existing Mass Bee Single and Family memberships that are in good standing.  Event registration for guests and non-members is $10 per person.

Registration information is available HERE on the MassBee website.

The meeting registrations/sign-in table will open at 8:30 AM. There will be great presentation, a honey show, raffles, vendors and more.

The Honey Show and Cooking Competition Rules can be found at the Mass Bee website.

Please remember to bring your silent auction and honey show items.

During your event registration, a lunch tote can be added to your registration for $15.00 per person. The option to pre-order a lunch tote with your event registration will close on November 1.  All the sandwiches and wrap totes will include a cookie, whole fruit, and a small bag of chips. Your choices are:

• Shaved Country Ham and Swiss Cheese Sandwich with Lettuce and Tomato
• Oven Roasted Turkey with Provolone Sandwich with Lettuce and Tomato
• Roast Beef with Cheddar Cheese Sandwich with Lettuce and Tomato
• Tuna Salad Sandwich with Lettuce and Tomato
• Chicken Salad Sandwich with Lettuce and Tomato
• Roasted Vegetable Wrap

We recommend that you register for this event and renew your MassBee membership online PRIOR to the event. Lunch totes MUST be ordered and paid for PRIOR to the event.

Please note: We cannot accept credit card payments at the event; accepted payment methods include cash and personal check.

Presenters

Dr. Kim Skyrm our Chief Apiary Inspector from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) Apiary Program will be giving us an update on the Apiary Program. 

Paul Kelly has managed the Honey BeeResearch Centre (HBRC) at the University of Guelph since 1987.  His primary role at the center is to care for honey bee colonies used in research projects and teaching purposes.

Deborah Klughers is the owner of Bonac Bees, a full-service apiculture company based in Hampton Bays, New York. She manages over 100 honey bee colonies at 40 locations for both her own honey and hive products, and for clients who would like to have bees without any of the work.

The meeting presentors will be giving presentations on:

• Bee stings and venom with an overview of the mechanical collection, processing, and uses of collected honeybee venom, research on use of honey bee venom for treatment of a variety of health conditions including Lyme disease, and why you should “get your sting on”
• beeswax and propolis - how to produce, harvest and market
• single brood chamber management
• breeding for low growth varroa
• MDAR updates

The planned meeting schedule can be found here.

The meeting is being held at the Margaret L. Jackson Arts Center building, the building labeled 'H' in the campus map below. Please park in either parking lots 9, 10, or 11. Directions: