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Michigan Beekeepers Association

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The Michigan Beekeepers AssociatioN

    Membership in the Michigan Beekeepers Association supports Michigan bees and beekeepers. When you become a member of the Michigan Beekeepers Association (MBA), you are joining the oldest continuously operating agricultural organization in the state of Michigan, and one of the oldest beekeeping clubs in the country.

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Melanie Kirby - Keynote Speaker


Registration for the 2024 Fall Conference is now Open!

Saturday, October 19th 2024

Benzie Central High School in Benzonia, MI

Member $40 / Non-Members $60

Family Bundle Members $80

At the door pricing Members $50 / Non-Members $70

Family Bundle Members  $100 

We are excited to announce that our keynote speaker will be Melanie Kirby!

We are excited to announce additional speakers at the 2024 Fall Conference will be Jean  Baker, Mike Connor, Bill Mauer, Dr. Meghan Milbrath, John Stephens, Dr. Nate Walton and Richard Wieske.

An add-on lunch option is available for the day of the conference. You MUST pre-register for the lunch by October 4th. It WILL NOT be available for purchase on the day of the conference. The cost is $15/person. Please select your choice of soup and sandwich when registering for the conference.

Lunch Menu

2024 Fall Conference Agenda

2024 Fall Conference Speaker Bios

2024 Fall Conference REGISTRATION

Pre-Conference Webinar

The Importance of Place, Power, & Purpose in Pollinator Stewardship – Pre-Conference Webinar with MBA Fall Conference Keynote Speaker, Melanie Kirby

Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 7:00PM

This free pre-conference webinar is hosted by Michigan State University Extension and sponsored by Michigan Beekeepers Association.

Register for the pre-conference webinar

Vendor Table Registration

Please contact Keith Lazar at 248-361-1710 or keithmlazar@hotmail.com.

Table cost is $30.

2024 Fall Conference Honey Show

Please see the following for a complete list of honey show categories and rules:

Honey Show Rules

Video Links on honey show preparation

On September 19, we will be hosting a Q & A session with honey judge Stephanie Slater. This live, interactive zoom meeting will allow you to get all your questions about honey show entries answered. For more information and to register  click on the link below.

Honey Show Zoom Registration

2024 MBA Fall Pre-Conference Social Friday, October 18th 2024

On Friday, October 18th, Kirk and Sharon Jones, of Sleeping Bear Farms and St. Ambrose Cellars, will be hosting a tour of their facilities followed by mead tasting and a pizza party.  Space is limited so please sign up early when you register for the conference. Activity schedule is as follows:

2:00 pm: FREE tour of Sleeping Bear Farms honey house and St. Ambrose Cellars meadery. The tour will last approximately 90 minutes. Please meet at St. Ambrose Cellars, 841 S Pioneer Rd, Beulah, MI 49617. Pre-registration required.

Registration for FREE Tour 

3:45 pm: Mead tasting at St. Ambrose Cellars. Cost is $10/person to be paid for at the time of the event. No pre-registration required.

5:00 pm: Pizza dinner social at St. Ambrose Cellars. Enjoy a delicious wood-fired pizza and salad bar while socializing with fellow beekeepers and conference speakers. Cost is $15/person and pre-registration is required.

Registration for Pizza Dinner 


2024 Michigan State Fair

Lots of folks enjoyed visiting our booth at the Michigan State Fair Labor Day Weekend. We had an impressive educational display, the observation hive was a big draw as usual, Bee Curious was well represented and Polly Chenney one of our Michigan authors, did a reading and demonstrated making flowers.  There was lots to see and do at the booth with a great group of volunteers and yes we even made a decent amount of money selling Honey. 

Emerging Apitherapy Trends: Charles Mraz Course Conference (CMACC)

October 4-6, 2024:

Chicago, Illinois

2024 Keynote Speaker: Dr. Stefan Stângaciu

  • President of the Romanian Apitherapy, Phytotherapy and Aromatherapy Society (2023 –
  • President of the Romanian Apitherapy Society (2007-2023)
  • Honorary President of the German Apitherapy Society (since March 30, 2019)
  • President of the German Apitherapy Society (March 1999-March 2019)
  • General Secretary of the International Federation of Apitherapy (March 2012 -)
  • Council Member in the Apitherapy Committee of the World Chinese Medicine Society (since Nov. 26, 2019)
  • President of Apitherapy Consulting & Trading International Ltd. (since November 2004)

LEARN MORE


Meadows in the Sky

Pollinator Trees and Shrubs by Mike Connor


Video

Frontiers in Apitherapy: The history, science and promise of psilocybe-infused Blue Honey

by Cecilia Infante, PhD

Video

Michigan Beekeepers on TV

Media Meet WMNU-TV PBS

WNMU Public Television interviewed Charlotte Hubbard, Adam Ingrao, Joel Lantz and Rich Wieske as they were getting reading for the UP Beekeeping Conference being held on NMU’s campus. Mike Settles "Media Meet" from the Marquette channel 13 spent Friday morning March 29, 2024 talking on air for 1/2 hour.

It will be available for streaming on our Media Meet webpage (https://wnmutv.nmu.edu/programs/media-meet/).

Here is a direct link to the program, https://wnmuvideo.nmu.edu/video/its-all-about-the-bees-a0ulgk/https://wnmuvideo.nmu.edu/video/its-all-about-the-bees-a0ulgk/. It will remain at that link for months and years to come, so feel free to use it as you see fit .Best of luck this weekend.

Beekeeping Workshops and Webinars MSU Extension

Upcoming Events


A refuge for pollinators: A case study of establishing large-scale pollinator habitat on marginal farmland using federal funds

Heather Chapman and Meghan Milbrath, Michigan State University, Department of Entomology - September 27, 2022

Establishing a pollinator refuge through the National Resource Conservation Service Environmental Quality Incentives Program in southern Michigan.

There are many ways to support pollinator health by planting flowers. This case study provides one example of establishing pollinator habitat in southern Michigan by participating in the National Resource Conservation Service Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

Read More

Problem and Unwanted Bees

If you have a swarm hanging in your tree or a colony living in your wall, you may need a beekeeper!  Many beekeepers will remove swarms. Some will do cut-outs. Not sure what the difference is? Or even if your "bees" are honey bees? Click below for more information.

SWARM REMOVAL and Cut-out CONTACT LISTs

Lists of beekeepers who can remove swarms or colonies for you. 

Swarm Removal

Cut-outs

If you aren't sure what you have, please check out our page on Unwanted Bees (link at left).



Keep Your Bees Safe from Bears

Keep Yogi out of your bee yard!

Bear fence plans from the Michigan DNR and Scientific Beekeeping.

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