Regular Monthly Meetings

Meetings take place at the Topsham Grange Hall (47 Pleasant St. in Topsham) and are held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month, year round. Doors open at 6:00 pm for socializing and refreshments and the business meeting starts at 6:30. At 7:00 there is a guest speaker or roundtable discussion. The December meeting is our annual potluck dinner and honey tasting contest. Bring some food to share and socialize with fellow beekeepers.

2024 Meetings:

June 12
“Beekeeping Ergonomics: Work Smarter, Not Harder”
Presented by Alex Tsomides, Reform Physical Therapy
Beekeepers run the risk of injury to back, shoulders, neck, knees, and other parts of the body while working with heavy honey supers and brood boxes.
Alex Tsomides, who holds a doctorate in physical therapy and works at Reform PT in Brunswick, will demonstrate simple and safe techniques for lifting, lowering and carrying hive boxes.
There will also be a handout on tips and tricks for handling hive components provided.

July 10
“What’s Going on in the Hive?”
Roundtable Discussion

August 14
“What’s Going on in the Hive?”
Roundtable Discussion

September 11
TBA

October 9
TBA

November 13
TBA

December 11
Annual Potluck Dinner & Honey Tasting

Open Hives

Open Hives offering hands-on learning opportunities are held in various members’ apiaries during the summer. Experienced beekeepers lead a guided inspection of hives and demonstrate actions such as splits, mite infestation assessment, treatment applications and other essential tasks specific to the season. 

All attendees must wear a veil. Updated information and directions to the host locations are sent out via Google Group emails prior to the event. They are held normally on Saturday mornings at 10:00 AM.

2024 Planned Open Hive Days:

June 8 (alternate date June 15)
10:00 AM
Open Hive Inspection
123 Harpswell Neck Road (Route 123)
Judith Stanton will demonstrate the monitoring of varroa infestation levels using alcohol washes, and assess relative strength of 1-3 colonies.

July 13
Time TBD
Open Hive Inspection
123 Harpswell Neck Road (Route 123)
ME State Apiarist Jennifer Lund will lead us through some full hive inspections with her usual wit and wisdom.

Saturday Morning Bee Breakfasts

Join us for breakfast and bee talk on the 4th Saturday of every month, 8:00 – 9:00 am in the private meeting room of the Fairgrounds Cafe in the Topsham Fair Mall (next to Jo-Ann Fabric). It’s a great opportunity to share your experiences, get advice about your own colonies, or just learn more about beekeeping if you haven’t started out yet. You can get a good breakfast or just have coffee (separate checks). *If you plan to attend please email us so we can give the Cafe a headcount at: scbacommunications@gmail.com 

Maine State Beekeepers Association

2024 MSBA Planned Events:

September
MSBA Bee Fest in Augusta
(More details to come.)

October 19
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
MSBA Annual Meeting & Conference 
Bucksport Jr. High School
This daylong event will feature prominent guest speakers, lunch, raffle auction, many vendors, beekeeping awards, and a honey-tasting contest.
Keynote Speaker: Michael Palmer of French Hill Apiaries in St. Albans, Vermont. Mike is a popular speaker, both nationally and internationally. 

Other Events

June 1 (Rain Date June 8)
10:00 AM – about noon
Pollinator’s Walk with Dr. Frank Drummond
Six River Farm, Bowdoinham
Parking & start of walk will be at the Six River Farm Stand on Center’s Point Road. It is about 1/2 mile on the left from when you turn onto Center’s Point Road from Brown’s Point Road in East Bowdoinham.
Non-members welcome.

August 10
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Honey Extraction and Hive & Frame Assembly Demonstration
with Bob Williams
Attendees will learn about the extraction process and be given the opportunity to extract capped honey from their own supers. This will be followed by a hands-on demonstration of the joinery needed to assemble boxes and frames. 
Open to Members Only.