Our April meeting will take place on

Tuesday, April 28, 2026
7-9 pm 

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Presentation: Apiary Sustainability in New England

An overview of apiary practices that could lead to beekeepers not needing to replace bees every spring. An overview showing improved apiary management though mite control as well as nutrition can reduce winter loss. However, the main focus is planning for a percentage of winter loss by building resources colonies via splits.

• What is sustainability
• The pillars of sustainability
• Honey vs bee production
• An overview of nutrition
• Knowing mite levels
• Record keeping
• When to split and why
• Planning ahead – buy a queen or raise your own
• Queenless vs hopelessly queenless
• Types of resource hives
• NUC’s, building, selling, overwintering
• What is the economic outcome expected from this practice.

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ABOUT OUR SPEAKER:

Brian McCafferty is in his 8^th year of beekeeping and has been involved in teaching beekeeping, mentoring, community outreach, and running a training apiary for the past few years. He has just completed his course work for the Cornell Master Beekeeping Program and plans to take his final exams in May of this year.

McCafferty teaches several classes for the Nofolk County Beekeepers Association Intro to Beekeeping School, runs the NCBA Intermediate Bee School, and will be running a program to teach beekeeping to inmates at the Pondville Correctional Facility. He is also a member of our BrCBA and volunteers on the community outreach committee.