We know bees, you can too!

Metro Atlanta Beekeepers’ Association is an all volunteer, non-profit organization that supports an active beekeeping community and promotes the art and science of bees and beekeeping to the public through education, events and services.

Learn more about the presence of Yellow-legged Hornets in Georgia

In August 2023, the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA), in coordination with the United States Department of Agriculture Plant & Animal Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the University of Georgia, confirmed the presence of a yellow-legged hornet (YLH; Vespa velutina) near Savannah, Ga. This is the first time a live specimen of this species has been detected in the open United States.

The yellow-legged hornet poses a threat to honeybees and other pollinators in our state.

The public plays an important role, and we are asking Georgians to report sightings of the yellow-legged hornet using this online reporting form. We urge the public to be cautious in the event they come across a suspected yellow-legged hornet. If you can safely take a photo of the suspected yellow-legged hornet, we encourage you to do so to assist us with identification.

For more information:

Get your jars ready for our very own honey show at the MABA Fall Picnic, occurring on September 17, 2023 at The Galloway School, 215 Chastain Park Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30342 from 4-8 PM.

RSVP for the Fall Picnic

2023 MABA Honey Show Rules
hansbenn @ Pixabay, extracting honey, honey gate and filter Hans @ Pixabay, honey jars in sunlight showing different colors, liquid and creamed honey

Jeff with Swarm

If you see honey bee swarm – a ball of bees in a tree or bush – that means they are seeking a new home. Help us find a good home for these bees – you don’t want them nesting in your house. We will send a local member out to retrieve the colony for a better chance at survival.

Please call Dave Marshall at 812-369-0401 right away before the swarm flies off to its new home.

Before you call, please have the following information:

  • How long has the swarm been at this location?
  • What is the exact address of the property where the swarm is located?
  • How high off the ground is the swarm?
  • Is the swarm in a structure or on a tree, bush, fence etc.?
  • What size is it? Softball? Cantaloupe? Football? Basketball?
  • Is there a phone number where you can be reached?
  • Can you take a photo of the swarm as close-up as you feel comfortable?

If you are not viewing this from a smartphone, call 812-369-0401.

MABA Calendar

Sep
30
Sat
Hive Inspection @ Lost Corner with Julia Mahood
Sep 30 @ 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Sign up at: https://www.memberplanet.com/events/mababc/9302023lostcornerinspectionwithjuliamahood_1

Oct
17
Tue
Monthly Meeting – (6:30 mentoring)
Oct 17 @ 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Meetings are currently being held IN PERSON and virtually with Zoom until we make an announcement otherwise.

Meetings are held at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Heritage Hall on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Please see the Calendar for more details about scheduled events.

Meetings usually include interesting speakers and discussions on a variety of topics related to beekeeping, such as hive management, honey bee problems, honey, beeswax, and other hive products.

Meetings begin at 7:00 pm and conclude by 9:00 pm.

Come early for informal mentoring time from 6:30-7:00

Monthly Meeting – (6:30 mentoring) – Workshops
Oct 17 @ 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Meetings are currently being held IN PERSON and virtually with Zoom until we make an announcement otherwise.

Meetings are held at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Heritage Hall on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Please see the Calendar for more details about scheduled events.

Meetings usually include interesting speakers and discussions on a variety of topics related to beekeeping, such as hive management, honey bee problems, honey, beeswax, and other hive products.

Meetings begin at 7:00 pm and conclude by 9:00 pm.

Come early for informal mentoring time from 6:30-7:00

Nov
21
Tue
Monthly Meeting – (6:30 mentoring) – Keith Delaplane
Nov 21 @ 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Meetings are currently being held IN PERSON and virtually with Zoom until we make an announcement otherwise.

Meetings are held at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Heritage Hall on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Please see the Calendar for more details about scheduled events.

Meetings usually include interesting speakers and discussions on a variety of topics related to beekeeping, such as hive management, honey bee problems, honey, beeswax, and other hive products.

Meetings begin at 7:00 pm and conclude by 9:00 pm.

Come early for informal mentoring time from 6:30-7:00

Dec
12
Tue
Holiday Party
Dec 12 @ 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Will update with Holiday Party info

Jan
16
Tue
Monthly Meeting – (6:30 mentoring)
Jan 16 @ 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Meetings are currently being held IN PERSON and virtually with Zoom until we make an announcement otherwise.

Meetings are held at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Heritage Hall on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Please see the Calendar for more details about scheduled events.

Meetings usually include interesting speakers and discussions on a variety of topics related to beekeeping, such as hive management, honey bee problems, honey, beeswax, and other hive products.

Meetings begin at 7:00 pm and conclude by 9:00 pm.

Come early for informal mentoring time from 6:30-7:00

Feb
20
Tue
Monthly Meeting – (6:30 mentoring)
Feb 20 @ 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Meetings are currently being held IN PERSON and virtually with Zoom until we make an announcement otherwise.

Meetings are held at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Heritage Hall on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Please see the Calendar for more details about scheduled events.

Meetings usually include interesting speakers and discussions on a variety of topics related to beekeeping, such as hive management, honey bee problems, honey, beeswax, and other hive products.

Meetings begin at 7:00 pm and conclude by 9:00 pm.

Come early for informal mentoring time from 6:30-7:00

Mar
19
Tue
Monthly Meeting – (6:30 mentoring)
Mar 19 @ 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Meetings are currently being held IN PERSON and virtually with Zoom until we make an announcement otherwise.

Meetings are held at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Heritage Hall on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Please see the Calendar for more details about scheduled events.

Meetings usually include interesting speakers and discussions on a variety of topics related to beekeeping, such as hive management, honey bee problems, honey, beeswax, and other hive products.

Meetings begin at 7:00 pm and conclude by 9:00 pm.

Come early for informal mentoring time from 6:30-7:00

Apr
16
Tue
Monthly Meeting – (6:30 mentoring)
Apr 16 @ 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Meetings are currently being held IN PERSON and virtually with Zoom until we make an announcement otherwise.

Meetings are held at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Heritage Hall on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Please see the Calendar for more details about scheduled events.

Meetings usually include interesting speakers and discussions on a variety of topics related to beekeeping, such as hive management, honey bee problems, honey, beeswax, and other hive products.

Meetings begin at 7:00 pm and conclude by 9:00 pm.

Come early for informal mentoring time from 6:30-7:00

May
21
Tue
Monthly Meeting – (6:30 mentoring)
May 21 @ 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Meetings are currently being held IN PERSON and virtually with Zoom until we make an announcement otherwise.

Meetings are held at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Heritage Hall on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Please see the Calendar for more details about scheduled events.

Meetings usually include interesting speakers and discussions on a variety of topics related to beekeeping, such as hive management, honey bee problems, honey, beeswax, and other hive products.

Meetings begin at 7:00 pm and conclude by 9:00 pm.

Come early for informal mentoring time from 6:30-7:00

Other announcements:
Welcome to all of our new members from the MABA One-Day Short Course!
MABA is the largest and most diverse bee club in Georgia, with brand new beekeepers, sideliner beekeepers, master beekeepers, and even two of our state’s Master Craftsman beekeepers as members.

If you are a brand new beekeeper, sign up for a Hive Inspection. I cannot stress how vital this is for your beekeeping education. It is your opportunity to go into a hive with an experienced MABA beekeeper and get your questions answered. Please click the link to choose a date and sign up. This service is free for members.
Looking for a queen, bees, honey? See what members have on offer: https://metroatlantabeekeepers.org/buy-local-honey/

As a convenience, Harold Lanier often brings his mobile beekeeping store to the MABA meeting. If you are looking for supplies, then visit Harold’s web site, look at his price list, and contact him with what you need, and he will include your order in his mobile store that he brings to the meeting.

If you would like to reach out to a MABA member for help, then a great resource is the MABA Bee Neighbor List. This is a live document that we update with members’ information, including MABA members who are eager to help other beekeepers in need.
  • To view the MABA Bee Neighbor List, the link is in the monthly newsletter for members.
  • Sign up to be included on the MABA Bee Neighbor List.

Our neighbors are putting up signs about the mosquito spraying that companies do that kill our honey bees along with butterflies, luna moths, fireflies, and native bees.

It’s time to nominate MABA members for Beekeeper of the Year! Do you know an outstanding MABA member who has been helpful to our club members, to new beekeepers, or the cause of beekeeping generally?
Please nominate them for MABA’s Beekeeper of the Year.  We will announce the Beekeeper of the Year at this year’s MABA Fall Picnic.

The MABA 2024 Short Course in Beekeeping is on January 27, 2024.Please share this form with anyone you know, and on social media (Facebook, Nextdoor, et cetera) if they are interested in beekeeping. This event is our club’s biggest fundraiser for the year.

We are in the midst of the dreaded Summer Dearth. It’s the most painful time of year to be a beekeeper. Now, when it so onerous to check your bees, consider planting summer-blooming nectiferous plants that will feed our honey bees and slay the Summer Dearth. Fall is the time to purchase these plants, and January is the time to plant them.

  • Basswood (Tilia Americana)
  • Winged sumac (Rhus copallinum)
  • Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)
  • Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
  • Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum spp.)
Jimmy Gatt
MABA President

Membership not Required

Meetings are held at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Heritage Hall on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. The Annual Picnic and Honey Contest held in September may be scheduled for a different day than the regular meeting day. Please see the Calendar for more details about scheduled events.

Meetings usually include interesting speakers and discussions on a variety of topics related to beekeeping, such as hive management, honey bee problems, honey, beeswax, and other hive products.

Meetings begin at 7:00 pm and conclude by 9:00 pm.

Come early for informal mentoring time from 6:30-7:00

Everyone interested in honey bees is welcome!

PRUMC Map

Peachtree Road United Methodist Church
3180 Peachtree Road NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30305

macayran @ Pixabay, carpenter bee on pink flower

Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association is a club for honey bee keepers. There’s really no such thing as “keeping” or “moving” carpenter bees, but here is some basic information if you’re concerned about carpenter bees in your home. Freshly stained/painted wood doesn’t attract carpenter bees. There’s a brief page on them in this booklet published by the USDA that refers to this: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5306468.pdf —scroll down to page 10 People report diminished carpenter bee activity on freshly sealed or painted wood.    A great natural solution is to nail up (in an unobtrusive place) a 2 x 4 section of untreated lumber- it can be under your deck or anywhere that isn’t going to be an eyesore. The carpenter bees will eat that up and leave your house alone. If it’s a large log house or deck, nail up several.  You can also try spraying peppermint oil solution on the spots where the bees are drilling in your wood and that will deter them in a less toxic way. (If you can reach their holes, put toothpaste in them.) You may have to keep applying it in the springtime, but after breeding season activity will fall off. Carpenter bees are great pollinators and are not aggressive to humans and pets. We encourage you to try some peppermint spray, or else seal/paint the wood, or, if the integrity of the structure isn’t at risk, just leave them bee. These are very gentle bees and not likely to sting anyone. The pesticides that an exterminator uses for carpenter bees does kill honey bees.

Carpenter bees and bumble bees are similar and size and sometimes in coloring. 

The carpenter bee is not as fuzzy as the bumble and has only a small amount of hair on its middle abdomen. Some carpenter bee species are all black while some have similar yellow markings to the bumble bee but only on their head. The lower abdomen has little to no hair and appears black and shiny which is why they are occasionally referred to as black bees. 

The carpenter bee also has hairier back legs than the bumble bee which, like honey bees, has special structures called pollen baskets to carry pollen back to its nest.

Beekeeping is Sweet!