Silent Auction

 MABA's annual potluck dinner and honey show is THIS COMING SUNDAY, 9/28. As part of the fun, we'll have both live and silent auctions. On the block this year are offerings including bee colonies, mentoring sessions, and of course Linda Tillman’s famed, highly-prized "Honey of a Dinner" for six. There will also be new and used equipment, including items like: A complete 8-frame hive set-up, honey extractors, full-body suits, gloves, pollen patties, an oxalic acid vaporizer wand, heated decapping knives, plastic waxed foundation, unassembled deep boxes, assembled deep frames, and much more. Everything must go. This your opportunity to get…

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2025 MABA Beekeeper of the Year Nominations are Open

Nominations for MABA’s Beekeeper Of the Year are now bee-ing accepted!Each year, MABA bestows this honor on a club member who has not only demonstrated and promoted good beekeeping practices, but who also has served the Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association as an outstanding volunteer. Any member is eligible except the club's executive officers who will evaluate the submissions and pick the winner. Additionally, past recipients are not awarded the honor a second time.This annual award is announced each year at our September potluck dinner and honey show. This year’s event takes place on Sunday, September 28th, 4-8 pm, at the Galloway School…

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2025 Black Jar Contest

Do you have the best tasting honey in metro Atlanta? Then put your honey where your mouth is, and enter MABA’s Black Jar contest. It’s just one of many, many honey, wax and artisan categories you can compete in as part of MABA’s annual honey show. This year’s event takes place as part of our potluck dinner on Sunday, Sept. 28th, 4-8 pm, at the Galloway School in Buckhead. Honey show details and rules (READ THE RULES!!!) at our website: https://metroatlantabeekeepers.org/maba-honey-show-rules/

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MABA/GBA Metro Atlanta Region Soirée

The Georgia Beekeepers Association and MABA will host a Metro ATL Region Soirée at the Painted Horse Winery and Vineyard on August 21st from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. This event hopes to foster community engagement by bringing together beekeepers from the Metro Atlanta Director Region. Registration will close at 5 PM this Friday, August 8. This is your moment to register, if you haven't already - everyone should have a great time. Details below.To sign up for this event, please click here. Registration is limited to one club member and their spouse. We have reserved space for 95 members, and registration will…

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Read more about the article About Honey Bee Swarms
balouriarajesh @ Pixabay, bee swarm in tree

About Honey Bee Swarms

Honey bees are the only type of bee that swarms. It is a reproductive strategy of the bees, creating two or more new colonies from the original one. Swarming occurs mostly in the spring to enable the newly established colony sufficient time to gather sufficient food (nectar/honey) to survive the coming winter. The swarmed bees form a temporary cluster or bivouac prior to moving into more permanent housing. While the bees bivouac, scout bees are searching the area looking for an optimal new home. Thomas Seeley's book Honey Bee Democracy tells the fascinating story of how he determined what a honey bee's…

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Don’t hurt that swarm!

If you think you may have a swarm of honey bees, do not molest the swarm or kill them. Honey bees are the state insect of Georgia and are protected by law in the State of Georgia. You may decide to do nothing if you have a swarm. As a rule, the swarm will identify a new nesting site on its own and will move to it within twenty-four hours. However, having the swarm removed by a MABA member is preferred because: The honey bee colony is less likely to end up making their home in somebody's house The colony is more…

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Read more about the article Want to be a Swarm Chaser in 2026?
maria-anne @ Pixabay, beekeeper catching swarm on tree branch

Want to be a Swarm Chaser in 2026?

MABA members can simply request to be added to the club's swarm list. You will indicate how high you are willing to climb to retrieve a swarm and where you live. The swarm list manager will make the call based on queue order, location, and preferences.Swarm calls come in at all hours. If you are on the swarm list, you may be called at any time.Being on the swarm list does not guarantee that you will receive a call - swarm seasons can vary greatly.Those on the MABA swarm list must be current members, have the equipment necessary to retrieve a swarm…

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