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.

Become a Certified Beekeeper, the first level of UGA’s Master Beekeeper program

To sit for the exam, you must have at least one full year of beekeeping experience and you must register in advance. Click here for complete details and to register. 

Got a honey bee swarm? 

Our beekeeper volunteers can give unwanted honey bee swarms a proper home. Call MABA Swarm Commander Dave Marshall at 812-369-0401 A.S.A.P 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?

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

next-meeting-april-georgia-zumwalt

At our April meeting (April 8th, mentoring at 6:30 p.m., featured speaker at 7 p.m.),  Master Photographer & Journeyman Beekeeper Georgia Zumwalt will discuss how to photograph honey bees with a fully manual camera AND even with your smartphone. In addition to teaching you the three main camera settings you must know in photography, she will share her tips on lighting, timing, composition and lens choice when it comes to photographing bees. She will also explain how to give your images their best chances in photographic competitions (like the Georgia Beekeepers Association Honey Show). Georgia is from Jackson County, GA and she’s the past president of the Northeast Georgia Mountain Beekeepers Association. In addition to her freelance photography work, she serves as a photographic educator and is the Georgia State Representative for the elite American Society of Photographers. She’s had a camera attached to one hand and a coffee cup attached to the other for over 40 years and in 2018 she decided to periodically set the coffee cup down in order to manage a bee smoker. 

MABA meets in Heritage Hall, inside Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, 3180 Peachtree Rd., Atlanta, GA in Buckhead. Our meetings are open to all who are interested in learning more about bees and beekeeping. 


bookswap-for-website

At our April meeting, MABA will be hosting a Beekeeping Book Swap. Bring all those beekeeping books you’re ready to part with to the meeting (no James Patterson or Danielle Steele please!). Ahead of our featured presentation (Georgia Zumalt speaking on Bee Photography) and after, there will be time to pick and choose from the books available. Remember, it’s not a sale; these are strictly beekeeping books you’re finished with and willing to give away to fellow beekeepers interested in reading them. Any books that are unclaimed / left behind will be donated to the schools participating in MABA’s Hodges Scholarship program or to inmates participating in the prison beekeeping program.

MABA Calendar

Mar
30
Sat
Hive Inspection with Ed Morgan/Mark Shields (Herman J. Russell West End Academy)
Mar 30 @ 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Sign up at https://www.memberplanet.com/events/mababc/03302024_hive_inspection_west_end_academy

Mar
31
Sun
Hive Inspection with Jay Parsons (Chastain Park)
Mar 31 @ 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Sign up at https://mp.gg/opxzhqgn

Apr
6
Sat
Hive Inspection with Ed Morgan/Mark Shields (Herman J. Russell West End Academy)
Apr 6 @ 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Sign up at https://www.memberplanet.com/events/mababc/04062024_hive_inspection_west_end_academy

Hive Inspection with Julia Mahood (Lost Corner Preserve)
Apr 6 @ 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Sign up at https://mp.gg/2i8oxehzs

Apr
8
Mon
Beekeeping Book Swap
Apr 8 @ 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Bring all those beekeeping books you’re ready to part with to the meeting (no James Patterson or Danielle Steele please!). Ahead of our featured presentationand after, there will be time to pick and choose from the books available. Any books that are unclaimed / left behind will be donated to the schools participating in MABA’s Hodges Scholarship program or to inmates participating in the prison beekeeping program.

Monthly Meeting – Georgia Zumwalt – Bee Photography (6:30 mentoring)
Apr 8 @ 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Mentoring Topic: Safety in the Bee Yard
Speaker: Georgia Zumwalt – Bee Photography

Meetings are held at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Heritage Hall on the 2nd Monday 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
13
Sat
Hive Inspection with Ed Hoehn (Painted Horse Winery)
Apr 13 @ 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Sign up at https://mp.gg/jmfiepeew

Hive Inspection with Steve Esau (East Atlanta/Tapestry Gardens)
Apr 13 @ 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Sign up at https://www.memberplanet.com/events/mababc/041324_tapestry_gardens_hive_inspection

Apr
14
Sun
Hive Inspection with Jay Parsons (Chastain Park)
Apr 14 @ 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Sign up at https://mp.gg/i9udsxdru

Apr
20
Sat
Hive Inspection with Gina Gallucci (Blue Heron Nature Preserve)
Apr 20 @ 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Sign up at https://mp.gg/xu7wa9sa6e

Apr
21
Sun
Hive Inspection with Jay Parsons (Chastain Park)
Apr 21 @ 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Sign up at https://mp.gg/ptwuw0h

Apr
27
Sat
Hive Inspection with Ed Hoehn (Painted Horse Winery)
Apr 27 @ 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Sign up at https://mp.gg/xoq5om9

May
4
Sat
Hive Inspection with Ed Morgan/Mark Shields (Herman J. Russell West End Academy)
May 4 @ 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Sign up at https://www.memberplanet.com/events/mababc/05042024_hive_inspection_west_end_academy

Hive Inspection with Julia Mahood (Lost Corner Preserve)
May 4 @ 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Sign up at https://mp.gg/njlhw4b8th

Certified Beekeeper Testing – By Appointment Only
May 4 @ 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

May 4 (rain date May 11), 1-5 p.m. – by appointment only
 
Requirements:

  • At least one full year’s experience keeping bees
  • Written test from First Lessons in Beekeeping by Keith S. Delaplane
  • Practical test identifying equipment & diseases and conducting an inspection
  • Cost: $75

Where:
Academe of the Oaks, 146 New St., Decatur, GA 30030
 
You must register in advance at: https://mp.gg/gzg9tmvirt

Join us!

Our meetings are held at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Heritage Hall on the 2nd Monday of each month, except September and December when we hold our annual fall honey show/pot luck and holiday party respectively.  Meetings begin with a mentoring session at 6:30 p.m., followed by a featured speaker at 7 p.m. Topics range from the latest findings in  honey bee research to hive management, honey, beeswax, and other hive products. On arrival, check-in at the welcome table to be entered into our monthly door prize drawing. Enjoy snacks and fellowship in the back of the room. Membership is not required. Everyone interested in honey bees is welcome!

PRUMC Map

Peachtree Road United Methodist Church: Heritage Hall
3180 Peachtree Road NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30305

Beekeeping is Sweet!