2026 PCBA Calendar of speaker presented beekeeping topics

Join us for our monthly meetings featuring insightful discussions led by beekeeping experts and enthusiasts. Whether you are a seasoned beekeeper, thinking about starting your first hive, or simply fascinated by honeybees, our club offers a welcoming environment for all. One of the key benefits of membership is the opportunity to learn practical skills, discover new techniques, and stay current on topics essential to successful beekeeping.

January 28, 2026

Brian Gibbons – Horticulture Director for the Greenway

TREES FOR BEES – Brian will speak about how a beekeeper can focus on trees in addition to herbaceous borders when considering how to support bees.  This talk will help members understand the woody options that are out there to support pollinators.

February 25, 2026

David Wade - Beekeeper

ADDING BEESWAX TO MAKE HONEYCOMB- A NEW DISCOVERY

David will share his expertise with us about new insights he has gained through experimenting by adding rolled up pieces of wax foundation to hives to get the bees to build comb or to complete construction on partially built out frames. He will demonstrate how he got the bees to build comb using this method through late August and September of 2024.  If your colonies are short on built out comb and your colony is becoming honey bound late season, learn how to remedy the situation by getting the bees to build comb with wax provided to them.

March 25, 2026

Ed Syzmanski - Cornell Master Beekeeper and currently President of Mass Bee

MANAGING SPRING BUILD UP

Ed will share his expertise on how to manage spring build up in your colonies.  This is a critical time for beekeepers to understand what is happening in their colonies and what to do.

April 22, 2026

Kristen Nicholson biologist and owner of Blue Stem Natives specializing in native plants.

SUPPORTING OUR POLLINATORS AND PLANTING WITH NATIVE SPECIES

Kristen will be speaking about our native pollinator and how we can build friendly gardens with native species.

May 27, 2026

Amy Musante - Amy Musante is founder and beekeeper at Musante Farm Apiaries and Bee Removal Services.  She is a broadly trained biologist with expertise in ecology, animal behavior, and evolutionary biology and recently received her certificate as Master Beekeeper from Cornell.

HONEY BEE SWARMING — SPECTACULAR SUPERORGANISM SUCCESS

For centuries, beekeepers have worked tirelessly trying to prevent swarming.  Meanwhile, honeybees have worked tirelessly to successfully swarm! Swarming is the crucial and natural process of reproduction in Honeybees.  In this presentation, she will explore the concept of swarming — from both the beekeepers’ and the bees‘ perspectives.

June 20, 2026

PCBA PICNIC at jones river landing, 55 Landing Rd, Kingston

This is our annual summer potluck picnic.  We provide hot dogs and hamburgers, and the rest is potluck!  All members are invited to come and network with other members.  In addition, we have a great raffle.  Last year a member won an extractor!

July 22, 2026 - Club Meeting: Marshfield Fair

Bonnie Benford/Rich Lomba/Mary Duane/Lee Anne Burton – They will discuss volunteering opportunities, honey contest, rules, etc. – a mini workshop will also be held about how to enter the honey/wax contest with a live demonstration.

September 23, 2026 –

Patrick Duffy—Aborist, Beekeeper and PCBA Bee School Director/Helen Schoonover – Beekeeper and PCBA Program Director

OVERWINTERING HIVES: HOW TO PREPARE COLONIES FOR OVERWINTERING SUCCESS

Learn about setting up your colonies for winter.  You will learn more about mite management at this time of year, queens, winter bees, and nutritional needs.  After our presentation, we will have a hands-on workshop to show you how to make a candy board.  We will then show you how to set up your hive for winter including feeding, use of a candy board, wraps, insulation, and mouse guards. 

October 28, 2026

Carolyn Holmes - Beekeeper since 2014 when she bought her first package of bees and installed them on the family farm in Bradford, Vermont.   She currently is one of the instructors at Wetlands Apiary, where she teaches about queen rearing. She researches, studies and teaches various techniques at workshops, as well as delivering presentations to a variety of audiences.  She is a member of Norfolk, Worcester County and Vermont Beekeepers Associations, and is currently the Newsletter editor for Mass Bee.  In addition, she is completing her Cornell Master Beekeeper program.

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING THE WINTER

She will help us understand what is happening in the winter to our colonies and what we need to continue to do to aid their survival. 

Important Contacts

If you have questions or want to get involved, please reach out to the following coordinators:

Program Director

Helen Schoonover

 508.566.3325

 HSchoonover@schoonover.com

Note:  Programs are facilitated at the PCBA Hanson Club House, unless otherwise noted.