Welcome to MSBA
MSBA is a non-profit membership organization of beekeepers in Maine, dedicated to education, using best practices and honey bee health. Affiliated with local chapters throughout the state, MSBA also works with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to promote the honey bee, products of the hive and initiatives to support beekeepers.
Maine’s 2026 Fat Queen Bee Photo Contest
a celebration of the most impressive honey bee queens in the State of Maine
Voting Round #1
Please for your favorite queen in each group.
Round #1 voting ends Wednesday Sept 2nd.
(4 rounds)
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2026 Bee Fest!!
September 13 — 10am to 4pm
Bee Fest is a free honeybee celebration, with demonstrations, beekeepers and bees!
Celebrating 50 years in Maine 1976-2026
More on the Bee Fest ->
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Upcoming Webinars
Sept 22, 2026 – 7 pm
Keith Delaplane
Partnering with Biology to Improve Honey Bee Health
Keith Delaplane is Professor Emeritus of Entomology at the University of Georgia where he worked from 1990-2024. Research by Keith, his students, and coworkers resulted in hundreds of publications ranging across basic honey bee (and termite) biology, health management, pollination, and social evolution, garnering over 6600 citations by peers around the world.
October 5, 2026 – 7 pm
Carla Marina Marchese
Evaluating Honey using Sensory Analysis: The Missing link
Sensory analysis is a method used to evaluate all food products and now it is being used for honey. The common way we describe a honey is sweet, delicious or complex which does not really tell us what the honey actually tastes like. With formal training, anyone can learn to describe a honeys characteristics – color, aroma and flavor, identify botanical sources and flavor defects and so much more. This skill is essential for all beekeepers who need to educate their customers and market their own honey. Marina will introduce the key points of sensory analysis and how to use it to evaluate a honey sample. Q&A to follow.
Sept 21, Oct 19 & Nov 24
7:00 pm
Jenn & Brittany
Monthly Apiary Chat
Apiary Chats are not recorded so, as Jen says, ‘BEE there or BEE square.’