New Jersey Beekeepers Association upcoming events

Api Fest 2026 (June 14, 2026)

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 12:30:00 GMT

Api Fest 2026—Another Day with Dewey and Friends

Featuring Dr. Dewey Caron

Sunday, June 14, 2026 8:30 am to 5:00 pm

Mercer County Community College—West Windsor

Tentative Agenda--Subject to change:

8:30	9:00	Registration
9:00	9:15	Welcome / Flag Salute / Legislative Update
9:15	10:00	Dr. Dewey Caron
10:00	10:45	Dr. Ali El Kerdi—Back Health
10:45	11:15	Vendor Break / Book signing
11:15	12:00	Paul Niemczura: Mite-Be-Gone update
11:45	12:00	Jeff Burd: Hives for Heroes
12:00	1:00	Lunch: Box lunch from Wegman’s
1:00	1:15	Amy Ricco, MCCC Horticulture & Plant Science Program
1:15	2:00	Grant Stiles: pre-harvest preparation
2:00	2:45	Dr Dewey Caron
2:45	3:15	Vendor Break / Book signing
3:15	3:30	John Gaut: EAS and ABF update
3:30	4:00	50-50 and door prize drawings
4:00	4:15	Closing remarks and Thanks!
4:15	5:00	Clean up and pack up!

Books that Dr. Caron will sign at break times: Pre-order only.

Honey Bee Biology. $80
The Complete Bee Handbook. $17.
Penn State Field Manual. $18.
Penn State Beekeeping Basics. $35.

2026 NJBA Annual Picnic and Auction (August 15, 2026)

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMT

NJBA Picnic and Auction

Saturday, August 15

Bob Hughes’ House
706 Groveville-Allentown Road, Yardville, NJ 08620
That’s MERCER County.

Early Adult Registration, 12 years old and up. Now through July 14. $18
Early Child Registration, 6 years to 11 years old. Now through July 14. $11.

Regular Adult Registration, 12 years old and up. July 15 to August 1. $23.
Regular Child Registration, 6 years to 11 years old. July 15 to August 1. $16.

Late Adult Registration, 12 years old and up. August 1 to August 14. $28.
Late Child Registration, 6 years to 11 years old. August 1 to August 14. $21.

Walk-in Registration. $34.

For all auctioned items, NJBA receives a 15% commission of the gross sale price

Pre-registration for auction is recommended. Forms will be sent upon registration. Three copies will be required.

All items purchased MUST be paid for by the end of the auction. All items purchased and not removed from premises will be discarded, unless prior arrangements are made with NJBA.

Pool will be OPEN after lunch!

Northwest New Jersey Beekeepers Association: Basic Beekeeping (September 12, 2026)

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 12:30:00 GMT

Northwest New Jersey Beekeepers Association: Basic Beekeeping

Basic Beekeeping is a complete three-day course in beekeeping to be held September 12 and 19, 2026 from 8:30am-4:00pm with a Field Day following on a date TBD. It is offered by the Northwest New Jersey Beekeepers Association and overseen by Cornell Certified Master Beekeeper Jean Miller. Class materials are based on the curriculum developed by EAS Certified Master Beekeeper Landi Simone. Successful completion of this class fulfills the legal education requirement to keep bees in NJ.

Class size is limited to 40 students.
NJBA scholarship is available. Click for details.
Attendees must be 14 years or older.

Classroom topics covered on Days 1 and 2 include:

Honey Bee Biology
Beekeeping Equipment
Getting Started with Bees
Keeping Bees in Populated Areas
Bee Plants
Seasonal Management
Honey Bee Pests and Diseases
Harvesting Your Honey Crop
Queens, Queen Problems, & Re-Queening

Day 3, Field Day, takes place in at the club’s apiary located near (but not exactly at) 70 Valley Crest Road, Lebanon, NJ. The coordinates for the apiary are 40°37'13.3"N 74°52'15.5"W., and provides students with an introduction to working with the bees. Students will have the experience of opening and inspecting a beehive themselves and obtain hands-on lessons in recognizing the various components of a hive and colony as well as inspection basics such as smoker lighting, protective gear, and correct use of the hive tool.

A continental breakfast and afternoon snack is included in both days of classroom instruction. Students should bring a bagged lunch or plan on eating lunch at various area restaurants. Students will have access to all slides presented during class as well as supplementary class materials. Students will also be able to purchase equipment at class and be given resources for purchasing bees for installation the following spring.

Jean Miller is a Cornell Certified Master Beekeeper and a Rutgers Certified Master Gardener. Prior to motherhood she was an engineer in the food industry. She also was a substitute teacher for 20 years in the Flemington area and has been keeping bees for about a decade. Additional instructors include Jim McCauley, past president of NWNJBA; Brandon Stoneking, NWNJBA First VP; Mim and Tim Dunne, beekeepers for over 40 years; Grant Stiles, former NJ State Apiarist and owner of Stiles Apiaries; and current NJ State Apiarist Meghan McConnell.

Tuition: $130 for 2 days of class and 1 field day.

CJBA Beekeeping for the Bee-ginner (Fall) (September 19, 2026)

Sat, 19 Sep 2026 12:30:00 GMT

Central Jersey Beekeepers…Beginning Beekeeping – Sept 19, Oct 3 & 10, 2026 in West Windsor, NJ

This three-day course will cover all aspects of entry level beekeeping for the Hobbyist in NJ. No prior knowledge of honeybees or beekeeping is required. This class is offered by the Central Jersey Beekeepers Association and instruction is led by EAS Certified Master Beekeeper Jeff Burd. Jeff has been keeping bees for over 17 years. Jeff is the former president of the New Jersey Beekeepers Association, Eastern Apicultural Society and Mercer County Board of Agriculture. Class materials are based on the curriculum developed by Jeff Burd and EAS Certified Master Beekeeper and former New Jersey State Apiarist Grant Stiles. This course fulfills the legal requirements of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture for beekeeper education.

The location of the class is Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor, NJ 08550. Specific room location will be sent out prior to class start.

Class dates are Saturday, September 19, October 3 and 10, 2026. ‘Hands On’ field inspection of bee hives will be held each day, depending on the weather. Bee veils and gloves will be provided.

Start time 8:30 am. End approximately 5:00 pm.
Class size is limited to 65 students.
NJBA scholarship is available, click for details.
Attendees must be at least 14 years of age.
No refunds after the first class begins.
85% attendance required for completion certificate.

Topics Covered:

Bee Biology; Equipment; Getting your bees; Pests; Diseases; State Regulations; Best location; nectar and pollen sources; Colony and Seasonal management; Best Management Practices; Bee nutrition; Harvesting; Products of the hive; Product safety; marketing, honey tasting and more.

The textbook “Storey’s Guide to Keeping Honey Bees” by Sanford and Bonney, and handouts will be provided. The cost is $150. There is a $50 discount for active 4-H and FFA members; as well as all U.S. Veterans, verification required; and second family member. Enter the corresponding code: 4-H, FFA, Vet or 2Fam when registering.

There will be an opportunity to order equipment, supplies and bees at the conclusion of the course. There will be no refunds after the first class begins. 85% attendance is required for Certificate of Completion. No food nor drink is provided. You are on your own for any meals, drinks or snacks. Local food establishments are less than a ten minute drive away.

CJBA Beekeeping for the Bee-ginner (Fall) (October 04, 2026)

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT

Central Jersey Beekeepers…Beginning Beekeeping – Sun October 4 & 11, 2026 in Freehold, NJ

This two-day course will cover all aspects of entry level beekeeping for the Hobbyist in NJ. No prior knowledge of honeybees or beekeeping is required. This class is offered by the Central Jersey Beekeepers Association and instruction is led by EAS Certified Master Beekeeper Jeff Burd. Jeff has been keeping bees for over 17 years. Jeff is the former president of the New Jersey Beekeepers Association, Eastern Apicultural Society and Mercer County Board of Agriculture. Class materials are based on the curriculum developed by Jeff Burd and EAS Certified Master Beekeeper and former New Jersey State Apiarist Grant Stiles. This course fulfills the legal requirements of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture for beekeeper education.

The location of the class is Centra State Healthcare, 901 West Main Street, Freehold, NJ 07728. Specific location will be sent prior to class start.

Class dates are Sunday, October 4 and 11, 2026. ‘Hands On’ field inspection of bee hives will be held at a separate location. Dates, times and location—TBD. Weather dependent. Bee veils and gloves will be provided.

Topics Covered: