New Jersey Beekeepers Association

04/03/2026

👋Calling all NJ Beekeepers! The 2025-2026 U.S. Beekeeping Survey is now live! Be a part of beekeeping citizen science and report your colony losses and data to help support important honey bee research. 🐝

The annual US Beekeeping Survey is LIVE!

Participate as a beekeeping citizen scientist through April at https://aub.ie/us-beekeeping-survey Your efforts provide insights in this past year's colony losses, plus help drive research direction, Extension efforts, and policy decisions!

Please also share this post widely among your beekeeping social media circles!

Many thanks to our great group of supporters: Project Apis m. National Honey Board One Hive Foundation American Honey Producers Association American Beekeeping Federation North Dakota Department of Agriculture Bee Culture Magazine American Beekeeping Federation

02/26/2026

02/23/2026

👋Hey NJBA Members! Are you still on the fence about attending our 2026 Winter Meeting on Sat, Feb 28 in Bordentown, NJ? This is your last week to sign up --registration closes on Friday, Feb 27. We've got an awesome lineup of speakers and four great vendors that can bring preorders to help you save on shipping!

4BrothersHoney (Apimaye Dealer)
BeeWorks Supply Company, LLC (Dadant Dealer)
Betterbee
Stiles Apiaries (Mann Lake Dealer)

Deadline for preorders is Feb 26!! Meeting details and registration info can be found at https://njba38.wildapricot.org/event-6532510

02/16/2026

Honey Bee Q&A: Bee Losses During the Winter, Feb 2026

NJBA member and EAS Master Beekeeper John Gaut has received several inquiries from NJ beekeepers who are concerned about seeing “a lot” of dead bees on the snow in front of their hive(s). Some bee loss is normal in winter. Also, the colony needs moisture for brood rearing and if the hive is too dry, bees will forage for water, sometimes perishing in cold conditions.

A healthy colony entering the winter usually has a population of 20,000–30,000 bees, although this can vary based on factors such as prior season's forage quality and mite management. Winter bees (diutinus bees) can live 150–200 days compared to 30–40 days for summer bees; however, colonies still experience natural attrition as older bees die off. In a healthy, average-sized colony, the daily death rate is approximately 200–250 bees. This is based on beekeeper observations and accounts of gradual population decline over the broodless or low-brood period.

Dead bees often accumulate inside the hive and are removed by undertaker bees on warmer days (above 50°F); this is a normal sign of colony health. Brood-rearing is minimal during winter in the Northeast due to cold temperatures, limited forage for pollen, and the colony's focus on survival. Colonies are often nearly broodless from late fall through mid-winter, with increased brood resuming in late winter as day length increases and early pollen becomes available. Emerging bees are correspondingly low. In late winter (late-February–March), queens resume laying small numbers of eggs (50–200 per day initially), leading to 50–200 emerging bees per day as the first brood cycles complete. Brood rearing ramps up if pollen is available but that carries a high starvation risk due to increased energy needs.

Total brood cells in a colony during winter might only be a few hundred at most. The rate of brood-rearing ideally is enough to replace the dying bees. Once the brood-rearing increases in March and April, the colony population will increase.

Some of the bees in the snow photo may be bees foraging for water. Hives that are not insulated and have an upper entrance can become very dry because both heat and moisture are vented out of the top entrance of the hive. This is problematic because the colony must maintain a tight range of temperature and humidity in the brood nest. Some bees “specialize” in retaining water in their honey crops as a “water reservoir” for the colony. These bees are often called “water-bottle bees.” Other bees in the colony will beg for water from these bees. Once the water-bottle bees deplete their water reserve, they forge for more water — often under very harsh conditions — because the colony is desperate for water. Some of these bees perish on the snow after they land, desperately trying to find any water for their colony. One of the benefits of a well-insulated hive without an upper entrance is that the hive loses less moisture and heat; additionally, the colony is less stressed, and the water-bottle bees do not need to go on dangerous missions as often.

Image 📷: A photo showing hundreds of dead honey bees on the snow-covered ground in winter.

01/12/2026

If you want to start beekeeping in 2026, now is the perfect time to check out the link below ⬇️and sign up for a class! These in person Introduction to Beekeeping courses are offered by our branches across NJ so you can find one convenient for you! Learn from the experts and meet fellow beekeepers who will help you succeed! 🐝 Successful completion satisfies the State of NJ education requirement for beekeepers. 🐝

Beginner Beekeeping CoursesNine branches of the NJBA offer short courses taught by highly experienced beekeepers. These classes cover the basics of honey bee biology, equipment, how to get started, pests and diseases, seasonal management, harvesting honey, and other basic topics. Hours, locations, ...

01/10/2026

The Annual NJBA State Honey Show is coming up! This is a great opportunity for NJBA members to showcase their honey and apiary products produced right here in the Garden State.

We’ve updated our 2026 Honey Show Information with the current Rules, Frequently Asked Questions, Judging Criteria, Entry Form, and a list of honey show couriers who will carefully deliver your entries to the Honey Show. Check out https://www.njbeekeepers.org/annual-honey-show for more information.

05/06/2025

There have been reports of members receiving an email with the subject line "New Jersey Registered Bee Yards Update."

*This is a phishing email!* If you receive this email, do not click any links or attachments. Do not reply to the sender. Delete the email and report spam or a phishing attempt if your email provider offers that option.

If you provided any account information, we recommend changing your password immediately and working with your provider to secure your account.

NOTE: Neither the NJ Department of Agriculture nor the NJ Department of Environmental Protection will send apiary update requests to individual beekeepers and will never solicit your personal information or password via email.

The US Federal Trade Commission provides useful information about how to recognize and avoid phishing scams at https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams

02/14/2025

Mark your calendars! We're so excited to have the EAS Conference in New Jersey this year! 🐝

Save the Date! 💌 Our 2025 conference will be held in New Jersey! It is sure to be a great time while “Beeing in the Garden State”! 🐝 July 27 - Aug 1

01/27/2025

Stop by the NJ State House Annex hallway in Trenton today from 11am-1pm to sample some outstanding local honey and vote for the Best Tasting Honey in NJ! While you're there you can check out our beautiful display of honey and value added apiary products from our annual State Honey Show. 🐝🍯

The New Jersey Beekeepers Association Honey Show will take place today in the State House Annex hallway in Trenton. The show will include a honey tasting contest between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. where people can stop and taste a smackerel of honey and cast their vote for the best tasting honey. The finalist with the most votes will win the People’s Choice Award for best tasting honey in NJ. Jersey Fresh New Jersey Farm Bureau Rutgers Cooperative Extension Burlington County Board of Agriculture New Jersey Beekeepers Association Gloucester Co. Board of Agriculture Cumberland County Board of Agriculture - NJ Salem County Board of Agriculture Cape May County Board of Ag Somerset County NJ Board of Agriculture Sussex County Board of Agriculture New Jersey Farmland Preservation New Jersey FFA Association New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate New Jersey 4-H New Jersey Farmers' Market Council of Farmers and Communities - NJCFC State of New Jersey

11/22/2024

We're looking for next year's NJ Honey Ambassador! 🐝🍯

Are you a young adult in NJ who loves honey and is passionate about beekeeping? Do you enjoy sharing your enthusiasm with the public? Apply now to become our 2025 New Jersey Honey Ambassador. This volunteer role serves to educate others, promote the honey industry, and create awareness around the importance of honey bees to the general public and consumers.. Responsibilities include speaking engagements at schools, festivals, and media interviews, as well as creating social media content and participating in hands-on beekeeping activities.

The New Jersey Honey Ambassador represents the New Jersey Beekeepers Association and serves as the official spokesperson for the honey and beekeeping industry in the state. The primary mission of this role is to advocate for the consumption of honey and highlight the critical importance of honeybees to agriculture and the environment.

The Honey Ambassador works statewide, traveling to schools, civic organizations, fairs, festivals, and farmers markets to educate the public about the vital role honeybees play in pollination and food production. Through engaging presentations and outreach efforts, the Ambassador helps foster a deeper understanding of beekeeping, honey production, and the challenges facing pollinators.

A key responsibility of the Honey Ambassador is to drive media awareness by participating in interviews and features across various platforms, including radio, television, podcasts, newspapers, and social media. The Ambassador is also tasked with creating and sharing timely, relevant content to further expand consumer awareness and engagement through digital channels.

In addition to education and advocacy, the position includes building relationships with community leaders, organizations, and other stakeholders to strengthen the honeybee and beekeeping industry in New Jersey.

If you're interested in this exciting role, please reach out to the NJ Honey Ambassador Coordinator at [email protected] with any questions.

Application Requirements: Position Duration: Jan 2025 to Jan 2026. Young adults (18-25 years old by January 2025) who are residents of New Jersey are eligible to apply. To apply, candidates should submit an essay explaining why they should be selected as the 2025 Honey Ambassador. Essays can be sent to [email protected]. The deadline for applications is Dec 31, 2024.

New Jersey FFA Association RCE New Jersey 4-H Rutgers Cooperative Extension Central Jersey Beekeepers Association Northwest New Jersey Beekeepers Association Sussex County Beekeepers Association

08/16/2024

Our former NJ Honey Queen Katie Culbert has been a busy bee this summer! During her summer service project, Katie created the "Be a Bee Buddy" video series which is designed to focus on bees/pollinators and their pivotal role in our world. The "Bee Buddy" curriculum intersects STEM, Agriculture, and Engagement to empower young people to be well-informed citizens. The videos will spark an interest in bees and pollinators but also let young people know they have the power to make an impact on their environment. The videos are specifically focused on reaching the youngest members of 4-H, the (aged 5-7 years old).

In honor of on Saturday, August 17th, please share this video series. The last video in the series also includes instructions for a great interactive activity, Building a Bee Bath. 🐝

New Jersey 4-H

Learn all about the importance of pollinators!