Montgomery County Beekeepers Association

The Montgomery County Beekeepers Association (MCBA) has its roots in the 1990s, when local beekeepers – many of them involved in the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair – started sharing information about their bee yards and apiary experiences. The Club became official in 2010, when it was incorporated as a non-profit. Since then, the all-volunteer organization has grown steadily in its membership and activities. With a 2020 membership of more than 500, the Club’s educational offerings include care of an observation hive at Brookside Nature Center, an informational website, a online FORUM, an introductory course for beginning beekeepers, monthly meetings featuring local and national speakers, and a bee yard that provides hands on bee keeper training and mentoring. MCBA members present programs to garden and community groups, engage with the public at the annual Honey Harvest Festival at Brookside Nature Center, and sell local honey and talk bees with thousands of visitors to the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair – the largest county fair in Maryland. Many MCBA members are also active in the Maryland State Beekeepers Association and the Eastern Apiculture Society. The Club welcomes members of varying levels of beekeeper experience, assists neighbors throughout Montgomery County experiencing honey bee swarms, and also shares requests from non-beekeepers wishing to host hives on their properties. For more information about the Montgomery County Beekeepers Association, explore this website!

MCBA participates in events such as Earth Day, the Montgomery County Fair, and more. Volunteers would assist beekeepers to hand out information materials, talk to community of all ages to inform them about bees and bee keeping, help MCBA volunteers with other duties. No prior knowledge of bees or beekeeping required. No requirement to interact with bees.