2027 Bee School — Barnstable County Beekeepers Association

Category: Learning Also called: BCBA Bee School; Barnstable County Beekeepers Association bee school (Cape Cod, Massachusetts); barnstablebeekeepers.org

What it is

The 2027 Bee School is a beginning beekeeping course for Cape Cod run by the Barnstable County Beekeepers Association (BCBA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit active for more than 40 years. The official Bee School page says the course is designed for beginning beekeepers and is taught by senior BCBA members, moving through a hive’s lifecycle from bee biology and equipment to pests, diseases, seasonal management and honey harvest. The 2027 classroom sessions are five Monday evenings, January 4 to February 1, 2027, 7:00–9:00 pm at the West Barnstable Community Center, 2377 Meetinghouse Way, West Barnstable, Massachusetts. Each student is paired with an experienced member as a first-year mentor, and Saturday hive openings run May through October. The registration page says the class is geared specifically to Cape Cod beekeepers. This listing is for the course, not the club’s monthly meetings or a supply store.

Official URL

Official Bee School page: https://www.barnstablebeekeepers.org/bee-school

Registration (BCBA Bee School product page): https://www.barnstablebeekeepers.org/product-page/bcba-bee-school

Association home: https://www.barnstablebeekeepers.org/

About BCBA: https://www.barnstablebeekeepers.org/about-us

Membership: https://www.barnstablebeekeepers.org/membership

Last checked

2026-10-29. All URLs above returned HTTP 200 with a desktop Chrome user agent and browser Accept headers on that date.

FAQ

Q: When are the 2027 classes?
A: Per the Bee School page checked 2026-10-29: Mondays from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the West Barnstable Community Center, 2377 Meetinghouse Way, West Barnstable. Topics by date: January 4, honey bee biology and behavior; January 11, beekeeping methods (equipment, protective gear, obtaining bees, hive placement); January 18, parasites and pests, especially Varroa mites; January 25, diseases and nutrition; February 1, seasonal management, inspections, and honey and wax harvesting. (January 18, 2027 is the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday; the page still lists a class that night.)

Q: How much does it cost?
A: 2027 tuition is $100. The page says it includes a textbook, handouts, instruction, a mentoring program and a one-year family membership in the BCBA (listed as a $25 value). The online registration page adds a $3.00 surcharge for online processing fees.

Q: How do I register?
A: Through the BCBA Bee School product page on the club’s site ($100.00, Add to Cart). The Bee School page says space is limited and fills quickly, and that you can email the club to join a waiting list in case of cancellations. Nothing was paid or submitted for this listing.

Q: What happens after the classroom sessions?
A: The page lists package bees anticipated in early April 2027 (pick-up time and location to be announced) and hive openings open to all on Saturdays from May through October, with locations and times announced in the club newsletter. The page also warns that setting up one hive can easily top $600, plus $160 to $225 for the bees.

Q: Is this an official or affiliated listing?
A: Neither. Beekeeping Plaza is not affiliated with the Barnstable County Beekeepers Association. No payment, contact or form was made. This is the site’s first Massachusetts Learning listing (Worcester County Beekeepers is already listed under Local clubs).