Georgia Beekeeper Julia Mahood to Discuss Honey Bee Drones at Weston Event

WESTON, CT — The Back Yard Beekeepers Association will host Georgia beekeeper Julia Mahood for an in-person lecture on honey bee drones at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 22, at Norfield Congregational Church, 64 Norfield Road.

Mahood, a master craftsman beekeeper and president of the Georgia Beekeepers Association, will speak on the often-overlooked male honey bees, commonly known as drones. The presentation will include insights into the bees’ role in reproduction and an overview of drone congregation areas — the mysterious locations where drones gather to mate — and how to locate them using aerial drones.

The event is free and open to the public, though advance registration is required at backyardbeekeepers.com. Doors open at 7 p.m. for socializing among club members and guests. There will be no virtual attendance option.

“Drone bees are the Rodney Dangerfields of the hive — they get no respect,” Mahood said in a statement promoting the event.

Mahood has kept bees since 2004 and is known for founding MapMyDCA.com, a citizen science project collecting data on drone congregation areas. A former Georgia Beekeeper of the Year, she also teaches beekeeping in Georgia’s prison system and designed the state’s “Save the Honey Bee” license plate.

The Back Yard Beekeepers Association is one of the largest regional beekeeping clubs in the country, with more than 400 members ranging from novice to longtime hobbyists. The Weston-based organization promotes education, collaboration and public awareness of beekeeping.