Louisiana Beekeepers Association upcoming events

2026 Annual LBA Convention (Pineville, LA) (08/21/2026)

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT

LBA 64th ANNUAL CONVENTION

The Louisiana Beekeepers Association (LBA) will have their 64th Annual Convention at the Hotel Plantation & Conference Center, Pineville, LA - August 21-22, 2026. The event will begin Friday morning at 9 a.m. and conclude Saturday at 3 p.m. Doors open at 8 a.m.

Over 30 vendors with the latest technology, equipment, and wonderful bee-related items will be present. (Plan on conducting your Christmas shopping for all of your friends and family!)
Contests for honey-baked goods, honey judging, and decorated brood boxes are planned for this year.
- Honey-baked goods must contain honey as the principal sweetening ingredient. (2025 Honey Baked Goods Competition.pdf). Please provide the recipe on a 8.5 x 11" sheet of paper. Submit entries by 10:00 a.m. on Friday, August 23, to be judged Friday afternoon. Winners will be announced during the banquet and again during the Annual General Membership Meeting on Saturday morning.
- Black jar honey contest is open to ALL attendees with all entries submitted by 10:00 a.m. on Friday. 2025 Black Jar Honey Contest Rules.pdf This year we will be selecting the best tasting honey from the five Louisiana regions, narrowing down the entries to the top 5 honeys and then selecting an overall state winner. Winners will be announced Saturday at 2:45 p.m. at the conclusion of the Convention.
- Decorated brood box contest. Click here to download the 2025 Brood Box Art Competition Form.pdf. Boxes must be submitted by 10:00 on Friday. All boxes will be auctioned during Friday night's banquet.
Silent and live auctions will be held - consider donating an item to either auction.
A special buffet banquet will be held in conjunction with the live auction on Friday night, August 23. Banquet tickets are $25 each.

2026 Convention Agenda coming soon

Registration Options:

Registration for the Annual Convention is only $75 for an LBA member and $100 for non-LBA members. There are also options to include the banquet ($25/ticket) with your registration: $100 for LBA member registration with banquet; $125 for non-LBA member registration with banquet. Guest registration options are available for both LBA members ($60) and non-members ($85). Children under 18 are FREE, but please complete registration for all attending to help us with our records. College students receive a registration price of $25/ticket with proof of Student ID. A one-day pass to the Convention for either Friday or Saturday will cost $50.

For any additional information or questions email dandelionwishbeefarm@gmail.com

Sponsors/Vendors:

If you wish to provide support or participate in the LBA Convention as a sponsor or vendor, please visit this separate registration link to become a supporter.

LBA Membership:

Membership to the LBA is $20 and provides many benefits, including discounts on registration fees for conventions and field days. Please sign up to become a member today and save money on registration fees!

Hotel Reservations:

Book your hotel room BEFORE AUGUST 8 using the LBA hotel rate code: Beekeepers. Use this code when calling the hotel at 318-641-8332.

*NOTE: The phone number listed above is correct. The hotel is in the process of changing owners.The name may possibly show as it's former name: Country Inn & Suites in Pineville or Hotel Pineville & Conference Center, but all are the same address, 2727 Monroe Highway, Pineville, LA. CALL 318-641-8332.

If you have an issue with the hotel, please email maggieecard@yahoo.com.

It also has a other names that may come up.

$90.00* Standard Double Room (2 Queen beds)

$110.00* Suite (2 Queen beds and extra seating area)

*All rates include breakfast buffet, but do not include taxes and fees.

HOTEL DESCRIPTION

Situated off US highways 165 and 167, the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Pineville, LA offers guests easy access to Alexandria International Airport (AEX), just 20 minutes away, as well as the Pineville Convention Center adjacent to our hotel. When your meetings have finished, you can learn more about local history at destinations like Kent Plantation House and Forts Randolph & Buhlow State Historic Site, both less than 15 minutes away. If you’re traveling with the family, take the kids to see the animals at Alexandria Zoo or Gone Wild Safari. You can also visit loved ones at Camp Beauregard and Louisiana Christian University in less than 10 minutes.

After a full day in Pineville, unwind with a relaxing soak in our hot tub or a swim in our outdoor pool, open year-round. If workouts are part of your daily routine, you can stay on track at our on-site fitness center, and then reward yourself with an indulgent free, hot breakfast featuring our signature waffles. Need to print presentation notes before walking over to the Pineville Convention Center? Stop by our convenient business center.

Shop, golf, or find other fun things to do in Alexandria

Thanks to our location off US Highway 165, booking a room or suite at the Country Inn & Suites, Pineville, LA makes it easy to reach downtown Alexandria and popular area attractions like Kent Plantation House and Alexandria Zoo. You can visit a family member stationed at Camp Beauregard, situated less than 10 minutes away, or brush up on your Civil War knowledge at Forts Randolph & Buhlow State Historic Site, less than three miles away. When you’re ready to unwind, enjoy a relaxing stroll on the hiking trails at Kisatchie National Forest or test your poker face at Jena Choctaw Pines Casino. Looking for things to do between meetings? Schedule a tee time with your colleagues on the greens at Oak Wing Golf Club.

Country Inn Standard Room

Country Inn Suite

Sponsor/Vendor/Advertiser Registration for 2026 Annual LBA Convention (Pineville, LA) (08/21/2026)

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 18:00:00 GMT

LBA 64th ANNUAL CONVENTION

RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW!

Dear LBA Supporter,

You are cordially invited to attend the 64th Annual Louisiana Beekeepers Association Convention on August 21 – 22, 2026, in Pineville, Louisiana. This year’s convention at the Country Inn & Suites will begin on Friday morning at 9 a.m. and conclude Saturday at 3 p.m. You are invited to set up any time after Noon on Thursday, August 21 (please do not come earlier!)

We are also planning to host a breakfast for commercial keepers, surely the coffee will be strong, just come with your smoker lit! (Details in the works.)

SPONSORS:

We are offering four levels of sponsorship which include vendor tables, inclusion on sponsor posters, and complimentary banquet tickets. Sponsorship levels are as follows:

BRONZE - $250 – includes 1 table
SILVER - $500 – includes 1 table, 1 banquet ticket
GOLD - $1,000 – includes 2 tables, 2 banquet tickets
PLATINUM - anything over $2,000 – includes 3 tables, 3 banquet tickets (an LBA Board Member will contact you for more details on your generous sponsorship and provide instructions on payment).

VENDORS:

The cost for vendors attending the LBA Annual Convention is as follows:

FREE table for NEW non-bee-related vendor
$50 for 1 table (includes 2 chairs)
$75 for 2 tables (includes 4 chairs)
$100 for 3 tables (includes 4 chairs)

Please upload your business or organization logo in the online registration to be included on "Sponsor Posters" which will be placed around the Convention for participants to see. This year we will not have a printed program booklet with advertisements. If you wish to have your business card or flyer/advertisement included in participant bags, please mail to Maggie Card, 3258 Koll Road, Jennings, LA 70546 by August 7.

Please fill out the online registration form before August 7.

Our Convention banquet will be held Friday night at 6:30 p.m. and will include a live auction. The live auction proceeds go LBA to help with honey bee education. We are asking each vendor to please donate one item to be auctioned off during the banquet or if you choose, we also conduct a Silent Auction which concludes on Saturday afternoon. Donations to either or both of these auctions is deeply appreciated.

If you have any questions regarding becoming a vendor or how to register online, please do not hesitate to call either Julia Vela 225-305-3451 or Maggie Card 318-240-4683.

For any additional information or questions email la4honeybees@gmail.com

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The Louisiana Beekeepers Association will have their convention at the Country Inn & Suites, Pineville, LA.

Book your hotel room BEFORE AUGUST 11 using the LBA hotel rate code: Beekeepers. Use this code when calling the hotel at 318-641-8332. *NOTE: If you have an issue with the hotel, please email Maggie Card maggieecard@yahoo.com.

Country Inn & Suites Website

$109.00* Double Room (2 people, 2 beds)

$129.00* Suite (1 bedroom, 1 to 2 people)

*All rates include breakfast buffet.

HOTEL DESCRIPTION

Shop, golf, or find other fun things to do in Alexandria

2026 Fall Field Day (Baton Rouge, LA) (10/24/2026)

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 15:00:00 GMT

LBA and USDA-ARS

FALL FIELD DAY

Help your bees by learning the latest research and practices!

Register now to hear presentations from experts right here in our state at our world-class bee lab in Baton Rouge. For close to 100 years, the bee lab has been providing helpful and practical information for beekeepers. Don't miss this opportunity to gather information first-hand from these researchers during this year's Fall Field Day.

Saturday, October 27,2026

USDA ARS Honey Bee Lab

1157 Ben Hur Road, Baton Rouge, LA. 70808

Varroa mites can cause massive colony losses; they are the single largest problem facing beekeepers since they spread to the United States from Southeast Asia in 1987. While miticides used to control Varroa exist, resistance is developing to some of them.

“We would like to replace reliance on chemical controls with honey bees...that have high mite resistance of their own and perform well, including high honey production...” said Frank Rinkevich, Research Entomologist.

Learn the latest from the best experts in the world, the USDA ARS researchers and LBA beekeepers in the morning, lunch included in the ticket price, and hands-on demonstrations in the hives for the afternoon with the researchers and our LBA commercial beekeepers.

2024 Field Day information: (Bring your beekeeping gear!)

The Field Day will include a series of talks in the morning from members of the Louisiana Beekeepers Association and the USDA-ARS staff about Louisiana beekeeping and research being conducted at the USDA-ARS lab. The afternoon features break-out sessions for beekeepers of all ranges of experience and plenty of opportunity for hands-on hive demonstrations.

Bring your bee suit for one of the following:

The beginning beekeeper course is directed to those who have little to no beekeeping experience. Topics will include basic bee biology as well as necessary beekeeping equipment and management techniques. A question and answer session precede a practical demonstration in honey bee colonies.

The intermediate beekeeping course is focused on the beekeeper with a moderate amount of experience that is now ready to take it to the next level. Topics will include spring colony management, nutrition, and examining open colonies, followed by a final talk on treatment options for Varroa mites.

There will be a workshop for advanced beekeepers that focuses on selecting and rearing queens.

About the USDA ARS Honey Bee Lab in Baton Rouge

The mission of the Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research Unit is directly related to improving honey bee stock and honey bee management. This broad mission includes components related to problems caused by varroa mites, tracheal mites and microsporidians in the genus Nosema. The devastating problems caused by varroa mites and the serious problems caused by tracheal mites and Nosema are targeted as the most critical. Scientists are engaged in breeding and testing honey bees for resistance to mites and Nosema, evaluating mite-bee interactions to better describe breeding criteria, and evaluate stock production processes to explore and solve stock problems caused by mites and Nosema.