Home | SAZBA

Southern Arizona Beekeepers Association

Promoting beekeeping as a hobby or livelihood, and stimulating the public’s interest in the importance of honey bees.

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We are a beekeepers' association dedicated to promoting the importance of bees and beekeeping in Southern Arizona. Our focus is on supporting the local beekeeping community and ensuring the health and well-being of our honey bees.

Monthly Meeting

March 11, 2025 6 PM Beekeeping Basics

Everybody is welcome to join! You do not have to be a member to attend.

American Legion Hall,

330 W. Franklin Street,

Tucson, AZ

Second Tuesday of each month, 6-8 PM.

A list of our previous meetings.

Honey Bee Removal

Have you come across a swarm of bees? Have a hive within a structure?

Monica King
520-240-0532

Thunderbird Apiaries
Alan Hillhouse
208-794-9229

American Bee Control
520-780-1831

Local Nucs

Monica King
520-240-0532

Thunderbird Apiaries

Alan Hillhouse

208-794-9229

Wagon Wheel Ranch

of Arizona

520-780-1667

2025 Officers and Team

Meet our officers!

President: Will Fitz

Vice President: Carl Hilber

Secretary: Christine Stockwell

Treasurer: Edita Smrcinova

Board of Directors:

Michael Shipman

Liza Smith

Monica King

Manager: Monica King

Technology Advisor and Webmaster: Michael Shipman

Sergeant at Arms: Susan McClintock

Podcast and YouTube Producer: Patrick Cavanaugh

Pima County Fair Coordinators: Dave and Susan McClintock

2024 In Review

Educating the public about the importance of pollinators, beekeeping, and safety around bees is a core principle of our association. Therefore, SAZBA members look for opportunities to interact with the public.

In the past year we participated in the following Community Outreach Programs:

7 STEM functions at Tucson area schools

Booths at the Tucson Organic Gardner’s Spring and Fall events

4 apiary visits

A booth at the Pima County Fair (10 days)

A booth at the University of Arizona Master Gardner’s event

A booth at the University of Arizona Festival of Books (2 days)

Sierra Vista book club event

Speaking event at Splendido.

Monthly Coffee and Beekeeping

We estimate SAZBA made contact with over 7251 individuals during these events!

In addition these numbers indicate some of the visits to our webpage:

Homepage 4331

Bee removal 3579

Meetings 929

Nucs - for sale directory 712

Resources 640

About SAZBA 633

This month meeting 539

Local honey 529

Coffee and Beekeeping

Our monthly Coffee and Beekeeping meeting, an informal gathering of SAZBA members and friends on the last weekend of the month to talk about beekeeping, ask questions, and get to know other beekeepers. There is no agenda, just fellowship and a chance to share information.

Community Outreach

The Southern Arizona Beekeepers Association participates in outreach activities including special events and visiting schools to teach and inform the general public relating to honey bees and the beekeeping industry. If you are a community organizer or teacher and are interested in having SAZBA talk to your group or do a presentation please contact us.

Local Workshops/Classes

Monica King
520-240-0532

Wagon Wheel Ranch

of Arizona

520-780-1667

Our Mission

Our goals are to teach and encourage better methods among the beekeepers of Southern Arizona (Pima, Cochise and Santa Cruz), to promote cooperation and sharing, to reach a common understanding regarding our problems and their solutions, and to stimulate the interest of the general public in the advantages and benefits of beekeeping.

We encourage the study and research in Apiculture with an eye towards better methodology, increased production, public safety and improved marketing.

We participate in outreach activities including special events and visiting schools to teach and inform the general public relating to honey bees and the beekeeping industry.

If you have any questions about what we do, our mission or just general beekeeping questions, please reach out.