Cappings
Pierce County Beekeeping Association
Monthly Newsletter
January 2026 - Volume 32 - Issue 1
From the President
Kathleen Column
Member News
The PCBA Club Board presented this plaque to Mary Dempsey in honor of her service on the Board and to the club. Thank you to Travis Swanlund for creating this for us!
These storm photos and videos are courtesy of Steve Poore!
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Steve was asked to rescue 20 hives from a farm in the Auburn / Kent area. The owners were in Arizona and did not realize their farm and hosted beehives were under water.
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Steve was allowed to drive past police barriers to tend to the hives. All were moved to higher ground and are doing well so far.
Although not pictured, Steve received a bee sting right under his eye for his trouble!
Swarm Team
If you have signed up to be on the swarm team please make sure your membership is current.
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Also, please add Chris Camper to your contact list so that you will know that it is Chris calling and not a spam call. Chris' phone number is 253-319-0327 press 2 for swarms.
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With that said, our insurance company needs waivers signed by the community and also by you, the beekeepers. Follow this link to the waiver. It is at the bottom of the page.
Become a Member of PCBA!
It has been an amazing year and we have so much more to come! We are asking all of you that are participating on our social platforms and subscribing to please sign up for membership in 2026 and help us continue to grow our resources and programs.
For those who are already members, the automatic renewal is working! Your membership will be renewed on your anniversary date. If you are unsure of your status you can email president@pcbeekeepers.org. Thank you!
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Become a Member
2026-2027 CLUB EVENTS & PROJECTS
Members, we need you! Pierce County Beekeepers Association couldn’t happen without you, our volunteers! Ten (10) hours per year of volunteer service is required for each member.
Please sign up to help with the upcoming events. It is a great time to get to know other members and educate the community about the bees and what our organization is all about. Some of these events are fundraisers where we will be selling honey.
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From brand new beekeeper to experienced beekeeper, you have a place at our table! You pick your comfort level, from selling the honey/ raffle tickets to just talking about bees. You can join the Garden Crew, Resource Apiary Crew, PCBA Crew, and Learning Apiary Crew.
Come and join the fun!!
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Important dates in 2026 - Mark your Calendars!
HERE IS A LINK TO OUR 2026 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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February 2 - 6-7pm Beekeeping Class and 7-8pm PCBA Monthly Meeting
March 2 - PCBA Annual Auction
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Hive Host & Beekeeper List
We have many hosts, but we need more BEEKEEPERS! We have been building a list of those who have properties in which they are aiming to host hives on, as well as beekeepers who would like to service hives on host properties. With Spring coming, it is time to sign up! To join this list and be matched with a potential host or beekeeper, please sign up here: https://www.pcbeekeepers.org/hive-host-and-beekeeper-list
Donation & Fundraising Committee
Help us to be involved in our community in a big way!
https://www.pcbeekeepers.org/donation-and-fundraising-committee
Apiary Day & Workshop Information
Apiary Days are weather dependent and are scheduled April through October.
Club hives are closed for the season!
Please keep an eye on our Facebook Group to keep up with any updates on what is planned in the Spring. Rescheduled dates or times and topics will also be announced on our Facebook Group page.
Contact Katie Marler education@pcbeekeepers.org with any questions.
PCBA Beekeeping Class Information
Classes are available to PCBA Members only - Become a Member
Sign up for Classes on our Website
WSU Puyallup Research & Extension Center
D.F. Allmendinger Center
2606 W Pioneer Ave, Puyallup, WA 98371
Classes are January - November
Next Classes: January 5, 2026, 6:00-6:45 p.m.
(followed by General Meeting, 7-8:30 p.m.)
Please keep an eye on our Facebook Group & your email to keep up with any updates on what is planned for the next upcoming, including estimated times and lesson plan.
Contact Katie Marler education@pcbeekeepers.org with any questions.
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Other Educational Resources
Here are free webinars offered by the WSU Honey Bees + Pollinators Program. For the unfamiliar, this program is part of the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS). The program's mission "intertwines innovative research, community engagement, and education to safeguard pollinators, pivotal to our food security and environmental health.
Webinar: Veterinary Feed Directives and Honey Bee Disease - March 19, 6-7:30pm
Webinar: Monocropping Systems and Bees - April 16, 6-7:30pm
Mite Management Toolbox Workshop, WSU Honey Bee and Pollinator Facility, Othello, WA - May 2, 10am-4pm
You can also follow their events page here.
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The WSU Honey Bees + Pollinators Program is listed on Michigan State University's MSU Extension Pollinators & Pollination site which lists beekeeping and pollinator webinars from university extension programs across the United States. You can access these programs from wherever you are in the country at their website here.
In the News - Norroa Treatment
replace this column
Beekeeping Articles & Topics of Interest
Beekeeping, for Veterans - https://wafarmvetco.org/healing-through-hives
The Roles of Flies as Pollinators of Horticultural Crops - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7349676/​​
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WSU Bees + Pollinator Program Upcoming Events - https://bees.wsu.edu/upcoming-events/
Resource List for Diagnostic Testing of Honey Bees 2024
(information provided by, Bri Price, WSU Honey Bee Program Extension Coordinator)
If you want an answer on the cause of the death of your bees, the following is a list of organizations in the United States that may be able to assist you. For a compete list of diagnostic labs and what they will test go to this website: https://apiaryinspectors.org/page-18060.
If you believe the apiary was damaged through the use of pesticides and if you have registered your hive(s) with the State Department of Agriculture, you can also contact Katie Buckley (Pollinator Health Coordinator) with the WA Dept of Agriculture, and report the situation as a potential bee kill: kbuckley@agr.wa.gov. They usually only formally investigate if it is a large number of hives that were killed. WSU Bee Program used to have a diagnostic lab but does not currently have one. For now, they recommend that people send their bees to the Beltsville Bee Lab; it’s a free source in Maryland. This facility tests for bacterial, fungal and microsporidian diseases, two species of parasitic mites, and other honey bee pests. They also test for American Foul brood when requested. But this lab does not test for viruses or pesticides.
The following all charge for their testing services:
VIRUS TESTING (not pesticides)
• North Carolina State (https://www.ncsuapiculture.net/queen-and-disease-clinic) o Fees range from $24-320
• National Agricultural Genotyping Center (https://www.genotypingcenter.com/honey-bee-pathogen-panel/) o Fees range from $60-300
PESTICIDE TESTING (not viruses)
• Cornell Chemical Ecology Core Facility (https://blogs.cornell.edu/ccecf/the-facility/) o $90
• USDA-AMS National Science Laboratory (https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/lab-testing/nsl) o $450
• Synergistic Pesticide Laboratory (https://synpestlab.com/services/) o This is a lab that WSU’s bee program has used, direct contact: Camille Holladay cholladay@synpestlab.com o Fees range from $160-365​
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Ask a Washington Beekeeper - WASBA
WASBA’s ongoing project “Ask a Washington Beekeeper” is publishing new episodes in 2025. “Ask a Washington Beekeeper” is a collaboration between WASBA and GRuB and is designed to reach beekeepers who may be in outlying areas without access to a mentor or a beekeeping club. Their goal is to provide information, education and mentoring to as many people as possible, including veterans who are interested in beekeeping. An educated beekeeper is a better beekeeper and is better for the beekeeping community.
Programs are each month on the third Thursday starting at 6:30pm. Check it out and tell your friends – here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com/AskAWABeekeeper.