Cappings
Pierce County Beekeeping Association
Monthly Newsletter
July/August 2026 - Volume 32 - Issue 5
Dear Fellow Beekeepers,
I hope this message finds you well and your hives thriving! I have several important updates to share as we head into the heart of summer.
🏆 Exciting News: Honey House Food Processing License Approved! 🏆
We are thrilled to announce that the Association has received approval for our Honey House Food Processing License! This has been a long-awaited milestone for our organization.
An enormous thank you goes to our Permits and Compliance Chair, Stephen Poore, whose tireless research and dedicated attention to this process made it possible. Stephen's commitment to helping this association achieve its goals is truly exemplary, and we are so grateful for his service.
🌻 July Updates 🌻
REMINDER!
There is no meeting on July 6th! I repeat, NO MEETING ON JULY 6TH!
However, we are still holding the beekeeping classes over Zoom. Information is below and on the club calendar
PCBA Beekeeping Class - Zoom Only
Jul 6, 2026 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join the Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83672692772?pwd=4lXVa1u6FcqomyXlAuBwu1MhUbR0WW.1
Meeting ID: 836 7269 2772
Passcode: 059541
🍔 Summer Picnic & Potluck — Saturday, July 25th at Noon 🍔
Join us for a festive summer gathering! Here are the details:
-
Date & Time: Saturday July 25th, 12-2pm @ WSU Extension Puyallup
-
Location: Click here for directions
-
Parking: Click here for parking information
-
Members bring: Appetizers, sides, and drinks
-
We will provide: Burgers and brats
It is important that we know how many people will be attending and if you will be bringing any supplies. For everyone able to attend, please RSVP here. If able to bring supplies, please mark "other" and include what you will be bringing.
A very special thank you to our generous members who donated to the hospitality team at our monthly meetings — $200 in donations is going directly toward making this picnic wonderful for everyone. Your generosity and community spirit mean so much to us. Thank you!
📅 August Meetings 📅
We have two great programs lined up for August — mark your calendars! Both evenings promise to be educational and engaging. We hope to see a great turnout!
-
August 3rd — Fall Preparation with Dewey Caron
-
August 24th — WA State Pollinator Health Project with Katie Buckley
🐝 Washington State Fair — Volunteers Needed! 🐝
The Washington State Fair is coming in September, and our booth is our most important project of the year. This is both a tremendous opportunity to educate the public about bees and to earn your volunteer hours toward the club.
Even the most novice beekeeper knows an enormous amount more than the general public about bees — and that knowledge is genuinely valuable at the booth. Whether you've been keeping bees for one season or twenty, your presence makes a difference!
The dates will be Sept 4-27th (Closed Tues & Sept 9). You can sign up to volunteer here.
We also need a couple of people to assist in the admin level tasks of the fair, essentially a "Fair Committee". Please contact Michelle Cyree vp@pcbeekeepers.org if you would be interested in helping. Volunteering at the fair booth will be the primary way for members to contribute hours toward the club this year.
Please sign up and help, we truly need you there!
Thank you for being a part of this wonderful community of beekeepers. As always, don't hesitate to reach out with questions or ideas.
Warmly,
Kathleen
President, Pierce County Beekeepers Association
JULY
July is the most financially consequential and the most mite-critical month of the year. The blackberry flow peaks and finishes on the west side. Supers come off. Varroa treatment begins — without delay, without exception. The beekeeper who pulls supers and treats immediately in late July will lose far fewer colonies in January than the one who waits.
AUGUST
August is the month most beekeepers lose their colonies in January. Not because anything fatal happens in August — but because the decisions made in August (or not made) determine whether the winter bee cohort being born right now is healthy or Varroa-damaged. Pull the supers. Treat the mites. Assess the stores. This is not a month for procrastination.
Varroa Monitoring and Treatment Schedule
This is the most consequential calendar "in the book". The August treatment window is not optional. Mite loads above 2% when winter bees are being born in August produce dead colonies in January.
🐝 Late Summer in the Apiary 🐝
If you've been checking your hives lately, you've probably noticed a change. The rush of the blackberry flow is beginning to wind down, honey supers are getting heavy, and your colonies are already preparing for the bees that will carry them through winter.
Now is one of the most important times of the beekeeping season.
If your major nectar flow has ended and your honey is capped, it's time to remove your supers and harvest your honey. Leaving supers on too long can encourage robbing, make hives harder to defend, and delay the next critical step in protecting your colony.
Once the supers are off, don't wait to check your mite levels.
Varroa mites remain the leading cause of winter colony losses, and late summer is when their populations often peak. The bees being raised over the next several weeks are your winter bees, and they need to develop healthy and strong. A simple mite count will tell you whether treatment is needed, and if it is, the sooner you begin, the better your colony's chances of making it through the winter.
This is one of those moments when a little work now pays off for months to come. Harvest your honey, test for mites, begin treatment if your counts indicate it, and keep an eye on food stores as summer begins to fade.
If you're unsure whether your supers are ready to come off, need help performing a mite wash, or have questions about choosing a treatment, don't hesitate to reach out to your mentor, ask in our WhatsApp Community, or join us at an upcoming Apiary Day. We're always happy to help, and learning together is one of the best parts of beekeeping.
Here is a link to our 2026 Calendar of Events
July 6th - No Meeting, Classes on Zoom
July 25th - No Class or Meeting - Summer Picnic
August 3rd - Fall Preparation - Dewey Caron
August 20th - PCBA Board Meeting (Open to Public)
August 24th - WA State Pollinator Health Project - Katie Buckley
September - No Class or Meeting - State Fair
October 5th - AZ Hives - Debra Langley-Boyer
November 2nd - TBD
December 7th - No Class - Gift Exchange Potluck
Upcoming Presentations
August 3rd @7pm
Allmendinger Center
Fall Preparation
Presented by Dewey Caron
Available in person and on Zoom -->
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83672692772?pwd=4lXVa1u6FcqomyXlAuBwu1MhUbR0WW.1
Meeting ID: 836 7269 2772
Passcode: 059541
---
One tap mobile
+12532050468,,83672692772#,,,,*059541# US
+12532158782,,83672692772#,,,,*059541# US (Tacoma)
August 24th @7pm
Allmendinger Center
Washington State Pollinator Health Project
Presented by Katie Buckey
Available in person and on Zoom -->
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82636435308?pwd=jJ3wzv4BUmLAwp3CN5F7IUJrx6pXfM.1
Meeting ID: 826 3643 5308
Passcode: 749675
---
One tap mobile
+12532050468,,83672692772#,,,,*059541# US
+12532158782,,83672692772#,,,,*059541# US (Tacoma)
🐝 Join Our WhatsApp Community! 🐝
PCBA now has an official WhatsApp Community! This is your hub for real-time connection with fellow beekeepers — ask questions, get mentorship, share what is happening in your hives, and join dedicated teams for topics you care about most.
Whether you want quick advice during an inspection, want to share a swarm sighting, or just want to feel connected to the broader PCBA family between meetings, our WhatsApp Community is the place to be. Join the conversation and bring your curiosity!
Committee Reports
Swarm Team
If you have signed up to be on the swarm team please make sure your membership is current.
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.
Our insurance company needs waivers signed by the community and also by you, the beekeepers. Follow this link to the waiver.
Education
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 for updates on what is planned in the Spring. Rescheduled dates or times and topics will also be announced on our Facebook Group page.
PCBA Beekeeping Class Information
Classes are available to PCBA Members only
Become a Member
Sign up for Classes on our website
Location:
WSU Puyallup Research & Extension Center
D.F. Allmendinger Center
2606 W Pioneer Ave, Puyallup, WA 98371
Classes are January - November (See Events and Announcements above for upcoming classes and topics)
Adopt-a-Hive Program
Contact Katie Marler (education@pcbeekeepers.org) with any questions.
Beginner’s Beekeeping Class Schedule 2026
July 6th, no in-person classes due to club picnic, Lesson #1 on zoom
August 3rd- Pests, Parasites & Treatments
August 24th- Honey Bee Science & Biology
Oct 5th - Hive Management from Winter to Spring
Nov 2nd - Hive Management from Summer to Fall
December 7th - no classes due to club holiday potluck
Class attendees-- For July our classes will be held online instead of in person! Please join us on zoom Monday evening for our beginners class taught by Justin Martin at *7pm (*note: time differs from our regular in person class time of 6pm). Apprentice class will do a breakout session as well as long as there is interest! The link should be the same 😊 see you all digitally Monday at 7pm!
Beginners Class schedule
July 6th (7pm, on zoom) - Honey Bee Biology (Remaining classes in person @ Allmendinger center, WSU 6pm-7pm)
Aug 3rd- Hive Management Summer to Fall
Aug 24th- Varroa destructor, treatments, and other pests
Testing:
If you have attended all five PCBA beginner’s classes, you are invited to put your knowledge to the test - an open book, online test - to obtain a beginner’s certificate.
There are two certificate options:
-
If you purchased the WASBA manual, you can earn a certificate from Washington State Beekeepers Association.
-
If you didn’t use the manual and instead simply followed PCBA classes or used the Beekeeper’s Handbook as a manual, you can get a PCBA beginner certificate from Pierce County Beekeepers Association (more informal/fun, not academically recognized).
-
After one year of beekeeping, you can move on to an apprentice program through WASBA (if you did their beginner’s test)
-
Alternatively, you can join the Master Beekeeper Program at Oregon State University, which starts at apprentice level!
-
To take the beginner’s test, please email Katie at education@pcbeekeepers.org and you’ll be added to the online testing program, then complete on your own time.
Apprentice Beekeepers Class Schedule 2026
July - Club Picnic, no meeting, Zoom class - Native Pollinators, date tbd
Aug 3 - Pests and Diseases & treatments
Aug 24 - Harvesting Honey + Other Products from the Hive
Volunteer @ State Fair (Sept)
Oct 5- Fall management, wintering configurations & feeding
Nov 2 - Pollination (services) & Pesticides
ADOPT A HIVE PROGRAM
This is a NEW effort PCBA is trialing this year - Each of our ten educational hives will have an assigned beginner ‘keeper’ for the season who will work under an apprentice level mentor. Program participation includes attending at minimum two apiary days a month and inspecting the hive alongside other apiary day participants. If you cannot attend each apiary day, we recommend sharing the hive with another beginner so at least one of you will always be in attendance.
We hope that this will be an excellent introduction for those who want to jump in and start bee-ing responsible for a hive, but do not have their own equipment or a space ready. First dibs on splits from surviving club hives the following spring will be offered to dedicated adopt-a-hive keepers.
We are offering this program FREE to members, however priority will be given to regular attendees of last year’s apiary days and/or those who have completed the beginner’s course. :)
Please fill out our Adopt-a-Hive Survey ASAP if you are interested!
From Washington State University:
Join us at our Bee Strong: Fungi, Nutrition, and Winter Survival Workshop. Expect to learn about research and applicability of fungal extracts for honey bee health, honey bee nutrition and supplemental feeding and how to set your bees up for success in fall to increase overwintering success.
Registration for attendance in Puyallup AND Zoom is now OPEN!
-
Location: D.F. Allmendinger Center, 2606 W Pioneer Puyallup WA and Zoom
-
Date: July 25, 2026
-
Time: 10am to 3pm (online), or 10am to 4pm (in person - the last hour of this workshop will provide you time to do hands-on microscopy practice to dissect honey bee fat bodies and hypopharyngeal glands).
-
Cost: $60 online, $100 in person
-
Presentations by: Special Guest Speaker Dr. Chase Beathard from Fungi Perfecti and WSU Bee Program Team members Molly Quade, Dr. Priya Basu, & Dr. Brandon Hopkins
Learn more about the event here: https://bees.wsu.edu/event/bee-strong-workshop/
Register here: https://secure.touchnet.net/C20607_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=3939
Events and Announcements
🐝 Automatic Honey Bottler Now Available 🐝
Our new automatic honey bottler is up and running and ready for member use! To reserve a rental time, contact Bryce at operations@pcbeekeepers.org.
🐝 Bottler Lift Stand Coming Soon 🐝
A mobile permanent lift stand for the bottler has been ordered and will be installed soon, making the bottling process even easier for members.
🐝 New Storage Container on the Way 🐝
Our new 20-foot storage container is nearly ready for delivery, and the site has already been cleared by the WSU staff. A special thank you to Bryce Landrud for coordinating, to Ben Swick for the location and to our generous donor, Terry Thomas of PNW, for helping make this project possible!
APIARY UPDATES
Our club apiary has been a huge success this year so far! Our appreciation goes out to all those who have shown up to help regularly, for our dedicated club hive adoptees, and for all the new and experienced folks that have joined us to share in the joy of beekeeping! These last couple of months we have had several swarms move themselves right into our stacks of older equipment, plus our existing hives have been building up nicely, and for the most part mite counts are still very low to none. Hurray!
We are bracing for the dry months of summer dearth and the onslaught of robbing pressure. I can tell because our bees are getting extra curious about any scraps of honey left laying out. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of robbing in beehives, please consult your favorite source of information (Youtube, Facebook, Beekeeper's Handbook, etc.) and educate yourselves about robbing--because it is coming soon to wherever your bees are, if it has not already arrived.
Upcoming Apiary Days: 2nd and 4th Saturdays
These will be weather dependent, as always. As summer heats up we may try and get them done earlier in the day 9/10am instead of 10/11am, as long as we're hitting 65 degrees F advised for inspections. Please watch for email updates.
A short lesson at the beginning (20-30min) is followed by hands-on inspections. Newbees will be divided in groups led by more experienced mentors and we will work through inspecting our club hives while identifying and discussing further that week's focus subject.
Please come with your smoker and personal protection gear - we have a LIMITED selection of loaner suits for new folks to borrow for the day. And please leave personal HIVE TOOLS at HOME so we don't swap potential disease spores and so they don't get mixed up with our club tools!
July 11th
This apiary day will be focused on looking closely at bee brood development, each stage of the brood, identifying solid vs spotty brood patterns and what brood can tell us about the queen and about the hive.
July 25th
A focus on accessing food stores for summer, pulling honey, feeding, and doing extra short inspections-- a very useful skill during times of high robbing pressure to minimize our time with the boxes open and vulnerable!
August 8th
Apiary day with a focus on mites and treatments. August is a critical time for hive health to create a mite-free colony in order to build up their winter bee population! We will learn how to test for mites and identify them, and discuss good IPM strategies.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Volunteers, we need you! PCBA couldn't happen without you. 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 are organization is all about. Some of these events are fundraisers where we will be selling honey.
From brand new beekeeper to experienced beekeeper, you have a place at our table! You pick your comfort level, from selling the honey and raffle tickets to just talking about bees. Scan the QR codes below for more information.
If anyone is interested in assisting with managing our social media account please contact Kathleen at president@pcbeekeepers.org.
Honey House Signup
Apiary Team Signup
Presenter Signup
Club Directory
(for questions or to reach out to other club members)
Or follow link to sign up without a QR
Become a Member
We are asking all of you 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, your membership will be renewed on your anniversary date. If you are unsure of your status, you can email president@pcbeekeepers.org. Thank you!
Free Varroa Management Guide
The Honey Bee Health Coalition has released the 9th Edition of the Tools for Varroa Management Guide, a free resource packed with the latest science, best management practices, and treatment options to help beekeepers effectively monitor and control Varroa mites.
In addition to the guide, the Honey Bee Health Coalition offers a variety of educational resources, including videos, best practice recommendations, and other tools to support healthy colonies. Visit their website to download the guide and explore their complete library of beekeeping resources.
WSU Survey
The Washington State University Bee Program, Department of Entomology is seeking Washington beekeepers to participate in a three-year research project focused on Varroa mite management. Researchers hope to enroll at least 100 beekeepers by November 2026.
Participants will complete an initial survey about their beekeeping experience, colony losses, Varroa management practices, and the resources they rely on for education. Follow-up surveys will be conducted in 2027 and 2028 to better understand how management strategies evolve over time. Participants will also be invited to watch HIVE PNW (Holistic Integrated Varroa Education for the Pacific Northwest), a free 10-part educational video series launching in December 2026.
If you're interested in contributing to research that will help improve honeybee health across Washington, visit the project website to learn more, provide consent, and receive your unique participant identification code before completing the surveys.
Other Resources
Beekeeping for Veterans - https://wafarmvetco.org/healing-through-hives
Resource List for Diagnostic Testing of Honey Bees
If you want an answer on the cause of death of your bees, the following is a list of organizations in the United States that may be able to assist you. For a complete 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 though 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 Department 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 recommends people send their bees to the Beltsville Bee Lab, 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. This lab does not test for viruses or pesticides.
The following all charge for their testing services.
Virus Testing (not pesticides)
-
North Carolina State - fees range from $24-$320
-
National Agricultural Genotyping Center - fees range from $60-$300
Pesticide Testing (not viruses)
-
Synergistic Pesticide Laboratory - this is a lab WSU's bee program has used. Direct contact is Camille Holladay (cholladay@synpestlab.com). Fees range from $165-$365.
Leadership Team 2026
Permits and Compliance Chair
Stephen Poore