Cappings
Pierce County Beekeeping Association
Monthly Newsletter
December 2024 - Volume 30 - Issue 12
President's Corner
​I want to apologize for the lateness of this newsletter. Somehow with the business of the season, I lost track of time! How can it be Christmas already!!! Next comes the start of the New Year, 2025. We are already a quarter of the way through the 21 century. Think about that for a minute. As we close out this year, I think back on all of the craziness, the fun, the learning curves, the events and most importantly, the friendships I have made over these past 2 years as president. I am grateful. It was a Great year!! Thank you to all of the volunteers, to everyone who stepped in when and where it was needed, to our instructors and to our members. We exist because of you and the bees.
May your Christmas be filled with life, hope and peace. May it be merry. May you and your loved ones enjoy good health and happiness in the new year. We'll see you in 2025!
The A B(EE) C’s of a Naturally Sweet World
by Breanna Opdahl
I think bees are interesting and very fun to study. For the past nine months I have been studying my bees and learning as much about these fascinating insects as I can, so I thought I would share with you some of the things I learned that you may (or may not) know about our little black and yellow friends.
The What's What and the Who's Who
The first thing that should be noted is who does what in their wonderful hive. At the very top we have Her Majesty the Queen. Then there are the workers (all the queen's daughters). Next are the drones (the queen’s sons). The queen’s job is to mate with a drone and lay all the eggs. The worker's job is doing everything it takes to run a smoothly organized hive from tending to the queen to collecting the pollen. They do it all! The drones on the other hand only have a few but important jobs. They are partially responsible for the next generation of bees. Their other job is to help guard the hive from outsiders (and eat the honey!), that is until the end of the season when the worker bees throw them out (sorry fellas!).
​
Now that we got to meet the bees let us move on to some strange (but true!) facts.
​
Two is Better than One. Interestingly bees have two stomachs, one that operates as a normal stomach and one that is called a honey stomach which is used for bringing nectar back to the hive for the house worker bees. The more to eat honey with my dear!
A Moving Communication. Bees use an interruptive dance to tell the other bees where the best nectar and pollen is. This is also called the “waggle butt” communication. And a 1.2.3.4....
​
A Hairy Situation. Honeybees have the same number of hairs as a squirrel. That's what I call a fuzzy buzzy!
​
Pardon Me, Coming Through! Bees make a “whooping” noise as they bump into each other. I wonder if they look both ways before crossing the hive?
Haven’t I seen you before? Bees recognize faces and they know who their beekeeper is. Take me to your keeper!
​​
Off to New Heights! The “buzzing” sound we associate with bees is actually the sound of their wings. Welcome to Busy Bee Airlines, this is your captain speaking...
​
What does the bee use to style her hair? Just a little beeswax and a honeycomb!
I leave you with these new facts and a new joke. Now tell your friends! Tell your family!
Anybody who will listen maybe they bee amazed or they might just ask you sweetly to buzz
off!
Christmas Party
Thank you to everyone you attended White Elephant Pierce County Beekeeper Association Christmas Party 2024! The organizers did a beautiful job decorating the room, the Emcee was the star of the party, the food was delicious, and kind souls brought additional gifts so everyone could go home with a gift! We hope everyone who attended enjoyed a good time, and we look forward to seeing you all in the New Year!
​
Become a Member of PCBA!
It has been an amazing year and we have so much more to come! Over the year we have gathered over 800 members of our Facebook Group and over 650 Newsletter Subscribers! We are elated and honored to have had such a successful reach. Now, please be reminded that we are a Non-Profit 501c3. Membership makes a massive impact to our ability to continue full steam ahead and offer classes and programs that you all value, in fact it's the only way. We are asking all of you that are participating on our social platforms and subscribing to please sign up for membership in 2025 and help us continue to grow our resources and programs.
Please check your records to find the date you joined or renewed last year and rejoin if your membership is expired by date. The automatic renewal is working for some.
If you are unsure of your status you can email president@pcbeekeepers.org
Thank you
​
Become a Member
2025 EVENTS & PROJECTS
Members, we need you! Pierce County Beekeepers Association couldn’t happen without you, our volunteers! 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.
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. Come and join the fun!!
​
Important dates in 2025
HERE IS A LINK TO OUR 2025 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Class 1 - Beekeeping Equipment and Hive Styles, January 6 at 6pm - Allmendinger Center
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
Monthly Meeting Information
Monday, January 6, 2025
Beginner and Apprentice classes start at 6pm
General Meeting - 7-8:30pm
​​​​
D.F. Allmendinger Center
2606 W Pioneer Ave, Puyallup, WA 98371
Apiary Day & Workshop Information
Apiary Days are weather dependent will begin in May and run through October
Upcoming Apiary Days
​​
Apiary Days are done for the season! - Club Apiary
​
BRING YOUR BEE SUIT!!
Please keep an eye on our Facebook Group 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.
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
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.
​December Beekeeping
Kathleen Clerc
There's not a lot to do in December and January, it's cold, wet and windy…but there are few things to keep in mind: Inspections, moisture, resources, airflow.
1) While opening the hive is generally a bad idea (heat loss), you can still lift the outer cover for a quick peek to see if you have moisture problems (mold/water) on the inside of the outer cover. If you do, you need to address it, but first try and figure out why it’s happening. Is it a lack of ventilation on the top or is it because the entrance has been clogged with dead bees?
2) Depending on my overwintering configuration, when I’m doing this check with the outer cover, I also give a look into the hole on the inner cover to see if I have bees that have moved up into the upper boxes.
3) I do a simple “lift” from the bottom box handle to try and gauge resources. If I can’t lift the back of the colony at all, I figure they are pretty good, but I’ve set up colonies with a moisture quilt on top that allows me to slip in a sugar brick or more cane sugar granules, if needed.
4) I’ll usually check at least every two weeks on the front entrance/landing board to see what’s happening. At a minimum, I’ll pull the entrance reducer aside and “sweep” out the dead bee’s that may have accumulated on the bottom board…it can be a few or hundreds. Mostly normal, but important to do so that you maintain some airflow through the hive.
I may also do a single “knockdown” OAV treatment in late December and monitor the results on my screened bottom board. If needed and I have a day that is mid 40's and think the bees may be in a looser cluster, I may opt for another in January as things start happening.
5) Don’t forget to get on a list in DECEMBER to order your bees for next spring.
Beekeeping Articles & Topics of Interest
Beekeeping, for Veterans - https://wafarmvetco.org/healing-through-hives
Northwest bees flying during mild winter weather are less likely to survive till spring, WSU researchers find -https://www.opb.org/article/2024/06/02/northwest-bees-mild-winter-survival/?outputType=amp​​
​​
WSU Bees + Pollinator Program - https://bees.wsu.edu/september-2024/
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​
​
​
Ask a Washington Beekeeper - WASBA
WASBA’s ongoing project “Ask a Washington Beekeeper” has two episodes in the books. The first, in October, featured Jeff Ott and Bri Price, whose presentation about preparing for winter reached about two dozen interested beekeepers via both Facebook Live and Zoom. WASBA board member Dawn Beck graciously shared her presentation about the honeybees’ fat bodies and how these relate to honeybee health. In both cases, the presenters fielded questions from the audience with questions ranging from combining hives to winter survival rates. “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. Our 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.
After a break for the holiday, “Ask a Washington Beekeeper” will resume on January 18th with WASBA president Alan Woods sharing his knowledge about integrated pest management. Future programs include information about packaged bees vs. nucs, a panel discussion, and information about the nectar flow. 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. We’ll see you there!