extractor for december 2016

Sonoma County Beekeepers’ Association © 2016

Volume 41, Issue 12 December 2016

This is our newsletter that reflects the various techniques, theories and art of sustainable beekeeping.

ContentsThis Month’s Calendar ................................................1Beekeeping To-Do List by Serge Labesque ...............3Bee Wise ....................................................................4Bee Plants of the Month ............................................72017 Membership Dues Change Notice.....................8General Meeting Minutes ...........................................9Contact Information .................................................. 112016 Board Members .............................................. 11

From Our PresidentHappy Holidays Fellow Beekeepers, What a spectacular year this has been, I believe our collective honey bee knowledge has just taken a gigantic leap. I just returned from the California State Beekeepers Association’s Annual Conference, held at the Kona Kai Resort on Shelter Island in San Diego. SCBA annually sponsors the President to attend; this year Christine Kurtz joined me, and what a week we had. I’ll do my best to give an overview of the conference, from my perspective, feel free to come talk to me further on any of the topics I mention - at meeting or send me an email. Both Christine and I arrived Monday 9/14, in time for the CSBA Board meeting at 3pm (SCBA has a ‘group’ membership). I was anxious to attend and see how a ‘larger’ organization operates and strategizes; this was an eye-opener. CSBA is dealing with the same issues our organization is, maintaining continuity of day-to-day operations - ongoing, with volunteers. They (the CSBA board) have a proposal to hire an outside firm that handles non-profits operations - everything from answering a dedicated phone line to lobbying the government for causes. They are run by volunteers, as we are, but have a big bankroll to manage. Another issue, that we face as well, is finding the next generation to step into our places. It’s important for you to know that the majority of CSBA membership are commercial beekeepers, operating in both pollination services and honey production. Their Association’s focus is the Agriculture world; many of the beekeepers view the honey bee as they would livestock. The conference had both indoor and outdoor vendor areas, with businesses that promoted everything an apiary could use; insurance, hardware, wooden ware, bee food, Agri-chem (miticides), even Ford was there selling the big flatbeds to haul your bees on. Tuesday through Thursday were concurrent presentations of all sorts, Christine and I tried to cover as many as we could. The Varroa destructor was the over-riding focus of the conference and most presentations. There were presentations from noted beekeepers advocating EVERYONE treat all of their hives with miticides, those that don’t are irresponsible beekeepers. Overall there were ten sessions dedicated to Varroa and it’s treatment, most were hosted by an Agri-Pharma company. The point to be made is that one of the major threats for the honey bee at this time is Varroa. Some great research is going on, trying to figure out how we can best help the honey bee. We found out that many of

This Month’s CalendarMonthly Meeting: Monday, December 12

Doors open at 5 p.m. Potluck & Election —This is always a lot of fun! We will be playing Bingo for some great prizes. Bring some cash to buy extra cards to help you win! Bring your own table setting, a dish to share with serving utensils and your family. Non-alcoholic beverages provided and Angelo’s tri-tips and polenta by popular demand. Bring your own adult beverages.

Upcoming MeetingsJanuary 9 - Julie Cridland, UC Davis. Bee genetics and

populations.February 13 - Rachel Vannette, UC Davis. How microbial

communities influence interactions between plants and insects

March 13 - Swarm & Split PanelApril 10 - Susan Kegley, Pesticides and bees

the miticides placed in the hive, not only weaken the hive but reduce sperm count in the drones and weakens the queens pheromone production, thus effecting the overall strength of the hive. There are scientists who are actively working on breeding more diverse bees that carry traits of biting the Varroa - more hygienic and resistant. Other scientists are researching the mite itself, and how it is affected by miticides, looking at the spikes in Varroa count after treatments. All of this poses many questions and a lot of discussion. I encourage everyone to do thorough research before using any miticide. Africanized bees are an issue in Southern California; something that all beekeepers need to be aware of, registering

Continued on page 2


hives with your county agriculture office is one of the ways they are trying to keep control. Honey was a big topic at the convention. Imported honey is a BIG issue - the product that is sold in most grocery stores, and food manufactures is like adulterated honey - not pure. CSBA is working with the FDA trying to write an appropriate content list for honey - for caloric reasons the FDA want ingredients to list ‘sugar’. This of course would have an impact on honey sales because perception could be that sugar was added. Another issue that all beekeepers/honey producers are facing is the uncontrolled additive of insecticides, neonicotinoids specifically - something none of us can get away from. Good news on the Honey Bee Microbial Ecology front, Kirk Anderson spoke about how certain fungus can attack and kill the Varroa and not effect the bees. That and ongoing experiments are happening with Anderson - he is working with Paul Staments (a speaker we had at one of our membership meetings earlier this year.) The conference wrapped with a session I requested; Bee Club Round Table ‘Goals, Mechanics & Discussion’. This was one of the best sessions of the conference. We got together with the other bee clubs and discussed management, strategies, fundraising, operations, teaching and learning beekeeping. Seven bee clubs of California were present; everyone contributed with good ideas. We have all continued our conversations on a new Facebook page I created. I think there can be positive energy and synergy to keep this bigger web of communication going. Christine drove home and we continued to talk bees for the 8 hours home. Beekeeping is a big world; we are all a part of a greater colony.

Sincerely,

Cheryl VerettoPresident

http://www.californiastatebeekeepers.com/

President, Continued from page 1

DECEMBER POTLUCK AND BINGO

DECEMBER 12TH 6:00 PM4H Building, ROHNERT PARK

PLAY BINGO AND WIN GREAT PRIZES

VOTE FOR THE 2017 BOARDBRING SOMETHING DELICIOUS

TO SHARE

APPETIZERS/SALADS/SIDES/VEGIE ENTRÉES/ DESSERT

SCBA WILL PROVIDE TRI TIP, SODAS/WATER/COFFEE/TEA BRING YOUR OWN PLATES,

NAPKINS, UTENSILS CUPS AND BEER OR WINE IF YOU DESIRE

JOIN THE FUN AND SOCIALIZE WITH THE SCBA!!!

Starts at 6PM


My DecemberBeekeeping To-Do List by Serge Labesque

© 2016

A year-end perspective

The bees are hunkering down. This is a good time to revisit what happened in and around our apiaries over the year that is coming to a close. Although the quantity of rain we received last winter was modest, it nonetheless produced a nice honey flow in early spring, and the colonies developed well. It did not take much effort to multiply and rejuvenate the hives. After a brief pause in late spring, the honey flow resumed, allowing the colonies to produce more early-summer surplus honey than we had seen in years. But this bounty was not to last and summer dearth settled in, as it usually does around here even in the best years. However, the presence of drones until the end of summer attested to the near-normal nutritional conditions of the colonies. Overall, the bees were in good health and keeping varroa under control as they entered winter. It’s exciting to see that treatment-free beekeeping, “natural beekeeping” for lack of a better term, is gaining traction and that the value of locally adapted bees is also getting mounting recognition. Many beekeepers in this area shared splits from their survivor colonies during the spring, and enough bees, queens and honey were produced to satisfy everyone. The local association is responding remarkably well to the new beekeepers’ need for local bees, help and sound guidance. Considering the massive influx of newcomers to the craft, this is a challenging task that rests on the dedication of a few passionate members acting under great leadership. Just considering these glimmers of hope, one might think that we are entering a new, post CCD era in beekeeping. Unfortunately, there is on-going degradation of the bees’ habitat. Toxic substances of all sorts are too frequently used. These permeate the environment and are inescapable by pollinators. Really, it does not take much widening of the field of view to see that the condition of the bees in general remains dire. Narrowing the perspective to my own apiaries - The way I presently manage my apiaries and the equipment I use are bringing huge satisfaction. Better yet, the bees seem to find their share of benefits in the double-deep brood chamber system I have previously mentioned in these lines. The size of my apiaries feels just right for me, hovering at the “enjoyable” level instead of the “drudgery” level I imposed upon myself and endured in past years. Maybe I am finally learning to control the urge of wanting always more bees. All this is the result of a long evolution, a slow learning process, and, dare I hope, of approaching maturity as a beekeeper. But it is not the final result yet, because I have more to learn and there is still much room for improvement. In July, an invitation to make a presentation in France was a good opportunity to meet some brilliant

people and to re-connect with friends of La Ruche du Quercy, a very active regional beekeepers’ association.The arrival of the Small Hive Beetle brings a shadow in this otherwise bright picture at the local level. Once again, bees and beekeepers will have to adapt to yet another threat.A ll in all, this has been a pretty good year, in this area. It could very well be a turning point that holds good promises for the bees and that heralds a departure from the damaging conventional practices of many beekeepers. But we still have a lot to do before we can say that the bees are saved.

December in the apiaries

Standard time, short days, the weather and work schedule, all seem to conspire to prevent me from seeing my bees at this time of year. Nevertheless, I swing by the apiaries once in a while after work to check on the hives, to make sure that no accidental fall of a tree limb or wind gust, for example, has caused any damage. It’s nighttime then, but placing an ear against the wood can reveal the faint, yet

re-assuring hum produced by the clusters. More tangible signs of what is happening inside the hives can be found on the monitoring trays. The size and location of the clusters is evidenced by the debris they produce that accumulates on the trays. I take a few pictures. They will be enlarged on the computer screen and examined later, in the warmth of the house. This helps document and assess the condition of the colonies in greater detail, including the mite fall. The small amount of finely shredded cappings that is seen on the images signals the interruption in the production of new bees and the modest consumption of stores. An increase in the mite fall at this time can be an indication of good grooming behavior on the part of the bees, as the mites, which are no longer protected inside the cells of sealed brood, become vulnerable. This beneficial trait is worth


observing and noting. On the contrary, the colonies that maintain large brood nests are causes of concern. Not only do they consume stores at a higher rate, but they are also real mite nurseries. The review of the year’s apiary notes is a good exercise that brings valuable lessons and helps to plan for the next beekeeping season. Call it mental beekeeping, if you want, but it is actually quite educational, rewarding, and fun. With no direct interaction with the bees, there is some time left to take care of the tools and equipment: cleaning, repairs, material purchases and equipment fabrication. More and more, I find that simplifying my beekeeping paraphernalia by eliminating, recycling or re-purposing some of my old, useless gear is gratifying. Out went Cloake boards, drone traps and many more contraptions that used to overflow from my scarce storage space. And there is always a spot nearby where plants can take root. They will produce food for pollinators, other animals, and then possibly for us. Fruit trees come to mind, of course. But there are also many flowering plants that we can add to improve our bees’ environment, preferably natives that are well adapted to our local conditions. I cannot think of a better reason to get out of the house, put the boots on, and grab a shovel in winter.

In summary, this month:

• Inspect the exterior condition of the hives:• Hive tops should be properly set and secured.• Observe the hive entrances and the ground in front

of the hives.• Verify that the hive entrances remain unobstructed.• On nice days, observe the flight paths and the bee

activity.• Examine monitoring trays.• Verify that mice have not entered hives (telltale clues

of their presence are visible on the monitoring trays, as coarse pieces of comb, mouse feces, etc.).

• Ensure that the hives are adequately ventilated.• Clean and scorch tools and equipment.• Pour the ashes out of the smoker and scrub the tar

build-up.• Repair and build beekeeping equipment.• Review notes from the year.• Plan next season (evaluate the need for equipment and

bees).• Read and learn more about bees and beekeeping.• Enjoy some honey.

Happy Holidays to all of you from the Labesques!

Serge Labesque © 2016

BEE WISE: “What are we forgetting...?”

by Emery Dann

Assisting honey bees spring, summer and fall can be very INTENSE. How intense depends on how many hives you assist or bee rescues, including swarms, you experience during our new bee year. We are now entering the winter “honey bee and bee-keeper rest” time of year! It is a good time to reflect on how to make our lives and beekeeping easier and more fun. Many years ago an 80 year old woman often said to me and others that, “Our forgetteries are better than our memories.” I have never forgotten her saying this to me. So I ask the question, “What are we forget-ting? Beekeeping is loaded with details, details and more DETAILS! How can we organize our lives to be better prepared to assist honey bees? How many times have my “forgetteries” happened when I cannot find where I put my hive tools, smoker, and both a right AND left-hand glove? It is difficult opening a bee-hive and removing frames wearing 2 right or 2 left hand gloves!!! I have done it more times than I care to admit! Buying new tools to replace those I cannot find is both time consuming and expensive! If you are a detail-oriented person, you cannot compre-hend what I just said! For those of us who are NOT into details as much, can we use our “winter bee break” to organize and take some of the frustration out of your beekeeping next year? Here are some questions I am asking myself—you can customize any of them to your bee situation:

1. Do I know where my beekeeping tools, equipment and protective clothing are located? Are they easy for me to find when I need them?

2. Do I have enough equipment for the number of hives I have, or my bee work for next year? How can I prepare NOW to have what I need, ready and available for me to “grab and go”?

3. Serge Labesque encourages us to write down hive notes to help us REMEMBER what we observe in each hive inspec-tion and what to bring with us the next time we return.

If I will prepare this way NOW, my MEMORIES will be better than my “FORGETERIES”!

Remember to MAKE 2017 your best bee year!


The Education Team Shows UpBy Thea Vierling

The Children’s Museum of Sonoma County had an incredible day on November 11th. SCBA educators were invited to give presentations and also be in the room with the observation hive. What a day. There were so many folks and they loved all the stories about the bees. John McGinnis and Maggie Weaver got to see a yellow jacket enter the observation hive and the action started! And Julie Gugel was able to climb into the chrysalis of the butterfly to see how it feels to be in larval form. On Sunday the 13th several educators participat-ed with Girl Scouts in the “Bee Patches Program” planting bee friendly plants on a PATCH of land offered by a local apple orchard. The Native Plant Society brought all the plants, which had been grown by members from cuttings and seeds. It was a beautiful day out in Occidental but very cold. The 14 plus Girl Scouts (and the adults) warmed up with a few exercises led by Oona Heacock from The Resource Conservation and Development Center. We were left with a great feeling of community; four organizations working together enjoying nature, gardening for bees and enjoying each other’s company (yes, across the genera-tions!!). We really want some of you SCBA folks to come out and have some fun with us. The education group has so many different venues; you don’t have to be a classroom teacher to join in on the fun! If you are interested write to: [email protected] and volunteer with us! These pictures show Maggie Weaver building the fool proof gopher baskets! And also creating links with the folks from the various programs.


Be Sure You Have Been Trained

As a SCBA Swarm Catcher!

John McGinnis is the swarm chair for next year. It has been decided to have two classes for beekeepers that have not been trained in past years. One training session will before the meeting in January and one before the meet-ing in February for people who are not on the swarm list to qualify to be added to the swarm list. The training will be at 5:30pm if we are able to get in the building that early. You must be trained to get on the official list on the SCBA web site. Talk to your cluster leader if you cannot get to the training.


Bee Plants of the Month By Alice Ford-Sala

Beneficial Tree of the Month Corylus Filbert, HazelnutFamily Betulaceae

Who doesn’t love snacking on tasty hazelnuts? I have to confess I tend to favor them in a bowl of mixed nuts. Bees use the light green pollen for spring buildup. The male blossoms are catkins that hang daintily from slender branches and the female blossoms are inconspicuous. They are monocots, which means they have male and female flowers on the same plant, so you can plant only one tree and still get nuts. C. contorta has interesting twisted branches and twigs. Tooth-edged green leaves fall off in winter, showing off the attractive branch-ing patterns and bark.Commercially grown C. avellana or European Filbert is commonly planted in Oregon, with some orchards here in California. C. maxima is native to southern Europe and is grown com-mercially, also. Both can be grown as a tree or shrub, up to 15 feet tall. You’ve also seen the native C. cornuta californica, or Western Hazelnut when hiking in the hills or mountains. It is an understory plant, growing in a woodland setting with other trees. It needs some sun to successfully flower and set fruit. The nuts are held in a long “beaked” husk, so it is sometimes called “beaked hazelnut, they are small but edible.

Corylus Filbert, Hazelnut

Cover Crops of the Month

The last month of cover crops... Plants to attract beneficials:

These are ideal to plant in between rows of other crops, such as grapes, or in orchards to promote bee activity year-round. You can plant them alone or in combination with others: Parsley, Petroselinum crispum. Parley has a very large taproot, which develops even better the second year after planting from seed. When left to flower, attracts a myriad of insects, including benefi-cial wasps, syrphid and tachinid flies, lacewings and bees. Cilantro, Coriander. This herb is quite easy to grow, seeding any time of the year is fine, but in fall is optimal, as it germinates best in the cooler weather and rain. Cilantro flowers quickly in the hotter months, leave those flowers for the bees and other insects. It is commonly included with parsley and sweet alyssum in pollinator seed mixes. Buckwheat, Fagopyrum esculentum. This is the one you can make pancakes, noodles, groats,

etc. with. It is frost tender, so needs to be planted during frost-free seasons. It quickly flowers, and can be re-sown several times over the growing season. It was mentioned as a companion plant to Sunn Hemp, which provides nitrogen, and Buckwheat concentrating phosphorus in the soil. They can be used as green manure or composted on the soil. Bees are enticed by the white flowers to make a dark and tasty honey. Buckwheat, Eriogonum. Our native wildflower that is adapted to a wide variety of soils and climates. It can be planted in swaths throughout a garden, farm or orchard. Some of the showier ones are E. fasciculatum, California buckwheat, E. um-bellatum, Sulfur buckwheat, E. grande rubescens, and redbuck-wheat. They are drought tolerant and can be planted in areas that are well drained and receive little irrigation. Phacelia. There are many species of this beautiful and beneficial plant. P.tanacetifoilia, aka Tansy Leaf Phacelia is an annual that is regaining popularity as a cover crop for orchards of deciduous fruit and nut trees, P. campanularia, Desert bluebell, can grow in a variety of soils from desert to lightly irrigated land. P. viscida, Sticky phacelia, is deep blue, cup-shaped with amazing patterns within the nectar-rich flowers.Note: Phacelia is also called scorpion flower as it can cause a rash on some people. Tarweed, Madia elegans, M. grandiflora A native plant, can be seen growing in fields and blooming in late summer just when bees need the nectar to prepare for winter. They are pun-gent and sticky, well adapted to long dry California summers. Yarrow, Achillea millefolium. Another glorious and generous native, yarrow is a perennial that grows in a wide variety of soils and conditions. Plant it in a border garden, as part of a hedgerow or as a turf substitute. Walking on yarrow releases the aromatic sweet scent. Beneficials love the umbel flowers.

May you and your loved ones have a healthy, happy and peaceful holiday season!


2017 Membership Dues Change NoticeAfter significant thought and consideration, the board of directors has decided to change the yearly membership dues and format. Due to growth in membership and operating expenses the cost to meet our needed budget has increased. The following are contributing factors:

► Membership growth ► Increased educational workshop opportunities for all clusters ► Increased outreach and teaching in our schools and communities ► Lack of volunteers to run fundraising activities (such as the annual auction)

The board has decided to reformat and simplify the membership into a single category with an optional business member benefit package.

The new SCBA Membership will include up to two adults in the same household. If you haven’t renewed your member-ship for the 2017-year, you can do so by completing the application and making a payment on line at http://www.sonoma-bees.org/new-membership-page

The fee of $50 per year will include the following benefits:

► 1 vote ► 1 cluster group (cluster group activities include bee cafes, workshops and hive dives) ► Monthly meeting with noted speakers and authors ► 1 swarm region listing (for those qualifying members wishing to be on the swarm list) ► Email notices and updates to one email address ► SCBA library resources ► Special interest groups (Gardening for Bees and Top Bar/Alternative Hives) ► The Extractor Newsletter ► Access to “Ask Me” experienced beekeepers monthly (6-7pm social hour) ► Use of honey extraction equipment

The Business Benefit Package: Everyone is required to purchase a General Membership ($50). If a member wishes to have Business Benefits in addition to their General Membership, they will also need to purchase a Business Benefit Pack-age ($100). To purchase this Business Benefit Package you can go to the Business Benefit Package link at the end of the application, or go to the following link to complete an application and make a payment:http://sonomabees.org/new-membership-page/business-membership-add

The fee of $100 per year will include the following benefits:

► May belong to up to five cluster groups (priority for attendance to cluster events given to home cluster members first)

► May be listed on up to five cluster region swarm lists ► Access to the business table at monthly meetings to discuss business and distribute business cards (at business

table only) ► A listing on the business member page on sonomabees.org website ► A free business card size ad in the Extractor (or a $60 credit toward a larger size ad if desired). To purchase a

larger size ad, please contact our treasurer Lew Spengler at [email protected].

Membership will continue to operate on a calendar year from January 1, 2017 – December 31, 2017. Members can apply to join or renew and pay dues on line at the SCBA website: sonomabees.org or you can renew at the monthly meeting (2nd Monday of the month).

Please read the Best Management Practices page before you fill out your membership. We want all our beekeepers to have a good, safe apiary for themselves and everyone nearby. Here is the Link to SCBA BMP - http://sonomabees.org - there is a button in the middle of the page.


General Meeting MinutesNovember 14, 2016

Held at the 4-H Center, Rohnert Park. About 100 people present.

1st VP Ann Jereb brought the meeting to order. Nominations were entertained from the floor for 2017 board officers. Jason Berkman was nominated for President (seconded by Thea), Ann Jereb was nominated for 1stVP Membership (seconded by Kelli Corbet), Susan Kegley was nominated for 2ndVP Events and Meetings (seconded by association member), Melissa Henson volunteered for secretary, and was nominated as such. Lew Spengler was nominated for treasurer.

Ann tallies the membership at about 450 members now. She is taking member dues for 2017 right now. The price went up to $50 per household, with members wishing to have the Business Benefit Package paying an additional $100.The Auction is no longer being held and the dues increase will hopefully make up for that lost revenue, in order to fully fund our budget.

2nd VP Rita Maloney updated the speakers—Jerry Hayes fell through but Susan Kegley will speak on pesticides. Marin is hosting a “Bee Audacious” conference at Dominican college in San Rafael. Wednesday, Dec 14 will be speakers from 7-9 pm, get more info on their website.

Laurie Dorman is organizing the December Potluck on Dec. 12th at 6:00 pm here at the 4H center. Tri tip and polenta are provided. You bring a potluck side dish to share. Please bring your own beer, wine, etc. and your own table service. There will be bingo with prizes. Thea is accepting prize donations if you’d like to contribute (small or large).

Librarian Nadya announced she wouldn’t have the library books in December—keep them until January if you check one out tonight. She is always open to book suggestions or donations for the library!!

Visitors and new members were asked to stand. Welcome Lynne, Melissa, Kristy, Ash, Kenzie, Fran & Pat, Warren & Nicki, Dan.

The 50/50 Raffle netted $140 to Molly who had the winning ticket. SCBA earned the same.

Rita introduced our speaker Robin Thorp, speaking on Native Bees. He began with a picture of Dumbledore from the Harry Potter books. Dumbledore is an old English name for bumblebees!

• There are 20,000 species of bees, with 250 species of bumblebees. Others include: mason bees, miner bees, digger, leaf cutters, sweat bees, carpenter bees, alkaline bee, Blue orchard, and squash bees.

• 70-75% of the natives are solitary bees where the queen makes her own nest. And most of them are soil nesters, and have one generation per year.

• A lot of natives nest in cavities (beetle holes, blocks of wood, gopher holes.• Mason bees make mud nests containing cavities.• Leaf cutters line the hole with leaf rounds, add a pollen loaf and an egg, and then repeat.• Carpenter bees excavate their own nest and weaken untreated wood structures.• Cuckoo bees lay their egg on the larvae of host bees.• 10% of bee species are social (honeybees and bumblebees)• The bumblebee (Bombus) colony starts out when an overwintering queen digs into the ground in the late fall. She emerges

in the spring and seeks a nesting site like a gopher hole. She makes a honey pot, a pollen loaf, lays eggs into wax ‘balls’, then incubates them with her body heat. The first bees to emerge become the workers and from then on the queen only functions to lay eggs. By the end of the summer, new queens are produced, mate and dig into the ground to start new colo-nies the next spring. All the rest die, so there is no need to store honey in comb like honeybees.

• Bumblebees can sting more than once—their stinger is not barbed. And male native bees don’t die upon mating. They do serve as pollinators while getting nectar to feed themselves with.

• There are some fly species, which mimic bumblebees: their faces and antennae are different, and flies have 1 set of wings. This is Batesian mimicry.

• Some regions have bumblebees with different color forms within the same species, making ID very difficult.• Alternately, Müllerian mimicry is when different species share a color pattern in a region. It helps protect all of them since the

region’s predators won’t know if the bug is a fly, bee or wasp, beetle, etc.• Tomatoes are buzz-pollenated by bumblebees—the pollen comes out while being vibrated by the bee. Greenhouse tomato

growers often add them to the environment. The flight muscles aren’t connected to the wings, but control the thoracic walls like a bellows.

• Encourage bumblebees with gopher holes!!, or an artificial nest box (7 inch cube) with upholsterer’s cotton inside. They also use abandoned birdhouses with nest materials already inside. A typical nest can contain 100 bumblebees.

• • Crossover diseases do occur with Bumblebees and honeybees: Nosema ceranae, and RNAi viruses do cross.• • Look for Robin’s books, “Bumblebees of North America”, “CA Bees and Blooms”, and one by Dave Goulson: “A Sting

in the Tale”.

Meeting adjourned at 8:43 pm.

Becky Jackson, Secretary


2016 Board Members and Other Helpful People

President - Cheryl Veretto [email protected] 1st Vice President - Ann Jereb [email protected] 2nd Vice President - Rita Maloney 2ndVP @sonomabees.org Secretary - Becky Jackson [email protected] Treasurer - Lew Spengler [email protected] Volunteer Coordinator - Open [email protected] Representatives at Large Ettamarie Peterson [email protected] Chris Conrad [email protected] Open [email protected] Assistant - Linda Burns [email protected]

Auction - Chirstine Kurtz [email protected] Education Coordinator - Patsy Young [email protected] Extractor Editor - Ettamarie Peterson [email protected] - Kirstie Stramler [email protected] - Nadya Clark [email protected] Regional Coordinator (shared)- Thea Vierling – [email protected] Coordinator (shared)- Christine Kurtz – [email protected]

Cluster Leaders: Central - Molly Kuhl [email protected] East - Lizanne Pastore & Thea Vierling & Lauri Dorman [email protected] Mentor - Emery Dann [email protected] Napa - Jon Sevigny [email protected] North - Laurie Smith [email protected] South - Sally McGough [email protected] Topbar - Jim Spencer [email protected] West - Chris Dicker [email protected] Swarm - Melissa Bates [email protected] Webmaster - Bill MacElroy [email protected]

Contact InformationRegular monthly meetings of the Sonoma County Beekeepers’ Association are held on the second Monday of each month, at 7 pm at the Rohnert Park 4-H Building. The meetings cover a wide range of topics of interest to beekeepers. Everyone wanting to learn about honeybees is cordially invited to attend. You do not need to be a member nor a beekeep-er to attend these meetings. Dues can be paid online at our website sonomabees.org, at our monthly meetings or by mail. Please see our Website for the application and various kinds of memberships available. Our mailing address is:Sonoma County Beekeepers’ Assoc.P.O. Box 98Santa Rosa, CA 95402-0098

Extractor Techs- Call Ettamarie 707-479-1613 or Janet Leisen 707- 528-2085 or Cheryl Veretto e-mail [email protected] to rent the electric extractor for $5 a day. Rental fee is $5 per day. Cheryl is located in Sebastopol. Janet is North of Santa Rosa. Ettamarie is in Petaluma. There is a hand extractor at Deborah Rogers’ home and her e-mail is [email protected] She lives in Glen Ellen.

Ads in This Newsletter

The monthly costs for ads are $10 for a business card size, $20 for ¼ page, and $40 for a half page. Annual costs are $60 for business card size, $120 for ¼ page, $240 for ½ page and $ 300 for full page. Send jpg or Word document to the editor and money to SCBA Treasurer at SCBA, P.O. Box 98, Santa Rosa, CA 95402. The current and back issues of the newsletter are on the www.sonomabees.org web site so many people besides the 400 or so members view the ads.

Links to Association Reports:

September Board Minutes - www.sonomabees.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/SCBA-October-Board-Minutes.docx


ENTER TO WIN a FREE STARTER HIVE! Includes a basic screen bottom board, commercial grade deep or medium hive body, 8 frames with rite-cell foundation, 2 follower boards, basic inner hive cover, telescop-ing hive cover, entrance reducer and entrance feeder. RULES: Come into the Sebastopol beekind store anytime during any month and fill out an entry form (ask clerk). Drop it in the drawing box and wait, patiently or not. Must be present to enter but not to win. One entry per month per person. Any upgrades must be paid for. Limit: two wins per year. Drawing to be held the first week of every month for the previous month’s entries. If not able to pick up win at store, winner must pay.

extractor for december 2016

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