Meeting Recordings

General Meetings

  • General Meetings are held the first Tuesday of every month at 7PM via Zoom.
  • Meeting details and Zoom links are emailed to current paid members prior to the meeting.
  • There are often in-person, follow-up Apiary Meetings on the second Saturday of the month.
  • All meetings are on the Events Calendar.

2026

By James Haskell / On 09/07/2026 / 2026, Beekeeping, general meeting, GM-2026

The meeting focused on a presentation by Isabel from the University of Minnesota Bee Squad about bee lining, an ancient practice of tracking and locating feral honeybee colonies. Isabel explained the equipment needed, the step-by-step process of capturing and marking bees, and how to track their return directions to locate potential hive locations. She also demonstrated the traditional bee beard practice where bees are placed on a person's face around a queen, which is performed annually at the state fair. The discussion included questions about feral colony genetics and resistance to varroa mites, as well as concerns about American foulbrood detection and testing kits. The conversation ended with updates about upcoming fair activities and new member registrations, including assistance needed for website login issues.


Please check out Arthur's September Guide!

Next steps

Arthur

  • A hive at the Apiary may have foulbrood.
  • Write to Lindsay (vet) to inquire if she has access to a test kit for foulbrood.

Curt

  • Follow up with Shai regarding the request for a beekeeping field trip for their square dancing club, via the website contact form.

E.t.

  • Call the Texas inspection service to inquire about a source for foulbrood test kits.

Jamie

  • Double-check and correct the website to reflect the correct time (10:00 AM) for the September 12th apiary meeting.
  • Contact Shai tomorrow to help with the club registration and login issues.

Roark

  • Distribute fair parking and entry passes to volunteers once received, via email, pickup, or mail.

Summary

Isabell’s Thoughts on Feral Bee Genetics

As I thought more about one of the questions about genetics and wild bees, I realized I left something incredibly important out. Feral bee colonies are not succumbing to the pressures that commercial, hobby, or sideline colonies face. A feral colony has less mite pressure, is not trucked around the United States, and does not have a beekeeper messing with them. I regret not talking about these factors! I think for some of these reasons, it would be hard to use genetics of wild bees to improve honey bee health because even if we do, the environment is very different in commercial operations vs in the wild. 
— Isabell —

 

Meeting and Presentation

The meeting began with casual conversation about beekeeping practices from decades ago, including discussions about honey prices and comb production. The main business was announcing a meeting scheduled for Saturday, September 12th at 10:00 AM at the apiary, though there was a clarification needed about whether the time should be 9:00 or 10:00 AM. The meeting then transitioned to a presentation by Isabel from the University of Minnesota Bee Squad, who introduced their organization’s work with approximately 200 hives across 45 sites in the Twin Cities area, including programs for veterans and correctional facilities. Isabel began her presentation on bee lining, explaining its historical origins dating back to 8000 BCE and its evolution into commercial practices in medieval Europe.

Traditional Honey Hunting Practices

Isabell discussed traditional honey hunting practices around the world, including bee lining in Appalachia, honey hunting in Nepal and Indonesia, and the human-bird cooperation in Africa using honey guide birds. She explained why feral colony raiding is unsustainable in the United States due to Varroa mite issues and described the equipment needed for bee lining, including a bee box, bait square, dark cloth, and syrup. The discussion concluded with guidance on when and where to conduct bee lining, suggesting it should be done between major nectar flows in open spaces near forest edges.

Honeybee Colony Location Methods

Isabell explained the process of beelining, a method used to locate honeybee colonies. The procedure involves capturing at least 12 bees using a specialized box, feeding them sugar syrup with anise, and then releasing them one by one to track their flight direction. The time it takes for marked bees to return helps determine the distance to the hive, with returns within two to four minutes indicating a nearby hive. Isabell emphasized the importance of having a large open space for the bees to fly freely and noted that multiple people tracking the bees’ directions simultaneously improves accuracy.

Bee Lining Demonstration Process

Isabell demonstrated the process of bee lining, explaining how to mark and track foraging bees to locate feral bee colonies. She described the technique of marking bees with different colored paint dots on their thorax, recording the color, time, and direction of return, then gradually moving the bait trap in the direction the marked bees flew. Isabell noted that while bees can forage up to three miles away, the process typically takes significant time and practice, often requiring multiple moves of 50-200 meters in the direction of bee returns. She emphasized that this technique is rarely done more than once per summer and recommended practicing near known apiary locations.

Bee Hunting and Traditional Practices

Isabell explained her experience with bee hunting, noting that she had only practiced in a controlled environment and was unsure about finding feral colonies successfully in the wild. She discussed how bees in urban areas likely come from one or two hives, while rural areas might have more hives. The group also discussed the bee beard tradition, where Isabell described the detailed process of preparing for and transferring bees to multiple people at events like the state fair.

Bee Breeding and Training Practices

Isabell discussed bee beard practices, explaining how team members use live bees to create beards or bracelets for training purposes, with the bees measuring around 100 degrees when clustered. When Mike asked about using genetics from feral bee colonies to improve breeding programs, Isabell explained that while feral colonies’ survival without treatment is interesting, their genetics may not be directly applicable to commercial beekeeping due to regional differences and multiple resistance traits involved. Isabell noted that their breeding program focuses on mite resistance over time, with colonies needing to survive multiple winters without treatment to be considered for breeding.

Bees and Varroa Resistance Discussion

Curt discussed the return of bees to a building after a few months of absence and mentioned the importance of removing all traces of wax and honey during structural removals to prevent their return. The group explored the concept of breeding bees resistant to viruses, with Isabell expressing skepticism about the effectiveness of this approach due to the complex relationship between Varroa and various viruses. E.t. shared information about ongoing projects in France and Texas involving natural selection and Varroa resistance, and Isabell confirmed that a replacement has been found for Marla at the Minnesota Lab, though details are not yet public.

Queen Breeding and Safety Discussion

Isabell explained the current status of her queen breeding program, which involves selecting for mite resistance and other desirable traits, though it is still in early development and only distributed at a small scale in Minnesota. The group discussed the need for fall brood test kits, as the European company that manufactured them has discontinued the product, and Arthur will reach out to Lindsay and others to source alternative test equipment. The conversation also touched on beekeeping safety practices, including the use of head coverings and protective gear, and ended with a brief mention of volunteer work at a farm and rehabilitation center.

Bee Education and Program Updates

The group discussed their bee education program at James Ranch, where they completed their fifth and final cohort for the year, teaching children about bees through both classroom lessons and hands-on hive visits. The discussion then shifted to American Foulbrood (AFB) and European Foulbrood (EFB), with participants noting that AFB requires burning hives to treat it and is currently more of a concern in specific regions like New England cranberry pollination areas. Brooke announced that volunteer passes for the upcoming fair would be distributed soon, with parking and entry passes to be sent to volunteers, and confirmed that bee beards would not be part of this year’s fair activities.

Beekeeping Club Field Trip Planning

The meeting covered several topics related to beekeeping and club activities. Roark shared his address for picking up passes and mentioned he would notify everyone when they arrive. Shai and Tamar joined the discussion, seeking help with registration and expressing interest in joining the Berkeley trip, though Steve confirmed all spots were filled. The group discussed a potential field trip for a square dancing club, with Steve suggesting they use the website’s contact form to explore this opportunity further. Mike shared his experience with Vladimir, who demonstrated the abundance of feral bee hives in the Almaden area, which sparked interest in organizing another field trip. The conversation ended with reminders about an upcoming apiary visit on the 12th and the start of the fair in a couple of weeks.

By James Haskell / On 08/05/2026 / 2026, Beekeeping, general meeting, GM-2026, Meetings

This meeting was a beekeeping club session featuring a presentation by Alexis Masnjak from the University of Florida about chalkbrood disease. Alexis explained the biology of chalkbrood, caused by Ascosphaeria apis fungus, including how it affects bee larvae, the specific conditions required for infection, and current prevention methods. She discussed her research into potential treatments and biological controls, noting that while spores are widespread in environments, actual disease outbreaks are rare and typically occur under specific temperature and humidity conditions, particularly during temperature fluctuations in winter and spring. The presentation covered misconceptions about chalkbrood treatment, including the effectiveness of thymol and bananas, and emphasized that healthy bees are generally resistant to the disease. The conversation ended with reminders about an upcoming Saturday apiary meeting at 9 AM and an announcement about the Santa Cruz Fair beekeeping exhibit in September.

Please check out Arthur's August Guide!

Announcements

  • Saturday Apiary Meeting: Open meeting at the apiary at 9:00 AM Saturday; gates open at 9:00 AM, donuts expected at 8:59 AM.
  • New Apiary Equipment: A full tote of syrup (new, plumbed and ready to dispense) and a new picnic table (donated from an Open Space Authority preserve remodel) are now available at the apiary.
  • Storage Container: We have a snazzy new storage container at the Apiary for all of our beekeeping and event materials. No more hauling gear to every Apiary event!

Meeting Presentation

This meeting was a beekeeping club session featuring a presentation by Alexis from the University of Florida about chalkbrood disease. Alexis explained the biology of chalkbrood, caused by Ascosphaeria apis fungus, including how it affects bee larvae, the specific conditions required for infection, and current prevention methods. She discussed her research into potential treatments and biological controls, noting that while spores are widespread in environments, actual disease outbreaks are rare and typically occur under specific temperature and humidity conditions, particularly during temperature fluctuations in winter and spring. The presentation covered misconceptions about chalkbrood treatment, including the effectiveness of thymol and bananas, and emphasized that healthy bees are generally resistant to the disease. The conversation ended with reminders about an upcoming Saturday apiary meeting at 9 AM and an announcement about the Santa Cruz Fair beekeeping exhibit in September.

Next steps

Alexis

  • Send an email to the UK collaborator to inquire about hive insulation and temperature drops in relation to chalkbrood.

Jamie

  • Please sign-up to volunteer at the Santa Cruz Fair Bug Barn on the club website - click the button below!

Collaboration

  • All attendees: Attend the apiary meeting on Saturday at 9:00 AM.
  • All attendees: Volunteer for shifts at the Santa Cruz Fair Bug Barn (September 16th-20th) and look for sign-ups on the club website.
Sign Up!

Summary

Apiary Meeting and Presentation

The group confirmed a meeting scheduled for Saturday at the apiary at 9 o'clock. Several participants discussed their attendance, with Roark confirming donuts would be provided and Bruce indicating a 50/50 chance of attending. Steve returned from a trip to Oxford/Harvard where he learned about relativity and general relativity, including navigation techniques and presented on the cosmology of bees.

Chalkbrood Research Presentation

The group discussed an upcoming Saturday meeting at the apiary at 9:00 AM to check on bees. Alexis joined remotely from Florida to present on chalkbrood research she is conducting at the University of Florida under Dr. Cameron Jack, though she works closely with Jamie Ellis who recently moved to UGA. Alexis began her presentation about the biology of chalkbrood, explaining that it's a pathogen caused by fungi and typically appears in winter or early spring in cooler regions.

Fungi Classification and Diversity Overview

Alexis presented an overview of fungi, explaining their classification as eukaryotes with chitin cell walls and their status as heterotrophs. The presentation covered the diversity of fungi, including molds, mushrooms, lichens, rust, smuts, and yeast, with an estimated 3 million species identified globally. Alexis discussed the challenges in classifying fungi, noting that physical traits historically defined species but DNA analysis is now more commonly used due to fungi that appear different but are closely related genetically.

Chalkbrood Pathogen Biology Overview

Alexis provided a detailed explanation of chalkbrood, a fungal pathogen caused by Ascosphaeria apis, focusing on its biology and life cycle. She described how the pathogen reproduces through a unique "nested egg" reproductive structure that requires two different mating types to come together, resulting in the formation of spore-filled fruiting bodies. Alexis explained that while spores are the infectious agents, they must be fed to larvae rather than penetrating through the cuticle, and the infection only affects larvae while adult bees remain symptom-free but can transmit the pathogen. She noted that while spores are prevalent in the environment, chalkbrood infections are relatively uncommon in bee colonies.

Chalk Brood Fungal Infection Discussion

Alexis discussed chalk brood, a fungal infection affecting bee larvae, explaining how spores can remain dormant in apiaries and become active under certain conditions. She described the infection process, where spores germinate and release enzymes that break down larval structures, allowing fungal hyphae to grow and cause desiccation. Alexis emphasized that while infected larvae may not show visible reproductive fruiting bodies, they can still spread the infection, and explained that factors like spore dosage, stress levels in colonies, temperature fluctuations, and timing of spore ingestion all impact the likelihood and severity of chalk brood outbreaks.

Chalkbrood Prevention and Research

Alexis explained the biology of chalkbrood, a bee pathogen that requires precise timing and CO2 levels to cause illness in larvae. She outlined current prevention methods including proper ventilation, equipment cleaning, and avoiding transfer of infected combs between colonies. Alexis described her ongoing research focusing on biological compounds and microbial interactions as potential treatments, noting that while chemical treatments exist, they are reserved for severe outbreaks due to potential harm to bees.

Chalkbrood Prevention Research Discussion

Alexis discussed the role of humidity in chalkbrood development, explaining that while humidity and temperature fluctuations are necessary conditions for chalkbrood to occur, it's not commonly seen in Florida despite the high humidity. Victoria asked about research on hive insulation as a prevention method, which Alexis confirmed had not been studied. Alexis agreed to follow up with a UK collaborator about potential research into how insulation might affect temperature fluctuations and chalkbrood risk.

Chalkbrood Environmental and Treatment Conditions

Alexis discussed the environmental conditions for chalkbrood, explaining that it thrives at temperatures around 30-32 degrees Celsius and prefers higher humidity, though specific temperature drops required for spore production haven't been fully studied. She addressed common misconceptions, including the belief that white mummies won't spread spores and the effectiveness of thymol treatment, noting that while some research suggests potential inhibitory effects with leafcutter bees, her laboratory studies with honeybee chalkbrood showed no impact from thymol. Regarding treatment options, Alexis recommended requeening with more hygienic bee lines as a potential approach, though no specific genetic lines have been proven to completely eliminate chalkbrood, and advised against reusing infected equipment while maintaining overall hive health.

Chalk Brood in Bees Discussion

Alexis discussed chalk brood in bees, explaining that spores can spread through interactions between hives and that fire can effectively kill spores on metal tools but is less effective on porous materials. She clarified that bees can be exposed to chalk brood spores through feeding but may not always show symptoms due to variations in immune response. The conversation ended with announcements about an upcoming apiary visit on Saturday at 9 AM and plans for the Santa Cruz Fair booth setup in September, where volunteers are needed for 3-hour shifts.

By James Haskell / On 07/08/2026 / 2026, Beekeeping, general meeting, GM-2026, Meetings

The meeting centered on mid-summer hive management, with most members reporting reduced nectar flow and the need to begin or continue feeding. Key discussions covered mite control, queen genetics, ant management, swarm activity, and hive inspection techniques. Members also coordinated upcoming apiary visits and celebrated a member's bilingual children's book about beekeeping.

Please check out Arthur's July Guide!

Announcements

  • Saturday Apiary Meeting: Open meeting at the apiary at 9:00 AM Saturday; Bruce and Rourke serving as tour guides; gates open at 9:00 AM, donuts expected at 8:59 AM.
  • New Apiary Equipment: A full tote of syrup (new, plumbed and ready to dispense) and a new picnic table (donated from an Open Space Authority preserve remodel) are now available at the apiary.
  • Homeschool Group Visit: Curt confirmed attendance Thursday to be present when the homeschool group visits.
  • Community Garden Bee Education: Arthur and Steve will be teaching community gardeners about bees on Saturday at the Morgan Hill community garden on Railroad Avenue, behind Johnson's Lumber area, at the end of Butterfield.
  • Irma's Bilingual Children's Book: Member Irma published a bilingual (English/Spanish) children's book about beekeeping aimed at ages kindergarten through 8, featuring her grandson and herself capturing a swarm; available in hardcover ($22) and softcover ($10), also listed on Amazon and Walmart.
  • County Fair Book Opportunity: Rourke invited Irma to display her book at the Santa Cruz County Fair, September 16–20; Thursday September 17 is Education/Kids' Day with school groups — suggested as a prime opportunity for exposure.
  • Library & School Outreach: Arthur suggested local library summer children's programs (e.g., Morgan Hill Library); Liz suggested the UCSC Life Lab summer program as another venue for Irma's book.
  • GVA Facebook Listing: 200 hives with a pollination contract listed on the GBA Facebook page — mentioned humorously as a temptation to avoid.

Hive Health & Feeding

General Feeding Status

  • Nectar flow has been inconsistent for at least two months in most members' areas; feeding is broadly recommended for hives with fewer than 3 frames of capped nectar/honey.
  • Steve feeds approximately every 10 days to avoid overfeeding ("don't want chubby bees").
  • Arthur confirmed feeding is necessary for large populations consuming reserves quickly.
  • Rourke has not yet started feeding, preferring to pull remaining honey first before switching to heavy feeding post-extraction.
  • Curt plans to inspect hives, remove full honey supers, and begin feeding soon; notes that pollen is still coming in from neighborhood gardens, so nectar flow has not fully stopped for him.
  • Victoria and Carolyn (4 hives in West Gilroy) have begun feeding one hive with low reserves; confirmed this is not too early given current conditions.
  • Mike (Hollister/Salinas area) reported bees are doing well on both pollen and food — not currently feeding — attributed to favorable local conditions.
  • Stefanie (neighborhood location) reported hives filling up flow hive frames with nectar; Arthur attributed this to her favorable neighborhood location with consistent garden forage.

Apiary Syrup System

  • Old tote: Near-empty with a thin residual layer; Rourke asked whether to use it before tapping the new tote — Steve confirmed it's fine to use the remainder, but plans to take it home to clean in August.
  • New tote: Plumbed with braces on 3 of 4 corners; features a 4-foot pipe making direct bottle-filling impractical — Steve's solution is to fill a gray bucket with a spout from the spigot, then carry it to hives for faster feeding.
  • OA (Oxalic Acid): Steve made a fresh batch; available for members attending Saturday's apiary meeting; remainder to be stored in the storage container.

Mite Control

  • Arthur emphasized that now is the time to check mite loads before hot weather compounds stress on colonies.
  • Drone frame trapping in a medium frame within a deep box used to cull capped drone frames as a mite management strategy during summer; typically discontinued end of August/September when drone production naturally drops.
  • OA pads are Arthur's primary mite control method; drone trapping used as a supplemental summer strategy.
  • High mite counts combined with heat stress significantly increase colony mortality risk heading into fall.

Swarm Activity

  • Overall swarm activity has been notably low and slower than usual this season.
  • Arthur's last swarm call (handled by Rourke) was in April; Chris Gold also reported a very slow swarm season.
  • Steve observed one hive that appeared calmer than usual with 3–4 open queen cells on the side of the frame (not bottom), suggesting a possible supersedure rather than swarm preparation; brood and larvae were still present.
  • Mike (Salinas area): Fewer and smaller swarms overall, but was surprised by the number of empty hives that became naturally populated by incoming swarms from nearby areas.
  • Stefanie suspects one hive may have swarmed but did not witness it; noted heavy bearding on one hive but not the adjacent one despite similar population density.

Seasonal Patterns & Unusual Weather

  • Rourke noted the entire season has been anomalous: January heat wave followed by unusual rains disrupted normal bee development cycles.
  • Several hives are ramping up population now in July — typically a mid-May/late-May phenomenon — suggesting a delayed season rather than a failing one.
  • General advice: take a "backseat" approach and observe behavioral adaptation to unusual weather patterns rather than intervening aggressively.

Queen Management & Genetics

  • Arthur reported a first-year noticeable difference in honey production from queens bred specifically for honey traits over multiple generations — recommended sourcing queens from reputable breeders if honey production is a priority.
  • Queen genetics explained: Different bee races (e.g., Italians vs. Carniolans) carry genetic predispositions — Italians are noted for balanced brood production and honey production; genetics from the queen are passed to workers, influencing foraging and honey storage behavior.
  • Practical recommendation: if a queen performs exceptionally well, make a split to propagate her traits through daughter queens.
  • If a hive shows undesirable traits (excessive defensiveness, slow build-up), it is not too late in the season to requeen.

Comb Drawing & Checkerboarding

  • Steve's observation: Inserting a bare (no-comb) frame in the middle of a hive during checkerboarding consistently produces wonky/irregular comb; he now plans to place new frames at the ends of boxes to allow slower but straighter comb development.
  • Curt's fix: Rubbing extra wax onto foundation before inserting it in the middle reduces wonky comb significantly.
  • Arthur: Feeding bees heavily when adding empty frames during checkerboarding largely prevents the problem; lack of incoming food is the primary driver of irregular comb.
  • Mike: Confirmed that healthy, well-populated hives generally draw out new center frames well; noted a genetic component — some hives are predisposed to build comb irregularly regardless of conditions.
  • Curt's warning: Foundation left in direct sunlight can cause wax to melt to the bottom of the frame, leaving almost no wax for bees to build on — store foundation out of the sun.
  • Wax production cost: Approximately 16 pounds of honey are consumed to produce 1 pound of wax, making feeding critical when drawing new comb.

Ant Control Methods

Multiple approaches discussed:

Method Notes
Grease/tuna can under legs Steve's preferred method at the apiary; prevents ants from climbing legs
Vegetable or motor oil Alternative leg barrier
Home Defense spray (Home Depot) Curt's method; spray bottom 4 inches of hive legs pointing downward; reapply every 6–8 weeks; no observed bee harm
Taro liquid bait (Terro) Rourke uses successfully by placing a small dot near ant trails and covering with a stone; bees cannot access the small opening; ants carry bait back to nest within 4–5 days
Ant Can't product Liz ordered this (~$30–35 on Amazon); adhesive tape + non-toxic spray applied to legs; ants slip off
Diatomaceous earth Curt noted it loses effectiveness once dew forms a crust — ants walk across it freely
Chimney ash Irma tried this; provided temporary relief but ants cleared a path through it
Wire cage around bait Suggested to allow ant access while preventing bees from reaching toxic bait
  • Liz's cautionary experience: Placed Terro bait near back legs of hives on concrete; experienced mass bee die-off over 5–6 days that stopped after removing the bait; exact mechanism unclear — possibly ants carrying bait into the hive, or coincidental event.
  • Steve noted he uses Terro at the apiary (also on concrete legs) without observed losses, suggesting placement distance or method may be a factor.

Member Hive Issues & Advice

Liz — Queenless Hive Recovery

  • Suspected ant bait caused colony losses and possible queen failure; one hive showed no brood and appeared queenless.
  • Action taken: Transferred 1–2 frames with brood, larvae, and hopefully eggs from the healthy hive into the queenless hive to allow emergency queen rearing.
  • Inspection timing: Safe to inspect after 2 weeks — queen cell is close to hatching (16–18 days), making it robust enough to handle carefully.
  • Frame removal technique: Remove the outermost frame first to create clearance; peer down to check if queen cell is attached to adjacent frames before separating; if queen cell is in the center of the frame (where young larvae were), exercise extreme caution pulling frames apart.
  • Box rearrangement suggestion: Arthur recommended inverting the box stack — placing the brood box on top and honey boxes below — so rising heat supports brood temperature regulation; cold honey on top would otherwise chill the cluster.
    • Liz's setup: 4 × 8-frame medium boxes; bees concentrated in the bottom box with some in the second; honey in upper boxes.

Curt — Feeding-Resistant Hive

  • One hive has refused sugar syrup for 6 weeks despite attempts including dripping syrup down the inside of the feeder to create a scent trail.
  • No resolution identified; situation noted as unusual.

Stefanie — Split Hive & Possible Swarm

  • Split from a highly productive hive; the split hive has been very active, possibly swarmed (not directly observed), with heavy bearding but adequate space inside.
  • Second hive (original) appeared queenless; Stefanie added brood frames to stimulate population and queen rearing; plans to inspect this weekend.
  • Flow hive queen excluder incident: Forgot to replace the queen excluder on a flow hive; result was drones being raised in the flow frames — a cautionary reminder for flow hive users.
  • Solid bottom boards: Switched from screened bottom boards after battling wax moth; now runs solid bottoms, freezes equipment in spring, and swaps out bottom boards seasonally.
  • Curt noted that screened bottom boards with the insert removed can reduce bearding by improving airflow and cooling the hive.

Irma — Ant Problem at Scale

  • Managing ~30 hives; ants are a persistent issue across multiple hives.
  • Tried green tube bait stations — ants simply rerouted to another leg; would need one per leg (8 per hive × 30 hives = impractical).
  • Now testing Home Defense spray on the bottom 2 inches of legs.

Website & Member Communication

  • Forum status: The GBA website forum was turned off by Jamie due to lack of use to reduce site weight; can be re-enabled if members commit to using it.
  • New "Advice" feature: Jamie added an Advice section to the main website menu where members can post questions and receive community responses; currently open/public.
  • Privacy concern: Stefanie prefers a members-only or anonymous space to avoid publicly disclosing hive locations or personal details.
  • Proposed solution: Jamie can create a GBA email alias (e.g., a forwarding address) for members who want to post anonymously; forwards to personal email; identity not visible in posts.
  • Arthur encouraged members to use the help request system, noting the club exists precisely for peer support.

Action Items

  • Bruce & Rourke: Lead Saturday apiary meeting at 9:00 AM; handle feeding, hive checks, and member tours.
  • Arthur & Steve: Teach community gardeners about bees Saturday at Morgan Hill community garden on Railroad Avenue.
  • Rourke: Pull remaining honey from personal hives before switching to heavy feeding post-extraction.
  • Curt: Inspect hives this week; remove honey supers; begin feeding preparation.
  • Liz: Wait ~2 weeks then carefully inspect queenless hive for queen cell; consider rearranging box stack with brood on top.
  • Stefanie: Inspect both hives this weekend; confirm queen status in previously queenless hive; check split hive for swarm evidence.
  • Irma: Follow up with Rourke about Santa Cruz County Fair (Sept 16–20) book display; investigate UCSC Life Lab and local library programs for book outreach.
  • Jamie: Evaluate re-enabling the member forum or setting up a GBA email alias for anonymous posting on the Advice section.
  • All members attending Saturday: Use the gray bucket with spout to draw syrup from the new tote; check if old tote residual can be used first.

Pending Confirmation

  • Whether the GBA website forum will be re-enabled or replaced with the anonymous email alias approach.
  • Irma to confirm participation and logistics for the Santa Cruz County Fair book display.
  • Liz's queenless hive outcome — whether emergency queen cell was successfully built and will hatch.
  • Curt's feeding-resistant hive — no resolution identified; ongoing monitoring needed.
Method Notes
Home Defense spray (Home Depot) Apply 4-inch band on lower legs; reapply every 6–8 weeks
Terro liquid bait Effective when placed away from hive with a stone cover; bees unlikely to access small opening
Grease/vegetable oil in tuna can Place under hive legs to block ant trail
Ant Can't tape + spray ~$30–35 on Amazon; ants slip off treated surface
Diatomaceous earth Loses effectiveness when wet; ants crust over it

By James Haskell / On 02/04/2026 / 2026, Beekeeping, general meeting, GM-2026, Meetings

The meeting focused on beekeeping practices and hive management, with discussions led by Arthur, Marieke, Roark, and other club members. Participants shared insights on assessing hive health, managing overcrowding, and preventing swarms. They emphasized the importance of monitoring queen activity, recording hive populations, and providing adequate space for bees. The group also discussed mite control methods, feeding practices, and the use of swarm traps. Jamie highlighted the club's updated website as a valuable resource for members. Steve shared his experience teaching beekeeping to children at James Ranch and Morgan Hill, noting the positive impact on participants. The conversation ended with a reminder for members to be proactive in seeking advice and utilizing the club's resources.

Please check out Arthur's February Guide!

2025

By James Haskell / On 09/18/2025 / 2025, Beekeeping, general meeting, GM-2025, Meetings

Questions and answers about fa beekeeping.

Zoom Recording and Notes

By James Haskell / On 07/02/2025 / 2025, Beekeeping, general meeting, GM-2025, Meetings

Questions and answers about summer beekeeping.

By James Haskell / On 06/04/2025 / 2025, Beekeeping, general meeting, GM-2025, Meetings

A very informative presentation on the Importance of Drones by Dr. Garret Slater.

By James Haskell / On 05/31/2025 / 2025, Beekeeping, general meeting, GM-2025, Meetings

May General Meeting.

By James Haskell / On 04/02/2025 / general meeting, GM-2025, meeting
  • Review and acceptance of the changes to the club Bylaws. Click here for details.
  • Chris Burnett is retiring from the Board of Directors as Recording Secretary. Anyone interested in this critical club role please drop an email to info@gilroybeekeepers.org.
  • Discussion of beekeeping PPE and suits. Brand preferences and recommendations.
  • General Q&A.

Bees, Disease and Beek Strategies
By James Haskell / On 03/05/2025 / 2025, Beekeeping, general meeting, GM-2025, Meetings

Dr. Alex Payne gave a very informative presentation at the March General Meeting.

By James Haskell / On 02/07/2025 / 2025, general meeting, GM-2025, Meetings

Arthur discussed "Improving Inspections for Healthier Bees".

By James Haskell / On 01/08/2025 / 2025, general meeting, GM-2025, Meetings

E.T. Ash spoke about preparing for Spring.

2024

Sara Cutrignelli talks about her passion for beekeeping and sharing it with others.

The recording of the September General Meeting is here. The discussion included:

  • When to give up on a hive (too few frames), and combine it with another hive.
  • What to do with "wet" frames - that is, frames that have just been extracted and are coated with honey.
  • Robbing screens (see below).
  • Better to harvest honey early in the morning - less chance of creating a robbing frenzy.
  • Ways to get you bees out of your supers when removing them to harvest honey:
    • Blow them out.
    • Brush.
    • Fume board - Fisher Bee-Quick.
  • Running supers less than full. E.g., 9 frames in a 10 frame super. The comb is deeper, and easier to remove with an uncapping knife.
  • Mead production. Arthur's recommendation: don't use Tar Weed honey.

Robbing Screens

Lesley Miles gave a very interesting presentation about her design of the landscaping and plant choices for the Morgan Hill Hale Avenue Extension, and her office at the Granary downtown.

  • Hive health and deformed wing virus (DWV).
    • Wings are deformed and shriveled.
    • No cure.
    • Keeping Varroa under control helps.
    • Try re-queening.
  • Treating for Varroa.
    • OA pads.
    • Other options - if not supering: Apivar and others. If supering, then Hopguard
    • Drone comb removal
  • Swarms
    • Arthur has seen multiple queens in swarms this year
      • This can cause an initial swarm to splinter into multiple smaller swarms
      • Those swarms can be indecisive when dropped into a new box
      • ET described relocating the queen to a small Nuc box to avoid swarming.
        • Inspection showed multiple queen cells, so hive was going to swarm soon.
        • Found the queen and moved her (and other bees and frames?) to a separate Nuc box.
        • Queen cells were left behind.
        • Hopefully existing colony re-queens.
    • Someone posted on FB they have a swarm. Peter volunteered to get it.
    • Victoria has setup some very nice accomodation for a swarm, but no one has showed up yet.
      • ET will bring a swarm lure next time he's at the Apiary.
      • Here's a little more info about Swarm Lures.
  • ET said it was a difficult year for almond pollination due to rains.
  • Has anyone super'ed?
    • Curt has already added 2 supers to one hive.
    • Both Curt and Steve have had hives swarm because they ran out of room because of honey stores.
  • Podcasts and media
    • Arthur likes the Two Bees in a Podcast.
      • Podcast description: Two Bees in a Podcast is hosted by members of University of Florida's Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory. Learn about honey bees, beekeepers, researchers, and specialists from around the world in educational, fun, yet practical episodes!
    • Steve enjoyed The Pollinators.
  • Arthur mentioned Randy Oliver's Youtube videos.
    • His website is Scientific Beekeeping.
    • He is near Nevada City. His climate is similar to ours, so his research and recommendations are particularly pertinent.
  • ET mentioned OA application studies.
    • University of Florida UF/IFAS - Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory (HBREL).
    • Jamie Ellis and Amy Vu.
  • Extended Release OA is now approved by the USDA, but only from a couple of manufacturers.
  • Arthur mentioned Emily Bonder, Melanie Kirby and Julia Mahood.
  • We still have Nucs for sale, delivery later in April.
    • We will be assembling Nucs at the Apiary on Wednesday 4/3.
  • Arthur: We will have OA pads available for people at the Apiary soon.
  • We will be hosting a Scout Troop and parents on Saturday 4/6 at noon.
    • See here for more about the Insert Merit Badge.
  • Events
  • Mark is giving a presentation to kids at an elementary school.
    • Zana volunteered her presentation.
    • Roark has posters.
    • Girl Next Door Honey
    • Sara and Gondi may also have materials.

Swarm Catching Class
  • Saturday, March 9th at 10AM at the Apiary.
  • Send us an email if you want to be on the Swarm Removal list: info@gilroybeekeepers.org
Apiary Events
  • April 6th is the target date for picking up Nucs.
  • We will be at the Apiary many times before then preparing Nucs. See Events for dates and details.
  • We will be working on Nucs and splits on Saturday, March 9th at 10AM.
  • Scouting events at the Apiary on March 23 and April 6 at noon. See Events for dates and details.
March
  • Keep an eye on your bees to make sure they are not filling up brood nest areas with honey.
  • Keep an eye on water issues in your hives with recent rains.
  • Swarming has already started.
  • We will be doing splits at the Apiary on Friday, March 8th. Come out if you'd like to learn how.
  • Sustainable Apiary by Michael Palmer.
  • If your hive needs more room, and all frames are full, add a super. Make sure to give your bees space when they need it.
  • Some discussion on frames - making your own with wax foundation vs. using prebuilt foundation or plastic frames.
    • It is very risky to use empty frames... the comb will be fragile and easily fall out of the frame. And they may build crazy comb which is very difficult to maintain.
Treatments
  • Extended Release OA
    • Instructions and recipe.
    • Absorbent pads are available from Amazon here, but Swedish Dishcloths are a less expensive choice if you're just make a few doses.
    • Club members have extra pads and OA... reach out to fellow members or send an email to info@gilroybeekeepers.org.
  • Drone comb removal.
  • Wax moths
    • Top bar hives
      • Use a follower board, and remove empty frames.
    • BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) work for wax moth larvae.
      • Does not hurt bees or bee larvae.
      • Very effective for wax moths.
      • Available at local hardware stores.
Swarms
  • Swarms are happening.
  • Roark is a great resource for swarm catching and removal.
Announcements
  • Penny lost all her hives over the winter, and offered to host anyone else's hives.

We had a great presentation by Harker School student Andrew Liang on his project "BeeWell: Developing an AI-based Bee Health Assessment System Utilizing Computer Vision and Acoustic Signal Processing".

Also Arthur spoke on swarm control, and described the Demaree Method.

And questions and answers!

Spring is coming.

2023

  • How to prepare for upcoming dearth.
  • Q&A

  • Discussion of dearth and how to minimize the stress on your hives.
  • Q&A

Presentation by Christine McDonald with Russian River Apiaries, about Social Media and Beekeeping.

Presentation on Queen Rearing by Melanie Kirby.

The bees found Melanie Kirby in the jungles of South America in 1997 and have since taken her around the globe introducing her to the broader fields of agroecology, conscilience research, and whole systems thinking.

After working for 8 years for several commercial beekeeping and queen producing operations, she established Zia Queenbees Farm & Field Institute in 2005 in the the southern Rockies of northern New Mexico- her home state- where she is also a registered tribal member of Tortugas Pueblo. ZQB specializes in regionally-adapted and conscientiously bred bees, applied farm research, pollination services, exquisite hive products, and outreach.

After being in the field for 20 years, Melanie returned to academia to pursue a graduate degree from Washington State University and now works as the Extension Educator at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM where she helped to establish the Land-Grant Ag extension department’s Thunder Bee & Pollinator programs.

Melanie serves on several boards including the NM Beekeepers Association, Western Apicultural Society of North America, American Beekeeping Federation, and Ecdysis. She also serves as a co-cooordinator for the national Managed Pollinator Protection Program working group and is the founder and lead facilitator of the Adaptive Bee Breeders Alliance. She is a writer, artist, National Geographic Explorer and Storytelling Fellow as well as a NM Coalition to Enhance Working Lands Fellow.

Stephanie Elle gave a presentation on making your own skin care products using beeswax and other natural ingredients.

2022

Board Meetings

  • Board Meetings are held at least once per quarter, at 6PM prior to the General Meeting. Check the Events Calendar for details.
  • Board Meetings use the same Zoom login as the General Meeting.
  • Board Meeting archives are in the Members Only section of the website.

2025

By James Haskell / On 07/02/2025 / 2025, BM-2025, board meeting, Meetings

We only had a few board members, and not much business to perform

  • Present were Arthur, Steve, Mike, John, and Jamie, a bare majority of the 9 board members.
  • Susan Carlino has volunteered to be our new Recording Secretary. Thank you Susan!
  • John gave a financial summary. We currently have approx. $20,000 bank balance.
  • Discussed possibly doing an Extraction Party at Susan's. Please contact us if you're interested.
  • No update on the beekeeping program at the James Ranch Juvenile Detention Facility in Morgan Hill.

By James Haskell / On 04/02/2025 / 2025, BM-2025, board meeting, Meetings

We did not have a quorum for the Board Meeting, so no official business was conducted. We did discuss:

  • Coordination of the upcoming educational events at the Apiary next week. Two groups of kids coming Tuesday and Thursday.
  • An opportunity to do a beekeeping program at the James Ranch Juvenile Detention Facility in Morgan Hill.
  • Possibly starting a GBA Beekeeping Forum on Reddit focused on useful information specific to South Santa Clara County.
  • Click here to watch the Board Meeting recording.

By James Haskell / On 02/07/2025 / 2024, BM-2025, board meeting, meeting, Meetings

Review of proposed Bylaw updates.

2024

  • Review and approval of previous minutes.
    • Unfinished business
  • Financials (Mike):
    • Review of last year's financials.
      • Ended last year with a surplus.
    • Tentative budget prepared for this year, but no financials yet.
  • Swarm List
    • Art Hall and Eric Stang can do cutouts.
    • Rachel Taylor has been active.
  • Steve will see if we can get our porta-potty by Saturday.
  • Curt welcomes help for the Scouting events.
    • GBA members could bring their kids out on April 6 - there's not many kids currently involved.
  • Review of financials.
  • Porta-potty at Apiary.

2023

Partial recording.

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