The Hive

With the closing of the year, I want to take a moment to thank all our members, but especially those who serve on the Executive Board, support our members as mentors, give of their time and expertise at our programs and events, and at our club outreach opportunities in the community, whether it's at a local Boy or Girl Scouts meeting, an event at the South Shore YMCA, or a local garden club. We have so many members living out the mission of PCBA, and for that, I thank each of you.

If we were to compile a "State of the PCBA," we would catalog the following:

• Club newsletter that publishes bi-monthly
• aesthetic improvements to the Hanson Clubhouse
• a successful bee suits for kids program that is being reproduced across other county bee clubs
• our first club kids event last February
• consistent attendance at our club programs
• We have reviewed feedback and strengthened our Bee School syllabus for 2024 and are excited to bring new instructors to the school.
• We have updated our website with a new one-stop design, members only section, onsite forum, updated membership database, and ability to modernize and adapt to offer online stores throughout the year (bee packages and glassware, to name a few).
• At the time of writing, we have over 600 members in the PCBA.
• Updated name tag ordering (see link below)

We made it a goal to come back stronger than ever, and our club is working hard for you to do just that!

To make these improvements, our club leadership had to make challenging decisions about our needs. Communication became a priority, as well as honoring the time spent by our volunteers to bring you the information you want as well as the information you need. We made the decision to invest in Wild Apricot to redesign the website, memberships, sales, forum, and more.

The executive board has voted that until further notice, we will offer one-year renewable memberships at the cost of $25 per household. The one year membership is designed for us to get a better handle on our overall membership across a new database. This is an increased cost, in effect at each member's renewal date, that will better allow us to serve our members, continue to build our communication mechanisms, bring various programs and speakers to the club, and to continue offering all that comes with a PCBA membership. To renew your membership, please go to the new website at plymouthcountybeekeepers.org

At the end of this month, we are sunsetting the Google Group, which will no longer by monitored or endorsed by the PCBA. Please go to plymouthcountybeekeepers.org to join the new website and members forum.

Bee School 2024 registration is open. Click here to learn more and feel free to share!

To everyone in the club: we value you, we want to talk bees with you, and we encourage you to join us - at the holiday part at Camp Kiwanee, at Bee School where we could use some volunteers (a win-win for newer members who might want to audit the class or a few classes for free), and at our programs and workshops where we can learn and grow together. Please join us. We have open positions on our executive board that meets the first Thursday of every month. It's time to meet and work with more of the 600+ members we have. We are stronger together, and as we continue on this journey of beekeeping, let's support one another, learn from one another, and have some laughs along the way. Cheers to happy holidays and a successful, happy, healthy 2024- for you and your bees!

Lisa

Lisa Maguire, Ed.D.

PCBA President

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing a beekeeper from Africa who I met through a family I am mentoring in Brockton. She is a lovely woman named Margaret Maformbe and she is in the US caring for her father but will be returning to Africa soon and her bees.

What region of Africa are you from?

Cameroon. Part of my country speaks French and part speaks English. We learned both in school so I speak both!

How long have you been keeping bees?

Eight years.

How many hives do you have in Cameroon?

I have one hundred hives right now. This is how I make my living. It is a business for me. I sell honey as most beekeepers do. Different prices for different variety. Some are more medicinal. I also have five traditional woven grass hives that I use strictly for propolis production. The bees completely propolize the small openings in the grass hives and I harvest the propolis from those. Many people in my country use propolis for health benefits.

What are the main types of flora that the bees forage on in your apiaries?

Oh there are a lot! We have a lot of trees in Africa so many! Like pear trees, mango, plum trees and bitter leaf.

We hear a lot about “Africanized” aggressive bees. Are your colonies aggressive?

Not any more aggressive than your own bees. If they get angry they will sting like all bees. I do not have too bad of a problem with aggressive bees. Many people use bees to sting themselves for therapy. When my knee hurts I use the sting for relief. It helps with pain.

We have a big problem in the US with Varroa Mites here. Is that something you have to worry about in your apiary? What types of pests and diseases do you have to manage?

No, we do not have varroa mites so we do not use any medicine in the hives. We only worry about spiders. Big spiders that make nests inside. We only look inside the hives 5 or 6 times in a year. We watch from the outside and if we see that the activity isn’t right, we open up the hive. Most of the time it’s spiders. We do not bother them unless we see a problem on the outside. We have very healthy bees.

What is one of the biggest differences in the way we keep bees in the US?

I don’t understand why you paint your hives different colors. The bees like white. They don’t like colors. Don’t you know that bees like white best? (Laughs).

Special thanks to the Gonzales family for connecting me with Margaret.

Lee

Phenology is the scientific study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate and plant and animal life. The USA National Phenology Network | USA National Phenology Network (usanpn.org) was established in 2007 to collect, store, and share phenology data and information. Erin Posthumus, Outreach Coordinator & Liaison to the USFWS, USA National Phenology Network and University of Arizona shared some resources with the PCBA membership to help us explore the topic.

Erin noted an interested in connecting with more beekeepers. She directed us to USA NPN Visualization Tool as a resource. I strongly suggest first watching the this recorded webinar or explore the Seasonal Stories on the Viz Tool page. For those interested in digging deeper, she highlighted the organization is always looking for more individuals and beekeeping groups to join Nature's Notebook and contribute data. You can participate in your own backyard or join up with a group of people to track phenology at a shared location. If a club member(s) is interested, please provide newsletter feedback as Erin can provide additional guidance.

In April of this year, Plymouth County Beekeepers Association members had donated some beekeeping equipment to support Kimberly Moit’s efforts in getting the CCCGA’s youth program going. During tours, promoting MA agriculture and cranberries, pollination is an important topic (honeybees and bumblebees). She shared that the materials are used on their educational tours. She talks about how bees are so important to cranberry production as well as other food crops. She uses the donated items directly in education tours for youth and has this on display for public tours. The organization is grateful for these PCBA donations, helping bring authenticity to this portion of the program.

Website About Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association | Massachusetts Cranberries

How do local beekeepers prepare for winter? If you missed club member Helen Schoonover’s article on overwintering, refer to the PCBC Newsletter volume, issue 4 August 2023 The Hive | Smore Newsletters for Non-profit

This is your club, this is your meeting. Get involved, volunteer and let your voice be heard! Club members are welcome to discuss the Club’s business.

Hanson Clubhouse ~ 228 High St, Hanson, MA

The Holiday Party is held in lieu of monthly meeting.

Click here.

You don't HAVE to sign up, but it does help us plan for the number of tables and chairs and other items to have, like paper goods, etc. It also helps people decide what to bring!

The Plymouth County Beekeepers Association (the “PCBA”), is a non-profit organization established in 1977. We are dedicated to the support of local agriculture and to educating the public about beekeeping through our school and participation in local fairs and festivals.

PCBA focuses on education, agriculture, and stewardship through many of the public outreach programs the club participates in and provides throughout the year. We have members who speak at schools, community centers, and professional meetings.

Website: plymouthcountybeekeepers.org
Location: 228 High Street, Hanson, MA, USA