January 2026 Newsletter
President's Hive
President’s Hive
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a nice holiday season. Perhaps you shared some of your jars of honey as gifts or maybe received bee-related items from friends and family. This year I explored a new holiday tradition called, Jólabókaflóðið, also known as the Icelandic Yule Book Flood. It’s a term used in Iceland for the annual release of new books occurring in the months before Christmas. These books are then purchased as presents to be gifted on Christmas Eve. This practice makes books the most popular holiday gift in the country. Our holidays were a little quieter and more reflective this year as much of our family got sick, but we made the most of it by reading books and driving around looking at light displays in the neighborhood. Popular books in our household were Little Red Sleigh and The Christmas City Express - best for kids or those with a child-like wonder in their hearts.
Here are the important things to know for the upcoming few months:
MHBA Banquet is Approaching Fast! Please Join Us.
MHBA Banquet and Fundraising Auction is scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026, at the Keller Golf Course in Maplewood. Detailed information about the banquet and how to register may be found at the top of our website or HERE. If you have items for our live and silent auctions please reach out to [email protected]. We will also have a honey tasting station - bring your favorite honey. This will be a fun evening, and we hope you can attend.
February Member Meeting (Reminder: No Member Meeting in January.)
We will start our year of member meetings with a speaker, Dr. Michael Brown, on the topic of Immunization Honey Bee Stings from a Medical Perspective on Tuesday, February 10th at 7:00 PM. Please join us at the University of Minnesota St. Paul Campus in Room 335 in Borlaug Hall.
Youth Beekeeping Scholarship
Do you know a young person who would like to keep bees? The deadline for applications is January 15th. Details about the program and the application are on our website or click here:
Jess Marshall-Kurysh
MHBA President
Better Beekeeping Through Education
No January Meeting
or
Hive Demo
Upcoming Events
February 10
Dr. Michael Brown
Immunization Honey Bee Stings from a Medical Perspective
February 21
Annual Banquet
March 10
Dawn Beck
Fat Bodies and Bee Lifespan
April 14
James Lee
Sustainable Beekeeping Guild of Michigan
Youth Scholarship 2026
Don’t miss out on a beautiful opportunity to learn how to become a beekeeper and score some “free bees”!
To learn more and apply:
https://mnbeekeepers.com/youth-scholarship/
One of our scholarship recipients last year, Audrey!
Classifieds
Wanted: 10-20 frame power honey extractor. Please call Dan at (320)296-5622
RAW HONEY FOR SALE:
Running low on honey, we have buckets of raw single source available.
3# PACKAGES & 5 FRAME NUCS:
For more information call Fieldstone Apiaries
Www.FieldstoneApiaries.com
612-979-8213
or email [email protected]
Did you know your membership allows you to place classified ads in the MHBA Newsletter?
Swarm Chasers
Thank you to everyone who volunteered to collect swarms this past season. Currently there are 155 people on the Swarm Chasers list for the metro area. If I did not call you, it's because no one called from your requested area. As you know, some people are terrified of flying insects and are so relieved and thankful for assistance and a bit of information about honeybees and other insects.
For calls outside the metro area, I recommend they find a local beekeeper by contacting the local farmer's market or the sheriff.
The first swarm calls started early May through mid-July then absconding colonies (the whole colony moves out) appear until late September.
A total of 308 calls this summer:
- 240 Honeybees
- 47 Yellow Jackets
- 21 Bumble bees
One interesting call: one member collected a big, big swarm from a tree. He weighed them .....10 pounds. BINGO. The equivalent of 3 to 4 packages!
Note: The public is becoming more knowable about the value of honeybees. Many callers want to make sure the bees will by saved , not just removed and destroyed.
Bob Sitko
Swarm Chairman and Certified Master Beekeeper
Seeking Outreach Education Coordinator
Hello Beeks!
We are in search of a volunteer to serve as our MHBA Outreach Education Coordinator.
I know that many of you love talking about bees and enjoy sharing your honey bee knowledge with others. MHBA’s Outreach Education provides an opportunity for individuals in our organization to do just that. As volunteers, we serve as the “public face” of the Minnesota Hobby Beekeepers Association, presenting and speaking at events such as schools, preschools, assisted living communities, libraries, festivals and community fairs.
The volunteer Outreach Education Coordinator receives requests from the public for presentations via a form submitted on our website. Next, the coordinator sends out an email with a brief description of the date/event/request, to our list of over 35 volunteers. Volunteers pick and choose from requests and reply with their interest (via email) to the coordinator.
The Outreach Coordinator also maintains & replenishes our wealth of educational supplies. We currently have two sets of supplies to serve different parts of the metro area. There are typically 15-20 requests for our services each year. As the outgoing chair, I am happy to assist and be a resource during your first year.
Please reach out to me with your interest!
Susan Bornstein [email protected]
If you would like to be added to our Outreach Education volunteer list, login to mnbeekeepers.com and visit https://mnbeekeepers.com/get-involved/ complete and submit the “Become a Community Outreach Educator” form.
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
Email a photo to [email protected] before noon on the day of the member's meeting so he can project it on the screen during “Ask the Expert.” We will all learn from you what you see in your hive.
Online Resources
Please visit our website!
https://mnbeekeepers.com/
We continue to make updates and changes to our website. Recently, we reorganized the Education page.
https://mnbeekeepers.com/ed/
Stay tuned for no-cost Community-based beekeeping classes & events in the new calendar:
https://mnbeekeepers.com/events/
If you are offering a class/event, you may submit the details to have it listed on our website:
https://mnbeekeepers.com/add-a-community-event/
Join Us On Facebook
Join our members only Facebook group:
https://mnbeekeepers.com/facebook-group/
This is a place for members to ask questions, share answers, share photos and videos, and socialize online.
MHBA Board Minutes
Please check the website for the latest, approved Board meeting minutes.
More Announcements
Membership Renewal
There are three ways to renew your membership today!
- Renew your membership online with a credit card (preferred).
- Mail the membership renewal form to our treasurer at the address provided
- Renew in person by bringing your completed form and check to the next meeting.
Our Renewal Form can be found at our Become a Member page:
https://www.mnbeekeepers.com/become_member
Newsletter Submissions
The MHBA newsletter welcomes articles, photos, recipes, etc. from members. Please send them to the editor:
[email protected]
If an article is a reprint from another source, permission must be gained if required. The due date for newsletter submission is the 25th of the month for the next month's newsletter.
MHBA Board
| Position | Member |
|---|---|
| President | Jessica Marshall-Kurysh |
| Vice President | Bill Thompson |
| Secretary | Michelle Maas |
| Treasurer | Bob Hinschberger |
| Directors | |
| Ryan Alaniz | |
| Peg DeSanto | |
| Willie Gabberd | |
| Quintin Holmberg | |
| Charlie Kundinger | |
| Katie Lee, PhD. (appointed) | |
| Mike Paskeuric | |
| Liz Pepin | |
| Anne Pierce | |
| Gary Reuter | |
| Karen Voy | |
| Past President | Kate Winsor |
| Membership | Steve Buck |
| Newsletter | Willie Gabbard (Advertising) |
| Quintin Holmberg (Editor) | |
| Technology | Quintin Holmberg |
| Gary Reuter | |
| Librarian | Gail Dramen |
| Outreach | Susan Bornstein |
| Ask Buzz | JoAnne Sabin |
| Swarm Chasers | Bob Sitko |
| Hospitality | Mark & Cathy Lee |
| Banquet | Jessica Marshall-Kurysh |
| Youth Scholarship | Christine Shoemaker |
Get Involved
Make this the year to get more involved in your club! To become a Community Outreach volunteer or a Swarm Chaser please complete and submit the appropriate form by visiting:
https://mnbeekeepers.com/get-involved/
NOTE: The contents of this Newsletter are the sole property of the Minnesota Hobby Beekeepers Association (MHBA). NO REPUBLICATION OR USE in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, by any other person or entity without the prior express written permission from MHBA’s Board of Directors is permitted. MHBA may be contacted at [email protected]