November 2024 Newsletter
President’s Hive
Hello Hobby Beekeepers! I now have one year under my belt as MHBA President. I would say the past year has been wonderful and I’m pleased to continue for another year.
This will be the last MHBA newsletter of 2024. The next newsletter you receive will be in January. And, as a reminder, there are NO member meetings in December and January. Member meetings will resume on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. Please look for the meeting announcement in each newsletter to learn when and where meetings and hive demonstrations are held. You may also refer to our website (also our Facebook group) for other valuable information: https://mnbeekeepers.com/
Congratulations to Our Newly Elected 2025 Officers
- President - Kate Winsor
- Vice President - Bill Thompson
- Secretary - Michelle Maas
- Treasurer - Bob Hinschberger
Annual Meeting & Elections
MHBA Annual Meeting is on Tuesday, November 12th. We will be voting on new Board Members, approving the 2025 Budget, and hearing from our Youth Beekeeper Scholarship recipients. If you would like to participate in the elections, you will need to be at the Annual Meeting in person on Tuesday, November 12th. We will not be offering electronic ballots this year. Unfortunately, proxy votes are not allowed by our Bylaws.
Notes of Appreciation
- Thank you to Gary Reuter and Jessica Helgen for hosting the hive demonstrations this season. Your wisdom is appreciated!
- Thank you outgoing Board Member, Noel Pollen and former Board Member, Betty Mortensen. It takes dedicated volunteers to keep MHBA running smoothly. Thank you for your service.
- Other members who deserve a thank you for their work this past year: Bill Thompson - Vice President and Nominating Committee; Michelle Maas - Secretary; Bob Hinschberger - Treasurer; Bob Sitko - Swarm Catchers Coordinator; Gayle Dramen - Librarian; Kathy and Mark Lee - Hospitality volunteers extraordinaire; Steve Buck - Membership Coordinator; Christine Shoemaker - Picnic Coordinator; Gary Reuter - Youth Scholarship Coordinator; Quintin Holmberg - Newsletter Editor and website manager, tech geek guru; Susan Bornstein - Education and Outreach Coordinator; JoAnne Sabin - Ask Buzz; Jessica Minser - 2024 Banquet Coordinator; Katie Lee - University of Minnesota Liaison.
- And thank YOU for your membership support.
Banquet
Mark your calendars! MHBA Banquet and Fundraising Auction is scheduled for Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Keller Golf Course in Maplewood. Detailed information about the banquet and registration options will be posted in the January newsletter.
Have a wonderful couple of months - don’t forget to take time to read and learn about bee biology, bee behavior, and beekeeping techniques. And spend some time reviewing what worked well, and what didn’t work, with your hives this season.
Kate Winsor
MHBA President
Better Beekeeping Through Education
Next Meeting
Tuesday, November 12th, 7:00 PM
Hybrid meeting:
In-Person: Borlaug Hall, Room 335
Via Zoom: Meeting Link
No Hive Demo This Month
Click here for directions.
Upcoming Events
November 12th
February 12th
First Member Meeting of 2025
March 1st
November 2024 Management
It is time to wrap up for the season.
Just to review. Your bees should have:
- 75-100 pounds stored honey (located in the top of the hive).
- Northwest wind break.
- Good population with young queen.
- No disease and mites under control.
- Entrance reducer in with large opening facing up.
- The upper entrance open and bottom holes corked.
If things are not perfect wrap them for winter and hope for the best.
The last things to do if you have not already done so are:
- Do an oxalic acid dribble for mites
- Install the winter cover. It is getting too late to feed the bees, so I hope you have enough feed on them now.
The most important thing about covering for winter is providing an escape for the moisture created in the hive due to the bees’ metabolism. The colony needs a small (1/2 - 1”) upper entrance in addition to the lower entrance, and a moisture board on top of the colony that is exposed to the outside air. This may mean the cover is on cockeyed but that is the winter look. All the rage for bees in winter.
I know there is controversy regarding ventilation, but it has worked well in the past. If you try other methods, we can talk about how it worked for you at the February meeting.
There are posters on how to wrap for winter on the lab website (beelab.umn.edu/posters). Check my website for moisture board alternatives (https://garybees.cfans.umn.edu/good-information). Click on “Moisture boards and upper entrances.”
Do not disturb the bees if they are clustered. You can wrap the colony, but do not separate any boxes or remove frames. The exception is if you need to separate the boxes to do the oxalic acid dribble.
Give the colonies three pats to tell them you will see them next year.
The bees are on their own until March. I hope to see you at the last meeting for the year, November 12. There will not be a hive demo before the meeting. Maybe visit the library so you have something to read over winter. Just do not lose the book between then and February 11.
Gary
Reproduction of all or part of this article without the author’s permission is prohibited.
Classifieds
Your Classified Here
Did you know your membership allows you to place classified ads in the MHBA Newsletter?
Board of Directors Elections
We have one candidate we will be voting on for re-election to the Board of Directors.
Quintin Holmberg
I have been beekeeping for thirteen seasons. I would not be a beekeeper today if it were not for this club and the network of excellent beekeepers it introduced me to.
I currently hold the positions of Newsletter Editor and Tech Committee member. I would love to continue to serve the club in those roles.
Proposed 2025 Budget
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
Email a photo to Gary Reuter at [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 | Kate Winsor |
| Vice President | Bill Thompson |
| Secretary | Michelle Maas |
| Treasurer | Bob Hinschberger |
| Directors | |
| Peg DeSanto | |
| Willie Gabbard | |
| Quintin Holmberg | |
| Charlie Kundinger | |
| Katie Lee, PhD. (appointed) | |
| Karen Voy | |
| Open | |
| Liz Pepin | |
| Noel Pollen | |
| Gary Reuter | |
| Christine Shoemaker | |
| Membership | Steve Buck |
| Newsletter Editor | Quintin Holmberg |
| Technology Committee | Quintin Holmberg |
| Gary Reuter | |
| Librarian | Gail Dramen |
| Outreach | Susan Bornstein |
| Ask Buzz | JoAnne Sabin |
| Swarm Chasers | Bob Sitko |
| Hospitality | Mark & Cathy Lee |
| Banquet | Jessica Minser |
Get Involved
Make 2024 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]