The Honeypot

THE HONEYPOT

Official Newsletter of the

MONTGOMERY COUNTY BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION

Increase Essentials

Increase Essentials

Book review by Pam Hepp ...
2019 May President's Message

2019 May President’s Message

I have been very impressed with our monthly meetings this year. Not only do we have a ...
Looking Back on 2018

Looking Back on 2018

MCBA President Leon Vandenberg expresses his appreciation for volunteers in 2018 ...
December Letter from the South

December Letter from the South

First off, I wish all of you a happy holiday season. As for my bees, they are pretty much “put ...
February Letter from the South

February Letter from the South

The annual Alabama Cooperative Extension Service’s annual Beekeeping Symposium marks the beginning of the beekeeping year (at least for me) ...
January Honey Bee Power Plant: Hellebore

January Honey Bee Power Plant: Hellebore

Hellebore – Helleborus species Hellebores are the stalwarts of the shade garden.  Blooming late winter-spring, they’ve been known to lift ...
Plans

Plans

Look around, the weather has broken and we are coming into February.  Our bees are stretching their wings and cleaning ...
March Letter from the South

March Letter from the South

A lot is happening in the apiary in early spring, so this month I’ll tell you about you three separate ...
January Letter from the South

January Letter from the South

This letter is being written on January 11, and the current Dothan temperature is 73 F.  By way of comparison, ...
It's Cold Out There

It’s Cold Out There

Winter is here.  One of my biggest worries is always how my bees doing.  Do they have enough food? Are ...

March 2018


March Letter from the South

March Letter from the South

A lot is happening in the apiary in early spring, so this month I’ll tell you about you three separate ...
March Meeting Recap: “You Have Questions? They Have Answers” A panel with three Master Beekeepers

March Meeting Recap: “You Have Questions? They Have Answers” A panel with three Master Beekeepers

A packed audience came to hear Master Beekeepers Brenda Kiessling, Tim McMahon and Barry Thompson answer pre-submitted and on-the-spot questions ...


February 2018


February Letter from the South

February Letter from the South

The annual Alabama Cooperative Extension Service’s annual Beekeeping Symposium marks the beginning of the beekeeping year (at least for me) ...
Plans

Plans

Look around, the weather has broken and we are coming into February.  Our bees are stretching their wings and cleaning ...


January 2018


January Honey Bee Power Plant: Hellebore

January Honey Bee Power Plant: Hellebore

Hellebore – Helleborus species Hellebores are the stalwarts of the shade garden.  Blooming late winter-spring, they’ve been known to lift ...
January Letter from the South

January Letter from the South

This letter is being written on January 11, and the current Dothan temperature is 73 F.  By way of comparison, ...
It's Cold Out There

It’s Cold Out There

Winter is here.  One of my biggest worries is always how my bees doing.  Do they have enough food? Are ...


December 2017


December Letter from the South

December Letter from the South

First off, I wish all of you a happy holiday season. As for my bees, they are pretty much “put ...


November 2017


November Letter from the South

November Letter from the South

Fall is harvest time for most crops (we harvest our honey in early July), and that means harvest festivals. Mary ...


October 2017


October Honey Bee Power Plant – Asters

October Honey Bee Power Plant – Asters

Asters – Symphyotrichum and Eurybia species Asters abound this time of year, whether planted intentionally or naturalized voluntarily. Unfortunately, taxonomist ...
Here Comes Winter

Here Comes Winter

Are you ready? For me, this is one of the most critical times of the year in beekeeping. I want ...


September 2017


September Letter from the South

September Letter from the South

While this letter is being written at home in Alabama, it could be titled “Letter from Colorado”. Mary and I ...
Thank You

Thank You

To the many members who helped at the Montgomery County Fair. I could not get over the number of our ...
Photo: Steve Dubik

September Honey Bee Power Plant – Stonecrop

Stonecrop – Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude') Autumn Joy Stonecrop is one tough cookie, thriving in average to dry, sandy ...


August 2017


No posts found.


July 2017


July Honey Bee Power Plant: Russian Sage

July Honey Bee Power Plant: Russian Sage

Russian Sage – Perovskia atriplicifolia Russian sage, is one tough cookie, easily grown in average to dry, well-drained soils in ...
July Meeting Recap: Charm City Meadworks

July Meeting Recap: Charm City Meadworks

Speaker: James Boicourt, beekeeper, meadmaker and co-owner of Charm City Meadworks What is mead? Mead is an alcoholic drink made ...
July Letter from the South

July Letter from the South

Actually this month's letter is being written in Durango, Colorado.  Mary and I were on vacation out here, visiting her ...
Montgomery County Agricultural Fair logo

PAST: It’s time to Party with the Animals! 2017

Montgomery County Agricultural Fair August 11 – August 19, 2017 Started 72 years ago as a way to provide a ...


June 2017


MCBA Outreach

MCBA Outreach

Your chance to VOLUNTEER MCBA beekeepers participate in numerous public demonstrations and events throughout the year. The largest of which ...
Honey bee on Nepeta

Catmint

Catmint – Nepeta species Catmint is a long-blooming perennial that is easily grown in average to dry, well-drained soil in ...
Orchid Bees:  The Little Things In Life

Orchid Bees: The Little Things In Life

I’ve spent over 6 weeks in Costa Rica over the past three years volunteering on a native bee research project ...
June MCBA Meeting Recap: Sustainable Honey Bee Program

June MCBA Meeting Recap: Sustainable Honey Bee Program

The first portion of the monthly meeting was a discussion by members about their hives, announcement of upcoming events, the ...
MCBA Picnic Fun

MCBA Picnic Fun

The annual MCBA picnic took place on June 12, 2017 behind the Brookside Nature Center.  Beekeepers kicked off the festivities ...
Sunflower Pollen May Boost Honey Bee Health

Sunflower Pollen May Boost Honey Bee Health

If I could take my bees on an outing it would be to the McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area off River ...
A Little Honey Bee by Gracie Emerick

A Little Honey Bee by Gracie Emerick

I'm a little honey bee I hope to not die from CCD Me and my un-bee-lievable friends Think our challenges ...
The Smallest Swarm

June Letter from the South

We all tell tales about big swarms, the kind that barely fit into your catch box. Well, this morning I ...


May 2017


May Letter from the South

May Letter from the South

You will recall that at the end of March, I was turning down swarm calls because I had no equipment ...
Allium giganteum

May Honey Bee Power Plant

Giant Onion – Allium giganteum ‘Globemaster’ This month, we feature the bulbous perennial commonly called Giant Onion. This may very well ...
MCBA: Volunteers Make It Happen

MCBA: Volunteers Make It Happen

The Montgomery County Beekeepers Association is entirely run by volunteers. Over the years, we have had many so people who ...
April MCBA Meeting Recap:  Cybil Preston, Chief Apiary Inspector

April MCBA Meeting Recap:  Cybil Preston, Chief Apiary Inspector

Cybil presented an overview of work done by her department and reminded members that registering our hives with the Department ...


April 2017


March MCBA Meeting Recap: Tim McMahon, How Do Honey Bees Differ from Other Bees?

March MCBA Meeting Recap: Tim McMahon, How Do Honey Bees Differ from Other Bees?

As MCBA members, while we have a primary interest in the honeybee, the environment in which apis mellifera lives and ...