THE HONEYPOT
Official Newsletter of the
MONTGOMERY COUNTY BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION
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2019 May President’s Message
I have been very impressed with our monthly meetings this year. Not only do we have a ...
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Looking Back on 2018
MCBA President Leon Vandenberg expresses his appreciation for volunteers in 2018 ...
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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 ...
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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) ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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, ...
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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
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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 ...
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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
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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 2018
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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 ...
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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, ...
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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
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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
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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
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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 ...
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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
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Riddle: What’s the difference between a bicycle rider and a beekeeper?
HINT: Look at their socks! -Frank Linton ...
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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 ...
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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
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July 2017
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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
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MCBA Outreach
Your chance to VOLUNTEER MCBA beekeepers participate in numerous public demonstrations and events throughout the year. The largest of which ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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MCBA Picnic Fun
The annual MCBA picnic took place on June 12, 2017 behind the Brookside Nature Center. Beekeepers kicked off the festivities ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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
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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 ...