Join us for our in-person monthly meeting! Our speaker will be Emily Helton, Apiologist at the Honeybee Discovery Center in Orland California. She's also the author of the HowExpert Guide to Honey Bees & Beekeeping book.
The topic will be The Superorganism: One Body One Mind. A honey bee colony is more than just a collection of individual bees—it functions as a single, integrated “superorganism.” Much like the organs and systems of the human body work together to sustain life, the bees within a hive each perform specialized roles that keep the whole colony alive and thriving. This presentation will explore how division of labor, communication, and interdependence within a colony mirror processes in the human body, offering a fascinating perspective on collective life and cooperation in nature.
(New beekeepers, please come for the “newbee” round table meeting from 7:00-7:30 -- get your questions answered in a small, friendly group.)
Our speaker will be Dr. Declan Schroeder on the topic of What is killing our bees?
In 2025, 60% of honeybee colonies died in the United States. Dr. Schroeder's research team was the first to confirm that Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) load, and its association with Varroa destructor (Varroa), are responsible for the death of millions of honey bee colonies.
Dr. Schroeder is a professor in the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine at the University of Minnesota, and has published papers on varroa mites, deformed wing virus, and more.
We'll have a gathering of club members at the club apiary to learn how to prepare hives for the winter. How much honey do they need? What about insulation? Is there a recommended mite treatment?
If you're coming to this event, please register so we know how many people to expect. The event is free for club members: if you're not yet a member of the club, please join first. Thanks!
Our speaker will be Dr. Ramesh Sagili on the topic of "How do Honey Bees Select Larvae for Rearing Queens During Emergency: Insights from Research". If you've ever considered rearing or grafting queens, this will help you understand how bees do it — and what we can learn from that.
Dr. Sagili is a Professor of Apiculture in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University.
Join us for our annual pot-luck end-of-year celebration and officer elections.
Our speaker will be Michael Bush, talking about Francis (François) Huber. Huber was the 1814 author of the seminal book Huber’s New Observations on Bees, which laid the groundwork for all the practical knowledge we have of bees today. His discoveries were so revolutionary that beekeeping can be divided in two eras: pre-Huber and post-Huber.
Michael Bush is the author of the books The Practical Beekeeper, The Practical Queen Breeder, and more. He shares his extensive knowledge on his website The Practical Beekeeper.
Join Sung Lee for a free hive inspection demonstration at the club apiary!
We'll go over what to look for as part of an inspection, and what to do next. Beginners are welcome: if you're new to beekeeping, you'll have a chance to get hands-on experience with bees. All we ask is that you join the club if you haven't already.
Sung Lee is Alameda County’s famous Bee Charmer, with over 80 hives he inspects every week.
What keeps beekeepers going when the economics don't always make sense? Drawing from interviews and survey data from beekeepers across the country, this talk explores why people stick with beekeeping despite challenges, how beekeepers make decisions about treatment, local adaptation, and hive management, and how AI and tchnology can play a role in beekeepeing practices, access, and sustanability
