Please join us for an informal get together for coffee, tea and lots of talk about bees. No formal agenda. You do not have to be a member to attend. We’ve reserved a large table and will have a new game available to play!
New beekeepers come with your questions! Seasoned beekeepers come with answers!
Gather & Blather location :
Paladins League
March 28th 11:00am to 12:30
4765 NE Fremont St, Portland, OR 97213
Mandy is a longtime beekeeper who maintains a number of different hives with an emphasis on bee health and nutrition. She is a former PUB President, podcaster, and owner of Bella Beek (beekeeping suits, veils, and supplies).
Brian Fackler – Cornell University Master Beekeeper
The Bee Cluster: The bees are in a compact cluster since the ambient temperature
dropped below 57F. As the temperature lowers to freezing the bees generate heat with
heads facing inward and consume a great amount of honey also give off a great amount
of water. The bees rotate positions and are active in the cluster center. Most of the
colony will be rearing brood and maintaining the brood-rearing temperature in the brood
area of 92F. This area must be dry, and an efficient ventilating or condensing hive must
be maintained to control moisture.
Hive Entrance: The hive entrance needs to be open as bees will take a short cleaning
flight to void fecal matter on a sunny calm day. Clear your hive entrance of blockages by
snow, ice, and or dead bees. Keep the entrance reducer and mouse guard installed.
Starvation: Bees will break the cluster for the worker bees to move into areas where to
resources that are stored. The bees will starve if they do not have access to the
resources or are too cold to break the cluster. You can get an idea of how much
resources the hive has stored by hefting the hive and comparing it to previous
monitoring. If you suspect or are in doubt, feed the bees with fondant, sugar patties, or
100% plain white granulated sugar and not organic or brown sugar. Make fondant and
or sugar patties with recipes from Lane County Beekeepers – https://www.lcbaor.org.
Checking for starvation or adding emergency feed can be done from the hive top.
Dead Bees: You might notice dead bees as well as brown spots of fecal matter in front
of the hive. This is typically not a concern. The bees may have frayed wings and hair
loss, which are indications of old age and desire to die outside the hive. Monitor the
bottom and landing board for excessive dead bees as the undertaker worker bees may
not be able to remove.
Varroa: Monitor the sampling board for dropped dead mites and consider multiple
applications of oxalic acid vapor following the guidelines of Honey Bee Health Coalition
Tools for Varroa Management.
Reflection and Preparation: This is the time to reflect on last year’s success and
failure and consider your 2025 bee year. Make a plan to control varroa mites and now is
the time to order cultural and miticides to have them on-hand. Take inventory of
wooden ware and frames and repair, paint, and replace as needed. If you anticipate
needing new bees place your order for NUCs and or packages, as later this spring they
often are unavailable.
Brian Fackler / Nosema
Brian Fackler is a Cornell Master Beekeeper and Washington State Master Beekeeper, serving as the Secretary and Treasurer of the Portland Urban Beekeepers. He is an experienced apiarist with extensive beekeeping experience throughout the Portland metropolitan area and along the Oregon coast.
Reading the Combs: Understanding Bee Biology Over the Course of the Season
Randy Oliver Grass Valley CA
Randy Oliver is a lifelong beekeeper, researcher, and educator with over five decades of experience in apiculture. After beginning as a hobbyist in 1966, he earned degrees in biological sciences with a specialization in entomology before establishing a large-scale migratory beekeeping operation in California, now managed with his sons Eric and Ian. Widely known for his applied research on honey bee health and practical solutions to modern beekeeping challenges, Randy has published monthly articles in American Bee Journal since 2006 and is a sought-after speaker at beekeeping conferences worldwide. Through his writing and presentations, he is dedicated to translating complex scientific research into clear, useful guidance for beekeepers of all levels.
Tim Schuler Richland NJ Fall Management and Winter Preparation
Diana Dickenson – Residential Beekeeping
Residential Beekeeping: Best-practice guidelines for nuisance-free beekeeping in Oregon – Oregon Master Beekeeping program presentation
Honey Removal and Preparation for Show/Market
Dewey Caron PhD – King City OR
Honey removal and preparation for honey show/market and honey tasting/criteria honey judges use in honey judging –
Dawn Beck – Bow, WA
Dawn Beck is a Northwest native living in the Skagit Valley and a retired CPA. She received her Master Beekeeping Certificate from the University of Montana in 2020 and became a Master Beekeeper through Cornell’s challenging program in 2024.
Dawn serves beekeeping organizations as President or Vice President in three local clubs and is on the board of WASBA. However, her true love is helping beekeepers learn to overwinter their bees and feel successful. She is the apiary manager or assistant for three club apiaries and cares for about 40 hives. Dawn has two grown children and loves spending time with her husband and hiking while travelling or staying close to home with her two dogs)
Botany for Beekeepers
Fonta Molyneaux is a Mother of 3, Master Herbalist, organic farmer and professional beekeeper living and working on her farm Wild Everlasting outside of Cottage Grove Oregon. There she tends 30 hives, and grows over 100 varieties of medicinal herbs and heritage fruit trees and shrubs.
Fonta also owns and operates Sun Queen School of apiary arts. In its 8th season, teaching beekeeping education and mentorship in person and online. She is the past president of the Lane county beekeepers association as well as the current Educational coordinator. For more information www.wildeverlasting.com
Fonta’s Botany and Bees handout