PUB News
News and events of the Portland Urban Beekeepers
November 2024 Presentation
Vitellogenin Presentation
Charlie Vanden Heuvel
Charlie began his beekeeping experience when his ‘frustrated farmer’ father brought two hives to our El Paso Texas residence. Observing them in their coming and goings nurtured the love for these girls. Most interesting was when the girls would hang on our screen door waiting to enter the house to acquire nectar and pollen from our Bougainvillea vines. They would then go back to the screen door once again wait for someone to allow their return to the hive. Just like a dog or cat would, but far more patient.
As an avid researcher, multiple articles were written propelled by involvement in the Oregon Master Beekeeper Program. Attaining his Journey Level Certification in 2018. Charlie also traveled to Nebraska for Michael Bush’s Bee Camp this spring to immerse for two weeks in apiaries and bee discussions with Michael Bush.
He is a member of four Beekeeping Clubs in the Portland Metropolitan area as well as state, regional and national bee organizations. The beginning of 2016 we had three hives which rapidly grew to fifteen along with multiple NUCS. Presentations in schools has been a great opportunity to share our joy of these lovelies. Not only do the children eagerly devour the presentations, but we have been filled with joy through our sharing.
For more follow his work http://bg-bees.com
January 2025 Presentation
How Bees use Sound/Vibrations to Communicate
- Paul Longwell
- Cornell University Master Beekeeper
- Montana University Master Beekeeper
- Washington State Master Beekeeper
Paul first developed his interest in bees at a young age while watching the commercial beekeepers’ hives on his aunt’s farm in Yamhill Oregon. After a long career serving in the Army and as a public employee, his love and interest in keeping and working with bees raised back to the forefront in 2008.Paul first developed his interest in bees at a young age while watching the commercial beekeepers’ hivesPaul first developed his interest in bees at a young age while watching the commercial beekeepers’ hives on his aunt’s farm in Yamhill Oregon. After a long career serving in the Army and as a public employee, his love and interest in keeping and working with bees raised back to the forefront in 2008.
An avid beekeeper and member of the Olympia Beekeepers Association, Paul enjoys teaching and sharing his love of bees. As a Montana and Washington state master beekeeper, Paul has gained experience in both Langstroth, Top-Bar and Slovenian AZ hives. He noticed how the local maritime winter weather influenced his honeybees and beehive losses. Paul’s research for solutions lead him to better understand the Slovenian bee houses and AZ hives. Discovering better honeybee health and longevity, Paul converted a storage building into a bee house and installed several AZ-type hives.
Additional Details
Paul actively shares his knowledge by giving beekeeping presentations in-person, during podcasts and Zoom classes. He has taught several beekeeping classes for the Washington State Beekeeping Association, including the apprenticeship course to inmates at Cedar Creek Prison. Paul also serves as one of the clubs’ mentors to new beekeepers. He serves on the Thurston County Fairgrounds and Event Center board.
Along with his wife Penny Longwell who is a master gardener, they co-developed the Pollinator demonstration garden at the Thurston County Fairgrounds and Event Center. They also offer pollinator classes for the local Master Gardener Interns.
References
1.Response characteristics of vibration-sensitive interneurons related to Johnston’s organ in the honeybee, Apis mellifera. Hiroyuki Ai, Jürgen Rybak, Randolf Menzel, Tsunao Itoh. First published: 06 May 2009 https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.22042
2. Transmission Of Vibration Across Honeycombs and Its Detection By Bee Leg Receptors, D. C. Sandeman, J. Tautz, M. Lindauer J Exp Biol (1996) 199 (12): 2585–2594. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.199.12.2585
3. The vibration signal, modulatory communication and the organization of labor in honeybees, Apis mellifera. Stanley S. Schneider and Lee A. Lewis Apidologie 35 (2004) 117-131. https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2004006
4. Relationship between Relative Hive Entrance Position and Dance Floor Location (2014). Corrigan, Chelsea E., Undergraduate Honors Theses. Paper 474. https://dc.etsu.edu/honors/474
5. The Use of the Vibration Signal and Worker Piping to Influence Queen Behavior during Swarming in Honey Bees, Apis mellifera. Pierce, A.L., Lewis, L.A. and Schneider, S.S. (2007), Ethology, 113: 267-275. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.2006.01314.x
6. 32 Vibratory and Airborne-Sound Signals in Bee Communication (Hymenoptera) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268000846_32_Vibratory_and_Airborne-Sound_Signals_in_Bee_Communication_Hymenoptera
7. Sound and vibrational signals in the dance language of the honeybee, Apis mellifera. Michelsen, A., Kirchner, W.H. & Lindauer, M. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 18, 207–212 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00290824
8. Influences of queen piping and worker behaviour on the timing of emergence of honeybee queens. H.J. Grooters Insectes Sociaux, 1987, Vol. 34, No. 3, 181-193 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224083
9. On the Importance of the Sound Emitted by Honey Bee Hives, by Alessandro Terenzi †ORCID,Stefania Cecchi *,†ORCID and Susanna Spinsante †ORCID, Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione, Universitá Politecnica Delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy Vet. Sci. 2020, 7(4), 168; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci7040168
Audio clips from the presentation
May 2024
Beeline article here
September 2023 Presentation
For our September 2023 meeting, Dewey Caron and Ryan Mcdonnough gave us a great presentation on winter preparation. Video and slide show are embedded below.
July 2022
I’ve never been so happy and grateful for the lovely Linden trees. A wet Spring, lasting up until July finally gave way to gorgeous summer sun just in time for the Linden trees to bloom across NE Portland. This is a major source of nectar for inner NE bees. Last year, the trees bloomed just as the 115-degree weather hit for a week which quickly dried up the trees, leaving my primary hive to begin eating its stores mid-summer. This year the supers are bursting with lots of time left to fill their brood chambers. Meanwhile, other hives 2 miles away are barely filling supers, unaware of the bounty nearby. I love this cyclical pace to beekeeping – there are years that give and years that take and every year is a little bit different.
PUB is hoping to reinstate some sort of honey tasting or in-person social event to close out the year and we hope to see you there!
June 2022
OK, by now I was pretty sure we’d be on the verge of complaining about how hot it was getting outside, but that sure isn’t happening. In Portland, everything is blooming as it should, but this summer will probably go on record as feeling very short. About this time, I’m always reminded of how the bees are already starting the glide into winter – they’re noticing the days getting shorter – all while we’re gearing up for peak summer fun.
Besides Bee Days, many in PUB have missed opportunities to hang out with each other and swap stories and questions. PUB decided to hold a Meet and Greet evening in mid-June to try to capture some of the feeling of meetings in the “before times”. We didn’t count it as a monthly meeting (because people are super attached to their monthly zoom meetings) but it was nice to get together and it’s likely we’ll make these events part of our new normal.
Our June meeting was full of interesting information. After an overview of plants in bloom, Brian Fackler taught us how to use an Epi Pen (on an orange!) and provided useful medical information and tips for beekeepers who work in remote areas. Our meeting featured Dr. Dewey Caron talking about all things Queens. It was a great meeting, with a good turnout and lots of interesting discussion and questions. PUB is wishing all of you a wonderful summer!
January 2022
It’s hard to believe another year has passed! Hopefully your bees are healthy and tucked up nicely for the winter. PUB is seeing significant changes to its Board of Directors this year. A number of positions were open to include President and Vice President and some folks shifted to different positions. PUB is very grateful for the work Cheryl Wright put into PUB these past two years as President. She shepherded us through the transition to online and continued to keep our disparate community connected. Mandy Shaw is also moving on – as past President and current Treasurer she has been a strong driver of PUB – bringing wonderful speakers, working with Cheryl to set up our new apiary at Green Anchors and so many other things behind the scenes. Ian Horvath, a Portland-based beekeeper has agreed to step into the position of President and Jana Patterson will bring Board experience to the position of VP. We look forward to a new year of bee education and community engagement with them at the helm!
Unfortunately, we decided not to have our in-person honey tasting this year. It just felts like the virus hadn’t quite settled down enough to have it and of course we’re deep in Omicron now. Hopefully next year things will move towards a new normal. Our November speaker was Bill Hesbach, a master beekeeper from Cheshire, Connecticut who spoke with us about winter insulation. He theorizes insulated hives better mimic the natural conditions found in tree hives and recommends R7-R10 insulation on the top and sides without ventilation. While our conditions here in the PNW are certainly different than in Connecticut, the theories and science behind it are very compelling. We’ll see you back on-screen in January!