The Alameda County Beekeepers' Association meets the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 PM. The next meeting is May 12 at the Rotary Nature Center at Lake Merritt in Oakland.
Although the June meeting is usually held at the fairgrounds, the June meeting on June 9 will also be held at the Rotary Nature Center.
The July meeting will take place at the Alameda County Fairgrounds.
The meetings are free and the public is invited. If you are considering keeping bees or just want to learn more, please join us!
It's swarm season again. Swarming is the way bee colonies reproduce. The swarm is looking for a good place to start a colony. You can help them.
The Alameda County Beekeepers' Association members are available to capture swarms. Some members may charge; others do it because they want the bees.
NOTE: If you see bees going in and out of a hole, such as in a wall or tree, this is no longer a swarm, it's a new colony. For these jobs, please call Stan Umlauft at A&B Swarm Removal, 800-500-4747. He's a club member who will do everything he can to save the bees.
When You Call the Beekeeper, the following information is useful to have available:
- Your name, address and return phone number for the day you are calling.
- When did the swarm arrive, and where it is located on your property *We can only go on to property with the permission of the owner)
- How big is the swarm? Softball? Football? Basketball? Larger?
- How high is the swarm, and do you have a ladder available if needed?
- Is it possible to clip or prune the plant where the swarm is located?
Please note: The individuals listed below will be contracting with you directly for the removal of the swarm or colony. ACBA does not endorse, sponsor, guarantee or assume any liability for any work they may do, and it is ACBA policy to allow the individual to determine whether or not to charge for their service and if so, at what rate.
| Anywhere in Alameda County | Phone | Location and Availability |
| Jeff Roller | 415-205-5797 | Anywhere in the East Bay |
| Rob Hopcke | 510-393-1762 | Anywhere in the East Bay |
| Frank Brosnan | 510-517-4353 | Anywhere in the East Bay |
| Bob Baty | 510-268-8466 | $60 per swarm, $300-400 structural extraction |
| North-Central Alameda County |
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| Elaine Hoffman | 510-531-9425 | Mon-Friday after 5pm; Sat-Sun all day |
| Bryan Tracy | 510-735-7181 | Oakland, weeknights |
| Kim Allen--BYA | 831-419-0385 | Berkeley |
| Jim Novosel | 708-5562 cell, 420-1484 office | Berkeley, Oakland, Albany, low swarms only |
| Anastasia Nicole | 415-716-9992 | Low swarms only |
| Kristin Olnes | 510-568-2954 | Oakland |
| John Morra | 287-0930; 774-8509 | Oakland to Hayward area |
| Kirk Peterson | 510-547-0275 | Oakland, Berkeley, Piedmont, Alameda |
| Vicki Hammarstedt | 510-486-1362 | Berkeley, Oakland, Alameda |
| Scott Hirscher | 510-681-8054 | Oakland hills area |
| Christian Bauer | 415-336-2432 | Alameda (island) |
| Pat McGuiness | 510-261-1642 | downtown/East Oakland |
| Alex Perrotti | 510-717-1299 | Berk/Oakland |
| Kerrie Paussa | 510-594-9453; 510-502-4299 | East Bay. M-Th after 5pm; All day F, Sa, Su. |
| Cam Bauer | 510-489-9269; 510-287-4771 | Fremont to San Leandro |
| Martin | 510-593-0694 | El Cerrito to San Leandro |
| Chris Hwang | 510-282-0302 | Oakland area |
| Judy Klinger | 510-337-7022 x5430; 510-482-1609 | Oakland |
| Liz Dunn | 510-482-9222 | Oakland area |
| Thierry Thys | 510-569-8672 | Oakland area |
| Coby Leibman | 415-310-8944 | Berkeley |
| Kait Singley | 510-449-1055 | Oakland/Berkeley |
| South Alameda County |
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| Annaliese Pamela | 415-828-6655 | South county, willing to travel |
| George Zakedis | 510-572-2662 ; 510-390-5741 | Union City/Fremont, structural extractions |
| Diane Dovholuk | 510-604-8335 | Pleasanton, Livermore, Hayward, Fremont, Newark |
| Judy Casale | 510-881-4939; 510-415-9403 | Castro Valley and environs, call BOTH numbers |
| Bob Ballard | 510-278-8487; 510-432-6063 | South county |
| Michelle Barnett | 510-409-3030 | El Cerrito to Hayward |
Club members are invited on the full-day field trip, Saturday, April 25, to visit Randy Oliver's Grass Valley operation. Randy is the club's guru, and recognized for his careful methodology for evaluating less-toxic and non-toxic apiculture methods. You'll also be able to purchase nucs to bring back with you.
For more information, to reserve a nuc, or to find a carpool, contact Sara Willis at 510-531-9423 or email sarahchickbee [at] aol [dot] com.
APRIL 14TH Regular meeting with LAURIE
ADAMS, speaking on North American Pollination Protection. We meet at 7:30 on the second Tuesday of the month at the Rotary Nature Center at Lake Merritt.
Also coming in
April will bee a FIELD TRIP to Randy Oliver's apiary in Grass Valley . This is
an opportunity to buy nucleus colonies or just have a great outing to a great bee farm.
There's always a story to share after one of these trips. everyone welcome
whether buying a nuc or not.
April 19th EARTH DAY at OAKLAND ZOO
DETAILS TO FOLLOW. An opportunity to share your knowledge with others and to
learn a bit from others. An observation hive will be there.
Pacific Pinball Museum in association with Lucky Ju Ju Pinball/Art Gallery is proud to present
Ju Ju Bees
Photos, stories, videos and artist’s honey jar labels.
This show will also have natural local honey for sale in special one-of-a-kind labeled jars. Honey tasting. All proceeds benefit the Museum.
Admission for this opening: $5/kids 8 and under, $10/Adults.
Opening Reception Friday April 3rd, 2009. 7pm to midnight.
Show runs April 3rd through April 29th.
Gallery is open from 9am to 9pm Monday thru Sunday
(Foyer is open so gallery is always viewable)
Pinball hours are 6pm to 12pm Fridays and Saturdays.
Sundays from 4 to 8pm.
Lucky Ju Ju Pinball/Art Gallery
713 Santa Clara
Enter via the parking lot behind Tillie’s Diner
Santa Clara Ave. and Webster Street
Alameda, CA 94501
Swarm season is now full-blown, just like our spring. Beekeepers are available to safely capture and hive swarms. In Alameda County, call the Alameda County Beekeepers Association swarm coordinator, Robert Hapke at 510-393-1762. He will find someone to take care of this safely for you.
If you find a swarm, here's what you should know:
Swarms are very very unlikely to sting.
This is how bee colonies reproduce. This swarm is looking for a new home.
The swarm may stay for only a half day; it may decide to build comb and establish a new hive right where it is.
The swarm is valuable to the environment, because bees are helpful pollinators. There are many people who would like to give this colony a home.
If you find a swarm:
1. Reassure neighbors and passersby. If possible, block off an area with a radius of five or more feet from the swarm, more so no one harms the swarm than to protect people.
2. Call a beekeeper or bee club immediately. If you get voicemail, leave complete information: Location; details such as under the eaves, in a tree, how high up; how big the swarm is; whether a ladder is needed and whether you can provide it; your contact info.
You will be doing a good deed for the bees and for all of us!
March is bee month. Lots of interesting events, don't miss them:
The Alameda County Beekeepers' Association meets the second Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at the Rotary Nature Center at Lake Merritt. The address is 600 Bellevue Ave. Oakland. EXCEPTION: Each June, we meet at the Alameda County Fairgrounds to prepare for our booth there.
March 14th Introduction to beekeeping class 10a.m. to 12-12:30 p.m at Jim Novosel's 2418 California St ,Berkeley
PLEASE RSVP to president at alamedabee dot org. Do not wear scents,wool or dark clothes. A veil would be good to have.
March 21st RANDY OLIVER CLASS 9AM - 3PM - A must class for all. $10 members, $20 non-members. Bring your own LUNCH. The bar will be open at lunch time - cash only. Island Yacht Club 1853 Clement Ave Alameda, CA behind Svendsen's Boat Works along the Marina, courtesy of Jayne Klugs's family.
March 26th SPECIAL PRESENTATION 7 P.M. STEPHEN PETERSEN will speak on Asian Bees and Their Relation to the Environment. Steve keeps bees in Alaska in the summer and is a bee consultant in Asia in winter. This will be aat the Rotary Nature Center
APRIL 14TH Regular meeting with LAURIE ADAMS, speaking on North American Pollination Protection
Also coming in April will bee a FIELD TRIP to Randy Oliver's apiary in Grass Valley . This is an opportunity to buy nucleus colonies or just have a great outing to a great bee farm. There's always a story to share after one of these trips. everyone welcome whether buying a nuc or not.
April 19th EARTH DAY at OAKLAND ZOO DETAILS TO FOLLOW. An opportunity to share your knowledge with others and to learn a bit from others. An observation hive will be there.
The Alameda County Beekeepers' Association meets the second Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at the Rotary Nature Center at Lake Merritt. The address is 600 Bellevue Ave. Oakland. EXCEPTION: Each June, we meet at the Alameda County Fairgrounds to prepare for our booth there.
A beginners bee class March 14th.
A class by Randy Oliver March 21st.
Thursday, March 26, 7PM: Special speaker Stephen Petersen, an Alasakan beekeeper and a bee consultant in Cambodia.Stephen will speak about Asian bees and their relation to the environment. at the Rotary Nature Center.
For more info, contact Bill Smith president@alamedabee.org
"A" kindly sent a link to this article:
Beekeepers fear sting of imported Australian hives
Australia had been airfreighting the insects across the Pacific for four years to replace hives devastated by the perplexing colony collapse disorder. But six weeks ago the Australian government abruptly stopped the shipments, saying it could no longer be certain the country was free of a smaller, aggressive bee that has infested areas near the Great Barrier Reef, U.S. officials said.
The last I heard, which was a year or more ago, imported honey had driven down the prices so much that it wasn't worth large-scale beekeepers' time to harvest and sell it. Evidently, things have changed. The Dept. of Homeland Security (!) raided a Washington state honey producer, looking for contraband.
In the U.S., where bee colonies are dying off and demand for imported honey is soaring, traders of the thick amber liquid are resorting to elaborate schemes to dodge tariffs and health safeguards in order to dump cheap honey on the market, a five-month Seattle P-I investigation has found.
This should help responsible local honey producers, many of whom already are getting a premium for their honey.
Read about it here from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Honey Laundering -- International Trade Increasingly Rife with Crime.
And don't forget the bee club's regularly scheduled meeting, January 13 (the second Tuesday of the month) at the Rotary Wildlife Center at Lake Merritt.
