WVBA MEETING MINUTES
NOVEMBER 24, 2025
Meeting was opened by president Rich, presiding in his kilt! We got a brief run down on Scottish kilts.
He had a few copies of the coloring/activity book “Explore the Bees of Oregon” to hand out to those members with young children or grandchildren. We figure that it is never too early to interest the young ones in insects, especially bees.
At the fall conference, the Oregon State Beekeepers Assn. (OSBA), members voted that all members of affiliate regional clubs automatically become members of the state association to the tune of $5.00 each member. This will give OSBA around 2300 members, which sounds more impressive than the current 300, when talking to politicians.
The complete details are being worked out by the presidents of the clubs. So far a family only needs to pay one membership rather than for each member of the family. The OSBA does not recognize club lifetime members. Members can opt out of having their personal information published in the OSBA directory. Those who are members of multiple regional clubs, will have to choose a primary club for OSBA membership purposes.
There will be no club meeting in December.
Some clubs spend a lot of money on their websites and thus are in straitened financial positions. This is not the case with the WVBA.
Anna sent around sign-up sheets for June picnic -park or church, speaker sign-up, queen rearing workshop, and bee school help.
Rich posed the question of officers for 2026. Do the current officers want to remain or not? Elections will be held in January.
Laura will collect dues in January, but she isn’t accepting membership paperwork without accompanying money.
Rich said that he had been discussing with Laura the possibility of setting up a mentorship program. He asked for a brief show of hands of those members willing to mentor new beekeepers. The response was popular. Details will be worked out in the coming months as well as a sign-up sheet.
Rich suggested that everyone read Randy Oliver’s articles in the American Bee Journal for October, November, and December. Randy is addressing oxalic acid and asking the question, “What really kills the mites?”
In preparation for Carolyn’s presentation, Anna talked about equipment needed for oxalic acid vaporization: eye protection, full-or half-face respirators, nitrile or latex gloves, oxalic acid, various vaporizing wands, and batteries to power the units.
After a refreshment break, we reconvened to listen to Carolyn Breece from OSU talk about the winter brood monitoring project. Because OSU is using their bees as research tools, they open their selected colonies every 2 weeks from mid-October to mid-February to determine when in winter there is no capped brood so that other beekeepers in the area know when is the best time to treat with oxalic acid vaporization and they do not need to stress their own colonies.
She covered the Varroa mite life cycle.
Don’t look for visual sighting of mites, just do a mite wash, in the appropriate season—NOT WINTER!
Watch the Auburn University Winter Brood Monitoring webpage for updates every 2 weeks for when the brood levels are lowest, and then treat asap!
Use either the OA dribble or OA vapor.
She talked about the Tropilaelaps mites which are not in the US yet, but researchers are concerned that because of world commerce, it is only a matter time before they arrive.
Beekeepers are encouraged to use and check their sticky monitoring boards for these mites. The Honey Bee Health Coalition has a publication, “Tropilaelaps mites 2024 United States Primer: Where we are, what you can do, and where we are going”, which every beekeeper should read to be aware and on watch for these mites.
She then talked briefly about the Oregon Master Beekeeper Program, encouraging folks to sign up to be mentors even if they have not taken part in the OMB program previously.
She then took questions.
Raffle time!
Meeting Adjourned at 9:05.
Respectfully submitted by Denny Pederson filling in for Elaine Timm, typed by Anna Ashby
December 4, 2025.