Author Archives: Carl Fisher

What to Expect in May in Northeast WI

Here is what to expect in and around the hive in May.

Club Activities in 2022, see what makes the club exceptional

April 2022– Ever wanted to see little bundles of energy learning about bees and pollinators. Julie Mazzoleni and Bob Michiels had a fun day exploring pollinators with over 50 first grade students in Oconto, WI. The students were fascinated about honey bee “SUPERPOWERS” and became experts at the waggle dance (no pictures unfortunately).

April 2022 – The East branch of the Brown County WI library system hosted an information gathering session for more than 10 young, first time beekeepers. Dave Elsen, Bob Michiels, and Wayne Steigelman added to the attendees excitement as their knowledge about what it means to be a beekeeper was expanded. These new beekeepers left with a better understanding of how the Brown County Beekeepers Association is a resource throughout the season.

January 2022– Julie Mazzoleni, Bob Michiels, and Wayne Steigelman met with the Gardeners Club of Green Bay (an affiliate of Gardeners club of America). The presentation focused on honey bees, native bees and other pollinators, the threats they encounter in today’s environment and the actions gardeners can take to protect all pollinators. The Garden club members were also treated to a honey tasting event where they were able to sample 5 different flavors of honey.

What to Expect in Northeast WI in April

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Here is what to expect in and around the hive in April.

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What to Expect in Northeast WI in March

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Here is what to expect in and around the hive in March.

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What to Expect in Northeast WI in January

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Here is what to expect in and around the hive in January.

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Club Activities in 2021

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December 2021 – Club member Emily Skala was recognized at the WHPA Fall Banquet for completing the first year of her Youth Beekeeping Scholarship. The Brown County Beekeepers are proud of her accomplishment and Julie Mazolleni for being her mentor.

Participating as part of a panel discussion.

November 2021 – A very special club meeting. Most of the meeting was dedicated to club members sharing how they use honey and wax products to generate additional income AND to use the outputs of the bees hard work.

September 2021 – The Club was represented at the Botanical Gardens 25th Anniversary fair. Lots of folks that are interested in plants and flowers learned about bees and their importance to the food/flower chain.

Observation hive always interests the kids

August 2021 – The club meeting in August was very special. The bulk of the meeting was spent honoring Tom Cashman for his 50 years of service to the club. Tom has been an officer ALL of those 50 years. He followed in the footsteps of his father who was club President in the 1930’s. The club has had a Cashman in the club for over 75 years!

July 2021 – The annual club picnic was again a success. Thanks to Dick and Carol for coordinating the event and to Jim for cooking and providing homemade wine.

Prize winner, Emily, drawing the next winner.

July 2021 – The club partnered with the Green Bay Botanical Gardens to conduct two Children’s Pollinator Program summer camp classes where we discussed bees, pollinators, and honey. Special thanks to club members Julie, Dave, Emily H., Carl, tom, and Emily S. for preparing the materials and presenting an exciting and interesting four hour, hands-on class.

Learning about bees — Emily explaining honey comb

June 2021 – Club members were treated to a honey themed dinner prepared by Chef Ace Champion and hosted at Ledgestone Vineyard s in Greenleaf, WI. The evening started with an outside cooking demo and quickly, due to thunderstorms, moved inside into the wineries aging room. It was a night of fun, fellowship, good food, and wine.

All set up and cooking outside before the thunderstorm

May 2021 – The club partnered with NWTC and Green Bay Botanical Gardens to establish and improve the bee yard in the work area of the Gardens. The club authorized spending up to $200 on the bee yard which ultimately only cost $60 because of the donation of crushed limestone (NWTC) and mulch (Gardens). Special thanks to Dave and Diane Elsen, Carl Fisher and Julie Mazolleni for all the work they put into the new and improved bee yard.

March 2021 – NBC Channel 26 in Green Bay featured beekeeping with interviews of two club members. Watch it here on Facebook.

Club Activities in 2020

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June 2020 – Three Girl Scouts were assisted by the club as they progressed on their Girl Scout journey. The young ladies painted bee boxes and then learned about installing bees in club hives at the Green Bay Botanical Gardens.

Girl Scouts with bees — Bee boxes painted and bees installed by Girl Scouts

April 2020 – COVID hits and in-person meetings are not allowed at the Botanical Gardens. The leadership of the club made the decision to move to virtual meetings for April. Meeting attendance was excellent, little did we know at the time that we would remain virtual for the rest of the year. Thanks to club officers Dave Elsen, Julie Mazolleni, Tom Cashman, and Sarah Mueller for their guidance and keeping the club alive and vibrant during these trying times.

February 2020 – BCBA once again participated in the Einstein Expo where 3000 young children were exposed to beekeeping. They especially enjoyed the observation hive and the bee themed crafts. Special thanks to Dan, Dick and Carol for coordinating the event for the club.

January 2020 – BCBA members Carl and Dave presented an overview of beekeeping to 32 individuals from the Farmory. It was a lively discussion with lots of great questions.

Carl describing the equipment needed for beekeeping

January 2020 – The Introduction to Beekeeping class was moved to January and over 50 new beekeepers took advantage of this cost effective way to learn about beekeeping from BCBA experts.

Club Activities in 2019

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August 2019 – The state apiary inspectors visited the hives of number club members. Read more here.

July 2019 -As is typical in July for the club instead of a meeting we held a picnic. Special thanks to Dick and Carol Sturm for coordinating the picnic and to James Arvey for being the grill master and providing samples of his homemade wine.

June 2019 – Members of BCBA were treated to a honey and cheese tasting event. Kent Pegorsch, president of the Wisconsin Honey Producers Association (WHPA), presented information on the different Wisconsin flowers and nectar sources. Every participant received a flavor wheel and color chart from the American Honey Tasting society (AHTS) as they tasted various honey samples side by side. These were paired with different types of artisan cheeses supplied by Nala’s Fromagerie in De Pere.

June 2019 – BCBA partnered with Girl Scout Troop 4679 to assist the young ladies in their Girl Scout journey. You can read more here.

Girl Scouts helping install bees into boxes they painted.

February 2019 – The “Meeting Before the Meeting” in February was a hive inspection of a hive that died over the winter. A search was made for the queen but she was not found. The bees either starved, although there were some frames with honey, OR the hive didn’t have enough ventilation so the bees were damp. The group was split 50/50 on the cause.

February 2019 – The Club was well represented at the Einstein Expo where over 3000 students passed by our booth. The Club’s mission to “…. create an environment where learning opportunities exist for association members and the general public.” was accomplished. The questions were endless and enthusiasm for bees infectious.

February 2019 – On a cold Saturday 28 brand new beekeepers gathered at NWTC to attend BCBA’s 7 hour Introduction to Beekeeping Class. Experienced members of BCBA presented numerous topics required to bring new beekeepers up to speed. Talk about drinking from a fire hose!

Club Activities in 2018

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September 2018 – Thanks to all who participated in the Definitely DePere Farmers market. It was a beautiful day and we appreciate all the help and input.

July 2018 – A fun day for everyone during the club picnic. It’s always nice getting to know people and families outside regular club meetings. There were good conversations along great burgers, brats and dogs.

Special thanks to Carol and Richard Sturm for organizing the picnic. Also thank you to all who brought food to share and door prizes. And let’s not forget a big thanks to Jim Arvey for the home made wine!! And Orren Fredrick for a great job on the grill.

June 2018 – The Brown County Beekeepers club participated in the Oneida Ag Expo on June 9, 2018. The Ag Expo Featured family activities that celebrated Oneida and Wisconsin agricultural heritage and future. There were food vendors, live music, 4H Garden tours and speakers such as Kyle Turley (former NFL player).A lot of interest in beekeeping was expressed by the attendees.

Oneida Ag Expo - June 2018 — Lynne assisting in finding the queen.

April 2018 – Club President Steve and member Kaelyn met with the conservation club at Sunnyside Elementary School in the Pulaski School District for an hour. The discussion focused on how individuals can help honey bees and about the joys of being a beekeeper.