It was good to see Sonoma County's "Queen Bee," Ettamarie Peterson of Petaluma, bee honored on the cover of the December edition of Bee Culture magazine.  She often submits articles for the magazine. I decided it was time her to be featured and wrote a two-page article, illustrated with six images.

Ettamarie recently delivered a presentation at the Vacaville Museum Guild's Children Party, where she displayed a bee observation hive and answered questions about honey bees.

Ettamarie, a retired teacher who taught school for 37 years, has kept bees for three decades, and has volunteered as the leader of a 4-H beekeeping project for the past 25 years. 

At the children's party, the youngsters singled out the queen bee, worker bees and drones. drones (males). They asked such questions as "Where's the queen?" and "Can they get out and hurt me?" and "How many bees are in there?"

Ettamarie pointed out the queen and said "Look, she's laying eggs--she can lay 1000 eggs a day." 

And she assured them that yes, the bees would be staying inside. 

"I like to tell the public how they have a pipe through my barn wall so when they are not visiting events and schools they can fly if they are over three weeks old and then explain how in the spring and summer they live only three or so more weeks and make just a tiny bit of honey," she related. "Another question I usually get asked is if there are more than one queen and then I explain how there can be a daughter queen if the old one is about to die and show the photo of the queen cell with the royal jelly."

As for the number of bees, "Maybe 2000 but I told a guy to count their legs and divide by 6!"

Peterson also shared scientific information (some attributed to Norm Gary, professor emeritus, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis and a retired professor bee wrangler),  and a cut-out bee from the Sonoma Farm Bureau. Youngsters delighted in posing for pictures as a bee.

While she chatted with the children and the adults, Dr. George Stock, a retired Vacaville-Fairfield physician costumed in a California Master Beekeeper Program bee suit, handed out honey sticks, gifts from the Z Food Specialty/The Hive, Woodland.  

“I started beekeeping before I retired in 1998 from 37 years of teaching,” the octogenarian said.  “My teaching career was mostly in special education, following a few years teaching second and first grade. I became one of the first resource teachers in California back in 1980 after getting my master's degree in special education."

Active in the beekeeping industry, Ettamarie has served as president and treasurer of Sonoma County Beekeepers' Association (SCBA) "for many years" and edits the  SCBA newsletter, The Monthly Extractor. 

She loves "talking bees." She shows her glassed-in bee observation hive at schools and other venues. She collects swarms for her Liberty 4-H Club beekeepers. "I got involved in 4-H when my son wanted his daughters to learn how to keep bees,” she recalled.  “They are both parents now so I am hoping to teach the three great-grandsons, too!" 

Her interests also include bee photography, raising chickens, growing vegetables. and planting flowers “for the bees and butterflies. My granddaughter and I have a special garden in front of my house for bees and butterflies."

Ettamarie is also a longtime friend and supporter of the University of California, Davis. She delivered a tribute to the late Eric Mussen (1946-2022), a 38-year California Cooperative Extension apiculturist and member of the Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty.

Although she's known as "The Queen Bee of Sonoma County," she considers herself a "worker bee," not a queen. The life of a queen bee is just not for her. "I have decided I do not want to be the queen bee because she never ever gets to smell the flowers! I would much rather be a worker bee! The queen bee has a short life which I have already avoided, of course, and plan on many more years in the garden."

Ettamarie and her husband, Ray (a non-beekeeper), enjoy life on the Peterson Ranch. "We've been married for 65 years and have 3 children, 9 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren! What a wonderful life I have!”