Joanne in Sequim is giving away some some bee gear because they're moving. She wrote:
"Is there anyone who would like to look at our equipment and take some or all of it? We have three brood boxes with covers, several supers, and lots of frames."
Anyone interested can email her at the2farmers@hotmail.com.
See Greg’s post under the Education tab for details on the Beginning Beekeeping course and a one-time class on swarm behavior and management.
If you’re not on the NOBPA Facebook page, you may have missed this helpful offer from Agnew resident Jerry Schmidt on Saturday:
I have quite a lot of extra 10 frame boxes and drawn comb, if anyone needs for next yr.
Text, 3604605733
J
After availing myself of his generosity, I can testify that indeed he has A LOT of spare hive boxes. And also A LOT of active hives.
— Rami
From Mark:
Just a quick reminder that we will meet this Sunday, August 13th at noon in the Port Angeles Library.
The Clallam County Fair begins just a few days later so I will have worker tickets for those who have signed up to help. We can still use people, especially on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon and evening shifts. Please let me know if that's something you can help out with.
Many thanks to Megan for coordinating our presence at the Lavender Festival. I had a great time and I think that is felt by the other volunteers. Thank you, also, to Marshall for donating honey.
We'll do it all again at the Fair so if you have honey or unextracted frames you would like to donate, please let me know.
Other topics for Sunday include extraction of honey and winter preparation.
It also looks like we will have the new club shirts available at the meeting. I believe the cost is $15.00 but don't hold me to that.
I hope the season is going well for you and your bees. Mine seem happier that they were last year.
From Mark: I'm writing to remind you that we will hold our June meeting this coming Sunday, June 11th at noon in the Carver room at the Port Angeles Library. Topics we will discuss include the upcoming Lavender Festival, care and feeding of your new bees and how to split a growing hive.
I hope all is well in your beehives. Mine are finally able to get some work done but I also lost all my squash plants to a late frost last night so maybe summer isn't quite here yet.
Update from Mark:
The weather isn't cooperating for Field Day so Greg and I have decided to push the date back to next week, Saturday May 13th at noon. We could probably have done inspections but the bees would be unhappy to see us and that makes it hard on all parties.
Since we are scheduled to meet the following day and since everyone has limits to how much time they can spend on bees, we will consider the Field Day to serve as the May meeting as well.
Bee Informed Partnership is excited to announce that on Monday, April 10th,
at 6:30pm ET / 3:30pm PDT, we will host guest speakers Dr. Marla Spivak
(University of Minnesota), Dr. David Tarpy (NC State University), and Dr.
Garett Slater (USDA-ARS) for a panel discussion centered around the joint
topics of queen breeding and genetic diversity.
As beekeepers, many of us wonder about our queens and how they influence our
beekeeping practices. Are they hygienic? Will they produce a lot of honey?
Are they Italian, Caucasian, Carniolan, etc., and what does that really
mean? How far down do their desirable traits get passed onto future
generations? The list can go on and on, and that's what we'd like your help
with!
If you could ask the experts a question about the impacts of queen breeding
and genetics in honey bees, what would it be? Please submit any questions
you may have to this Google Form
https://tinyurl.com/4yuzh6ae
by Monday, April 3rd! We'll do our best to ask your question during the
panel.
To attend this event, register in advance through Zoom.
https://tinyurl.com/bdd2ydmx
Questions about the event? Contact Rachel Kuipers @
rachel.kuipers@beeinformed.org <mailto:rachel.kuipers@beeinformed.org>
Mark writes:
As sometimes happens, our meeting date has conflicted with life. The scheduled April date is Easter Sunday so we will meet the following week on Sunday, April 16th at the same time and place.
The focus topic will be on installing your bees and caring for them in the important first months.
We'll also be finalizing the mentor/mentee list and answering any questions.
I think Sunny Farm is still taking orders (they were last Sat.) so it's not too late to replace those bees that didn't make it through the winter. Hopefully the last week has brought activity to hives that were quiet all winter.
A note from Greg Butler:
This is a reminder that next Saturday afternoon we’re having a short class focusing on swarming. The plan is for a general review of swarm behavior, have a discussion about preemptive measures you can take, and offer a couple of methods for brood management and a simple way to make splits and nucs. There are never any guarantees, but the goal is to help keep your bees out of the trees this summer.
When: Saturday March 25, 2:00 - 5:00 pm
Where: Carver Room at the Port Angeles Library.
The monthly NOPBA meeting is Sunday, March 12 at noon in the PA Library. That’s just hours after the change to daylight saving time (so your clocks might still show 11…) Mark Urnes will be unable to make it but Greg Butler will moderate and “present a lesson in honeybee anatomy,” says Mark.
Also:
- annual dues are still being accepted via the website or directly to our P.O. box
- mentors and mentees can let Mark know if they are interested in participating in that program
- the swarm list is open. To be included, you should be a paid-up member and agree to serve in some capacity during the year (work a shift at the fair or lavender festival, host a club visit, give a presentation)
- Jill at Sunny Farms just called and they have been provided with another 100 packages. Cost is $179.00 and delivery is 3rd or 4th Saturday in April.
Honey bee on poppy, Sequim, 8/2022
The regular monthly NOPBA meeting will be at noon at the PA main library, 2210 S Peabody St. Among other things, Mark and Greg will give some general introductory pointers on beekeeping for those just getting started. See you there.
Class is full for the 2023 Beginning Beekeeper Course.
Wait list is available through the Peninsula College Community Education website.
See 2023 Syllabus for more information
Hello and happy New Year!
The first NOPBA meeting of 2023 will be Sunday Jan. 8 at noon at the Port Angeles main library, 2210 S Peabody St.
See you there.
We will hold our final meeting of 2022 in the Carver room at the Port Angeles Main Library next Sunday, November 13 at noon. Highlights include our annual election of officers, open question period and a presentation by Mark Urnes on the good and the bad of wax rendering and candle making.
The October meeting is scheduled for the 9th at noon in the Port Angeles Library. NOPBA president Mark Urnes says topics of interest include a recap of the past season and preparation for winter.
Melissa Ruder will be presenting her experience with a Flow Hive over the course of the past season.
Hope to see you there.
There’s been a change in the August meeting date. Rather than the 14th, it’s now scheduled for Aug. 7 at the PA library.
OLYMPIA – The Entomological Society of America (ESA) has adopted “northern giant hornet” for the species Vespa mandarinia in its Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms List. While there was no official ESA common name until now, the hornet has been most often referred to as “Asian giant hornet” or “murder hornet” since its introduction in North America became widely known in 2020.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is following ESA’s recommendation and will begin referring to V. mandarinia as “northern giant hornet” and will also update its website and printed materials to reflect the newly established ESA common name in the coming weeks.
The next three bee club meetings are scheduled for noon on the second Sunday of the month — that’s June 12, July 10 and August 14 — at the Port Angeles Main Library (the Raymond Carver meeting room).
Greg Butler and Mark Urnes take a look at the NOBPA club hive on May 15.
The club’s first demonstration hive is now buzzing and growing in a sunny spot provided by Joe and Elena Metz near Robin Hill Farm County Park outside Sequim. Woodenware and drawn foundation were donated by Greg Butler, and set up by Joe and Megan D’More in late March. The package of bees was purchased from Sunny Farms. Mark Urnes, Joe, Megan and Greg installed the bees on April 30. The hive was given a few days to settle in before a preventive oxalic acid vaporization (OAV treatment) was performed on May 6 while the bees were still in their broodless condition.
Greg reports: “After our club meeting May 15, Mark and Joe checked progress. The queen was observed and all indications have the bees doing well with all stages of worker and drone brood centered over several frames. The colony is currently being lightly fed. Even though the package was installed on drawn foundation, less than ideal flying weather may be somewhat responsible for the minimal amount of surplus we observed at this time. A demonstration to measure (sample) for Varroa will take place in mid-June.”
Greetings NOPBA Members and Guests
In August of 2021, we hosted a presentation by Bill Hesbach where he discussed topics related to hive insulation. Bill's talk included honey bee thermoregulation and how the cluster reacts to winter temperatures. We heard how hive insulation dictates critical characteristics of internal hive atmospheres and Bill compared the condensing colony concept versus that of ventilated colonies.
Bill Hesbach is an Eastern Apiculture Society Certified Master Beekeeper and a graduate of the University of Montana's master beekeeping program. He is active in local bee communities and contributes to Bee Culture and American Bee Journal.
North Olympic Peninsula Beekeepers' Association - Clallam County, Washington
PO Box 3036, Sequim, WA 98382
info@nopba.org
