Newsletter for April 2025
 

Join us on Thursday, April 10
Central Skagit Valley Library in Sedro-Woolley

3ur next monthly meeting will be on Thursday, April 10th at 7:00 PM. We will be gathering in the meeting room at the Central Skagit Valley Library in Sedro-Woolley.
 
Here's what's up this month:

• A "bee chat" beginning at 6:30 PM - We enjoy a pre-meeting time to share tips and tales with a few refreshments to which everyone is invited.
• Bee talk - Our presentation this month will be by Dawn Beck on the topic "The Whys & Hows of Splitting Hives"
• Zoom option - If you can't come, but want to participate, you can join us by Zoom. An e-mail with the link will be sent to members before the meeting.

Beginning Beekeeping Course
April 5th and 6th, 8 AM to Noon

This is your last chance to sign up for the fantastic Beginning Beekeeper Course being taught online by master beekeeper Dawn Beck. Registration will be open until noon on Friday, April 4th, so there's still time to sign up. You can register here. We'd love to see more people participate! 
 
The class is on Saturday April 5th, and Sunday April 6th from 8 AM to noon each day, and the cost is $65. Registration will be open until noon on Friday, April 4th.

Domie Bourgeois has this reminder: "If you took the March Class and would like to sign up to receive the WASBA course manual and take the test to become certified as either a Beginning Beekeeper, Apprentice Beekeeper, or both, you must register to do so with SVBA, not WASBA. The cost is $25 for the Beginner level and $35 for Apprentice." You can register here. 

Presentation:
The Whys & Hows of Splitting Hives
Thursday April 10, SVBA Meeting

It is the time of year when many beekeepers multiply their colonies and limit swarming by splitting one colony into two. But it is really tricky to do this successfully, as your newsletter editor has learned from his own puzzling experiences. So this presentation will walk us through the process, step-by-step. Dawn Beck will provide the visual aids and describe how it should be accomplished.

Bees and Brews
Second Monday of each month
This month? April 14th
Terramar Brewstillery in Bow
6 PM to 7 PM

To kick off beekeeping conversations, Dawn Beck will be discussing a topic each month while you enjoy your favorite beer (or cider).  President Brett DeLawter also points out, "don’t forget that they also serve some very tasty food items to go along with your beverage."

Demonstration
Splitting colonies
Saturday, April 19th, 10 AM - Noon

To add practice to the theory, Dawn Beck will lead a demonstration of colony splitting at the SVBA Apiary behind the Terramar Brewstillery in Bow on Saturday, April 19th at 10 AM. This is a "weather permitting" event; please check the SVBA Facebook account to be certain if we are meeting up to 8 AM on the day of the demonstration; if it is cancelled, the next target date will be April 26th.

May Meeting Speaker
Dr. Priya Chakrabarti Basu
Thursday, May 8 at the SVBA meeting

Our program for May will feature a talk by Dr. Priya Chakrabarti Basu, the new Assistant Professor in Pollinator Health at WSU.  She will discuss "Supplemental Feeding and Seasonal Nutrient Management of Colonies".

The colony-splitting demonstration will kick off instructional sessions at the SVBA Apiary which are being planned for each month through September. Watch for more information on final dates in the newsletter and at the SVBA website.

Domie Bourgois is managing key waivers for those attending, and sent this important reminder:
 
"If you plan to attend any events in the SVBA Apiary this year, please ensure you have a completed Liability Waiver and Emergency Contact form on file for yourself and each member in your household. If you completed a paper membership application this year, this form was included with that paperwork. If you applied for membership online and paid dues via Square, you received this form in a separate email from domie.bourgeois@gmail.com. If you have not received it, please check your spam folder and let Domie know if you need her to resend it. 
 
We will be checking that all participants have this form on file at the start of each Apiary Field Day. We will have blank copies available for you to fill out on-site if needed, but since this will take time away from the unique, hands-on learning experience that makes our Apiary Field Days so valuable, it's best to ensure you're all squared away ahead of time."

Pacific Northwest Bee Survey
An invitation to participate

This annual regional survey began in 2015 as an initiative of the Portland Urban Beekeepers, a non-profit beekeepers association. It was inspired by Dr. Dewey Carron, a recent speaker at one of the SVBA meetings. They have put out a call for participation in this simple survey to identify trends and issues, which is open until the end of April. Here's the link. 

The results are contained in readily available reports, which can be accessed here https://pnwhoneybeesurvey.com

A Successful Auction (and Potluck)
Thanks to all the participants!

It was an evening of grazing, gazing, and buying.

Last month's event was a solid success, as we grazed the contributed dinner dishes and gazed at all of the contributed auction items. With a few successful bids still awaiting final payment, SVBA Treasurer Domie Bourgeois reports that the revenues for the SVBA will be about $1,200, which is greater than the $1,000 goal in our annual budget.
 
A new auction item this year were $75 sponsorships for each of the colonies at the SVBA Apiary. Sponsorships were purchased by Chris Apple, Steve and Audrey Cecil, Chris Zimmerman, and Tom Zimmerman - this will help cover some of the costs of this very active SVBA program.

Now the fun really starts; time to get busy. Here is this month's activity checklist based in part on former SVBA President Brad Raspet's schedule of beekeeping practices.

• Inspect - It is time to get into your hives on a sunny day when temperatures rise above 55 degrees. Avoid opening hives for any prolonged time if it is cold.
• Feed - it is time to start feeding 1:1 syrup as temperatures rise.
• De-insulate - As it gets warmer, take the overwintering insulation off of the hives.
• Clean - Clean the entrance, bottom boards, and remove guards/reducers on occupied hives.
• Manage - Consider reversing brood supers or rearranging frames.
• Prepare - Prepare bee yards and empty supers for new bees or nucs (1 deep box,) and install reducers.
• Order and install - If you need new bees, order them soon; supplies may be getting scarce. When you get nucs or packages, install them.
• De-drone - If you use this method, set up frames to concentrate drone cells, and remove all 66%+ capped drone comb in deeps to reduce mite loads.

Annual membership dues are for a calendar year, and it is a good time to join, renew, or rejoin your SVBA membership. Annual dues are only $20 for an individual or $30 for a household. It's a high value investment and supports the wide range of programs and events that we offer.

The membership form and payment instructions are found on our website or by clicking HERE.

The online payment option can be accessed by clicking HERE.

Skagit Valley Beekeepers Association

Brett DeLawter              President  brettdelawter@gmail.com
Dawn Beck                    Vice President   dawnrunner@live.com
Domie Bourgeois         Treasurer/Website Manager domie.bourgeois@gmail.com
Brenda Crossley          Secretary   brendacrossley49@gmail.com
Steve Cecil                    Newsletter  cecilbees121@gmail.com
Don Johnson                Board   homebrewtwo@gmail.com
Jim Kohl                        Board
Heather Oates               Board  hoates@gmail.com
Seth Smith.                   Board   seth_smith@live.com
Chris Zimmerman        Board  gocougs87@gmail.com
Matt and Nikki Jones   SVBA Equipment Managers  lamesican@gmail.com