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Join us on Thursday, May 8
Central Skagit Valley Library in Sedro-Woolley
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Our next monthly meeting will be on Thursday, May 8th at 7:00 PM. We will be gathering in the meeting room at the Central Skagit Valley Library in Sedro-Woolley.
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Here's what's up this month:
- A Beeginners Q&A and Bee Chat beginning at 6:00 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 Dr. Priya Chakrabarti Basu on the topic "Supplemental Feed and Nutritional Management of Colonies"
- 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.
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Presentation:
Dr. Priya Chakrabarti Basu
Supplemental Feed and
Nutritional Management of Colonies
At the May SVBA Meeting
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Dr. Basu is the newly appointed Assistant Professor in Pollinator Health at Washington State University and will speak on one of her main areas expertise.- bee nutrition.
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There are arrays of bee supplements on the market today along with persuasive advertising. You will also find lots of good advice within the SVBA based on the local experience. Each year is a new adventure, trying to gauge the methods and amounts of sugar, sugar syrup, food and pollen patties to provide (or to withhold) at various times of the year.
Dr. Basu brings the benefits of analytical science to the lectern, and will explain the metabolic mechanisms at work. She will suggest various approaches that we might take to help sustain and improve our colonies.
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Photo: Washington State University
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Bees and Brews
Second Monday of each month
This month? May 12th
Terramar Brewstillery in Bow
6 PM to 7 PM
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We enjoy getting together to bee-schmooze at the Brewstillery and lift a pint or glass of their many offerings. Dawn Beck normally brings a topic and a few observations each month to kick off the conversation, which can then wander in many interesting directions...
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Hive Sides at the Apiary
Every Saturday
Noon at the SVBA Apiary
(in the field behind the Terramar Brewstillery)
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During this time of year, we take some time each week to inspect and manage our colonies at the SVBA demonstration apiary. There is no preset topic - the bees set the agenda. You are invited to come watch, learn, and ask questions as each colony evolves over the summer.
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Getting your Entries Ready for the Fair
Presentation by Susan DeLawter
June 12th at the SVBA Meeting
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The annual honey judging event at the Skagit County Fair is one of our steadily growing programs. Susan DeLawter is a terrific coach and promoter of the event, based on her experience and training in honey-judging. It's not hard to assemble a competitive entry, but there are techniques that can make the difference between a blue ribbon and an honorable mention. Susan will bring advice and examples so that you can start planning for the early August Fair.
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The Pollinator Knowledge & Fun Fest
Sponsored by WASBA
Medicine Creek Winery, Olympia
Saturday, June 21
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This has become an annual destination event for beekeepers across the state, and a chance to rub elbows with other beekeepers and vendors. It is organized to offer technical tips and beekeeping information, balanced by some summery fun on the grounds of a winery. Here is the link for more information: https://wasba.org/events/knowledge-fun-fest/ |
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Presentation:
The Whys & Hows of Splitting Hives
Dawn Beck at the April SVBA Meeting
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SVBA VP and Master Beekeeper Dawn Beck gave a fact packed explanation of the methods used for splitting bee colonies, which is a pre-occupation of many SVBA beekeepers this time of year. We took pages and pages of notes.
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She gave three motivations for splitting: "preventing swarming, getting more honey, and having peace of mind when you go on vacation." Here are just a few key ideas:
- Not all splits are created equal - There are different reasons to split strong colonies. The basic approach that beekeepers are typically taught is designed to increase the number of bees and colonies, sometimes called a "walk away split". But there are methods designed to avoid swarming and to maximize honey production.
- Typical splits - These splits try to prevent swarming and create two strong colonies. There are "walk away" splits when you can't find the queen, and splits where you find and place the queen with some brood, bees and food in a separated hive.
- Cut-down split - This type of split is an unequal division of the colony where the queen is separated with a small number of accompanying bees and frames, like a nuc. This leaves a large number of productive bees; if you add a mated queen, then the original hive may be a great honey-producer.
- Demaree split - This method uses queen excluders to separate the colony vertically so that the honey supers are in the middle of the hive, and the queen is discouraged from swarming by separating sections of brood and nurse bees.
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Field Day
Opening up the overwintered colonies
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On April 19th, members gathered at the SVBA Apiary to participate and learn from the first full inspection and management steps for our 4 overwintered hives. Dawn Beck led the session, including pulling out each frame and making observations about the state of each colony. We saw a booming colony needing more space and colonies that are candidates for splitting. One colony was experiencing "chalk brood", a malady that is fatal to some of the brood. This provided the opportunity to discuss strategies to reverse the condition.
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Signs of spring in the Skagit:
Flocks of snow geese leaving and gaggles of beekeepers arriving
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Other field day demonstrations may be staged from time to time, typically on Saturdays this year. Check online at the SVBA website for updates.
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Start Planning for your Fair Entry
June planning for July and August
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Susan DeLawter reminds us that you will benefit from planning ahead so that you can take the steps that will lead to a successful entry in our early-August judging event. You should take advantage of her talk on the topic at the June meeting.
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Wow, this spring is actually spring, unlike the last few years. Here is this month's activity checklist inspired by former SVBA President Brad Raspet's schedule of beekeeping practices.
- Inspect - A thorough inspection on a regular basis of each hive is best unless you are a commercial beekeeper.
- Feed some - Continue pollen patties and syrup (1 to 1) for new hives only
- Manage - Check for overcrowding and create more space if needed by splitting large, crowded colonies, or...adding honey supers for full colonies not being fed, or...adding a second brood box for the new hives when the first box is getting full
- De-drone - If you use this method, remove drone comb where the frames are about 2/3rds full of capped drone brood.
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Nucs, Packages, and Queens - For those looking for new bees, we encourage you to contact frequent SVBA contributor Les Scott at Les's Bees, who lists live bees for sale here. Dawn Beck is another bee source and has had nucs available; you can e-mail her here.
Les's Bees always has a range of beekeeping supplies in his Bellingham supply house, and owner Les Scott might even arrange to drop off on-line purchases for SVBA members at our meetings if you get in touch in advance . Go to leszbees.com. Or you can contact Les Scott directly by e-mail, call, or text: 360-303-0396.
If you have supplies and equipment that you may be interested in swapping, selling, or just plain giving to other interested members of the SVBA, send a brief description, price, and contact information to your editor, cecilbees121@gmail.com.
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Membership in the SVBA
Get with the program...
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Annual membership dues are now overdue for past members, and it is the perfect time to join and be part of our beekeeping colony. 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. |
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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
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