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Join Us for Our June Meeting
Bee chatting and mite fighting
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Please join us at our June SVBA meeting. We
hope you can make it in person, but an online option will be available,
too. Just watch your e-mails for an invitation.
The meeting will be held on Thursday, June 8, Burlington Public Library. The meeting will kick0ff at 7 PM.
But come early, for our informal "bee chat" beginning at 6:30 PM, complete with some pre-meeting refreshments. Share your questions and tips with your fellow beekeepers.
This month features an explanation of new techniques in battling mites and plans for our summer events.
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It's mite time, more of the time...
Dawn Beck's topic for the June meeting
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SVBA VP Dawn Beck will share her observations about an increasingly popular method to attack the pervasive, invasive varroa mites. Using a solution that includes oxalic acid, sponges can
be prepared and placed in colonies to provide a slower and longer
lasting treatment. This is a technique that beekeeping leader Randy
Oliver has been exploring in California, and has been spreading around
the country with lots of internet and YouTube links.
It's a bit involved, so it is important to understand the techniques,
and consider the potential benefits. Dawn will fill us in, so join us at
the meeting or online.
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Put these on your calendar ...
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The SVBA Picnic is Coming!
Join us on Sunday, July 16th
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Set aside early afternoon on Sunday, July
16th for our annual picnic and summer gathering at the Hillcrest Park
gazebo. It's a potluck plus - the SVBA provides the burgers and hot
dogs, and you add your favorite picnic dish to share. Bring a big
appetite - it's always a mid-summer feast.
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WASBA Knowledge & Fun Fest
Visit the state-wide beekeeping event
Saturday, July 22
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We hope you can join other SVBA beekeepers
and travel down to the Medicine Creek Winery in Olympia, Washington for
this big, free public event and gathering. It is a great chance to meet beekeeping folks from all around the state.
The Washington State Beekeepers Association is the umbrella group for all of the associations, and is staging this fair-like festival.
There will be vendor booths, "knowledge booths" staffed by WASBA member
clubs, games, raffles, mead tasting, activities for kids and more.
Check out the details at https://wasba.org |
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Early August: Skagit County Fair
Get ready and sign up now
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The County Fair is only two months away,
and there is a lot to do to make it a success by being an active
participant. So help Rob Johnson, our Fair Superintendent, as we get ready.
- Sign up to help - There will be sign-up sheets for the many
tasks associated with this major annual event at the June meeting,
including staffing our booth. (It's actually a ton of fun if you haven't
had the chance to do this before.)
- Bottle buying - We will have official glass entry honey bottles for the honey judging event to buy at the meeting.
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Recappings
Susan and Rob's Insights on Honey Judging
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At last month's meeting, Susan DeLawter served as our expert coach on how to prepare for a honey judging event. Rob Johnson provided
a sidebar demonstration of how to handle cut comb, which is a judging
category available this year. Here's a sampling:
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- What's in a color class - There is a standard color gauge
that is used to distinguish among "light", "light amber", "amber" and
"dark" honey. Every apiary can enter separately in any of these classes,
and the folks that accept your entry can help determine where you
bottled honey fits. Just think of it...four blue ribbons, anyone?
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- Be creative with your frame display - there is no standard
requirement, so a little carpentry and craftsmanship can create a
display case that protects the comb and shows it off.
- The light box trick - The judges use a light box to look
through the honey so that they can see crystals, bubbles, or impurities
resulting from the extraction process. It even shows uneven swirls from
filling the bottles and fingerprints on the bottles. Her advice? Keep it
clean, and put the bottles on a windowsill for a week or two before the
judging to let the air bubbles work their way out.
- Don't use a commercial press cutter for your cut comb entry - a nice clean knife and straight edge will do a much neater job.
We hope that many of you will use her tips and encouragement, and submit
your honey for the SVBA's own judging event at the Skagit County Fair
this year. It is coming up in early August, so watch for details in this
newsletter and on the SVBA website.
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Building the Board
Welcome Jim Kohl
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Jim Kohl joined our Board of Directors at last month's
meeting after being nominated and elected by the participating members.
Thanks to Jim for stepping up and contributing - we look forward to your
help keeping the SVBA successful.
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Monthly Tips
The time for summer management
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It has been a fantastic May for bees, a big contrast from last year. As
we turn into the big honey flow periods, here are some tips inspired by
Brad Raspet's personal checklist:
Check for overcrowding, which is likely after such a mild May. Then create more space as needed.
Add a second brood box for the healthy new hives.
- Add honey supers for full colonies.
- Keep eye on your honey supers - they can fill up fast, and a new honey super should be added when a box is about 3/4 full.
Continue feeding syrup (1:1 water to cane sugar) for new hives only, and
for the last time - they should be on their own very soon.
If you have a lot of early honey, consider harvesting it.
If you use drone frames as a mite control method, add them to your new
hives. For drone frames in established hives, remove them when they have
mostly capped drone brood (about 2/3rds or more).
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IEBA Hive Inspection Videos
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By the way, the Inland Empire Beekeeping Association (IEBA) over in
Spokane has produced a very educational set of videos of beehive
inspections, tracking changes over many consecutive weeks. The videos
are a good frame of reference as you look into your own hives and try to
understand what the heck is going on. Just look them up on YouTube.
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Les's Bees always has a range of beekeeping supplies in not-too-far-away Bellingham. SVBA website guru Les Scott continues to serve our region and membership as a retail supplier and distributor. Check out leszbees.com or 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: Renew or Join Us!
It's easy with our online sign-up
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Please catch up on your annual dues or join
the SVBA. Membership supports our many activities, meetings, and
special programs - including the education and outreach that we provide
through our courses, speakers, and annual County Fair participation.
Just look at our website at http://skagitvalleybeekeepers.org.
The annual dues are only $12 (or $13 using our online payment system). The
dues support the many programs and benefits that the Skagit Valley
Beekeepers Association offer our community of helpful beekeepers. The
membership form and payment instructions are found at:
http://skagitvalleybeekeepers.org/SVBAMembership.htm
The online payment option is located at:
https://skagit-valley-beekeepers.square.site
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Brett DeLawter, President
818-416-2208
Dawn Beck, Vice President
206-719-3666 , dawnrunner@live.com
Rob Johnson, Treasurer
360-770-6170, rsjohnson2u@yahoo.com
Susan DeLawter, Secretary
818-259-9059, susandelawter@sbcglobal.net
Steve Cecil, Newsletter
617-719-7870, cecilbees121@gmail.com
Gail Buce, Board
360-333-8655, ougreene@aol.com
Don Johnson, Board
homebrewtwo@gmail.com
Jim Kohl, Board
Heather Oates, Board
360-391-7357, hoates@gmail.com
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