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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.comRob Johnson, Treasurer
360-770-6170, rsjohnson2u@yahoo.com
Susan DeLawter, Secretary
818-259-9059, susandelawter@sbcglobal.netSteve Cecil, Newsletter
617-719-7870, cecilbees121@gmail.comGail Buce, Board 360-333-8655, ougreene@aol.comDon Johnson, Board
homebrewtwo@gmail.com
Jim Kohl, BoardHeather Oates, Board 360-391-7357, hoates@gmail.com |
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