Tuesday, June 2, 2015

April 25th 2015 - Two Carnolians and Two Italians

Installed four packages.  Two hives at end toward bee shed are Carnolians and the other two are Italians.  Temperature was approximately 70 and nice evening.  Italians were not happy and appeared to be irritable.  All went well.

We closed up the entrances, installed Mann Lake Feeders modified feeders up top.  The plastic inserts were purchased at Mann Lake in PA and were installed in the Brushy Mountain wood bases.  This was purely for cost savings.  Last year we noticed there were a lot of drowned bees using the Brushy Mountain top feeders with wooden floats.  We decided to repurpose the Brushy Mountain feeders by installing the Mann Lake plastic with screen into the Brushy Mountain wood base.  Fewer drownings by far.  My dad stuck bits of cloth in the ends of the screen where the bees wanted to squeeze through, which reduced the drownings significantly.

After the initial inspections we were pleased with the modified feeders.  Significantly reduced drownings.
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Friday, February 27, 2015

Magic Comes When You're Not Looking for It

--and the most basic rule is that it has to come as a surprise. Nobody hopped into a wardrobe to find Narnia; they hopped in thinking it was just a wardrobe. They didn't climb up the Faraway Tree knowing it was a Faraway Tree; they thought it was just a really big tree. Harry Potter thought he was a normal boy; Mary Poppins was supposed to be a regular nanny. It's the first and only rule. Magic comes when you're not looking for it. ~ from Geek Girl by Holly Smale

This description of magic truly resonates with my first experience in beekeeping. I started out on the journey of beekeeping as a way of getting closer to my dad who had helped my grandfather keep 30 plus hives. The moment we set out to the bee yard to install our first packages I had a knot in my stomach and had made a pact with myself that if all things went wrong that I could run from the bee yard. My mouth was dry as we set up for the installation process. I didn't tell my dad about my being scared. When we shook out the first package of bees they surrounded us in flight. We shook out the second, third, and fourth packages.  The entire sky was yellow gold, hums, sweet bee smell, bees stretching their wings and I must say it was MAGICAL.
Check the link of a 360 degree bee yard



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Sunday, July 24, 2011

Candle Making!


I melted all this wax down to 6 ounces. It really makes me appreciate pure beeswax candles. Smells so good. You can smell the honey in the wax. Can you imagine living in a warm cozy home with golden wax all around you and the smell of honey in the air? I'd dance too like a little bee.
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Melting Wax in Crock Pot

The solar wax melter was a little too slow for me and ants seemed to love the idea and were getting into my wax. I found this other method that works faster and cleaner.

I found a crock pot at the local store for $10. You could probably find one at a garage sale for cheaper. Fill the bottom with an inch of water and stuff all your wax in and set the crock pot on low. Depending on the size of the crockpot and amount of wax you put in it, it may take between 3 to 5 hours to melt.

After it melts, cool it as fast as you can so the wax cracks. Remove the clean hardened wax and pour out water and debris at the bottom.

Place the wax back in the crock pot and heat again on low without water. This will give you very clean wax.
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Saturday, July 23, 2011

Steps Involved in Solar Wax Melter



Purchased bucket at Lowes and sat inside the supers on a block to bring to the bucket closer to the top. You could purchase a smaller bucket but I couldn't find one and was in a hurry.



Cut the metal door screen. Be careful with the door screen. I poked myself a couple of times and it feels like a needle.





Placed the wax on top of the screen.



Peel the sticky plastic film on both sides of the Plexiglass. Then place on top. I did all of this in under 5 minutes. This is too easy. I will post photos of the wax after it melts.
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DIY Solar Powered Wax Melter


Purchased:
1) bucket $4
2) METAL door mesh screen $8
3) Plexiglass (remember to peel off the film on both sides. $8

Assembled in under 5 minutes in a skirt. Too easy.
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Friday, July 15, 2011

Bears Like Honey Too!

Two years ago a couple of my hives were destroyed by bear. My dad put up a solar powered electric fence and it has kept the bears out of the honey....so far!

Our apiary is kept on my parent's place and my mom has photographed several bear around their property. She put together the photos with the music. They are beautiful and amazing to look at. Of course they love honey too, who wouldn't?


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Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Beekeeping Classes & Activities (USA)

MAINE

2011 Beekeeping for Beginners—A to Z

Discover the fascinating hobby of bee- keeping! Join us for a 7-week course, pre- sented by experienced beekeepers from the Knox-Lincoln County Beekeepers (KLCB) and from the Maine State Beekeepers Asso- ciation (MSBA), who will provide you with the basic information to get started as a bee- keeper.

Beekeeping basics, equipment needs, sea- sonal management, honey extraction, honey bee diseases and pest management are just a few of a wide variety of topics which will be covered in this course. Not only will you learn about what is needed to care for these incred- ibly important insects, you will meet other community members who share your interest in beekeeping.
Classes are held on consecutive Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Knox Lincoln County Extension Office in Waldoboro begin- ning on March 1, 2011 and ending April 12,
2011. One Saturday workshop (date TBA) is also planned to assemble hives and frames for spring use.
Course fee is $60.00 with an additional $10 materials fee [due at the first class] to cover the cost of the textbook (BeeKeeping Basics, Penn State College of Agricultural Science and Cooperative Extension) and a pro-rated mem- bership in KLCB. The course also includes a free raffle and certificates of completion.
Check the KLCB Chapter web site at www.klcbee.com for more information. Con- tact Jane Dunstan at (207) 586-6800 or MSAD
# 40 Adult Education Office (207) 832-5205.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Charles Andros, former NH/VT Apiary In- spector, will hold a beekeeping workshop from
1-3:30 PM on Saturday, April 23, at 18
MacLean Road, Alstead, NH 03602. Look for the "BEE" sign on the south side of Walpole Valley Road. Topics of discussion will be early spring management: locating apiaries, equip- ment, handling bees, feeding syrup and sup- plements, making nuclei, reversing, requeening, and mite controls. Bring a veil, if you have one, as we shall be opening some colonies. We'll be inside if it is a rainy day. Registration required. email: lindena@ sover.net or call 603-756-9056.


VERMONT

The Vermont Beekeepers Association will hold their annual Winter Meeting Tuesday, January 25, 2011, Mutuo Club, Barre, VT (in conjunction with the Vermont Farm Show) Registration begins at 8:30am. Meeting runs from 9:15am - 4:00p.m. Special Note: Due to space limitations, this meeting will NOT have a potluck. We ask that attendees bring their own or sample options in Barre for lunch.

Guest speaker: Paul Kozak
Topics: Ontario Bee Breeding Program and the Ontario Tech Transfer Team
Paul is the Provincial Apiarist for the Province of Ontario, based Guelph. Paul is originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba where he completed a BS in Zoology and an MS in En- tomology, both at the University of Manitoba. For his graduate work, he worked under the guidance of Dr. Rob Currie.
For more information call Bill Mares 802-
863-4938 or email: president@vermont beekeepers.org.


MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts Beekeeper’s Association
2011 Spring Meeting
Date: Saturday, March 26, 2011
Where: Topsfield Fair Grounds, Topsfield, MA
Hosted by: Essex County Beekeepers’ As- sociation
One of the presentations will be from one of our members about his experiences work- ing with beekeepers in China, Taiwan and Haiti.
Massachusetts Beekeeper’s Association
2011 Field Day Meeting
Date: Saturday, June 25, 2011
Where: UMASS Agronomy Farm, South
Deerfield, MA
Subjects: Inspections, seasonal hive man- agement, IPM, hive products, apitherapy, mentoring, splits.
Hosted by: Franklin County Beekeepers’ Assoication


NEW YORK

March 26, 2011; 8:30AM to 5:00PM

The Southern Adirondack Beekeepers As- sociation's Annual Seminar at the University at Albany in Albany, NY
Speakers: Dr. Dewey Caron, Dr. Richard
Fell, Gary Reuter.
$28 per person (SABA members $23 each)
www.adirondackbees.org

NEW YORK

Organic Beekeeping: Principles and Prac- tices with Ross Conrad and Chris Harp April
29-30 The Pfeiffer Center, Chestnut Ridge, NY $195/$235 with optional beginners' ses- sion
This workshop covers topics suitable for all beekeepers, from novice to expert, with a focus on intermediate and advanced tech- niques. An optional Friday afternoon session for beginners demonstrates hive construction and the basics of handling bees. The rest of the workshop - Friday evening and all day Saturday - presents a balanced view of natu- ral beekeeping topics not ordinarily covered in lectures and articles, including: swarming as an expression of the bees' vitality; working with swarms and making splits; the impor- tance of wax production; and acid treatments for Varroa mites. Weather permitting, the day is punctuated with visits to the hives, where techniques for handling bees are demon- strated.
Ross Conrad has been a beekeeper in Ver- mont since the late 1980s. He is the author of Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture (Chelsea Green, 2007).
Chris Harp is a beekeeper and educator based in New Paltz, NY, with a special inter- est in natural hive management techniques, which he has practiced and taught for more
than 18 years.
Contact Carol Rosenberg 845-352-5020 x20 info@pfeiffercenter.org Register online at www.pfeiffercenter.org/workshops


CONNECTICUT
Backyard Beekeepers Association

January 25: Mark Bruen of White Oak
Apiary will speak on Royal Jelly Production
& Pollen Collection. Meetings are at 7:30 p.m. in the Norfield Congregational Church in the Community Room on Norfield Road in Weston, Connecticut. At 6:30 p.m. there is a NewBees meeting for beginning beekeep- ers and WannaBees youth group meeting.
Each month we have timely weekend hands-on inspection workshops, bee school, mentor program and more. All events are free and open to the public. Please check our web site for the dates and locations or more information at www.backyardbeekeepers. com

2011 Speaker Schedule:
February 22: Ron Ochoa, Research Ento- mologist from the USDA, “Bee Mites, From the Mites’ Perspective”
March 29: Dewey Caron, “What are the
bees telling us? Bee losses/new spring fortunes”
April 26: Marla Spivak, “Bee Health”
May 24: Rose Lynn Fisher on her book, “BEE”
June 28: Dinner Meeting
September 27: Deborah Delany, “Bees in
Trees”
October 25: Mike Embrey, Small Hive Bee- tle in the Mid-Atlantic
November 29: Mike Simone-Finstrom, “How & why bees use Propolis”

Weekend Workshops:
Saturday January 22: Mead Madness: How- land Blackiston

CONNECTICUT

The Connecticut Beekeepers Association will hold its annual Bee School on February
12th (Snow Date February 13th) at the Con- necticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Jones Auditorium in New Haven, CT. Regis- ter early as we almost hit capacity last year. More information will be posted at www.ctbees.com. You can also email Becky Jones at t.c.jones@snet.net
This is a great opportunity for new or as- piring beekeepers to get a course in beekeep- ing basics in a single 1-day course and meet experienced beekeepers to answer their ques- tions. Bring a dish for our famous 'pot-luck' luncheon.

PENNSYLVANIA

Beginning beekeeping seminars: On Sat- urday Feb. 5, 2010 a beginning beekeeping seminar will be conducted at Sorgel’s Farm
Market (Wexford, PA 9AM to 4PM) and Saturday February 12 at Gianilli II (West- moreland County). Students will learn the basics of beekeeping. The programs are sponsored by Penn State Cooperative Ex- tension, and the beekeeping organizations of Beaver Valley, Armstrong-Indiana, Northwest PA, West-Central PA and West- moreland County. The cost for each pro- gram is $50 and spouses and children 18 and under is $25 including lunch. For more information or to register contact Beaver County Cooperative Extension http://beaver.extension.psu.edu or 724-
774-3003 or 724-544-2900.

Western Pennsylvania
Beekeeping Seminar

The Western Pennsylvania Beekeeping Seminar will be conducted on Friday and Saturday February 18-19, 2010 at the Marriott, Cranberry Township, PA. Dr. Richard Fell, entomologist, Virgina Tech University; Dr. Christina Grozinger, pro- fessor at Penn State University; Mel Dis- selkoen, Michigan; Chef Judy Kennedy, Craig Cella, bee entrepreneur and Jon Laughner, CED Beaver County Cooper- ative Extension, will be the guest speak- ers. The program will begin on Friday evening 7-9 PM. On Saturday, February
19, Registration 8-9 AM program 9AM to 4PM. The program is sponsored by Penn State Cooperative Extension, the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Associa- tion, the Beaver Valley Area Beekeepers and the beekeeping organizations of Western Pennsylvania. Cost of the semi- nar is $50, lunch and refreshments in- cluded. Spouses and children 18 and under are $25. For more information and to register contact the Beaver County Co- operative Extension http://beaver.exten- sion.psu.edu or call 724.774.3003 or
724.544.2900.

VIRGINIA

The Northern Virginia Beekeeping Teaching Cooperative Offers Practical Beekeeping for Beginners Class

Practical Beekeeping for Beginners, a se- ries of classes held one night per week from
7-9 pm starting in Jan./Feb., 2011 for 7 weeks (there is one Sat. am class in Lees- burg). Class size is limited and registration generally fills up so please register early. Classes are open to adults and children (age
9 and up) who are interested in keeping hon- eybees, as well as those who are just inter- ested in learning about bees. Books are included in the class fee ($75-$100 per fam- ily unit) and include Kim Flottum’s Backyard Beekeeping, Mid Atlantic Apiculture (MAAREC) Beekeeping Basics and Honey Bee Parasite, Pests, Predators & Diseases, as well as power point handouts and a one year membership in the local beekeeper assoc. Classes are taught by experienced bee- keepers and include contacts for you to buy equipment and live bees to start beehive(s).
Beekeepers of Northern Virginia (BANV) (Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax) Location: TBD. Class starts in February,
2011. Contact Pat Haskell (703) 560-3484
See: http://www.beekeepersnova.org
Prince William Regional Beekeepers (PWRBA)(Prince William, Fauquier, Stafford)
Manassas Church of the Brethren, 10047
Nokesville Road (Rt. 28), Manassas, VA. Class starts Thur., Jan. 20th,. Open house TBD. Contact Louise Edsall (703) 369-0756, email PWRBeekeepers@gmail.com or see www.PWRBeekeepers.com
Gateway Beekeepers (King George, Caro- line, Westmoreland)
VA Cooperative Ext. Office, Village Center, King George, VA. Class starts Tues., Jan 25,
2011. Contact Mike Church 540-775-9740
churchmj@verizon.net, or Julie Moore 540-
644-1138, juliemoore@dirtybirdpottery.com

Loudoun Beekeepers Association (LBA) (Loudoun)
Loudoun County Coop. Ext. Office, Lees- burg, VA. Two classes. Fri. night class starts Feb. 11th, Sat. morning class starts Feb.
12th at 8am. Open house, Sat. Feb. 5 from
10-1. Contact Billy Davis (540) 903-9274 or see http://www.loudounbee.org

Beekeepers of Northern Shenandoah (BONS) (Clarke, Frederick, Warren) Virginia Arboretum, Blandy Experimental Station, Boyce, VA and Winchester, VA. Classes start in Feb., 2011 Contact John Lewis (540) 869-4919 or see: http://valley bees.org

Northern Piedmont Beekeepers (Culpeper, Rappahannock, Orange, Madi- son, Fauquier)
Culpeper Depot, 113 S. Commerce St. Class starts Tues., Feb. 8th. Open house and reg- istration Feb. 6th, 2-4pm
Instructors: Billy Davis and Ann Harman Contact Karen Hunt (540-937-4792) or kahu9@juno.com or see http://www.npbee.org

Rappahannock Area Beekeepers (Spotsyl- vania, Stafford)
Ray Simms Conference Room - Spotsylva-
nia County Extension 8800 Courthouse Rd. Spotsylvania, VA 22553
Class starts Wed., Feb. 2nd. Location info: http://offices.ext.vt.edu/spotsylvania/ programs/anr/index.html Contact Kim Fraser (540-785-8769) or ubbuny@aol.com

Piedmont Beekeepers (Lynchburg and
Bedford/Moneta area)
Two classes: Lynchburg location: James River Day School, 5039 Boonsboro Rd, Lynchburg. Classes begin Tuesday, Feb 1. Bedford/Moneta class and dates TBD Contact Ann Z. at 434-660-6063 or annzee@aol.com

Northern Neck Beekeepers Club (Northumberland, Lancaster, Richmond, Essex, Westmoreland)
Northumberland Library, 7204 Northumber- land Highway, Heathsville, VA. Class starts Mon., Jan 24, 2011. Contact Bonnie Wilson (804) 453-7036, or bbwilson@kaballero. com


VIRGINIA

Beekeepers Guild of Southeast Virginia
Saturdays, February 5, 12 & 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The Beekeepers Guild of Southeast Vir- ginia will present a three-day Short Course for beginning beekeepers. The course will be held on three consecutive Saturday mornings, February 5, 12 and
19, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, Virginia. An optional fourth Saturday open hive demonstration in the bee yard followed by a graduation luncheon is in- cluded. The course consists of lectures and hands-on demonstrations.
This course fulfills the educational re- quirement of six (6) hours of classroom instruction in introductory beekeeping training for the qualified level of the Vir- ginia Master Beekeeper Program.
Learn sustainable beekeeping from the experts. For more information please see http://beekeepersguild.org or contact Bob Montcalm at 757-487-2143 or montcalm@ verizon.net
Tuition: $30 includes MAAREC Publica- tion Beekeeping Basics, refreshments each day and a five-month Guild membership from February 1, 2011 to June 30,2011. Op-
tional $10 extra includes the latest edition of
the Beekeeping for Dummies book, a $19.99 value.


KENTUCKY

2011 Kentucky Regional Beekeeping School dates

Eastern KY Beekeeping School, Hazard, January 22, 2011
Allen County Beekeeping School, Scottsville, February 5, 2011
Southeast KY Beekeeping School, Witley
City & Corbin, February 12, 2011
Northeast KY Beekeeping School, More- head, February 26, 2011
Audubon Beekeeping School, Henderson, March 5, 2011
Bluegrass Beekeeping School, Frankfort, March 12, 2011
Visit Kentucky State Beekeepers Associ- ation web page for more information ksba beekeeping.org

GEORGIA

Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association Short Course 2011 is taking registrations online. We are limiting our participants to
100.
Where: Atlanta Botanical Garden
When: Saturday, January 22, 2010
Cost: $95.00 which includes continental breakfast, lunch, parking and presentations from educators and urban beekeepers.
Please go our to MABA Short Course web site for the agenda and registration. http://www.beekeepingshortcourse.com/


MICHIGAN

The Michigan Beekeepers' Association will hold the annual ANR Week on March
11-12, 2011 at the Kellogg Center on the
MSU campus.
The keynote speaker will be Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk of the University of Montana. Dr. Bromenshenk will speak on CCD. Also, there will be 30 classes offered including how to start a hive, catching swarms, notes to remember on your yard, plus a free facial from Mary Kay for the ladies.
Contact Treasurer Steve Tilmann, for pre- registration, 2441 North Stine Rd., Char- lotte, MI 48813 or Stilmann@sbcglobal.net For additional information check MBA
web site www.michiganbees.org


INDIANA

The Indiana Beekeepers’ Association (IBA) will hold its Indiana Bee School IX in Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday, Febru- ary 26, 2011. It will be held at the Southport Presbyterian Church on 7525 McFarland Boulevard. This is an excellent facility with plenty of room for our breakout sessions and is very accessible.
Randy Oliver, a commercial migratory beekeeper from Grass Valley, California, has agreed to be our keynote speaker for the school. He maintains the website www. scientificbeekeeping.com and writes for the American Bee Journal. We are especially
excited to have him returning to our school
again, back by popular demand. Don’t you dare miss this one!
We are planning to have four breakout sessions, with each session having five dif- ferent topics to choose from. Lectures, hands-on workshops and discussions will be held for beekeepers with any level of skill, experience or ability. Topics on intro- ductory beekeeping tools and techniques, as well as learning opportunities for the more advanced beekeeper will be available. Along with a great program are a raffle, an auction and a variety of vendor displays and supplies from several of the top ven- dors (such as Brushy Mtn., Dadant, Walter Kelley Co., Mann Lake and others).
You will have a chance to meet and in-
formally visit with beekeepers from across the state. Folder pickup starts at 8:00 a.m. (EST) with program starting promptly at
9:00 a.m. and concluding at 4:00 p.m. Reg- istration fee will be $30.00 per individual or
$40.00 per family (lunch included). To guar- antee a spot for yourself, your registration form must be received by February 18,
2011.
For future updates join the Indiana Bee- keepers’ Association and get all of the infor- mation in the upcoming newsletter or contact Steve Doty 317-485-5593 or jsdoty@indy.net or http://indianabeekeeper. goshen.edu

ILLINOIS

Beginning Beekeeping Classes

Long Lane Honey Bee Farms will be offering a Basic Beekeeping Beginner's classes on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011 and Saturday March 19, 2011 in Central Illi- nois. The classes will be taught by David Burns, an EAS certified Master Bee- keeper, so this course is well worth your time. Those interested in becoming bee- keepers, as well as those who have kept bees for a few years, will benefit from this class. Register now to reserve your seat as seating is limited. The classes will be held at Long Lane Honey Bee Farms located near Catlin, Illinois. Get a few friends to come along with you! Registration cost includes lunch, a hive tool and outlines from the teachings. Also, why not save shipping cost and purchase all your hive equipment on this day and order your package bees or nucs on this day, too— just in time for the upcoming bee season! To register call David at 217-427-2678 or go online to: www.honeybeesonline.com and click on the "Classes" link.


WISCONSIN

The Dane County Beekeepers Associa- tion invites you to attend our 'Fundamen- tals of Beekeeping' class to be held at the Warner Park Community Center in Madi- son, WI on Feb 5, 2011. Doors open at
8:30 am, class runs from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The class fee of $60 includes a two- tier session, one for total beginners, and one a workshop for people wanting to step up to the next level. Morning coffee, lunch, membership in both the Wisconsin Honey Producers Association and the Dane County Club, several sample jour- nals and catalogues plus class hand-outs, and the chance to handle equipment and talk to experienced beekeepers will be provided. To register, contact Jeanne Hansen at 608-244-5094 or jeanniealabean- nie@yahoo.com. The registration form can be found at www.wd8das.net/madbees/Dane
_2011_Reg.pdf. We would be delighted to see you.

MISSOURI

The Missouri State Beekeepers Asso- ciation’s Spring Meeting will be March
11 & 12, 2011 at The Lodge of the Ozarks, Branson, MO. Featured speak- ers will be Dr. Don Steinkraus, Dennis vanEnglesdorp and Reyah Carlson. Since Branson is a vacation mecca, spe- cial discounted events will be available for the beekeepers the day before and the day following the meeting. For more information go to http://mostate- beekeepers.org or call secretary Steve Moeller, 573-886-0662


MISSOURI

St. Louis Beekeepers To
Host Fourth Annual
Beekeeping Workshop

National and Regional
Educators to Present Courses
for Beginning and Experienced
Beekeepers

St. Louis, Missouri – The Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association will offer full-day courses of instruction for beginning and experienced beekeepers on Saturday, February 12, 2011, from
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Maritz in Fen- ton, Missouri. Space is limited, and will be filled on a first-come-first- served basis.
The courses will be led by Clarence Collison, PhD, retired chairman of the Entomology and Plant Pathology De- partment at Mississippi State Univer- sity, and Grant Gillard, president of the Missouri State Beekeepers Association. Dr. Collison is a graduate of Michi-
gan State University. He is recognized as a leading contributor to beekeeping edu- cation in the United States. He has chaired the Eastern Apicultural Society (EAS) Mas- ter Beekeeper program for many years, and served on the Board of Directors of EAS, sponsor of the country’s foremost annual beekeeping educational program. Dr. Colli- son has written the “What Do You Know” column in Bee Culture magazine for more than 20 years.
Grant Gillard, a resident of Jackson, Mis- souri, is an articulate and innovative leader in Missouri beekeeping. He is a frequent speaker at regional and national beekeeping meetings, and has published several articles on colony management techniques in the American Bee Journal. He is also president of the Jackson Area Beekeepers.
The Beginning Beekeeping course is for anyone with no prior beekeeping experi- ence. The course will cover all aspects of basic beekeeping including honey bee biol- ogy, site location, equipment requirements, honey bee sources, and producing, harvest- ing, extracting, bottling, and selling honey and hive products. The course will also cover the basics of disease and pest manage-
ment and control.
The Experienced Beekeeper’s course will be part refresher course, and will place spe- cial emphasis on spring management, swarm prevention, making divides, and suc- cessful overwintering.
Lunch and refreshments will be provided. The registration packets will include course materials, an authoritative reference book, beekeeping periodicals, and equipment cat- alogs.
The February courses will be followed throughout the season by field workshops and equipment and honey bee procurement projects, sponsored and led by EMBA.
Registration and information is available online at www.easternmobeekeepers.com, or by completing and mailing the download- able registration form.
Tuition cost is $75 per person before Jan- uary 23rd. Tuition cost is $90 per person for those registering on or after January 23rd. Registration closes February 5th unless filled sooner. There will be a waiting list, if needed.
More participant information is available by calling 314-894-8737 or online at www.easternmobeekeepers.com.
The Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Asso- ciation has been supporting beekeeping in
St. Louis since 1939.


CALIFORNIA

SPECIALIZED CLASSES TO PRO- MOTE STOCK IMPROVEMENT, taught by Susan Cobey, will be offered at the Harry Laidlaw Honey Bee Research Facility at UCD, in Davis California.

1. THE ART OF QUEEN REARING WORKSHOP,
March 23th - For the Small Scale Bee- keeper
March 30th - For the Sideliner, Commer- cial Beekeeper
These one-day workshops are designed to provide an understanding and appreciation of what it takes to rear high quality queens. Basic biology and principles of queen rearing will be presented. Beekeepers will be involved in the various steps of the process including set- ting up cell builders, grafting, handling queen cells and establishing mating nucs. The im- portance of drone production and establishing mating areas will also be presented. The class will consist of a combination of classroom and hands-on beekeeping. Two basic queen rearing systems will be demonstrated, a queenright system and a queenless system.

Optional Queen Tour, Thursday March
24th and Mar. 31st. For class participants who would like to see large-scale commercial queen production, an optional one day tour will be offered following the workshop. We will visit northern California producers during their busy spring season. You will observe a diversity of techniques and systems involved in queen production. Registration $125. Op- tional Tour $50.

2. INSTRUMENTAL INSEMINATION
& BEE BREEDING WORKSHOP, April 13, 14, & 15th. The class is designed for commercial beekeepers who are in- volved in a breeding program and for labo- ratory personnel requiring the skill for research purposes. A practical hands-on ap- proach to instruction is provided with em- phasis on individual attention, therefore classes are kept small. Detailed instruction and hands-on practice of semen collection and insemination of queens will be empha- sized and facilitated with the use of a video camera. Various types of insemination in- struments are displayed and reviewed. The preparation and care of virgin queens and drones will be presented. Basic bee genetics and various breeding systems will be re- viewed. Demonstration materials, virgin queens and drones will be provided for the class. Practical beekeeping and queen rear- ing skills are a pre-requisite. Provision of your own insemination equipment is re- quired. Microscopes will be provided for use upon request. Registration $425.

3. The ADVANCED WORKSHOP ON INSTRUMENTAL INSEMINATION, April 20 & 21st. This class is designed as a follow-up to the Instrumental Insemination course. The focus will be perfecting insemination techniques and solving indi- vidual problems in the laboratory and in the field. Therefore, this class is recommended for those with some experience. Demonstra- tion materials, virgin queens and drones will be provided. Experience in the technique is required. Provision of your own insemina- tion equipment is required. Microscopes will be provided for use upon request. Reg- istration $375.
For Information: Susan Cobey swcobey@ucdavis.edu
http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/courses/bee classes
University of California, Davis
Dept. of Entomology
Harry Laidlaw Honey Bee Research Facility
Davis, CA. 95616-8584


ARIZONA

4th Organic Beekeepers Chemical Free Conference. Oracle, Arizona 4-6 Mar 2011

As the Organic Beekeepers yahoo.com discussion group has now grown in numbers to over 3700+ members, we have put to- gether our 4rd meeting for an American Beekeepers Association, for beekeepers into Organic Beekeeping, to come together to as- sociate for clean sustainable beekeeping with ZERO treatments and getting off the artificial feeds and artificial inbreeding pa- rameters.
Meeting to be held in Oracle, Arizona at the YMCA Triangle Y Ranch Camp and Re-
treat Center 4 - 6 March 2011. Meeting will start Friday afternoon with Friday Night Hello's/Dinner, run all day Saturday, and through Sunday afternoon with keynote pre- sentations, general sessions, breakout ses- sions, hands-on workshops, with 6 catered meals. Dinner for Friday night Hello's will also have speakers. Vendors welcomed. Speakers so far confirmed: Don Downs (Apitherapy), Sam Comfort, Dean Stiglitz, Ramona Herboldsheimer, James Fearnley (UK), Bruce Brown (CC Pollen), and Dee Lusby.
The fee for meeting includes: accommo- dations in Lodges (with up to 4 per room dorm style each with own bath....with bring your own sheets/bedding/blankets) for $175 per person, plus six catered meals, access to all meetings/talks/workshops, snacks/break refreshments, and also a camp liability cov- erage (form required to be filled out). Also no fee for vendors other then normal lodg- ing costs for meeting/catered meals.
For more information see: http://www. tucsonymca.org/site/c.grLOK1PJLqF/b.691
235/k.D62C/Retreat.htm or http://www.
tucsonymca.org or visit OrganicBeekeepers at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/organic beekeepers/ or contact Dee Lusby for infor- mation/registration at: 520-398-2474 eve. For payment of registration per person of
$175, due in advance of attending, send to Organic Beekeepers % Dee Lusby, HC 65, Box 7450, Amado, Arizona 85645, with
stamped self addressed envelope for return- ing receipt and more information on YMCA to sender, plus liability/medical form to be filled out. Note: $175 fee is a straight fee whether sleeping/eating at camp or not. For general information concerning the meeting other contacts are Keith Malone (Alaska)
907-688-0588, and Ramona/Dean at 978-
407-3934
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Friday, September 17, 2010

More photos


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Swarm in The Plains, VA


I received an email from someone who wrote that a tree removal service felled a tree with a bee colony in it. He did not want the tree removal company to spray and kill the bees and asked if we could relocate it. A big thank you to the kind man who saved the bees.
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Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Last of 2010 Honey Harvest



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Thursday, August 5, 2010

Some of our Bee Hives Amongst Stella d'Oro Daylilies


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Thursday, July 29, 2010

Photos

I heard a whisper in my ear
it was so clear and twas very dear
I turned to see who sang to me
and it was you, my little bee.
~ wendolyn

*she was resting on my shoulder *
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