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Dates to Remember
Apr 11: NWDBA Meeting
June 10: Pullman Field Day at
WSU
July 15: Puyallup Field Day
October 12-14: State Convention hosted
by Mt Baker, Best Western Lakeway Inn, Bellingham
A short newsletter this month since I
missed the last meeting while skiing at Big White. I
understand there was a quite good discussion at the last meeting
regarding programs for the coming months. In April we will have
the Executive Director of the fair, Mark Campbell, talk to us
about our bee tent and issues such as liability, logistics, and
scheduling.
March Program
At the March Meeting Tim Bueler will talk about package
bees and how to install them. He will also talk about requeening.
This should be just in time for April packages!
Also at the March meeting Cindy White will be presenting to the
association some of the options we have in conjunction with the Ag
department for education and collaboration.
Mite Control Update
The following are the most
recent updates for miticide approvals for Washington State.
Apiguard (25% thymol gel formulation), EPA Reg. No.
79671-1, is registered for distribution in Washington.
EPA has issued a Section 18 (file symbol 06-WA-05) for
the use of Bayer's CheckMite+ Bee Hive
Pest Control Strips . Use
under this exemption expires 2/1/07.
For previously announced approvals, please visit the
Washington Department of Agriculture’s web site at:
http://agr.wa.gov/PestFert/Pesticides/docs/StatusMiteControlProds.pdf
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February Beekeeping
See that hive entrances are kept clear of
dead bees. If you have not done so already, order your package bees or queens.
Lift the hives from the front to determine an estimate of colony honey stores –
you should be lifting 45 to 50 pounds. If they are light (or near starving),
place two cups drivert sugar on the back end of the top bars above the bee
cluster, or feed 2-4 quarts syrup in a four-hole top-feeder a using two
parts sugar to one part water.
March Beekeeping
Register your hives with the Department of
Agriculture. March 1 –15, open hive and check honey stores to be sure there are
at least four combs of honey in the hive. Feed syrup if there is less than two
combs. Clean the hive bottom board. Mouse guards may be removed about mid
month. If colonies are 10 to 12 combs of bees, begin comb rotation – two or
three combs with young brood and eggs to center of bottom box and empty combs to
sides of brood (next to honey) in second box. If colony is 12 to 15 frames of
bees with four to six combs of brood, add the first honey super over a queen
excluder.
April Beekeeping
If necessary, put Terramycin medicated patties
over the brood rearing area, or between the two boxes if you have 12-14 frames
of bees. Continue comb rotation. Make sure there are enough honey stores or
feed your bees. Hives should have at least one full frame of pollen and several
frames of honey. If hive is light, feed the bees a 1:1 sugar syrup mixture.
Feed pollen supplement if necessary. If the colony is continuing to build up
add a honey super every three weeks until June 1 (= 3 deeps or equivalent in
westerns = 4-5 deeps of bees by June 1).
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