BEELINES August, 2006

Regularly scheduled meetings are on the 2^nd Tuesday of each month. 7 p.m.
Meetings at 1305 Pine Avenue in Snohomish in the Christ the King Lutheran Church building.

Dates to Remember

Next Meeting: Tuesday Aug 8, 2006
I will once again miss our monthly meeting.  Thankfully Cindy took notes in July (and previous months).  Thanks Cindy!  Is there anyone who would like to take notes for August and email them to me as I think Cindy will be busy with fair stuff at this meeting.  This month I'll be backpacking on the Pacific Crest Trail with Boy Scout Troop 50 from Snohomish.

I harvested my honey today and was fortunate enough to get 300 pounds from three colonies I restarted this spring from packages.  This included four honey supers of new comb as well so the bees did very well for me.  I hope everyone is having a good year and avoiding swarms!

July 16th Picnic
Our picnic this year was great fun with a special treat of fresh grilled fish, way too many deserts, and excellent weather.

The silent auction went very well including a last minute bidding frenzy coming down to the wire giving us all a little entertainment.

Special thanks to Linzy and Marcy Johnson for organizing the auction.  Their efforts are greatly appreciated in providing us with a very fun auction.

Convention Registration
Please register for the State Convention to be held in Bellingham Oct 12-14.  You can register online at http://www.mtbakerbeekeepersassn.org/convention.htm

August Beekeeping
In mid-August remove and store any surplus honey that is at least two thirds capped over in a warm bee-proof, ant-proof place.  To do so, take off the honey supers early in the morning or in the evening so as to prevent robbing of the hive by other colonies of bees.  Treat all hives for 45 days with Apistan strips and treated with medicated patties and Fumidil-B as needed.

September Beekeeping
You may re-queen your colonies now if you did not do so in the spring.  Unite weak colonies.  To winter successfully, each colony must have the equivalent of ten fully capped frames of honey in the second hive body plus honey arches in the lower hive body, and two or more deep brood combs of pollen.  If stores are insufficient, colonies should be fed a 2:1 sugar syrup mixture.  Use top feeders to prevent robbing.  Start feeding early in the month, because the bees will not store the syrup and cap the cells when the weather turns cool. Feed one gallon for each deep comb of needed stores.  The last gallon should contain Fumidil-B.  Feed pollen supplement as needed.  Extract honey now and give the wet combs back to the bees to lick clean.