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Dates to Remember
Feb 8: February NWDBA Meeting
March 8: March NWDBA Meeting
January Meeting
Attendance was light with the snow and
cold weather keeping folks at home. About 10 folks braved the
weather.
Ron
showed a home made yellow jacket trap made from an old apple juice
container and a piece of pvc pipe with a hole in the center. The wasps
come out of the hole and can’t find their way out. It’s very simple and
easy to make in about 2 minutes if you need a trap for your picnic in a
hurry. We raffled it as a door prize!
Some almond growers are paying $250 per hive this year! There was a big
kill of thousands of hives this year in the Dakotas so bees for
pollination are in short supply. Growers are being asked to ‘cut back’
on their density of hives for pollination so there is enough to go
around.
Attendance was 10 folks.
February Meeting
I'm not sure what our February program will be but don't let
that stop you from coming to enjoy talking about bees! When I
checked my bees last weekend they were busy packing in pollen from
somewhere. Anyone know what's producing pollen this time of year?
Have you ever heard of
dried honey? I'll be bringing a sample to the meeting for people
to try (my kids gave it a thumbs up).
Beekeeping
Training Reminder
Two of our members are offering help with beekeeping classes this
year. Tim Bueler will be offering a no-charge 6:30PM
'come early' session before our regular NWDBA meetings and will be
starting his sessions February 8. Jean Bassett is also continuing
her long tradition of spring classes from her store in February.
Please contact Tim at 425-334-9684 or Jean at 360-568-2191 for more
info.
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2005 Dues
Please bring a check to the February meeting or send dues to our
treasurer payable to NWDBA.
John Bryant
9824 38th Pl SE
Everett, WA 98205
| Individual Membership |
$7.50 |
| Family Membership |
$10.00 |
| WSBA
Member Credit |
($1)
individual, ($2) family |
| ABJ |
1 year $14.96, 2 year $28.46, 3 year $40.13 |
| Bee Culture |
1
year $17.00, 2 year $32.00 |
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.
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.
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