BEELINES June, 2005

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

Next Meeting: Saturday June 4, 2005
     

Note: our June meeting will be a Saturday and Monday Field Day to experiment with queen grafting.  Please see details below.

Dates to Remember
June 4: NWDBA Field Day part I
June 13: NWDBA Field Day part II
June 17-18 WSBA WSU Field Day at WSU
July 8-9 WSBA WSU Field day in Puyallup
July 30: NWDBA Picnic
 Oct 28-29: Joint WSBA and OSBA meeting in Oregon.
November - testing for Journeyman Level

June  Meeting
 NWDBA donated 10 packages of bees to WSU.

Be sure to register your hives with the state.

Lawrence regaled us with his miracle treatment for a severe cut on his thumb.  After a week the triple-antibiotic seemed to be losing ground so he used a mixture of honey and propolis.  He said he's never had a cut heal so quickly!  

Door Prizes this month-    Hive Cover, Bee Stamps, screened bottom board, scented soap, full size deep observation hive.

Brandon auctioned off a live queen that went for $16!  Proceeds went to NWDBA.

Mel also sold some of his prize Dahlia's.  If you do a google search on Mel Loomis you'll see a link to the Welsh trials where you can see a picture of his "Mels Bigred" Dahlia.

 
NWDBA Queen grafting experiment
You are invited to Lawrences' to graft your own queens!  The first day, Saturday June 4 at 8am, is grafting day.  You'll learn first-hand to graft a queen egg into a queen cup to get your new queen started.  The second day, Monday June 13, stop by between12:00-7:00 to pull your queen cell and place your queen into your own nuc you have brought.  Father's day June 19 the queens should be emerging!  Please call Lawrence at 425-397-0463 to let him know you'll be able to come.  You'll need your suit but won't need any special queen grafting tools but bring yours if you have them.  8127 20th St SE, Everett, WA.
 
Evergreen State Fair
We are hoping to get a demonstration area near the Ag area this year so we don't have to fight with the sound stage for attention.  The plan is to reuse our tent again with a live bee display as we did last year.

WSU Field Day
Forms are available at page 9 of the April 2005 WSBA newsletter or here.

  
Queens for sale
Marked - $10 ea.  Queen cells: 2 for $5, 10 for $15.  Call Brandon Clayton 425-486-3206.  Available for pick-up Saturdays or please call to make other arrangements.

July 30th Picnic
We will have our annual picnic on Saturday July 30th at at the Flowing Lake County Park starting at high noon for setup with dinner by 1:00-1:30.  We have the site reserved all afternoon to dusk so bring the kids and sunscreen.  This will be a potluck so pick one of main dish, salad, or desert and extra to share.  The club will provide a variety of soda as well as plates and eating utensils.  We will also feature an auction so bring something to donate to the cause.  For those of you with web access, click here to get a map.

June Beekeeping
Blueberries are in bloom the first week; Blackberries in bloom the second week; Black Locust the last week.  Remove the queen excluder when there is one box (deep or western) mostly full of honey over the brood nest.  Continue to monitor brood nest crowding.  Bees sometimes store honey close to and in the brood nest causing crowding.  There should be one or two empty brood combs for the queen to lay in.

July Beekeeping
If brood nest crowding occurs consider adding another brood nest (western).  Only remove combs of honey when they are 2/3 capped (nectar won’t shake from combs).  Early morning or evenings are the best times for removing comb to discourage robbing. 

Note:  Do not use brood nest combs in the honey supers to prevent contaminating honey with miticide residues.  Identify brood nest combs and boxes (westerns and deeps) with colored paint so that combs are not interchanged.

 

 

 
President - Lawrence Oberholtzer (425) 397-0463
Secretary: Glenn Engel (425) 334-0576
Editor: Glenn Engel (425) 334-0576		 Vice Pres.: Ron Babcock 425-335-0488 
Treasurer: John Bryant (425) 334-8575
Website: http://www.nwdba.org