THE EXCHANGE

Buy - Sell - Trade - Want - Need - Giveaway

Dear fellow beekeepers/guardians,

I would very much like to buy some honey from a member. If anyone has some available and wants to part with a few quarts, please contact George Will at georgeandjolie@yahoo.com.

Thank you.

For Sale: I have several hives I’d like to sell. Each hive consists of 2 deeps and 1 medium, with bottom board, inner cover and lid. This is virtually new equipment with “newish” frames and some drawn comb. Prefer to sell as assembled units.

!!! Make an offer !!!
Call Steve Reinhart 360-457-6599

Reminder: NOPBA Coffee Group Meets Every Saturday

WHERE: Common Grounds Cafe, 525 E. 8th St., Port Angeles

WHEN: WHO: WHAT:

Saturday mornings, 8:30 AM, Everyone invited to:

  • Discuss Bees & Beekeeping Topics

We’re all learning and the whole idea of a bee club is to have some fun. Please join us every Saturday (until further notice), for informal discussions of bee related interest.

As the season progresses, we will be following coffee with apiary visits.

June Newsletter

The June 2019 Newsletter is now available at http://www.nopbanews.org. Read about:

  • Constructing a Bee-Hunting Box

  • Are Honey Bees Bad for Wild Bees?

  • Yellowjackets: A Look at Opportunistic Raiders of Honey Bee Hives

  • Why Do Varroa Mite Populations Sometimes Increase in the Fall?

  • Overview of swarming in honey bees, A. mellifera. 

and lots more information of interest to beekeepers.

2019 NWDBA Beekeepers Conference Announcement on 9/21/2019

The Northwest District Beekeepers Association is offering Western Washington beekeepers an educational and exciting conference on Saturday, September 21, 2019.

Tickets for NWDBA members are $20.00 and $30.00 for non-members. The conference will take place at the Snohomish PUD Auditorium, located at: 2320 California St, Everett, WA 9820 . There is limited seating at the venue ( about 300) and it is expected to sell out well before the event so sign up early. 

https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4248173

9:00 am to 10:15 am            Speaker: Andony Melathopoulos  

Doing the Multiplication: expanding your apiary the old school and “the Next Generation” way. (covers installing packages, splitting and making nucs) 

10:15 am to 11:30 am          Speaker: Randy Oliver 

Reading The Combs: Understanding Bee Biology Over the Course of a Season
By acquiring a better understanding of the biology of bees, nutrition, parasites, and pathogens over the course of the season, and by learning to “read the combs,” the beekeeper can then make better-informed management decisions adapted to his/her particular situation.   

11:30 am to 1:00 pm            Lunch Break

1:00 pm to 2:15 pm       Speaker:  Andony Melathopoulos 

Unsung Bee Diseases and How to Manage Them
(European foulbrood, chalkbrood, viruses, nosema) 

2:15 pm to 3:00 pm Speaker: Kevin Oldenburg  

Bees, Science and How the Media Gets it Wrong   

3:30 pm to 3:45 pm. Break

3:45 pm to 5:00 pm       Speaker: Randy Oliver  

Oxalic Acid Tips  
As varroa develops resistance to the synthetic miticides, beekeepers must learn to use alternative treatments. Tips from someone who has used oxalic acid for nearly two decades. 

Randy Oliver is a commercial beekeeper in California, runs the scientificbeekeeping.com website, a careful researcher, and the author of a monthly column in American Bee Journal.

Andony Melathopoulos is an Assistant Professor in Pollinator Health Extension in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University, which was the first such position in the US. He also sits on the steering committee of the Oregon Bee Project, which coordinates pollinator health work across state agencies and hosts a weekly podcast called PolliNation. In 2018 Andony was recognized with the National Pollinator Advocate award by the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign.

Kevin Oldenburg is the current President of the Washington State Beekeepers Association. Dr. Oldenburg received his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from the U. of Wisconsin, Madison, and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from UCLA. He founded 2nd Sight Bioscience in 2014 with a focus on using automation, robotics, and new technologies in the field of agriculture. He currently serves as the CEO and President of 2nd Sight BioScience.  Kevin is an 8-year Journeyman beekeeper who doesn’t like honey but loves watching his bees.

Don't forget . . .

NOPBA COFFEE GROUP

WHERE:

Common Grounds Cafe, 525 E. 8th St., Port Angeles

WHEN: WHO: WHAT:

Saturday mornings, 8:30 am Everyone

Discuss Bees & Beekeeping Topics

We’re all learning and the whole idea of a bee club is to have some fun. Please join us every Saturday (until further notice), for informal discussions of bee related interest.

As the season progresses, we will be following coffee with apiary visits.

Field Trip - Apiary Visit

Our club member Marshall Rambeau will be hosting an apiary visit at his residence SATURDAY JUNE 15th beginning around 10 AM. He and his his wife, BJ, are inviting us to come see his bees along with her magnificent garden. Marshall hand-crafts his hives with a very high degree of skill and this season several of them have been fitted with instrumentation to measure and track internal temperature, relative humidity, and weight.

WHERE:

Rambeau residence,
361 Lisel Lane (off Deer Park Road), Port Angeles

WHEN: WHO: WHAT:

Saturday morning, 10:00 AM - Everyone

When heading south on Deer Park Road, look for Lisel Lane to the left (East) after approximately 2.3 miles from Hwy. 101. Bring whatever protective clothing you are comfortable with.

Meeting - Sunday, June 9, 1019

12 noon: Beginning Beekeeping Class
1:00 pm: Business Meeting
1:15 pm: The Ancient Craft of Bee- Lining.

Blending art with science, the ancient craft of Bee-Lining will be presented by Rex at the June meeting. Rex has become a premier bee hunter having studied and practiced with pretty much everything ever written on this subject clear back to ancient Rome. However, unlike the old-timers, the bee hunting Rex practices today is intended exclusively for recreational purposes. Rex does not capture wild bees or their honey, or harm their homes. You won’t want to miss this incredibly interesting talk all about hunting and locating wild honey bee colonies. And be sure to check out his You-Tube Channel. >> https://www.youtube.com/ channel/UCghDTRDHxHG_NBRbrkUC6Lg

Recent Research on Varroa Destructor

Greg Butler did an awesome job sharing the latest research on Varroa mites. It was once thought that the greatest damage to the honey bee was within the cell during the larval stage of the developing bee, particularly in drone cells. It is now known that the greatest damage is done to the adult bee as findings strongly suggest that Varroa are exploiting the fat body as their primary source of sustenance: a tissue integral to proper immune function, pesticide detoxification, overwinter survival, and several other essential processes in healthy bees. These findings underscore a need to revisit our understanding of this parasite and its impacts, both direct and indirect, on honey bee health. Learn more from the article, “Varroa destructor feeds primarily on honey bee fat body tissue and not hemolymph”, Ramsey, et. al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | January 29, 2019 | vol. 116 | no. 5 | 1801

Queen Rearing and Bee Breeding Workshop

June 14 & 15, 2019

Ready to take beekeeping to the next level? For those who already have a working foundation in beekeeping, the WSU bee team is offering an event to introduce you to fundamental tools for stock improvement. This two day workshop is designed to improve your understanding of queen rearing, bee breeding systems, and selection methods though a combination of presentations and hands-on demonstrations. We will also introduce you to the more advanced techniques of instrumental insemination and cryopreservation.

Instructors: Susan Cobey, Brandon Hopkins, Tim Lawrence, Steve Sheppard, Nick Naeger, Jennifer Han, and Melanie Kirby, along with guest speakers.

Location: Washington State University, Pullman campus Plan on two all day meetings. The time of day and schedule of activities will be sent with your registration confirmation.

Mail in or On-Line registration form is open now.

f you have any questions or would like additional information, please email: wsu.beeprogram@wsu.edu or call the Department of Entomology at 509-335-5422.

DNR SPRAY MAPS

(We appreciate DNR sharing this information with our beekeepers and thanks again to Dan and Judy Harvey of Olympic Wilderness Apiary for passing it along to us.)

Dan and Judy are sharing another set of spray maps they have received from DNR. Two additional contracts are included (1777 & 1778).

Dan asked DNR how the spray is being applied and DNR answered that the areas will be BACKPACK APPLIED.

Contract 1777 is for May 13 to June 30. Contract 1778 is for May 20 to June 30.

The maps take a few minutes to use. In order to use the maps, first you must know your section number within the Township and Range of Clallam County. Then refer to the DNR map(s) provided in the linked folder below and find your location(s).

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Nubcp7sDK9vTSpvT7RfzEiwUvXD-c3JJ?usp=sharing

Please direct further questions to:

Matt Perry
Intensive Management Forester
Olympic Region
Washington Department of Natural Resources
360-640-5424

Celebration of Science & Technology 2019 GeekOut!

Saturday, May 11, 2019 ~ 10:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m.
Port Angeles City Pier and Feiro Marine Life Center

The Celebration of Science & Technology (a.k.a. GeekOut!) is hosted by Feiro Marine Life Center at the Port Angeles City Pier. Member organizations from across the north Olympic Peninsula volunteer their time and energy to support this annual science oriented event. NOPBA has again been invited to participate.

This is the first public event of the season for us. We will have our NOPBA booth set up on the City Pier that morning. There is always a lot of interest in honey bees and our members volunteer to help promote our public relations. Be sure and stop by to see us, or better yet, come give us a hand answering questions about bees and beekeeping. It really is a lot of fun.

This all day educational festival celebrates the role science plays in our daily lives. Its free, and features:

  • Booths providing information from Olympic Peninsula organizations and businesses.

  • Posters displaying scientific information and principles.

  • Presentations offering informative details from experts in fields of science or technology.

  • “Science on Display” honors the many real scientists who live and work on the Peninsula.

  • And more. . .

New addition to our NOPBA Library!

Storey’s Guide to Keeping Honey Bees

This trusted handbook is a must-have for novice and seasoned beekeepers alike. Now totally redesigned and featuring color photos and graphics, the second edition also includes up-to-date information on honey bee health. The go-to reference presents comprehensive yet accessible information on everything from planning hives and installing a colony to preventing disease and managing productive hives that will bear bountiful honey harvests year after year.

This book is part of the online Apprentice-Level Beekeeping Course curriculum at the the University of Montana Division of Biological Sciences as BIOB 191 Apprentice Level Beekeeping.

Dr. Malcolm T. Sanford is professor emeritus at the University of Florida. His work has appeared in numerous apicultural publications, including the journals, Bee Culture and American Bee Journal. For more than 20 years he has written an apiculture newsletter featuring beekeeping information from around the world. Sandford is also the developer of the Apis Information Resource Center: beekeep.info

The late Richard E. Bonney was a master beekeeper in Massachusetts and author of the classic books Hive Management and Beekeeping.

May Newsletter

The May Newsletter is now available at http://www.nopbanews.org.

  • Info regarding all kinds of fun and informative events coming up;

  • Links to spray maps received from the Department of Natural Resources;

  • How to lure your swarms to a mini-platorm on the end of a stout pole and get them re-hived;

  • A look at a custom-built “tree Hive”

and much, much more. Check it out!

NOPBA Monthly Meeting on May 5th

Please note that the May monthly meeting will take place on May 5, 2019 from 12 Noon to 2:30 PM, beginning at noon with the Beginning Beekeeping Class followed by the general meeting. Greg Butler will be sharing the latest research on Varroa mites, regarded as one of the greatest risks to honey bee health. Don’t miss this important presentation.

Plant Sale & Raffle

Port Angeles Garden Club

Saturday Morning, May 4th - 9am to 1pm, P.A held at the Senior Center on 328 E. 7th Street

Healthy reasonably priced shrubs, perennials, annuals, veggie starts and BASKET STUFFERS!

—Raffle for a Trip to Victoria—

April Newsletter

Check out April’s newsletter, accessed at http://www.nopbanews.org/ for another informative and fun compilation of news, facts, upcoming events, and more. Thanks to Greg for another excellent publication!

NOPBA Mentorship Program

Sometimes, it’s just nice to have someone to call. One of the benefits of NOPBA membership is our mentorship program. Our program is intended to provide those just starting in beekeeping a solid foundation and support.

Field experience with a mentor is an opportunity for active, hands on experience working with bees, hives, and beekeeping equipment. As a mentee, you choose the level of involvement. Optional activities are organized by the beekeeping season and availability of the participants. Mentoring matchups will be in place for the calendar year.

Copies of the program handout as well as the sign ups will be available at the April meeting or sign-up online.