Minutes
North Olympic Peninsula Beekeeper’s Association (NOPBA) minutes
DATE February 16, 2025
TIME 11 AM
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER BY MARK URNES
IN ATTENDANCE – 26 PEOPLE
GENERAL INFORMATION:
REPORTS
• President – Greg Butler:
Mark filled in for Greg who is out of town and our VP, Geoff has the flu. He opened the meeting at noon and made the above announcement about the February meeting.
• Treasurer – Cathy Martineau – Our balance is $8,970.00. Annual membership fee is due:
$15/yr for one member or $25/yr for two or more in a family. Cathy needs the membership list.
Greg has it and needs Rami to teach him how to share it.
• Community Outreach – Megan D’Amore – Megan will contact Carrie Morlang about the change in meeting time for next month. Carrie will be doing a presentation on Mason Bees – Three reasons to have them and how to get started.
• Education Trustee – Rex Roberton:
1) Mark reported that he and Greg will be teaching the 5-week Beginning Beekeeping class at Peninsula College beginning February 4th. The class will end with a field trip to his and Greg’s.
2) Mark is preparing for the beekeeping class at Clallam Bay Corrections Center. He teaches the WASBA program in one day. Two are already enrolled. The enrollment cap is 15. Theremust be two CBCC employees present and prefer to get 3 NOPBA members to help check hives. This must be done when the officers are available. Our club will buy two packages of bees to donate. The prison has bee suits, tools, and even a honey extractor. This program is through Evergreen State which also teaches topics on dogs, cats, horticulture, etc.
• Social Media – Rami Grunbaum: Rami is updating our website. Any thoughts about the site are welcome.
• Swarm List – Geoff McClain: Notify Geoff if you would like to be on the swarm list. The swarm list can be found on the website NOPBA.org.
• Secretary – Jamie Kenyon: Minutes are posted on our website. Jamie forwards the minutes to Rami who posts them for her.
BEEKEEPING TIPS AND TRICKS
1) Ordering bees – Now is the time to order bees. Some places to look are Ashley Baar (360) 460-7221, Sunny Farms, Dadant among others. Bees will arrive mid to late April. (For more options see the Sources for Honey Bees tab here.)
2) When should I open/check my bees in the winter? Try to keep the hive closed during the winter to conserve heat. You can lift you hive to see if it feels lighter due to the bees using their honey resources, Rex likes it to be in the 60s before he opens his hive. Do it quickly. If needed, give bees sugar on top of newspaper. Some people give pollen patties.
3) When to add honey supers – In May for June blackberries.
4) Classes to get certified and hopefully eventually become a journeyman beekeeper are being provided by SnoKing Beekeeper’s Association. There are classes via zoom. Contact Eli Ocheltree, Master beekeeper – (206)859-7392 or email eliochel@gmail.com.
PRESENTATION – REX ROBERTON – SELECTING AND MANAGING
HYGIENIC HIVES
Rex gave a very in-depth presentation on how beekeepers can control disease and mites by getting hygienic bees and managing them with summer brood interruption. In many countries, no chemicals are used. Instead, disease and mite control are through natural selection. Hygienic bees are more attuned to stress pheromones.
Some researchers/experts cited were Microbiologist George F. White (1906), Dr. Oscar Wallace Park, Dr. Walter Rothenbuhler, Dr. Thomas Rinderer (1977-2016 varroa resistance), Dr. Eva Crane (www.evacranetrust.org), Dr. Marla Spivak (Freeze killed brood), Dr. John Harbo (Harbo Assay, SMR), and Dr. Kaira Wagoner (Unhealthy brood odor).
FURTHER INFORMATION:
See above.
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting will be held at the Port Angeles North Olympic Library, 2210 Peabody St, Port
Angeles at 11:00 am on February 16th, 2025.