Ever wondered about the Forum link at the top of this website? PSBA president Nancy Beckett has asked that a reminder be posted about the Western Washington Beekeeping Forum. The Forum is THE place for regional beekeepers, regardless of their experience, to post news, ask questions, give advice, advertise equipment for sale, and get to know each other. The more people who use the Forum, the more we’ll learn about our very active beekeeping community. You’ll need to create an account to use the site, but this is a simple step.
Archive for the ‘Announcements’ Category
Western Washington Beekeeping Forum
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010New Hive Inspection Sheet
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010Available on the Bee Yard page.
Article: “The Secret Death of Bees”
Sunday, May 23rd, 2010Here’s the perfect article to refer people to the next time that the pesky subject of CCD comes up. This is an excellent general summary of the talk that Steve Sheppard (WSU) gave to PSBA in 2009. Includes some great links, and don’t miss the scary photos of Nosema ceranae and Varroa destructor.
The Secret Death of Bees
Washington State Magazine (Spring 2010)
Apiary Work Party – Sunday, May 23
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010The next PSBA apiary work party will be this Sunday, May 23, 12:00-2:00. Meet at the apiary, which is behind the greenhouses next to the Graham Visitor’s Center at the Washington Park Arboretum.
Patti Loesche (206-403-6263) will lead this work party. New and old beekeepers are welcome. If you want hands-on experience, bring a bee suit if you have one, or wear light colors and close up neck, arm, and leg holes. I’ll bring a spare veil and extra gloves.
PSBA Apiary Field Day!
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010Saturday, May 15, 10 am-3 pm
Don’t miss this annual educational event! Registration starts at 9:30 am in the greenhouse adjacent to the Graham Visitor Center of the Washington Park Arboretum. Fee is $15 per person or family.
Starting promptly at 10 am, we will offer a lecture, question and answer, hands-on construction by each attendee of a device for measuring the incidence of varroa infestation using the powdered sugar or ether methods, and hands-on experience with hive inspection.
10:00-12:00 – Main presentation:
- What to look for in May
- Disease and treatment
- Standard tool kit for apiary visits
12:00 – Break for lunch; bring your own or visit local eateries
1:00 – Suit up and walk over to the apiary. Bring your bee suit, veil, gloves (some loaner bee suits will be available). Experienced members will take small groups and demonstrate proper techniques for opening a hive, removing frames, examining for disease or poor brood pattern, and assessing the incidence of varroa infestation. Participants will have hands-on time.
The PSBA apiary is behind the greenhouses next to the Graham Visitor’s Center at the Washington Park Arboretum.
Seattle International Film Festival: “Queen of the Sun”
Monday, May 3rd, 2010The film Queen of the Sun will be shown at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 22 & 23 at the Harvard Exit. This film examines the global bee crisis through the eyes of beekeepers, scientists, philosophers, and farmers and features Michael Pollan, Vandana Shiva, Gunther Hauk, and beekeepers around the world. The film premiered at the Nashville Film Festival on April 17 and won Best Documentary-Honorable Mention. Check out the trailer on the film’s website.
Bloom Dates
Thursday, April 1st, 2010Dominic Ebacher from WSBA, I wanted to invite you to pass the following along to yourself and hopefully other online members of PSBA, so we can gather data that is more general for Western Washington on first bloom dates. Everyone that participates will have a share in the data, and if you see it with your own eyes, we want to know about it.
Thanks for passing this on, you have my thanks!
Here’s the link:
Bloom Dates
Dominic Ebacher
olympicacres.com
Final Beginning Beekeeping Class
Sunday, March 21st, 2010The last PSBA-sponsored beginning beekeeping class of the spring is coming up:
When: April 17 & 18 (Sat & Sun), 12-4 pm each day
Where: Meadowbrook Farm, North Bend
Cost: $30
See Meadowbrook Schedule or contact Bob Combs.
PSBA’s First 2010 Apiary Work Party!
Thursday, March 18th, 2010Drop by the PSBA Apiary at the University of Washington Arboretum between 12:00 and 3:00 on Saturday, March 20, for our very first work party of the year!
This is a great opportunity for new beekeepers to check out over-wintered hives and to help inventory and prepare our woodenware for the coming season. You’ll be able to ask some of the Association’s most experienced beekeepers your pressing early-season questions and get some hands-on experience with the tasks you’ll need to perform on your own hives each spring. Spare equipment has sometimes been given away to lucky volunteers at this work-party in the past, so don’t miss it!
Brian Allen will lead this work party (206-973-7374).
KUOW: Varroa Mites
Thursday, March 18th, 2010PSBA’s own Bruce Becker was featured in this 3/16 report on KUOW:
Pesky Parasite Devastates Honeybees on Vancouver Island