Activities, notes, and actions from the PSBA Apiary

This page is used to coordinate and log activites in the apiary.

Notes refer to hives by number, please see the Hive Map for the numbering scheme.

Apiary Work Party- July 9th

June 23rd, 2011 < by krista >

If interested in maintaining the club’s apiary and learning something new, join a work party! Contact work party organizers to be updated with planning information and to RSVP your participation.

Next Party: July 9th (10 a.m.-12 p.m.) Contact: Aaron Lum 541-231-1979

Where: Arboretum Apiary Work to do: Check hives, see apiary log in shed.

Future Parties:

July – 17th – Steve Near 425-306-8137

Aug – 1st half – Brad Jones 206-612-1068

Aug – 2nd half – Nancy Beckett 206-937-5583

Sept – 1st half –Krista Conner 206-938-5158

Sept – 2nd half – Marie Emerson 425-882-3261

Oct – 1st half – Anna Wald 206-325-7118

Posted in Announcements, Apiary Notes, News, PSBA Events, Work Parties | Comments Off

Comments on Apiary Work Party, 6/19/10

June 26th, 2010 < by patti >

Tim Todd led. Four people attended. Notes below by Aaron Lum.

Hives 1, 2, 3:  Came  late, don’t know status. No activity at entrance of Hive 3.
Hive 4 (top bar hive):  Front 8-9 bars are built out to the observation window (OW). We did not open the hive but I observed looking through the OW. About 5 top bars are left towards the back; bees are building out the fifth; comb diameter about softball-sized. New TBH in shed, no metal (exterior) cover.
Hive 5:  Rotated boxes to put drawn  frames in the bottom brood box to encourage more laying.
Hives 6, 7:  Seem to be empty.
Hive 8 (swarm, wild comb): saw multiple eggs in cells of wild comb  (laying worker?). Most of the honey eaten from the uncapped & scratched honey frames installed two weeks ago. Installed 2-3 capped brood frames from Hive 2 to encourage queen making.

Hive Map

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Comments on Apiary Work Party, 6/6/10

June 7th, 2010 < by patti >

8 participants. Overcast skies, but the temperature was warm
and the rain held off. Rubber boots were an advantage in the mud
around the hives.

  • Fed Hives 1, 2, and 3 with honey frames from the shed.
  • Reversed the top two of four brood boxes in Hive 5.
  • Hive 8 (swarm) was combined with Hive 2 on 5/23, but the Hive 8 bees had not descended. Added a medium with honey frames to entice the swarm bees into a box.
  • Special thanks to Corky Luster for advice.
  • Casey Paul delivered a new top bar hive, now in shed. Splitting present top bar hive (Hive 4) postponed until next work party.
  • A mystery metal shelf was found outside the shed and is now inside.

Laura Lovell & Kevin Gow

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Comments on Apiary Work Party, 5/23/10, 12-3 pm

June 6th, 2010 < by patti >

14 participants (wow!). Inspected 5 original PSBA hives and 2 swarm hives:

  • No record of hive histories in log
  • Hives not numbered; created Hive Map
  • Combined weak swarm 10-7 with 10-2
  • Chucked and replaced broken equipment frames with wax moth
  • Top bar hive ready for a split (need new TBH!)
  • 10-6 (swarm hive) had laying worker; scraped those cells

Patti Loesche

Posted in Apiary Notes | 1 Comment »