Puget Sound Beekeepers Association

Honey Sting

bob — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:28:57 +0000

The moral of the story is: Know your beekeeper.

11 Executives and 6 Foriegn Firms Caught in Huge Honey Sting

August Newsletter

bob — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 03:40:12 +0000

August 2010 Newsletter

Reminder: Meeting in North Bend, Tue July 27

patti — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 02:29:20 +0000

Although there is no PSBA meeting at the Arboretum in July, there will be a meeting on the eastside at Meadowbrook Farm Preserve Interpretive Center, between North Bend and Snoqualmie. Beautiful site and easy to find (see Meadowbrook Farm for directions).

When: Tuesday, July 27, 6-9 pm

6:00 — Tour of Meadowbrook Apiary (location). Meet at the Center at 5:45, or walk across the field to the dirt road on the right.

7:00 — Q&A panel. Beginners’ questions welcome. A lot is going on at this time of year!

8:00 — Small-cell and foundationless beekeeping (Bob Combs & Ken Reid)

PSBA Members In The News

patti — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 02:11:16 +0000

Bob Combs in the Snohomish Valley Star (7/14/10):
Finding a Sticky Solution to a Buzzing Puzzle

Corky Luster on KUOW (7/17/10):
Bee Ambassador

Apiary Work Party – Saturday, July 10

patti — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:38:07 +0000

The next PSBA apiary work party will be Saturday, July 10, 2-4 pm. Christine Ranegger will lead (cranegger@msn.com). Contact Christine for more information, or just show up.

Beginners are welcome! Bring your bee suit if you have one. Some protective gear will be available. Anyone who is interested will get hands-on experience.

The apiary is behind the greenhouses next to the Graham Visitor’s Center at the Washington Park Arboretum.

Comments on Apiary Work Party, 6/19/10

patti — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 20:04:28 +0000

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

July Picnic

bob — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 04:00:38 +0000

Annual picnic Saturday July 17th

From 12-3 next to the club apiary behind the Graham Visitor’s Center. Bring a
potluck dish to share. The club will provide beverages and dessert. This is fun
opportunity to socialize and network with other beekeepers. There is always great
food and conversation!

July Meeting on the Eastside

bob — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:43:02 +0000

There is traditionally a picnic and no PSBA meeting at the Arboretum in July. There is, however an alternate meeting on the eastside at Meadowbrook Farm Preserve Interpretive Center located between North Bend and Snoqualmie for those interested. (See Meadowbrook Farm for directions)

Tuesday July 27th
6:00 Apiary tour (location)
7:00 Q&A Panel – Beginners’ questions welcome
8:00 Small-Cell and Foundationless Beekeeping

Apiary Work Party: Sat June 19, 2-4 pm

patti — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 00:49:28 +0000

Tim Todd will host a work party at the apiary at the Arboretum from 2 to 4 pm. The apiary is south of the Graham Visitor’s Center and the greenhouses. Just walk up the road that is East of the greenhouses. You can contact Tim at 253-941-9855.

Everyone is welcome.
Bring your bee suit and your willingness to learn more about bees. We do have a few bee suits to loan if you don’t own one.

June Meeting

patti — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 17:51:31 +0000

The next PSBA meeting will be on Tuesday, June 22, 6:30-9:00 pm. Meetings are at the Graham Visitors Center at the Washington Park Arboretum.

6:30-7:15 – Beginners’ instruction

7:30-9:00 – Robin Foster (Professor & Chair, Department of Psychology, University of Puget Sound): Recent research on bumblebee brain and behavior.
Most studies of social insect brains have focused on honeybees and ants, which have distinct division of labor and live in large colonies. With Susannah Hannaford at the University of Puget Sound, Robin has focused on the behavior and brains of bumblebees, whose small colonies typically include fewer than 100 workers. Worker bumblebees carry out tasks both inside the hive (e.g. brood care, nest temperature regulation, nest maintenance) and outside the hive (e.g., foraging for pollen and nectar). Robin will summarize recent findings on the brain structure of worker bumblebees in relationship to age, behavior, and experience.