The Spring Fair is here again! The PCBA will again have a booth at the Spring Fair in Puyallup. We will also be selling our fantastic PCBA honey.
In addition, we are lucky enough to have the National Honey Queen join us,
We need you to sign-up to work the booth during the Fair April 19-22. 2012 We will be able to supply you with a ticket t the Fair.
We will have sign-up at the meetings Thanks and see you all at the Fair
The workshop for saturday afternoon is cancelled. When the workshop is planned again, information will be sent out.
Dale Tongue
The latest edition of the newsletter (Cappings) has been added to the Newsletter section. Download or view your copy online today!
SPRING INSPECTION – When temperature is 50+
Source – Larry Connor, Colony Management, Bee Culture, March 2011
Overall:
What is the scent of the colony?
Do you see evidence of pests or disease?
What treatments will you use?
Have you started your comb replacement strategy?
Queen:
What is her age? Do you see eggs?
What is the brood pattern?
Is there drone comb? Are there queen cells?
Brood:
How many worker bees are there to raise young and to forage?
How much brood in the nest area?
What methods will you use for swarm control?
Food:
How much pollen and honey is stored?
Where is it? Is fresh forage available? Does the colony need food?
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Another area to review in your apprentice booklet before our February meeting is lesson 8 - Diseases and Pests.
This is the section that will help you with your journey-level test #2 on spring management, especially questions about disease and pests.
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Speaking of journey level tests, several of you newer folks have yet to turn in tests. I'd really like to encourage you to do that. Hopefully, these reviews and our class discussion at the February meeting will help you to get started on your tests.
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At the February meeting, we'll talk about spring time colony management. We'll cover information that applies to tests #1 and #2 in your journey level tests. To provide even more information, it would help if you review lesson #4 in your apprentice booklet -- Spring Management. When you do that review, have your pen ready. There are lots of answers to questions in journey level test #2 in that section of the apprentice booklet.
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Help PCBA congratulate two journey level beekeepers who will be signed off in the next couple of weeks -- Beth Mantegna and Sarah Mantegna. They are part of the group that meets monthly in the Lacamas area, forming a southend support group of beekeepers. If fact, I think Beth initiated that group. Beth and Sarah also have been quite involved working with Mark in the apiary and doing other service to PCBA and beekeepers in general. Good going, you two!
Here's the PCBA wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
The 2012 Bee Masters Course will be held February 20 - 24, 2012 at the Michael Smith Building, 2185 East Mall, UBC.
The Bee Masters course is a week-long, intensive course in advanced beekeeping that has been held every second year since the mid 1950s. The course is organized by the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and offers in-depth information about all facets of bees and beekeeping management. Topics include Integrated Pest Management (IPM), the role of drugs and chemicals, HACCP, economics of commercial beekeeping, PCR diagnostics and much more. The course combines illustrated lectures, laboratory periods, social events, lots of discussion, and an optional final examination. Participants should have had some beekeeping experience and familiarity with bee biology and behaviour. Hobbyists, sideliners, and commercial beekeepers are all welcome, and will benefit from this enjoyable course.
Lecturers for the 2012 course include Dr. Leonard Foster, UBC; Dr, Stephen Pernal, AAFC-Beaverlodge; Dr. Amanda Van Haga, UBC; Dr, Elisabeth Elle, SFU; Dr. Rob Currie, Manitoba; John Gibeau of Honey Bee Centre; Heather Higo, Queen Breeder; Jaquie Bunse, Apiary Inspector; Paul van Westendorp, BC Provincial Apiculturist, and others.
For further program and registration information, please visit;
www.beemasters.ca
You may also contact:
Paul van Westendorp
BC Ministry of Agriculture
604-556-3129
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