2023 Queens Wed 6/21 6:30PM |
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Topic: SnoKing Beekeepers June 21, 2023 meeting Time: Jun 21, 2023 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88651023315?pwd=QWRDNVpzdC84Y3FkTWxDUldva29ZZz09 Meeting ID: 886 5102 3315 Passcode: 287026 --- One tap mobile +12532158782,,88651023315#,,,,*287026# US (Tacoma) +12532050468,,88651023315#,,,,*287026# US --- Dial by your location • +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) • +1 253 205 0468 US |
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Join us this Wednesday for the queen project update: the results of Round 1 and projections for Round 2. Also, we can just “talk bees.” We can talk summer plans, share favorite stories about queens and what else is going on with our bees. We can troubleshoot the effects of a cold, wet spring and queens that appear to be Missing in Action (MIA) but we hope will reappear. Please also bring your favorite ideas and have your pictures ready. Remember we can screen share one person at a time on Zoom, so have your pictures ready. Come join us if you have decided to sign up for Round 2 of the project or just want to hear how Round 1 is ending. Here's hoping to talk bees with you all 6:30PM this Wed. |
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CONTENTS: THE HIVE MIND Thursday July 13th – Gina Cuff CLASSES starting: BEGINNER 7PM Monday July 10th APPRENTICE 6:30 PM after Labor Day JOURNEYMAN 6:30PM Monday Sept. 11th JOURNEYMAN LEVEL GROUP forming this Fall HIVESIDES QUEEN PROJECT UPDATE HONEY EXTRACTION & HONEY TASTING special event 2023 NUC & PACKAGE SUPPLIER LIST |
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THE HIVE MIND has started meeting online on 2nd Thursdays. If you are interested in joining the group, particularly those of you beekeepers in your first years of beekeeping, contact Gina at ginacuff@gmail.com for more information and the Zoom link. |
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BEES & REPLACEMENT QUEENS if you need a queen, you might start with the 2023 NUC & PACKAGE SUPPLIER LIST on our home page www.snokingbka.org . At 9 pages, this list must be the most comprehensive Western Washington list of bee and queen suppliers available. However, your local bee club and beekeepers can still be the best sources for late season bees and replacement queens, so keep in touch with them. |
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CLASSES Next BEGINNER BEEKEEPING CLASS starts 7PM Monday July 10, taught by Journeyman Candidate James Fuchs. See his instructor bio below. Class includes manual, and WASBA certificate and 2023 WASBA dues gifted to the student upon completion of the course. More info at ww.snokingbka.org/beginnerapplication . If you still have questions, call or text 206-859-7392 or email eliochel@snokingbka.org. Next APPRENTICE CLASS will start after Labor Day. Dates and times TBD. If interested, email eliochel@snokingbka.org to be placed on the email to-notify list. |
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PAYMENT FOR CLASSES Payment for all classes and for membership can be made by paypal to snokingba@gmail.com or by check to SnoKing Beekeepers, 15324 228th ST SE, Snohomish, WA 98296. If paying by paypal, the easiest way is to go to the Donate button in the heading of the snokingbka.org website. Find the Donate button shown below in the picture of our club website header.Then select from the wide range of payment options that Paypal accepts. |
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BEGINNER CLASS INSTRUCTOR BIO: "Hi, my name is James Fuchs. I have been keeping bees almost every year since 2012 when one of my high school teachers gave me one of her hives after showing me some of the basics. I took a couple years off when I was at WSU Pullman as it was too hard trying to keep hives and go to school. I grew up between Lake Stevens and Snohomish and that is also the area where I currently have bee hives. I have always had an interest in the outdoors, plants and animals, gardening and animal husbandry. For the first 8 years or so of beekeeping I primary kept Langstroth hives and experimented with a top bar hive. The last two years I switched to keeping Layens hives, although this year I am planning on having a Langstroth hive or two again, as well as experimenting with that old top bar. I recently helped co-teach a beginner class and this next round will be my first time solo teaching the beginner class and am looking forward to it." James Fuchs, Journeyman Candidate. |
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JOURNEYMAN SERVICE CREDITS UNITS: Interested in continuing your beekeeping journey with WASBA Journeyman certification? If you have earned Apprentice and are doing club and community service this summer, don't forget to log service towards the Journeyman requirement. |
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We encourage any beekeeper approaching 3 years of beekeeping to pursue Journeyman. For many of you, mentoring, teaching, volunteering in your local bee club, presenting about bees and pollinators, staffing booths at fairs and community events and more! is what you do without expecting compensation. However, recognizing that service is part of Journeyman. Many of those service opportunities take place during the busy spring/summer beekeeping season. So, we have scheduled our next offering of the academic portion of Journeyman this fall. Class registration for JOURNEYMAN starting September 11, 2023 class registration is now open at www.snokingbka.or/journeymanapplication Class includes manual, and WASBA certificate and 2023 WASBA dues gifted to the student upon completion of the course. Questions? Call or text 206-859-7392 or email eliochel@snokingbka.org. |
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TROPHALLAXIS - a JOURNEYMAN level discussion and networking group SnoKing Beekeepers will start an online Journeyman level discussion group/club this fall. Interested beekeepers in Western WA – Journeyman candidates, Journeymen or Masters – will be invited to an organizational meeting on Zoom in September, time and date to be announced. We are looking for a venue to encourage beekeeper communication, education and networking after completion of the WASBA Beginner and Apprentice level. The topic of the first meeting will be the desired format for such a group. Possibilities include a Facebook group, a website forum/blog allowing members to start posts, comment and share profile information, use of online chat session software similar to zoom, or continuing with regular Zoom meetings. Please watch for a time and date for this organizational meeting, and start thinking of how to set up and maintain communication for such a group. Ideas are welcome! Email eliochel@snokingbka.org if you have suggestions or questions. |
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QUEEN REARING WORKSHOP Round 1 of the Queen Rearing Workshop has been taking place at the Maltby Club Apiary Saturdays 1PM to 3PM May 13th through July 1st, ending with the distribution of mature, proven queens to those who have participated in the workshop, based on the number of hours volunteered to the project. Round 2 will start with setup July 1st. Here's the basic timeline for purposes of illustrating the depth of the Queen Rearing Workshop, but email eliochel@snokingbka.org for more details: Basically, this takes 7 Saturdays: #1 7/1 Set up Cell Builder (CB) #2 7/8 Remove supersedure cells from CB. Graft larvae, and put in CB. Set up mating nucs. #3 7/15 Remove supersedure cells from mating nucs and transfer capped Q cells to mating nucs. #4 7/22 Check for emergence. #5 7/29 Check that Q has clean empty brood cells to lay in and make sure there is pollen sub in every mating nuc.of #6 8/5 Look for eggs and make sure Q has everything she needs to lay (see #5) #7 8/12 Check eggs and brood pattern and distribute Qs to members who helped with project, or . . . If you wish to participate but are not able to on Saturdays, weekday opportunities to participate are also available because project maintenance is necessary before and between these Saturdays. Make mid-week appointments with Eli to participate and contribute extra hours. |
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HIVESIDES Apiary Managers: Granite Falls Branch Apiary Ron - beebuddy.skba@gmail.com 206-719-3604 Maltby Club Apiary Eli - eliochel@snokingbka.org 206-859-7392 Hiveside schedules constantly change and we will try to update the website calendar as needed. At this time: Maltby Hivesides are open in Saturdays 1 PM to 3 PM in May, June, and July unless held at a member’s home. Granite Falls Hivesides will will generally be 2PM to 4PM 1st and 3rd Sundays until further notice. Email Hiveside Managers to confirm that there are no last minute changes to date and time, and to tell SnoKing how many are attending. Picture below of 2023 Queen Project at Maltby. |
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SPECIAL MEMBER EVENT Honey Extraction & Honey Tasting at the Dietzels Jo and Dennis Dietzel are hosting a special event at their Edmonds home, Saturday July 8th noon to 2PM. You are invited to come help extract honey and join in tasting different types of honey. Bring samples to share, if you wish. The more, the merrier! RSVP for this event directly to the Dietzels by texting 425-773-5626. |
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These are photos of the 1st Place prize for the membership drawing which will be held again at the November monthly meeting. This bee-themed quilt has been crafted by Anna Filson for this event. Every member who is current on dues on October 31st will receive one entry chance to win this and other prizes. Additional chances can be earned by volunteering shifts at our booth at the Evergreen State Fair as explained below. |
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EVERGREEN STATE FAIR in Monroe - Only 2 months away! August 24-29, 31, and September 1st - Labor Day (Sept. 5th) From Walt Filson, the Chair of the Fair Committee: "It’s only June and I can already smell the caramel corn and fried foods of the fair. I think I just gained five pounds. "We need volunteers to work the booth at the fair. You don’t need to be an expert at beekeeping to work at the booth. Most who come to the booth are interested in what it’s like to be a bee keeper and their questions are fairly simple. They just want to see what we look like: for example, do beekeepers really have wings and speak in buzzing sounds? You can go to this link for SKBA Volunteer: 2023 Evergreen State Fair - SKBA: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4daead2fa0fac07-2023#/ to sign up for a shift. "When signing up for shifts, please note that for some unknown reason, the shifts for 8/22, 8/24 and 8/31 are at the bottom. "In addition to all the fun of being at the fair, spending time with fellow beekeepers and "talking bees" with them and with the general public, in case all that was not enough reason to join us at the fair . . . This year, for every four hour shift you do at the fair you get an extra entry into the drawing for the handmade quilt pictured above as first prize and a couple additional prizes. We would also like to see youth volunteers at the booth, so if you are a member bringing a high school (grades 10 to 12) student member of your household, you receive an additional chance. Please email me (Walt) to. If they are not beekeepers, we would still like their help with activities for children. "I hope you will join us at the fair, it really is a good time." Walt Filson waltfilson@gmail.com |
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FAIR TSHIRTS Becky Glaze has volunteered to again make tshirts for volunteers who sign up for 2 shifts. The shirts were a hit last year. |
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QUEEN PROJECT UPDATE For the most up-to-date information, attend the meeting this Wed. 6:30PM. Queen project sessions at the Maltby club apiary are mostly Saturdays with a few Tues/Wed dates by appointment at the Maltby Hiveside. The queen rearing project had to wait on Western Washington weather but Round 1 is almost complete.There will be 2 types of queen raising sessions: (1) a day or 2 that you can drop by and try your hand at grafting and (2) a class requiring several weeks of involvement from setting up the cell builder hive to grafting day, to setting up mating nucs, to moving queen cells into those mating nucs, to verifying the productivity of those queens. Round 2 sessions start with setup Saturday 7/1 and continue on Saturdays through August 19th. The drop-by days to try your hand with grafting tools will be posted on the calendar for Hivesides. |
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QUEEN GRAFTING at Granite Falls: Ron will be leading a less formal version of the queen rearing workshop at our northern branch apiary. Because this Sunday June 18th was canceled due to a hail storm, Ron is rescheduling it to this coming Sunday the 25th and will start queen rearing with 2 consecutive Sundays, June 25th and July 2nd. Contact him at beebuddy.skba@gmail.com to join or for further details. |
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BEE TIPS & TRIVIA 2023 New postings are on hold due to the demands of the Queen Rearing Project! However, . . . The bee jokes of 2022 are still there. If you select the category “Jokes” on the blog page, you can still chuckle your way to relaxation. |
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES If you have a talent to share or a project you would like to do for the club, let us know. We do need: Class registrar Videographers Wix website technician EVERGREEN STATE FAIR 8/24-9/4 |
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Thank you for reading this newsletter. We hope to talk bees with you at the June 21, 2023 Monthly Meeting SnoKing Beekeepers: Time: Jun 21, 2023 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88651023315?pwd=QWRDNVpzdC84Y3FkTWxDUldva29ZZz09 Meeting ID: 886 5102 3315 Passcode: 287026 --- One tap mobile +12532158782,,88651023315#,,,,*287026# US (Tacoma) +12532050468,,88651023315#,,,,*287026# US --- Dial by your location • +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) • +1 253 205 0468 US |
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Here's hoping that June showers bring July flowers and nectar flow! |
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