Trophallaxis 6:30PM Nov. 1st |
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Topic: Trophallaxis Beekeepers Discussion Group Time: Nov 1, 2023 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Every month on the First Wed Open to all Journeymen candidates, and Journeyman and Master Beekeepers. Email eliochel@snokingbka.org for the zoom link because we do need to limit this group to beekeepers in Washington State with - or earning - Journeyman or Master Beekeeper. We do support beekeepers at all levels, so for a beginning to intermediate beekeeping discussion group, see the information below in this newsletter for The Hive Mind (2nd Thursdays) and the SnoKing Beekeepers Facebook Discussion Group. |
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Masters, Journeymen and Journeyman candidates: Starting Nov. 1st, Trophallaxis, a Journeyman and Beyond online networking and sharing group for all who have taken or are taking the academic portion of the WASBA Journeyman, will start meeting monthly. Although hosted by SnoKing Beekeepers, this discussion group is open to all Washington State Beekeepers who are Journeyman or Master level, and those who are taking or have taken the academic course of WASBA Journeyman certification. We will use this first online meeting to meet each other and decide what benefits we want to get from an intermediate to advanced beekeeping group. We can choose the format(s) we want to try. There are several possible formats for this type of group; for example, online meetings monthly or more often, or we can expand to a social media or online forum. We can share our beekeeping journey, encourage and support each other, let each other know about business/service opportunities, give or practice giving presentations, explore research topics, etc. For the zoom link or for more information, call or text Eli Ocheltree 206-859-7392 or email eliochel@snokingbka.org . Also, if you can’t make this date or time, but are interested in future meetings, let us know that. |
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There will be one essential rule at this and any meeting or activity hosted by SnoKing Beekeepers. Ron Robinson stated it best for our Facebook discussion group, so here is how he said it: "SKBA prides itself on the fact we are not like other groups on Facebook. We have become known as a safe group for keepers of all levels to comfortably ask questions and opinions without being blasted or publicly humiliated for asking what may seem like a very basic question to others. Any harassing, bullying, demeaning behavior, or such will not be tolerated. We have a zero tolerance policy and such behavior will result in immediate removal from club and all club activities. If anyone sees inappropriate behavior please report/flag the post, it's anonymous. The admin and/or moderator will review the post and take appropriate actions. We thank everyone for your understanding. We want you to have a fun, safe club where you can ask any questions you have and be helped by many others of all levels. We also ask if you don't have any helpful input for other members and feel the need to be snarky... simply don't do it. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to message me directly or email beebuddy.skba@gmail.com" Or you can contact Eli Ocheltree eliochel@snokingbka.org. |
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CONTENTS: Future SnoKing meeting topics (Nov. & Dec.) State of the Hive Feature Article: Pesticide Hive Die Out Update (Part II) Fair Committee Nov. 9 Auditing classes - free for members Membership/Fair Volunteers Drawing Journeyman Opportunities Discussion groups The Hive Mind 2nd Thursdays, next is Nov. 9th Facebook ongoing Trophallaxis 1st Wednesdays, starting Nov. 1st Classes Beginner starts Jan. 11, 2024 Journeyman starts Jan. 14, 2024 Apprentice started Oct. 17 Club Apiaries - closed for the season until further notice |
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FUTURE SNOKING MEETING TOPICS: The featured speaker at our November 15 meeting will be Bri Price, the new Honey Bee Outreach Coordinator, to be based at WSU’s facility in Puyallup, WA. The December 13th meeting presentation will be the detailed summary and analysis of the WASBA October 7 & 8 Conference talks, if the conference recordings have been released by then to attendees. Note: the December meeting has been moved to the 2nd Wednesday for December only. The 13th is not so close to the holiday weekends so many use for a much needed break. |
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STATE OF THE HIVE Hi, beekeepers! We need to have done our best and relax. Remember beekeeping is supposed to be simple: Keep the bees dry, fed, and treated for mites and “do no harm. Here’s hoping for a warmer drier 2024 spring than 2022 and 2023! At the cooler temperatures just experienced in much of Western WA, only oxalic acid could possibly be used. May your mite counts be low! Clearing entrances may show how many summer bees gave up with this sudden arctic blast and expired. If you can't check and clear entrances frequently, a colony may need that small upper entrance for cleansing flights. |
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Yellowjackets: Only the largest yellowjackets are still showing up at the Maltby Apiary hives, which may mean these are the mated queens preparing to overwinter.We strengthened hives by reducing entrances and/or using robbing screens, merging nucs to help them defend against robbing. |
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"Pesticide Hive Die Out Update" If you read last month my article, I had a large three deep hive with one super die out over a two-day period. It was so fast. Massive hive with an excellent queen laying 4 or 5 frames of brood. I tried calling WSU Clark, Skamania, OSU Extension offices, to get the dead bees tested, answers to what do I do with my equipment or all the drawn out 30 plus frames but I could not get ahold of anyone. So, I froze two packages of dead bees; hopefully to be tested at a later date. |
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The hive is now sitting with frames in storage inside, bottom entrance blocked with screen wire for air flow up and out thorough the inner cover. Frames will be monitored periodically to check for wax moths. The equipment and frames will sit till I know what to do or if I will be able to use with our next beekeeping season. |
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Additional die out and bees diminishing Since then, I have had another hive, Blue, with dead bees at the entrance with their tongues sticking out (see pic below); plus, in my Yellow hive the number of bees has diminished by half. |
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In both hives the queens are not laying; the bees are not bringing in any nectar or pollen, not capping honey. I added syrup and they didn’t touch it. Bob Binnie had said with his hives that had diminished from pesticides to feed the bees a double dose of DFM. That has helped, the hives have not had any more die offs; the bees are eating now but the hives are just not flourishing. In both hives there’s just not enough bees to make it thorough the winter months, and I do not know if any winter bees were made. We’ll see if they make it through. Bedding all the hives down now. |
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I am going to contact Bob Binnie Bee Company and see if they have any recommendations for Bee Equipment, Drawn out frames and the bees being tested, seeing as how one of his bee yards was hit three times with pesticides. That can get expensive after a while. Bob is affiliated with George State University and Floridia State University, so hopefully he is having his bees tested with all the honey he sells. |
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Now that I have a possibility of three hives with pesticide issues; what do I do for next year? Do I leave my hives here at the house or do I move them? I don’t want to chance another dead hive!! Someone close is using heavy pesticides. On top of all this die out, there’s been 60 hives moved on my door step and massive robbing going on. Makes it hard to open the hives to check them. People may say, “Oh, you just have a weak hive is why you're getting robbed," but not so when someone has placed hives nearby, pulled all the honey, and there is no food or nectar left out there to forage at this time of year. Those bees are frantic to find food; thus, your hives are inundated with aggressive bees looking for food. And 60 hives is a lot of bees. I think I’m going look around a mile or two from my house to find property to move my bees to; hopefully to protect them from any more pesticides and from these crazy 60 hives so close. |
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Out of the ten hives, two I don’t think are going to make it through winter after pesticides; two are a "maybe they will make it"; and six hives seem strong at this time - I just need to keep food on them. And this year my hives have their lowest mite counts ever going into winter. OA really works. |
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You know, every year as Beekeepers we are constantly learning new things and part of that is because of the hard struggles of Beekeeping. There’s those challenges and “What am I going to do with this one??” But for that Passion of Beekeeping we press on! |
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FAIR COMMITTEE will meet 6:30PM Thursday Nov. 9. Notes from the September 13 meeting were just now sent out to the attendees. If we missed you, or if you are interested, email eliochel@snokingbka.org for the notes, if you wish to join that committee, or join us at the link below. If you can not attend, but have comments or suggestions for the committee, please email them. Topic: Fair Committee 6:30PM Nov. 9, 2023 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85938811711?pwd=aFI0dGh5ZnlaWlNUcG1FMXhaR0Vldz09 Meeting ID: 859 3881 1711 Passcode: 074542Fair chair: Walt Filson waltfilson@gmail.com |
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AUDITING CLASSES: For those who need certification, there is still room in the apprentice class started Tuesday Oct. 17 and meeting through Nov. In addition, SnoKing offers an unusual member benefit: a member can audit a class for free for any level already achieved. Email eliochel@snokingbkar.org to be placed on the weekly class email list at no cost for current members. This is of particular benefit to those who took classes pre-2019, before the major rewrite of the manuals. Any member who previously earned a certificate is welcome to join a current class and see that current level information presented. In particular, some of you Journeymen might wish a review of academic material before applying for the new Master Beekeeper program expected to begin in 2024. WASBA reported at the annual board meeting held at the conference that the expected date for start of the new WSU Master Beekeeper course is now June 2024. |
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Journeyman is the most completely rewritten and improved of the course levels and of particular interest to experienced beekeepers. The newer print manuals can be purchased even if you have already earned Journeyman. The easiest way to join as an “alumnus” is to email eliochel@snokingbka.org and ask to receive the weekly class emails with link, handouts and other information. The current Journeyman class sessions are more than half finished, but the next Journeyman 10-session course starts January 14, 2024. |
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MEMBERSHIP DRAWING: Those of you who volunteered at our fair booth earned a chance per shift. Don’t forget that you can also earn one more chance by paying dues for 2023-2024 by Nov. 10, unless you have already done so. Because the entry deadline for the fair volunteer and membership drawing is Nov. 10, we will be again doing the actual drawing live at the Nov. 15 monthly meeting. Two of the largest prizes – handcrafted quilt by Anna Filson and a deep single box hive set donated by Mann Lake – were displayed at the fair. Picture below is of the hive setup; it served as our 'Parts of a Hive' demo at the Evergreen State Fair. |
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First name drawn at the Nov. 15 meeting chooses the prize desired, second name gets second choice, and so forth until 11 names are drawn for the 11 prizes. Other prizes include a bee-themed birdhouse handcrafted by Walt Filson; two awesome 2023 Fair t-shirts in size XL by Becky Glaze; two Guardian Bee logo t-shirts (one in M and one in L) and a J-hook hive tool donated by Guardian Bee; and books donated by Dadant Bee Supply: |
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Langstroth’s Hive and the Honey-Bee, The Classic Beekeeper‘s Manual, 2004 reprint of 4th ed. 1878 work The new “Starting Right with Bees,” beginner’s handbook on beekeeping, 1997, 21st ed. A Closer Look; Basic Honey Bee Biology, Clarence Collison 2017 |
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JOURNEYMAN OPPORTUNITIES to earn service credit point during the winter can include writing articles of interest to beekeepers (2 service credits per article). For an example, see above the article by Sandy Pruett. BTW, Sandy has now completed all her certification requirements and is officially now Journeyman Sandy Pruett. Congratulations, Sandy! Other suggested article topics: -- personal evolution as a beekeeper -- scaling up your beekeeping operation, or down, or both -- review of a favorite speaker or research source/topic you have researched -- summary of the beekeeping season just ending (your experience or a general perspective of 2023) More journeyman service possibilities: -- Teaching WASBA Beginner* -- Moderating or presenting at discussion groups or meetings. *We are aware that WASBA allows anyone who has completed Apprentice with one year beekeeping experience to teach Beginner, as long as they are under the supervision of a Journeyman or Master, but SnoKing limits teaching to beekeepers that have completed at least the academic portion of WASBA Journeyman. |
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DISCUSSION GROUPS: ASK A BEEKEEPER sessions are on temporary hold. THE HIVE MIND networking group for beginning and advanced beekeepers continues on 2nd Thursdays. Contact Gina Cuff ginacuff@gmail.com for information and zoom link. SNOKING BEEKEEPERS discussion group is open to all Western Washington Beekeepers and continues throughout the year on Facebook. Ask to join on Facebook or by emailing beebuddy.skba@gmail.com Ron Robinson with the email that you use on Facebook and he can invite you to join. |
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JOURNEYMAN LEVEL DISCUSSION GROUP starting 6:30PM November 1st. Trophallaxis, an online discussion/networking group, is starting for Master Beekeepers, Journeymen and Journeyman candidates. To join, you must have at least have taken or currently be enrolled in the WASBA Journeyman class. Email eliochel@snokingkba.org for the zoom link. The group will start by meeting the first Wednesday of each month. The first meeting will be held November 1st to set goals and agenda for the group. This group can concentrate on meeting the networking and information sharing needs of the intermediate to advanced beekeeper, because other groups such as The Hive Mind can meet the needs of beginners. Sharing can be on a formal or informal basis be about individual experiences such as scaling up or about general perspectives on beekeeping. |
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CLASSES Online with SnoKing Beekeepers Assn. All classes include manual, online testing, and WASBA certificate plus WASBA 2024 membership upon course completion. APPRENTICE starts 6:30PM this Tuesday October 17. Registration and more information at www.snokingbka.org/apprenticeapplication Questions? Call or text 206-859-7392 or email eliochel@snokingbka.org. Next BEGINNER starts Thursday January 11. Registration and more information at www.snokingbka.org/beginnerapplication The first 2024 Apprentice will start late January or February 2024. Questions? Call or text 206-859-7392 or email eliochel@snokingbka.org. |
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Next JOURNEYMAN starts January 14, 2024. Registration and more information can be found at www.snokingbka.org/journeymanapplication Although the academic course is only part of Journeyman certification, many Journeyman candidates find that it gives them knowledge and confidence to complete the other requirements, particularly the service hours requirement which may include mentoring, presentations, and other club & community service hours. |
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CLUB APIARIES: Closed except by appointment Maltby - Eli - eliochel@snokingbka.org 206-859-7392 Granite Falls - Ron - beebuddy.skba@gmail.com 206-719-3604 |
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Journeyman candidates, Journeymen and Masters, let's "talk bees" this Wednesday 6:30PM. Email eliochel@snokingbka.org or text Eli at 206-859-7392 for the link. |
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The mission of the SKBA, a 501c3 member club of WASBA, is to provide educational opportunities, networking and support to beekeepers and people interested in honey bees, particularly those involved in small-scale beekeeping in Washington State west of the Cascades. |
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"We talk bees!" at SnoKing Beekeepers Association. |
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