Winter & Spring Hopes 6:30PM Wed tonight |
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Are you seeing El Nino effects at your apiaries? Do you have a winter checklist you are going through? What should be done about deadouts? Where to order bees? What can beekeepers do when the colonies are tightly clustered? Let's talk about these matters and more at the SnoKing Beekeepers meeting: Time: Jan 17, 2024 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83155688245?pwd=Qk0yUG84OExuWExVNWNjUCtxeHkyQT09 Meeting ID: 831 5568 8245 Passcode: 707664 |
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Below you will find classes, discussion group meetings and other networking/sharing opportunities of 2024. Some notices are not time-critical, however, this beekeeper "down time" may be the best season to connect and share information. After winter comes spring and summer with so many demands on a beekeeper's time surface all at once, that there may be little time to take classes. If planning community or club service to meet Journeyman certification requirements, remember the Apprentice certificate should be completed before that service. Next Apprentice class starts Tuesday Feb. 6. |
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Photo above from 2024 calendar by Paula Thomas. Ordering information at end of this newsletter. |
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CONTENTS: SnoKing club meeting topic Jan. 17 Membership - new and renewal Classes "Auditing" classes - free for members Beginner - Feb 3-24 Saturdays Journeyman - Jan. 15- March 18 Mondays Apprentice - Feb. 6- April 2 Tuesdays 'State of the Hive': Winter Checklist & Patience is a Virtue! Feature Article My Beekeeping Journey Part 1, Carol Moore Journeyman Opportunities Discussion Groups The Hive Mind 2nd Thursdays Facebook closed discussion group Trophallaxis 1st Wednesdays - Feb. 7 Donations Extractors Calendars Teach Me Bees podcast - service opportunity Club Apiaries - closed for the season until further notice |
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Jan. 17th MEETING TOPIC continued: Deadouts – not a complete negative! You have gained experience, a honey bank for your survivor hives or a sweet reward for your hard work despite the disappointing results. Brief review of nuc/package ordering, pickup, installation, care and followup, etc. This is not just for beginners, but a review for potential mentors. If you mentors have successfully done it in the past, can you explain it to help someone else succeed? |
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MEMBERSHIP - Please join or renew to support our club activities in 2024. SnoKing Beekeepers membership year runs from October 1 to September 30 of each year. Our thanks to those who have already renewed. If you have not already done so, please join or renew by completing our membership application at www.snokingbka.org/join and payment of $30 via paypal to snokingba@gmail.com or to the Donate button at the top right of our webpage header: |
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CLASS COMPLETION: Is finishing a certification started in 2023 or a previous list one of your 2024 resolutions? Winter is the best time to finish, particularly any academic portions. If you already have paid and have the manual, you can join a current class session to finish. Just email eliochel@snokingbka.org to get on the weekly class email list. AUDITING CLASSES: In addition, SnoKing offers an unusual member benefit: a member can audit a class for free for any level already achieved. Email eliochel@snokingbka.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 for free and access the most current information. 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. |
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CLASSES offered year-round via zoom with SnoKing Beekeepers Assn. All classes include manual, online testing, and WASBA certificate plus WASBA 2024 membership upon course completion. Please register as far in advance as possible so that print manuals can be ordered and mailed to you before the beginning of class. BEGINNER starts 8:30 to noon Saturday Feb 3 and continues for 3 additional Saturday mornings. Registration and more information at www.snokingbka.org/beginnerapplication APPRENTICE starts Feb. 5, Tuesdays 6:30 PM and meets for 7 sessions, ending April 2. Registration and more information at www.snokingbka.org/apprenticeapplication JOURNEYMAN starts January 15, 2024. Registration and more information can be found at www.snokingbka.org/journeymanapplication Questions? Call or text 206-859-7392 or email eliochel@snokingbka.org. |
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Next TROPHALLAXIS zoom meeting Wed Feb. 7, 2024 6:30PM is open to WASBA Journeyman candidates, Journeymen, and Master Beekeepers. Call 206-859-7392 or email eliochel@snokingbka.org for the zoom link.The Feb. 7 topic will be polyandry. Masters, Journeymen and Journeyman candidates: 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, is meeting by zoom on first Wednesdays. Although hosted by SnoKing Beekeepers, this discussion group is open to all Washington State Beekeepers who are Journeyman or Masters, and those who are taking or have taken the academic course of WASBA Journeyman certification. To join Trophallaxis, you must have taken or currently be enrolled in the Journeyman class. Call 206-859-7392 or email eliochel@snokingkba.org for the zoom link. This is a closed group because we do need to limit this group to beekeepers in Washington State with Journeyman or Master Beekeeper certification or working on Journeyman so that we can concentrate on meeting the networking and information sharing needs of the intermediate to advanced beekeeper. Other groups such as The Hive Mind can meet the needs of beginners. Sharing can be on a formal or informal basis. |
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NOTICE: There will be one essential rule at Trophallaxis and at any meeting or activity hosted by SnoKing Beekeepers. Ron Robinson stated it best for our Facebook discussion group, when he said: "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." |
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Above: WS-5000 Ambient Weather Station report at Maltby Apiary, 15324 228th ST SE, Snohomish, WA 98296. 5.9 degrees F was lowest recorded temp so far this winter. Below: Here's hoping that the yellow jackets will finally stop flying and sneaking past the clustered bees into the hives! |
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If borrowing the dryer vent brush to clear front entrances and as much of the bottom board as possible, it may be time to buy one just for beekeeping, particularly if household members have noticed that it's missing. |
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STATE OF THE HIVE - Eli Ocheltree Hi, beekeepers! Here’s hoping that you felt you had done your best and relaxed to enjoy the holidays. Remember beekeeping is supposed to be fun and simple: Keep the bees dry, fed, and treated for mites and “do no harm.” Right about now, you may be thinking that 2024 was the year to experiment with wrapping and insulating more. Here’s hoping for a warmer drier 2024 spring than 2022 and 2023! We are just past the solstice, so this is the time of year to to perform important tasks such as: check your apiary sun/shade position. While moving hives at this time of year is not recommended, this is beekeeping planning time. |
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Winter Solstice diagram, National Weather Service Pittsburgh, showing angle of sun's rays striking our latitude during these 8 1/2 hour days, 15 1/2 hour nights. |
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“Patience is a virtue”, but we can still tick items off a winter checklist: WINTER CHECKLIST: Clear entrances. Count & examine dead on ground or on bottom board or slideout board. Check for adequate stores. Heft or weigh without lifting inner cover. If unsure, add emergency (dry) feed above inner cover. Can bees reach stores? If weather is too cold for viewing frames, place emergency feed where bees can reach it: around opening in inner cover, replace eaten away fondant/patty Check your apiary sun/shade position. We are just past the solstice, so plan for change if location not optimal. While moving hives at this time of year is not recommended, this is beekeeping planning time. Compare microclimes. See the importance of microclimates and hive placement in discussions of your colonies and those of other beekeepers. Dismantle and store deadouts. Don’t supply yellowjacket nest boxes! Don’t draw robbers to your apiary, bees or wasps! Woodenware stored dry lasts longer Salvage resources. If a colony dies due to low population, starvation, mite load, etc., but not disease: Remaining stores can be given to survivor colonies. This is very useful if there is no good place to store them. |
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Sometimes an inner cover can be lifted off a colony, a super of stores can be quickly placed on a colony and the inner cover replaced on the super. Resist urge to open hives. Stop and ask yourself: Will this stress/harm the colony? Is it necessary? Chilled brood? Repair/mend. Imagine having a needed piece of equipment ready at hand when you need it in the spring. Plan and order. That’s what the wonderful wintertime is for. Attend meetings, classes, discussion groups and use beekeeping resources.Thank you for reading my thoughts above. Eli O. Best Wishes for a Great Beekeeping Year in 2024! |
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FEATURE ARTICLE The following article is written by one of our members, a Journeyman candidate, whom I asked to write out her beekeeping journey. Everyone's beekeeping is unique and sometimes it's only in the telling, that a beekeeper realizes how much she has learned. My beekeeping journey – Part 1 By Carol Moore My interest in beekeeping began about 10 years ago when a friend told me about her passion to “save the bees.” I was invited to her “honey party” and left her sweet, sticky laundry room thinking that beekeeping might not be right for me. |
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A few years later my interest peaked again when I learned of a new way to harvest honey. I purchased one of the first Flow Hives, signed up for the WSU beekeeping class, found a local supplier, and ordered a package of bees. The spring of 2018 was my first attempt at beekeeping and the things I did wrong outnumber the things I did right. My first mistake was to put the Flow Hive frames on too soon. The bees took to them and filled those frames quickly with honey. My first harvest was spectacular, but the bees had nothing in reserve. I didn’t know my bees needed to build out a second box. I didn’t know my bees needed honey stores for winter. I didn’t know I needed to treat my bees for mites. I didn’t know I needed to protect my bees from predators. On October 26th my wooden hive was destroyed by a bear. Luckily the Flow Hive frames were in storage. |
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Picture below is not of Carol Moore's visitor but of a visitor to hives in Sultan Apiary. |
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Carol Moore continues: After a short hiatus I decided to try again. I moved the location of my hives closer to my house for protection and put a solar electric wire fence around my new apiary. I had purchased two packages this time and the bees went to work but never seemed to thrive. I did my inspections but wasn’t sure what I was seeing. I never found either queen. My colonies stayed small even though I fed them. I learned about Verona mites, never tested, but did treat them at the end of the summer. On October 28th the bear came back and destroyed both hives. I didn’t know my electric fence wasn’t active. I’d placed the hives in afternoon shade and as fall approached and the sun slipped behind the trees, the energizer wasn’t getting enough sun to keep it charged. |
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In 2021 I moved the hives back to their original location, which is in full sun, and beefed up the electric fencing. I decided I knew enough now to expand my operation, so made the area large enough for 8 beehives. Over the winter I learned about nucs and decided to start with two of those instead of packages. My mistake this time was not knowing how quickly bees could run out of room and one swarmed almost immediately to a nearby tree. I rushed to YouTube to learn how to capture a swarm -- now I had three hives. By late summer the second hive grew so large it needed to be split – so back to YouTube -- and then there were four. I had no idea if my hives were queen right. I had no idea if they had mites but did give them a late summer treatment. I left all the honey produced in the hives for the winter. I learned about moisture and cold so bought quilt boxes and insulated wraps. I fed them, wrapped them, and closed them up for winter. One by one over the winter my hives died. I found inches of dead bees in the bottom of each, had no idea what happened, but still wasn’t ready to give up. To be continued . . . in the next SnoKing newsletter. Carol Moore, Journeyman candidate |
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FREE for pickup by SnoKing members at the Maltby Apiary. Free cinder blocks and quart glass canning jars donated to our club by fellow beekeepers. Text Eli 206-859-7392 or email eliochel@snokingbka.org . |
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DISCUSSION GROUPS: SnoKing club ASK A BEEKEEPER sessions will pick up again in spring; dates and times TBA. 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 by monthly reminder email. SNOKING BEEKEEPERS Facebook discussion group is open to all Western Washington Beekeepers and continues throughout the year. 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 OPPORTUNITIES to earn service credit point during the winter can include writing articles of interest to beekeepers (2 service credits per article). 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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TEACH ME BEES podcast The following announcement is included here as a Journeyman candidate service presentation opportunity, or a chance for any of us to talk bees. 2 of our members are involved in the podcast described: “Teach Me Bees is a podcast from Honey 4 Hope in Monroe, Washington. Teach Me Bees is co-hosted by Dave Wescott and Scott Calentine. Teach Me Bees is a great place to bring guests on throughout the bee industry: backyard beekeepers, honey sellers, apiary experts, professors, professional beekeepers, and just about anyone with bee experience. Our episodes are 30-40 minutes long where we talk about something bee focused and we like to have fun and joke around and sometimes get off topic, but we always come back to teaching people about bees! We have things to learn as well, so we want to bring people on to teach us with our audience. Honey 4 Hope is a new beekeeping company with the goal to give our profits away to charitable causes that change the world. Dave's goal is to use bees to change the world. Teach Me Bees is our way of passing along the beauty and greatness of bees to the world. We hope you will listen and consider joining us for an episode. We record audio and video so give us a view on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, LinkedIn on Dave's page or Honey 4 Hope's page or listen on your favorite audio podcast app every Thursday at 10 am PST. If you're interested in joining us email us at scott@honey4hope.org and we can get you scheduled and answer any questions you may have!” |
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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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DONATIONS: Donations are growing our club; thank you to all who donate equipment, money and time. Please continue to help us in 2024 as well, including by payment of annual dues via paypal after completing membership form at www.snokingbka.org/join . If you need a donation letter as receipt, SnoKing Beekeepers is glad to provide one as a 501(c)3. Contact Eli 206-859-7392, eliochel@snokingbka.org |
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2024 Resolution for Beekeepers! Is finishing a certification started in 2023 one of your 2024 resolutions? Winter is the best time to finish, particularly any academic portions. Members who already have paid for an earlier session and already have the manual, are welcome to retake the course for free. |
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EXTRACTORS: Three extractors are now available for use by club members. Get more information at the meeting or contact Ron 206-859-7392 or Eli. |
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CLUB APIARIES: Closed until April/May 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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We look forward to talking bees with you at 3rd Wednesday monthly meetings. Zoom link for the next meeting: Topic: Winter Woes and Spring Hopes Time: Jan 17, 2024 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83155688245?pwd=Qk0yUG84OExuWExVNWNjUCtxeHkyQT09 Meeting ID: 831 5568 8245 Passcode: 707664 One tap mobile +12532158782,,83155688245#,,,,*707664# US (Tacoma) +12532050468,,83155688245#,,,,*707664# US Dial by your location • +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) |
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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. Best wishes for 2024: keep your hopes high and your mite counts low! |
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