NCW Beekeepers Meeting, July 17, 2016
Calendar
July 21: Leavenworth Farmers Market, 4-8pm, Lions Club Park, Leavenworth – Get honey to Steve a.s.a.p. if you want to sell!
July 24: Apiary visit, 2-5 p.m., Peter Hill 1501 Apollo Pl, Wenatchee
Aug. 11: Bee Chat, 6pm, Pizza’n’More, East Wenatchee
Aug. 11: Leavenworth Farmers Market, 4-8 p.m., Lions Club Park, Leavenworth
Aug. 13: Apiary visit, noon, Katrina Keppler 3090 Scenic View, Wenatchee (Sleepy Hollow area)
Aug. 21: Business/education meeting, 5 p.m., PUD Auditorium, Wenatchee
Sept. 1: Leavenworth Farmers Market, 4-8 p.m., Lions Club Park, Leavenworth
Sept. 5: Fair set-up
Sept. 7: Check in honey, photos, etc.
Sept. 8 (9 a.m.-9 p.m.), 9 (9-9), 10 (9-10) -11 (9-5): Boswell bldg; need 2 beekeepers at a time, 3-4 hour blocks, need a ticket to get in; can exhibit but not sell honey (but could get a blue ribbon…), exhibitors get a cheap ticket
Sept. 10: Simply Living farms tour, Leavenworth – presenter requested
Sept. 18: Business/education meeting, PUD, 5 p.m., PUD Auditorium, Wenatchee
Reports
Minutes of last meeting were approved.
Treasurer: Checking account $22210.65; education/outreach account $903.64 after costs of seminar paid
Old Business
Leavenworth Farmers Market: Steve reported about $120 of honey sold, both pints and quarts
Website and hive inspection form: no progress to report. Discussion suggests that highly varied systems of record keeping among members may make use of a uniform form difficult. Will likely need to survey folks at some point in time to collect information from whatever format of notes they have kept.
Pollinator symposium was considered a success despite relatively small attendance. Scheduling at a different time of year was discussed, as was whether we are aiming at fellow beekeepers or at the general public.
New Business
State fair in Puyallup is interested in having us participate. Categories and criteria can be found on-line. Drivers are available for drop off and pickup. Booth staffing help requested. Staffing the state bee/honey booth for a couple hours will get some free admissions to the fair. Exhibitors must register their entry online before dropping it off. Details at www.thefair.com
Another bulk equipment order was considered. Wayne will contact Western Bee to find if any particular time of year would be best for them to fill orders quickly.
Katrina Keppler reported on the WSU course she attended. Of note, varrroa treatment is most effective during brood break, October or November for us. The WSU lab that tests bees for mites, nosema, etc. is very fussy about samples being exactly according to their rules. (And most of the alcohol should be emptied before sending to avoid postal problems.) Samples of bees with many diseases were available during the WSU Field Days event for inspection. Queen rearing was discussed in context of the WSU class.
Additions and corrections cheerfully accepted.
Alice Crawford
