NCW Beekeepers Meeting

January 21,2018

Calendar

February 8 Bee chat, Louie’s Café, Leavenworth

February 25 Business/Education meeting, 5 p.m., firehouse

March 8 Bee chat, Paradise Restaurant, Wenatchee Ave across from PUD

March 10, 17, 24 Apprentice class, 9 a.m. – 1 ish, cost for members $35

A.s.a.p. Bee orders

Education

Stan and Chris demonstrated and discussed a top-bar hive. These can be easily made from plans found online (Les Crowder recommended) using foam board and gorilla glue. Sticks on top can be grooved and fitted with a small fin to encourage orderly comb build. Bees are started at the end near the entrance, and a following board placed behind them, moving it down the hive as they build out. Brood combs are generally built straight; honey combs less so but can be straightened by hand. The hive needs to be checked often to prevent combs being built into each other. Queens generally do not lay out into the honey combs. This style of hive is convenient to work but needs more hands-on time, produces slightly less honey, and cannot be expanded (as by adding a super on a Langstroth). Harvest is by cutting comb off the top bar, then either preparing cut comb or crushing the comb in a bag and draining honey out. Feeding can be done with a mason jar feeder or a small bucket with pine needles floated on the syrup to provide bees a stand.

Bee stings are inevitable if you keep bees. Usual stings can be treated with antihistamines and severity will usually decrease with accumulated stings. Difficulty breathing, wheezing, or swelling in the throat may indicate the severe kind of allergy, anaphylaxis, and should be treated immediately in the emergency room as this can be life-threatening.

Old Business

Bees will be ordered from Charles Schaefer (3# packages $135, 4# $155, queens $40, from northern California) and Ruben (medium or deep nucs, Italian or carniolan bees, $140, queens $35). Members indicated a general preference for the nucs: local bees with established queens. Bees from Coastal 3# for $150. March 1 is the absolute deadline for orders. Delivery mid-April.

Treasurer Report Checking $2539.80 Savings $1131.11 Dues not yet all in

Expected expenses soon: insurance $350, website $500, apprentice books $1100

New Business

Vania Winters from the Wenatchee River Institute (Barn Beach) is looking for speakers for several talks in Leavenworth: pollinator garden, hives, bees, and honey.

Master Gardeners are soliciting our participation in their state meeting in September: 4 days, about 300 participants: booths, sponsorships, tables, etc.

Elections Jeff Hampton, Daryn, Teri and Kriss were proposed; the slate was approved unanimously.

Additions and corrections cheerfully accepted.

Alice Crawford