NCWBA Business & Education Meeting Minutes for Dec. 11, 201, PUD Bldg, 5 pm

UPCOMING DATES:

Business &Education Meetings all at the Chelan County PUD auditorium:

• January 15, 2017, 5pm
• February 12, 2017, 5pm
• March 12, 2017, 5pm

Bee Chats:

• January 5, 2017, 6pm, Milepost 111, Cashmere
• February 9, 2017, 6pm, Bob’s Burger & Brew, East Wenatchee
• March 2, 6pm, El Agave, Wenatchee, unless another location is recommended.

Apprentice Beekeeping Classes:  March 11, 18, 25; time and location to be announced.

Treasurer’s Report:  Checking: $1,921.49; Savings: $1,129.06

Education:

Al Zalewski reported on the various research and development topics from the October, 2016, Canadian beekeeping conference in British Columbia, Canada.

Old Business:

Steve Foley, club president reported:

1. The January 15, 2017 business and education meeting will focus on the annual election of new NCWBA officers and voting on proposed changes in the club bylaws. The proposed changes will be posted in advance of the meeting;
2. He is preparing a budget for presentation at the January meeting
3. The audit committee is currently led by Daryn Klinginsmith, VP
4. The Washington Master Beekeepers Assoc. is the agency which provides the focus and educational aspects of Washington State beekeeping.

Bulk equipment order: 

Wayne Ranne reported that he is waiting for a couple of people to get their money for equipment to the treasurer, Kriss Crilly, so the order can be released for shipping.  Approximately $2000 of equipment is on order.

Community Outreach per Kriss:

1. At the Chelan County Fair, the club will have a larger space in the Wilcox building to set up our beekeeping displays and demonstrations
2. Two club members, Steve Smith and Peter King, will present beekeeping information at the annual meeting of the South Douglas and Foster Creek Conservation Districts.

New Business:

The Chelan County PUD auditorium will be closed for use by the club for 1 ½ years, starting from April 2017. A new location is being sought.

NCWBA website:

Jeff Hampton demonstrated a new website for non-profit groups operated by Wild Apricot. Club members voted to subscribe for 2 months at the rate of $40/month and to decide whether to continue in January. Fees for online processing of membership fees, bulk equipment orders, bee orders, etc. are at a rate of 2.2% plus 30 cents per transaction.

Calendar

Dec. 11:  Business/Education meeting, PUD auditorium, 5 p.m.

Jan. 4:  Bee chat, location TBA

Jan. 15:  Business/Education meeting, PUD auditorium, 5 p.m., election of officers

Feb. 8:  Bee chat, location TBA

Feb. 12:  Business/Education meeting, PUD auditorium, 5 p.m.

Mar. 1:  Bee chat, location TBA

Mar. 12:  Business/Education meeting, PUD auditorium, 5 p.m.

Reports: Treasurer: checking account $1920.14, savings account  $1128.69

Old Business

• Mead class was considered highly successful.
• Bulk equipment order will be coming up soon; Wayne will email order forms.
• Locations needed for bee chats; Milepost 111, Bob’s on Grant Road and El Agave suggested.
• Apprentice class tentatively scheduled for March, location TBA
• Website needs attention.  We may need to hire help.  It would be useful to have member lists contain more contact information.
• Journeyman progress awaiting more information from W.S. Master Beekeepers

New Business

• Specific groups need to be developed to manage specific needs, e.g., swarm capture.  A group for mentoring new beekeepers is particularly needed.

Educational Program

Al Zalewsky moderated a panel including Kristin Tayler, Steve Foley, and Jeff O’Brien on winter management.

All agreed that varroa treatment is needed but routines varied greatly.  Grease patties for tracheal mites are used by some.  Oxalic acid may treat for tracheal as well as varroa mites.  Nosema appears to be a minimal problem locally.

Ventilation was agreed to be essential, but setups varied widely.  Condensation is not a problem per se, but water dripping onto mass of bees is.

Insulation plans also varied widely, probably related to different conditions at different locations.

Wind protection was agreed to be useful.

Entrance reducer use and dimensions also varied (including Steve not being concerned if a mouse gets into the hive).

Feeding regimens also varied, but all agreed that adequate food over the winter is essential.

Amount of honey in a hive is estimated by weight.  (Al uses a fisherman’s scale to lift one end of the hive, then multiplies that weight by 2.)  Full deep frames weigh about 11 pounds, full super frames about 6.  Syrup feeding in the fall is advocated by some, but liquid feed should be removed before winter as it becomes a cold sink.  Various sugar preparations are used over winter, including dry sugar sprayed enough to maintain shape, and various cooked fondant-type preparations.

Additions and corrections cheerfully accepted.

Alice Crawford

NCW Beekeepers Business/Education Meeting, October 16, 2016

 

Calendar

Nov. 12 Mead class – see below

Nov. 13 Business/Education meeting, PUD auditorium, 5 p.m.

Bee chat ??

Reports: None

Old Business

Mead class Saturday, Nov. 12 @ 1 p.m., Tiera Learning Center, $20 per participant, $15 per kit

(old ones may be used), one quart of honey to one gallon of mead; contact Jeff Hampton to sign up and/or order kit/s

New Business

Washington Master Beekeepers has split off from Washington State Beekeepers and is now the strictly education-related organization. Paying the $5 annual membership fee was approved.

Annual meeting in January will include election of officers and voting on proposed bylaws changes. Tell Steve if interested in being an officer.

Bylaw changes must be presented at the December meeting and may include term limits and/or fees for officers, and disposition of funds in the event of dissolution of the organization.

Educational Program

Steve Olsen moderated a panel including Deb Stansbery, Daryn Klinginsmith, Craig Genereux and Emilka Furmanczyk. The general topic were centered around fall mangement. Misc notes are included below:

• Crystallization of honey over the winter is apparently not common for Debra. Sun on the hive may help.
• Fall re-queening isn’t commonly done since drones are gone by the fall. It can be done if purchasing a queen. The surviving queen can be ready to go early in the spring, but will be lost if the hive is lost. Most of panel keep nucs from swarms or splits to have a spare queen. Craig and Emilka explained “notching” the cell of a very young larva to encourage production of a queen cell.
• Weak hives can be combined with others by placing a sheet of newspaper between the hive bodies. Craig makes temporary use of a queen excluder to accustom bees to the new pheromone.
• Feeding plans varied. Deb leaves supers on the hive and harvests honey in spring. Weighing hives determines whether they have the 90-100# of honey needed to winter over without feeding. Sugar patties (fondant) are commonly used; Craig adds essential oils as attractant; addition of lemon or cream of tartar may help bees digest sugar.
• Ventilation is important. Partial wrap for warmth may be helpful (dark paper on sunny side) but enthusiastic insulation without ventilation is dangerous.

Additions and corrections cheerfully accepted.

Alice Crawford

NCW Beekeepers Meeting Minutes for September18, 2016

Upcoming Events Calendar

Oct. 5 Bee chat 6 p.m., El Agave

Oct. 16 Business/education meeting, 5 p.m. PUD auditorium – honey tasting: bring samples and toothpicks

Nov. 12 Mead class – $100 cleaning charge, information on charge for kits, etc. TBA

Reports

Treasurer: Checking account $1586.14; education/outreach (savings) account $1128.49

Old Business

Leavenworth Farmers Market did several hundred dollars worth of honey each time

Bulk equipment order: Wayne will see if supplier can provide jars at a good price, send out email order form with costs of all items. Order to be completed soon, exact date depending on transportation.

Website needs work and should include swarm information. (Fewer swarms than usual this year.)

New Business

A suggestion was made that a committee of experienced beekeepers be formed for mentoring new beekeepers. This would be a service opportunity for journeyman candidates.

There will probably be an apprentice class in March. There are currently changes in the certifying organization, so the details of this class are currently in flux.

Educational Program panel moderated by Al Zalewski, included Emilka Furmanczyk, Craig Genereux, Steve Olsen, and Deb Stansbery. Seasonal topics will be considered.

Timing of honey removal: All agreed that harvest should end sometime in August to allow varroa control and feeding to build up honey stores.

Pest control considered mainly varroa. Apivar, HopGard and oxalic acid are all being used, frequently in rotation to prevent resistance (although so far resistance has not been reported with oxalic acid). Deb uses no chemicals but increases hive humidity to control mites. Keeping track of mite number and treating before infestation peaks was stressed.   Counts can be made using a sprayed bottom board or with alcohol sacrifice of bees (can send to WSU for report of varroa count plus other diseases.

Wax moths continue to be a manageable problem, and a few hive beetles have been seen.

Show of hands indicated strong support for continuing this kind of program. Al will continue to organize a variety of members and topics in future meetings. Members interested in being on the panel in the future should talk with Al.

Additions and corrections cheerfully accepted.

Alice Crawford

NCW Beekeepers Meeting for August 21, 2016

Calendar

Sept. 1 Leavenworth Farmers Market 4-8 p.m.

Sept. 5 Fair set-up

Sept. 7 Check in honey, photos, etc. 3-8 p.m.

Sept. 8 (9 a.m.-9 p.m.), 9 (9-9), 10 (9-10) -11 (9-5), Boswell bldg; need a ticket to get in;

can exhibit but not sell honey (but could get a blue ribbon…)

Sept. 2-25 Puyallup fair. Entries required online by August 28, received at the fair by 8/31.

Sept. 18 Business/education meeting, PUD, 5 p.m.

Oct. 5 Bee chat 6 p.m., location TBA (El Agave?)

Oct. 16 Business/education meeting, 5 p.m. PUD auditorium

Reports

Treasurer: Checking account $1731.14; education/outreach (savings) account $1128.49 

Old Business

Leavenworth Farmers Market: last chance Sept. 1 Honey selling well, especially if samples are offered. Please bring some honey to sell, and feel free to sign up to help with the booth.

Bulk equipment order: Wayne will send out email with costs sometime in the next month. There will be about a month to place orders. Parts aiming to arrive in November.

New Business

Motion for NCW Beekeepers to pay fair admission for members working 5 hours or more was passed.

WA State Beekeepers Master Beekeeper program has had some turnover recently. Not sure what this means for the spring class.

Considerable interest in having another mead class in the fall. Kits and supplies will be available. Participants should bring honey, about a quart per gallon.. A Saturday in November is preferred.

NCW Beekeepers official annual meeting will be in January, at which time changes can be made to the bylaws. There will also be election of officers. Bring ideas for bylaws changes to meetings for discussion before the annual meeting. Consider running for one of the officer positions.

Stan Peak showed a cage to capture queens from queen cells. With some experience it appears to be quite effective keeping virgin queens safe in the same hive, before moving them to their own mating nucs with some additional bee/honey/brood resources.

Possible problem of orchard spray getting into honey was discussed. Two suggestions were made to minimize the possibility: not putting honey supers onto hives before the main (early spring) spraying season is over, and asking orchardist to spray at night when bees are in hive. Remember, with honey, there is no Organic designation due to the variety of compounds bees come in contact with during their potentially long flights.

Additions and corrections cheerfully accepted.

Alice Crawford

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

NCW Beekeepers Meeting Minutes, Initial draft

June 26, 2016

Calendar

July 9  Pollinator Seminar, PUD Auditorium, 12:30-5:00, no snacks provided but can

bring your own; potluck to follow at Crilly’s for club members

July 16 Apiary visit at Kristin Taylor’s, morning

July 17 Business/education meeting, PUD auditorium, 5:00 p.m.

Aug. 11Bee Chat, Pizza’n’More, East Wenatchee (same parking lot as Country Inn)

Aug. 13 Apiary visit, Peter & Daryn, morning

Aug. 21Business/education meeting, PUD, 5 p.m.

Sept. 8th (9 a.m.-9 p.m.), 9th (9 a.m.-9 p.m.), 10th (9 a.m.-10 p.m.) , and 11th (9 a.m.-5 p.m., extractor demo @ 2:30), 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…)

Sept. 10 Simply Living farms tour,, Leavenworth – presenter requested

 

Reports

Minutes of last meeting (5/22/2016) were approved.

Treasurer: Checking account $2539.72; education/outreach account $1182.12 with cost of

seminar anticipated.

 

Old Business

Leavenworth farmers market dates are June 30, July 21, August 11 and September 1; some

members needed for outreach; setup at 3:30, stay until 8 p.m.; to sell honey if not

attending, get it (labeled and priced) to Steve ahead of time

Website and hive inspection form: no progress to report

New Business

Peter continues working to establish apiary as part of WSU/Master Gardener demonstration area.

There is clear interest, and this would be the only county extension with a demonstration apiary. A detailed business plan is required, and contact being sought with an experienced person.

Member directory with photos (as that of Master Gardeners) was suggested.

Steve noted that this is the season of swarms; supers with waxed frames and a little honey are recommended. A second super can be added either above or below the first super. And think about varroa mites.

Don Rolfs was recommended as speaker on native pollinators. It was noted that he has concerns about honeybees, so appropriate preparatons should be made.

Alix noted that July is field season and a difficult time to get speakers; she suggested another time of year for future symposia.

Attendees at the WSU course and Swedish meeting plan to make presentations at future meetings.

Additions and corrections cheerfully accepted.

Alice Crawford

NCW Beekeepers Meeting

May 22, 2016

Calendar

June 9              Bee chat, Louie’s (Leavenworth), 6 p.m.

June 26            Business/Education meeting, PUD auditorium, 5 p.m.

July 9              Seminar, PUD Auditorium, times TBA

 

Reports

Minutes of last meeting were approved.

Treasurer: Checking account $2494.72 with cost of banner and Leavenworth farmers market

registration anticipated; education/outreach account $1652.91 with $900 for registration

fees for WSU course anticipated; July seminar expected to cost $6-700.

 

Old Business

July seminar: plan to start early afternoon; probable topics genetics, hive inspection, and

something from Douglas county extension; potluck to follow

Leavenworth farmers market dates are June 23, July 14, August 4 and August 28; some

members needed for outreach; setup about 3 or 3:30, stay until 8 p.m.;can sell honey –

get it to Steve ahead of time

Banner: A cellphone photo of proposed banner was circulated.

Website and hive inspection form: no progress to report

New Business

Fair planning: Boswell building was inspected and space we prefer identified

Chelan beekeeping ordinance: Kriss is communicating with a council member

Apiary visits discussed; Kristin (rural, Peshastin) and Daryn (urban, Wenatchee) volunteered

to host with dates to be determined.

Noted that local availability of beekeeping equipment has increased. Costco kit includes full hive, jacket, gloves, etc. Coastal carrying more general equipment including unfinished hives.

Peter continues working to establish apiary as part of WSU/Master Gardener demonstration area.

Noted that orchardists occasionally have failure of commercial beekeepers to provide bees timely as promised, which is a financial disaster. It was agreed that the Club might be able to       provide bees from a future demo apiary or connect club members with orchardists for small scale needs. This would require contract protecting bees from harmful spray as well as considering possible liabilities.

Additions and corrections cheerfully accepted.

Alice Crawford

Calendar

May 2             Journeymen, WokAbout Grill, 6 p.m.

May 12           Bee chat, Milepost 111, 6 p.m.

May 22           New beekeeper hour, Cashmere Fairground, Boswell Bldg., 4 p.m.

May 22           Business/Education meeting, Fairground, Boswell Bldg., 5 p.m.

June 9              Bee chat, Louie’s (Leavenworth), 6 p.m.

June 26              Business/Education meeting, Wenatchee PUD Auditorium, 5 p.m.

July 9              Seminar, PUD Auditorium, times TBA

Reports

Minutes of last meeting were approved.

Treasurer: Savings/outreach $1582.65 with $900 committed for Pullman course fees + about

$800 for July seminar; checking account $2450.72 Suggestion: support FFA/4H bee programs, start local queen-rearing program

Old Business

Membership now 104

74 packages, 65 nucs + Susan Curtis ordered/delivered this spring

Leavenworth farmers market would like to have beekeepers sell honey there. It was agreed to do so once a month. Steve will coordinate. Beekeepers are to bring honey packaged for sale and appropriately labelled, with prices and business cards to the biz/ed meeting prior. At least one beekeeper will need to run the booth (setup, staff, cleanup) from 4-8pm on a Thursday. First time probably first market in June. $60 approved for table fee for 4 market appearances.

Extractor now with Alice. Rental for 2-3 days $25 + $100 damage deposit. Broken lid reported; Steve and Daryn to explore repair.

Earth day events at Chelan and Leavenworth reported successful. New canopy weights by          Wayne!!

Website: Problems navigating present site reported; this may mainly need updating/”tinkering.” Steve and officers exploring alternative systems. Wide gradation of computer proficiency among members is apparent and will need to be accommodated with any new system.

New Business

Banner/s for our booth discussed. Wayne will arrange for banner for display inside booth.

Possibility of screening directly onto front of canopy to be explored; Katrina may have alternative. $200 approved to cover both.

Common hive record system was considered. Steve, Debra and Stan will explore a mechanism to be simple enough to bring enough data together in a reasonable way. May be paper, may be online, etc.

Additions and corrections cheerfully accepted.

Alice Crawford

Upcoming Events:

March 25th: Deadline for ordering packages and nucs

April 4th: Journeyman meeting for tests #3-5, Wok About Grill, 6pm.

April 14th: Bee Chat at South in Pybus Market, 6pm

April 16th: Chelan Earth Day, all day, Wayne Ranne to coordinate. A few more helpers would be welcome!

April 24th: Leavenworth Earth Day, noon to 4 p.m., Lions Park, Deborah Stansbury to coordinate, more details to come via email

Mid April – Probable date for bee package delivery

May 12th: Tentative Bee Chat at Milepost 111 in Cashmere, 6pm

June 17-18th: WSU beekeeping short course in Pullman, WA

June 19th: WSU queen rearing course in Pullman, WA

July 9th: Bee/pollinator seminar led by WSU graduate students, location Chelan County PUD Auditorium in Wenatchee

The meeting started with a presentation from the Wenatchee High School FFA “Issues” team. They are exploring issues around urban beekeeping and need to give some presentations of many sides of the issues to various community groups this year. After their presentation, we had some Q&A with the panel.

We approved last month’s minutes as written/posted. Motion by Mike Schenck, second by Bryan Keppler, unanimous approval.

The treasurer report listed the following current accounts and expenses:

Savings Account:  $1582.28

Checking Account:  $2456.29

Left to deposit: $312

Feb. 21    Beecome 16 . . .  . $254 for Alix Whitener

March 1 Secretary of State  $30    We are now a non-profit

March 1    Commercial Printing   $37.98   for 10 Apprentice Booklets

March 2    Commercial Printing    $47.64   for 250 Swarm Postcards

March 5    Amazon – Bee Books   $170

March 6    Full body mannequin    $55

March 6    Chelan Earth Day Booth   $15

March 10    WASBA  membership  $91

Additional for about $70 to pay for some of the mead class supplies, and $50 for stamps, copies, and other business expenses.

Many thanks to Janice Ranne for some delightful snacks this month!

Old Business:

There was a brief reminder to get paperwork in for package/nuc orders ASAP. Deadline is the 25th, and supplies may be limited. Providers are running low on bees, but there are still some available for our club. We have around 100 packages/nucs ordered so far.

There was also a brief reminder to register your hives with the state Dept of Ag. That registration deadline is coming up quickly. Funds generated go to WSU for nosema research.

The apprentice class is now complete, and had about 16 students work through the class. There is a good group of new beekeepers in the club, so be sure to introduce yourself to them.

The July 9th seminar day is gathering some structure. Alix is the one organizing it from the WSU side. Looks like some students will take a van out from WSU for the weekend. The PUD auditorium is reserved for setup on the 8th and all day on the 9th. There will be a pot luck afterwards. The event will be open to the public, and likely free of charge thanks to our education/outreach funds. If you are interested in helping, Alix and Kriss could use a few folks to help with planning, setup, and cleanup.

Peter Hill reported additional consideration of coordinating with the WSU Tree Fruit Research Center in many ways. With some similar goals between the club and WSU, there may be some opportunities for a more permanent demonstration apiary, instruction, equipment storage, public outreach, Master Gardeners interaction, etc. Peter and a few others will continue to push forward to figure out where the club and WSU can work together in the future. If you are interested in helping, contact Peter.

New Business:

Steve Olsen agreed to coordinate a new beekeeper hour of Q&A and maybe some general topics. Details of how/when this will work will follow as we coordinate with the Journeyman group and new beekeepers.

Leavenworth Farmers Market is looking to have the NCWBA staff a booth and/or sell honey at some of their 2016 markets (Thursday nights, 4-8pm). Some members of the club expressed interest in staffing a booth and selling their individual jars of honey. We will need to has out some of the details with the market staff before it starts in June. Steve Foley will be taking point on this, so contact him if you are interested in being involved.

The officers of the club have been kicking around the idea of leveraging some online website services to bring the club management into one place. Member lists, emails, web information, forums, documentation, etc. are currently spread out in many systems. Growth in the club is straining the processes from a few years ago, and the officers would like to see the club be easier to manage and easier for the members to interact with it and each other online as desired. There seemed significant interest among the membership in having the officers test out some systems and present a potential solution at a future meeting. Cost for web services would likely be in the $20/mo range, but hasnt been determined solidly yet.

For the good of the order:

Wayne Ranne gave a brief recap of the WSBA-announced webinar with Dr Mark Winston hosted online by the Mount Baker Beekeepers Association on March 16th.

Wayne expressed thanks to Steve Olsen, Beth Hammerberg, and the Schencks for making the bulk equipment order of over $3000 and 1800 lbs happen so smoothly. They are all very happy with the quality and price of what we received. There are loose plans to make another order in the fall, so keep track of what you might want throughout the season, and we can organize again later in the year.

Additions and corrections cheerfully accepted.

Steve Foley