This isn’t a full newsletter as much as it is a memo to read before our next meeting, which will be an important one to attend. It’s the meeting where dues are due and where we elect our next officers and executive committee.
DUES are $15 per household annually. We only have a handful of people who have paid their dues, so please be sure to bring a checkbook or cash if you attend Tuesday’s meeting. Doreen Laboa will be on hand to collect dues.
ELECTIONS are held on Tuesday to choose our officers and executive committee that will usher us through the next 2 years. Please be sure to attend and make your voice heard!
BEE SCHOOL will be starting February 7. If you have any friends, family members, neighbors, or anyone you know who is interested in learning more about this fascinating hobby, please be sure to have them contact us via our website, www.bristolbee.com, or the email address beeschool@bristolbee.com.
SPEAKERS and meeting topics are being planned out for 2012…if you have any ideas or a topic you’d like covered, please contact your officers or a member of the executive committee and let them know. Many of you have had some great ideas in the past year so let’s keep that open communication going!!
PACKAGES AND NUCS: Some of you have asked about which local vendors are selling packages and nucs in the past couple of weeks. I know of three: Everett Zurlinden (beehavin.com) is selling packages but not nucs, and Fred Magee is selling packages and taking orders now (508) 583-4270. Andy Reseska (www.bostonhoneycompany.com) is also selling packages and nucs. If you know of others (or are someone else who sells them) let me know and I will send the information out to our club.
Here is an interesting link..
http://www.twistedknotwoodshop.com/BeeswaxFinishes.htm
We will be at the conference room at Keith Hall. Keith Hall is the brick building on the other side of the road from the school. If you go up the handicap ramp the room is right there or if you go in the driveway after the building, go in the side door and walk up one flight of stairs, down a long hallway thur a set of double doors.
Due to popular request, we decided to look into a club project of raising queens. We had four speakers from the Plymouth County Beekeeping association talk about their 2 years of experience raising queens in October.
They decided to do it because they think Varroa mites are the biggest problem. They also thought they would rather be somewhat self sufficient instead of depending on southern suppliers.
The club would have to be behind the project and vote to supply the funds. It cost them $300 the first year, about half for a VSH (varroa sensitive hygiene) queen. They got a lot of donations and made a lot of materials. Members lent them nucs with bees to start the queens. In the second year, they decided to buy boxes and bees, etc. They spent $1600 and a lot of that was returned from bee sales. The spending this coming year will be very minimal and the project will be economically self sufficient from now on.
They pointed out that at least 4 really dedicated members and a lot of helpers are necessary. A 1 acre bee yard with a small workshop for grafting is also necessary. They needed room for 72 nucs.
It is a great education for the members and they raised many queens. They invited us to come and observe (only a few at a time). They will have a bee school 201 in the spring that some should attend.
The November meeting will include a 15 minute DVD by Marla Spivak from the University of Minnesota and it comes with an 80 page instruction book. After that we can see how many are interested in the project. It is fine to say that the club should raise queens, but it is quite a bit of work to do it.
Elections are coming up, we need members for the nominating committee as well as people for offices. Let us know if you can help.
The first meeting of the season is tonight (Sept 27) at Bristol Aggie at 7.
Plymouth County Beekeeping Club has 6 queens for sale @ $25 each. These are queens they raised in the second year of their queen rearing program. If you are interested write president@bristolbee.com
We will try to get a speaker for one of our fall meetings about their program.
There are possible thunderstorms on Sat, so we will have it on Sunday. The high pressure will be here and the weather will be settled.
It will start about 11 am and there are 3 hives. It will be followed by a pot luck and a pool party. It is family friendly – park down by the pool in the apple orchard.
Address is 66 Chipaway Rd. in East Freetown. There is a long dirt driveway, it is back in on the right. Phone is 508-763-3328
Painting hives cuts down drift and makes them easier to refer to.
For example, here is my tsunami hive – painted in honor of Japan
Some of the hard working ones live in a garage.
Garage hive
Of course, some of them love the Stanley Cup finals, they dressed in yellow and black suits.
http://beeinformed.org/results/winter-loss-survey-results/
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