President’s Message:
Spring is coming – saw the bees out taking “cleansing flights” several times in the last week or two. Only beekeepers are happy with yellow spots in the snow. Took the usual walk to the cranberry bogs behind the house with the dog today. Pussy willows are swelling – an early pollen source when they bloom. We also saw large coyote tracks and some river otter sliding marks. They move from pond to bog – we could see marks in the snow where they slid down from the tops of the culverts onto the pond ice. The pond had some open water with Canada geese there.
Another sign of spring is a good bee school starting- nice turnout this year. Everett gave a excellent introduction and let the class know what they were getting into. The rest of you should be done with planning for this year. It’s time to get started. Before you know it you’ll be busy with your hives. Order your catalogs or look on-line to get new equipment and supplies. Even more important, order your packages or nucs very soon. There are several sources for both listed on the web at www.bristolbee.com Everett has a great package price and will drop them off at Bristol Aggie, with a hiving demonstration thrown in. If you want to wait until later, think about getting a local nuc or queen or two. I really think we should try to get some northern queens going. According to an informal survey at the last meeting, most of us are thinking about increases (or replacements) this year.
The last set of officers and the executive board did a great job; the bee school has been back for a few years- insuring new blood and enthusiasm. The fairs are being worked – another way of educating the public. The treasury is healthy, so if the club can use something, we can think about getting it. The website is revamped and attractive. It’s your website, contribution are encouraged. Use the e-mail links too.
Greg and the 2009 board members deserve thanks for what has been done – as well as for the direction we are heading for 2010.
Our next meeting is Feb 23 in the Library at Bristol Aggie. We will have the officer reports and then some talk about how everyone is doing with their bees. The bee school will be in session downstairs. We are hoping they can come up at 7:45 to say hello. Roger Robitaille will speak at 8.
Roger has been keeping bees for 30 years, He is the regional dealer of Willbanks Apiaries for package bees and queens. He is also a fourth generation carpenter, specializing in removing bees from buildings and landscapes. He sells honey, wax, nucs, and fresh royal jelly. It should be an interesting talk.
Look at your hives on a nice day, but don’t disturb the cluster. Add fondant or sugar if needed and around March 1st, think about adding some pollen to help with the brood.
WORRIED ABOUT PESTICIDES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
Beekeepers may be concerned about pesticide applications. You can apply to have your property excluded from spray programs. The deadline for you to contact your Town Clerk is March 1.
The Bristol County Mosquito Control Project is gathering names of property owners who want their property excluded from pesticide spraying.
Owners must provide the town or city clerk of the community in which the land is located with a certified letter providing the name, address, telephone number and define spraying programs from which the exclusion is requested.
Designations need to be made before March 1 of each year, and are effective from April 1 of that year through March 31 of the following year.
Under the regulations, the person requesting an exclusion must mark the boundaries or areas to be excluded at least every 50 feet with orange surveyor’s tape, or another department-approved marking device which clearly defines the area of exclusion. For more information, call your Town Clerk’s office.
(many thanks to Mary Anne for sending this along!)
Help Keep Our Files Current
If you move or change any contact information, please tell us. This is especially true of e-mail addresses. A quick note will save many emails from the internet postmaster.
ITEMS FOR SALE
Beehavin’ Apiary packages (that is Everett Zurlinden’s company) will be $69 each. All queens are marked; they are all Italian. Pickup dates are 4/10 and 4/24. Pickup location is at the Bristol Agricultural School in Dighton, MA. Beehavin’ also has nucs for sale for $100; pickup is in North Smithfield, RI only. They will be available in May. Queens are marked! Please call 401-885-5127, 800-431-6747 or go to www.beehavin to order online.
Please see the website, bristolbee.com, for lists of other sellers and items for sale.
If anyone has anything bee related that they would like to advertise in this newsletter, please email me at bluidshay@aol.com
UNLESS OTHERWISE ANNOUNCED, ALL GENERAL MEETINGS ARE HELD ON THE 4TH TUESDAY OF THE MONTH AT THE BRISTOL COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL AND BEGIN AT 7 PM.
PLEASE WEAR YOUR NAME TAG TO THE MEETING TO HELP OUR NEWER MEMBERS LEARN WHO YOU ARE. IF YOU HAVE MISPLACED YOURS, PLEASE SEE JEANI WARISH FOR A REPLACEMENT.
BrCBA Yearly Calendar 2010
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February 16 |
Bee School Begins. Bristol County Bee Association Members are welcome to sit in on the meetings; they will be held on Wednesdays weekly from 7-9 PM for 4-5 weeks. If you do sit in, please make any questions you ask simple so you don’t overwhelm our fledgling beekeepers! Kindly save your more in-depth questions for the regular association meetings.
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February 23 |
Guest Speaker: Roger Robitaille – Swarm Removal from Houses
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March 23 |
Guest Speaker: TBD
Future topics TBD… |
Mentor Program
Bristol County Beekeepers Association has members who are willing to answer questions you may have about something you come across in your hive or to discuss beekeeping techniques. Take advantage of their experience and willingness to help make your beekeeping experience better. Email mentor@bristolbee.com
FYI…FYI…FYI
When renewing/or beginning a subscription to Bee Culture magazine, don’t forget to mention that you belong to Bristol County Beekeeper’s Association. Members get a 20% discount off subscription prices! Thanks to Joe Tardif for the heads up!
We have a variety of articles, photographs, beekeeping timelines, items for sale, meeting minutes, and other useful information on our website. Check us out at Bristolbee.com.
Beekeeper’s Calendar for February
- Inspect bees on a nice day
- Add sugar or fondant if needed
- Don’t disturb the cluster!!
- If desired, add pollen or pollen patties around March 1 to stimulate the brood rearing.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Massachusetts Beekeepers’ Association
2010 Spring Meeting
Who: Nick Calderone, PhD, Cornell University, speaking on American Foulbrood, and Varroa Mites.
Phillip Starks, PhD, Tufts University, speaking on Honeybee immunities and Disease defenses.
Dave Meldrum, Essex County: Celebrating the 200th birthday of Lorenzo Langstroth.
When: Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 9:00AM; Registration starts at 8:30 AM.
Where: Coolidge Hall, Topsfield Fairgrounds, Topsfield, MA.
Take Route 95 North to Exit 50. (Rte 1). Follow Route 1 north to the Fairgrounds on right.
MINUTES TO GENERAL MEETING
JANUARY 26, 2010
- Meeting began at 7:10 PM with a general question and answer session.
- Bob is working on scheduling Roger Robitiaille, a Carpenter/Beekeeper to speak at one of our meetings.
- BEE SCHOOL: First class will meet on February 23, same night as our general club meeting, in a separate room. Members are welcome to attend free of charge, but are asked to sit in the back of the room and to please not ask any advanced questions. According to Everett, we have 18 confirmed students that will be attending Bee School!
- DUES: Dues were due at the January meeting.
- BEE PACKAGES: Everett’s Bee Packages will be $69. If interested, please order by March 1st. Everett asks that you over order the number of packages you think you will need. It is not a problem to cancel. He has no problem selling extra packages. His packages are due in on either April 10th or 24th.
5 frame nucs are thought to be priced at around $95. Nucs are delivered later in the season, May or June, and give you a good jump-start.
Bee packages are also available from other vendors; several are listed on the website and in the newsletters.
- AUDIT: Books have been audited and balanced.
- TREASURERS REPORT: Treasurers report was read and accepted.
- ELECTION OF OFFICERS:
President ~ Fred Sterner
VICE PRESIDENT ~ Bob Peckham
TREASURER ~ Doreen Laboa
SECRETARY ~ Beth Buvarsky & Sarah Murray ~ Newsletter
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ~ Celeste Turner, Jeani Warish, Norma York
- Norma suggested inviting Mr. Mendes to speak at one of our meetings. Members are also urged to attend the Mass Bee Spring Meeting. Workshops are excellent and a valuable use of time.
- Fred surveyed the group as to how many people are considering increasing their hives this year and took counts on each method chosen for number of increases. Several options were suggested including buying packages, queens or nucs, making or buying a split, or raising your own queen.
- Ray is home, cheerful and doing well. Send an email or call, no visitors yet please.
- Check out the new website Fred has put together. Please offer suggestions and let us know what you would like to see for future workshops and/or speakers.
- Meeting adjourned at 8:55.
“The happiness of the bee and the dolphin is to exist. For man it is to know that and to wonder at it.” –Jacques Yves Cousteau
Just show up at 7 – Room B-2 – downstairs.
Fred