During the April 15, 2020 virtual club meeting the subject of performing a sugar roll to check mite load came up. The Minnesota Bee Squad does a lot of good work in the area of mite testing and controls. The only issue with this video, in the club’s opinion, is the person is only wearing head protection. She is not wearing gloves or arm protection. The club always recommends taking the level of personal protection you are comfortable with.
A survey was taken during the November 2019 club meeting asking members to prioritize the purchase of potential items by ranking up to five items from 1 (highest priority) to 5. There were eleven items suggested for potential purchase. The club also voted to allocate up to $1,000 to purchase the top ranked items.
We then added up all of the “votes” an item received and divided the sum by the number of votes. A combination of votes and average score resulted in the following rankings.
| RAnk | Item | Votes | Avg Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Infrared Camera | 12 | 2.08 |
| 2 | Honey Extracting Kit | 11 | 2.27 |
| 3 | Bee Education Posters | 9 | 3.33 |
| 4 | Hive Scale | 8 | 2.25 |
| 5 | Candle / Wax Molds | 8 | 3.88 |
| 6 | Frame Assembly Jig | 6 | 4.0 |
| 7 | Dovetail Jig | 5 | 4.0 |
| 8 | BCBA Medallions | 5 | 4.4 |
| 9 | Laptop Computer | 1 | 2.0 |
| 10 | Printer | 1 | 3.0 |
| 11 | Polariscope | 1 | 4.0 |
As of March 2020 the club has purchased the Infrared Camera and the Honey Extracting Kit items. Both are currently available to rent for club members.
Our March meeting was cancelled where the topic for discussion was going to be “Spring Management Before Dandelions Bloom”. Here is a 3 minute video by Dave Elsen on that subject.
We are hopeful this event will be rescheduled, however, at this time it has to be CANCELLED.
The Brown County Library – Denmark Branch, is hosting the Brown County Beekeepers Association in a one hour presentation on BEGINNING BEEKEEPING. The presentation will be on Monday April 13th at 6:00 PM and will cover : equipment, cost and time.
LOCATION: Brown County Library – 450 N Wall St, Denmark, WI 54208
TIME: 6:00 – 7:00 PM
A quick assessment of overall hive health before a full inspection can be done by tilting the hive forward on the bottom board. In this way you get a feel for the weight of the hive, colonie size, and a critical look at the bottom board. Read the full article by Bee Informed Partnership here
Since Varroa mites were introduced into the United States in 1987 beekeepers have been searching for ways to eliminate them. The more one knows about mites the easier it is for the beekeeper to keep healthy hives. This article in Entomology Today talks about different controls one can use when following an Integrated Pest Management approach.
If you don’t have little kids, or it’s been a while, let’s break down for you why kids’ coughs can be a truly miserable problem that can drive you to madness.
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The Marathon County Beekeepers Association is presenting a full day of speakers in Wausau WI on the campus of North Central Technical College. Registration is now open. Cost is $49 until February 29, 2020 and then it is $59. NOTE: If you are over 62 years of age the cost is only $21.90. The discount is given at checkout. For more information or to register.
Last year 6 BCBA club members carpooled to Wausau. There are already 3 folks from BCBA have signed up and are planning to carpool again. If you would like to carpool contact the club P president, Dave Elsen.
Here is a link to Wisconsin Honey Bee QUEEN BREEDERS for those who want to purchase QUEENS from specific and local Queen Breeders. 2020 will be a GREAT year for BCBA with focused EDUCATION to help keep our bees alive and well.
Here is what to expect in and around the hive in October.
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