In the 2017-2018 beekeeping season, 303 Oregon & 104 Washington backyarder beekeepers participated in the April survey that measures the health of our regions honey bee colonies. The survey tool also measures the local honey bees survival/losses with the highly diverse management variables such … Read more about PNW HONEY BEE SURVEY OPEN FOR WVBA MEMBERS
TOOL USE
As beekeepers we employ a variety of tools. Smoker, Hive tool, frame holders, etc etc. When I prepared the Honey Bee Health Coalition guide on managing varroa we called the guide a tool – an educational aid to combat our most serious bee pest. Just a few decades ago, tool use was among … Read more about TOOL USE
Update of November WVBAHive article on Solar and bees
I wrote in November WVBA article about the good news that OR was actively considering the incorporation of honey bee colonies and bee/pollinator friendly foraging as ground cover for solar array farms. Unfortunately the optimism I expressed in my November newsletter article that OR Solar arrays were … Read more about Update of November WVBAHive article on Solar and bees
Honey Bee Health Coalition releases new guide, tool to help beekeepers make informed hive management decisions
The Honey Bee Health Coalition has developed two new resources for beekeepers — a best practices guide for hive health and a decision support tool for taking on the honey bees most dangerous parasite. An expert team of beekeepers, entomologists, extension and regulatory agents, bee suppliers and … Read more about Honey Bee Health Coalition releases new guide, tool to help beekeepers make informed hive management decisions
Bees and Solar energy arrays
The National news picked up the potential conflict in Oregon between solar energy use of Agriculturally-zoned lands and beekeeping. A 73-acre solar project near Estacada in Clackamas County requested an exemption to build on agricultural land. To qualify, the solar project developer included … Read more about Bees and Solar energy arrays
Fall Yard Chores
Do you take time to rake up the yard, deadhead the perennials and till the vegetable garden in the fall? Or do you leave things more natural? Leaving a “natural, “messy” yard may not win any good-neighbor awards, but it might help beneficials and insect pollinator populations. Consider letting … Read more about Fall Yard Chores
2nd Annual Mite-a-Thon
The 2nd annual Mite-a-Thon is a Citizen Science Project of NAPPC (North American Pollinator Protection Campaign) http://www.pollinator.org/miteathon, with support of HBHC (Honey Bee Health Coalition) http:// www.honeybehealthcoalition.org and the BIP (Bee Informed Project) … Read more about 2nd Annual Mite-a-Thon
Does honey have “added sugar”?
Do you know what is in the foods you eat? Most of us are only vaguely aware. Nutritional labelling, mandatory on many foods, can help lead to a better understanding. Do you find nutrition labels on honey jars better informs you of your dietary choice? Honey labels may soon be subject to a … Read more about Does honey have “added sugar”?
Drifting
WVBA beekeepers may recall meeting Dan Wyns. Dan, with Ellen Topitzhofer, has been the 2 person BeeInformed PNW Tech Team working out of Oregon State the past 3 seasons. Dan moved back to his native state to form a Michigan Tech Team this spring. The PNW Tech teams offer regular on-site hive … Read more about Drifting
2018 WVBA Loss Report
With the most recent PNW honey bee survey, the 10th year of such survey activity I received 303 responses from OR backyarders, keeping anywhere from 1 to 50 colonies; Willamette Valley members sent in 34 surveys, 10 more than the previous year, reporting loss/survivorship of 153 fall … Read more about 2018 WVBA Loss Report
Swarm trapping
At the April WVBA meeting Morris Ostrofsky gave lots of practical information, most from his own experience, on how to capture swarms via swarm traps. If you’re looking to increase your number of colonies, consider setting out one or more swarm/bait boxes, an inexpensive means of starting additional … Read more about Swarm trapping
2018 winter loss/survivorship survey now open
Last year, 334 OR/WA backyarder beekeepers returned April surveys on overwintering colony losses/survivorship, and management such as colony feeding, sanitation and Varroa control efforts. There were only 24 WVBA respondents included in the OR report, 4 fewer than the previous year. A specific … Read more about 2018 winter loss/survivorship survey now open