Articles

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

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

Beekeepers are familiar with the saying ‘keep the bees out of the trees’? Today we say this referring to keeping bees in hive boxes in the spring, avoiding them swarming to end up in a nearby tree. Despite our best efforts, capturing swarms from trees remains part of spring bee activity.  There is … Read more about Our Bee Hive

Heard the expression ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’? Here is a picture (SEE BELOW)  that may be worth a thousand questions. Photo from web source Pinterest (and most recently seen in Cowlitz WA Beekeeping newsletter). To begin with Why? Why two levels? What is problem this is attempting to … Read more about What in the BEE WORLD?

Publicity about the ‘plight’ of honey bees have been a "key" to freeing of federal grant monies for beekeeping research/extension. Coining of the term CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) in 2006 and Time Magazine cover “Plight of the Honeybees,” 2013 [Time labelled the situation Bee Apocalypse] helped … Read more about Organic Grant initiative on Bee Health

Best wishes for healthy and happy holiday and good bee days ahead … Read more about HAPBEE HOLIDAYS

In September bee colonies rear the bees that are going to rear FAT fall bees. FAT bees store reserves in their bodies, a process that involves the bee blood protein called vitellogenin, suspending the normal aging process to live many weeks compared to their sisters who live only a few weeks during … Read more about Insuring FAT fall bees for overwinter success

The “new” beekeeping calls for the need to sample bees in August, September and October to see how they are doing at keeping varroa mite populations in check. If mite numbers exceed 2-3%, it is suggested that due to risk of  poor overwintering of the colony, colony loss (to BEE PMS) overwinter or … Read more about Mite-a-Thon Sept 9-16

All OR bee hives have or will have varroa mites. It is important to know how many mites are present. Knowing how many mites provides an estimate of approximate risk of mites increasing fall colony losses. Starting sampling in July and continuing into October can trigger decisions on whether control … Read more about July Starts Mite Monitoring/Control