The first posting on WVBA winter losses reported loss of 122 colonies = 46 % average loss, slightly lower than the statewide loss of 48%, which equals the highest for OR backyarders. The 46%loss was the highest WVBA level of the previous 4 years and 9.5% above the 4 year average. The trend is sloped […]
At the March WVBA meeting I distributed paper copies and directed members to a web-based survey document in a continuing effort to define overwintering losses/successes of backyard beekeepers in Oregon. This was the 10th year of such survey activity. I received 416 responses from OR backyarders, keeping anywhere from 1 to 38 colonies; Willamette Valley
2018-19 WVBA Winter LOSS FIRST Report Read More »
At the March WVBA meeting I distributed paper copies and directed members to a web-based survey document in a continuing effort to define overwintering losses/successes of backyard beekeepers in Oregon. This was the 10th year of such survey activity. I received 416 responses from OR backyarders, keeping anywhere from 1 to 38 colonies; Willamette Valley
2018-19 WVBA Winter LOSS FIRST Report Read More »
I hope your bees are OK despite our cool, wet spring weather. If you overwintered colonies from last year, PLEASE don’t forget to send in a survey to www.pnwhoneybeesurvey.com to report winter losses/survivorship and your managements for the past season. Survey is open until end of April. March and April can be ‘challenging’ months for
Our Reluctant Spring Read More »
I hope your bees are OK despite our cool, wet spring weather. If you overwintered colonies from last year, PLEASE don’t forget to send in a survey to www.pnwhoneybeesurvey.com to report winter losses/survivorship and your managements for the past season. Survey is open until end of April. March and April can be ‘challenging’ months for
Our Reluctant Spring Read More »
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 as the feeding, sanitation and Varroa sampling/control of individual beekeepers! These
PNW HONEY BEE SURVEY OPEN FOR WVBA MEMBERS Read More »
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 as the feeding, sanitation and Varroa sampling/control of individual beekeepers! These
PNW HONEY BEE SURVEY OPEN FOR WVBA MEMBERS Read More »
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 the
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 the
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 in the vanguard of utilizing honey bees and
Update of November WVBAHive article on Solar and bees Read More »
