February 2015

2/23/2015 – WVBA Meeting

  1. General Minutes
    1. Rich welcomed members and those who attended bee school
    2. Vendors were present: Shonnards, Ruhl Bee Supply
      1. Shonnards is about half way between Corvallis and Philomath and family owned.
    3. Rich passed around a paper on the cost of new equipment
    4. The bees at Mahonia Hall are still doing well.
      1. There are still two hives, and the new governor likes having them
      2. The new governor is carefully planning the pesticide usage at Mahonia Hall, and making sure the landscapers are not endangering them.
      3. Cylvia has two hives in bend at her property.
    5. Biggest almond grower in world is in California, and is called Paramount.
      1. Recently bought out Headwaters Farms, who had about 40 employees.
      2. Paramount owns 125,000 acres and produces 450 million pounds of almonds.
      3. They run about 3000 colonies to pollinate.
    6. “Stressed Colonies send out Young Foragers” – article
      1. If there are not enough older bees, the hive will send out young, inexperienced bees that do not always find their way home.
      2. They have micro-chipped bees, which is how they discovered this.
    7. New product coming out called MiteNot
      1. A compostable board coated in wax to replace one frame in a hive. The queen lays eggs in this, which turn on electrical coils to warm the cells, which sterilizes male mites.
      2. Marla Spivack’s name is on the new product.
      3. Company called Eltopia is distributing them. The company is based in Seattle, but has a website, too.  (http://www.eltopia.com/)
    8. Oxalic acid may be legal by the end of 2015.
      1. EPA taking comments on it.
      2. Currently, it is illegal, although many still use it.
    9. Emily has forms for getting the American Bee Journal
      1. You can get a reduced price on the journal if you put secretary’s name on it (Emily Cross).
    10. Library Experts Day needs more volunteers.
      1. It will be 3 hours of volunteering.
    11. New technology called Flow hive coming out soon.
      1. A frame is placed in a hive where bees can put honey in it.
      2. Then the frame splits in half and the honey flows out and down a tube into a jar.
      3. 3 frames cost $260 or one box costs $340 or $360.
    12. Terry Adams is taking orders for 5 frame Nucs.
      1. He has 50 for sale.
      2. If you sign up now, he will call you, but it is first come, first serve.
      3. He will start calling on March 1.
      4. The nucs were started last summer, and will cost $110. Terry raises his own queens.
    13. Put wasp traps out now!
      1. Mild winter will have queens already emerging.
  2. Film: More than Honey
  3. Next Month: Karessa Torgeson
    1. Dewey Caron will also be present.