With spring it is the time to check on how bees overwintered and to fill out the PNW overwintering losses (successes!) survey from OSU PLEASE Consider helping provide this information !!
This year with help from a couple of Portland area PUB beekeepers I have expanded the backyarder (small-scale/hobbyist) beekeeper survey and developed it into an electronic submission. You can access it here bit.ly/2015PUBSurvey . The survey is now available and will be up through April. I will have WVBBA results during May to share.
If you prefer to do a paper survey download here and mail back to me or bring to WVBBA April meeting and give to me or Richard (who will mail them to me). Last year 31 WVBA individuals completed my survey. Thirty eight percent (38%) did not have any overwinter losses. In total the 31 WVBA individuals lost 48 of 132 fall colonies for a weighted loss average of 36% – In OR the weighted loss for 303 survey respondents was 48% last season. We sure hope 2014-2015 winter losses have been less extreme. For full report of last years backyarder survey go to orsba website and click under Bee Line July 2014 newsletter orsba.org
PLEASE do not neglect the Nationwide BeeInformed (Beeinformed.org) electronic survey – it is open all of April. If you are among the 161 WA beekeepers who filled it out last year you will get a “reminder” – if not a participant I urge you to get involved and bee informed. See website beeinformed.org.