A President’s Potherings …

September 12, 2008

We have planned an exciting and educational November Meeting for you in Lewisburg on Friday and Saturday, November 7-8. Here are some reasons that you should attend:

New or Relatively-New To Beekeeping Are Welcome This year we have had a record number of new beekeepers in the Commonwealth. We have several topics designed to get you to the next level. For many of you, the first year has been one of enjoyment and learning. Do you have any unanswered questions? On Saturday afternoon, there are several workshops with experienced beekeepers designed specifically for you.

The two challenges that most beekeepers face are overwintering and swarming. On Saturday afternoon, Mel Disselkoen will discuss successful overwintering techniques.

Perhaps, the greatest challenge of a second year hive is to keep them from swarming. On Friday afternoon, I will present techniques that I have assembled over the years to prevent or manage the bee’s desire to swarm.

And, maybe you have harvested a crop of honey this year. Maryann Frazier will present honey house regulations and labeling guidelines.

Great Speakers Key speakers this year include Mel Disselkoen, MDA Splitters; Jeff Pettis, USDA; and Byron Taylor, New Zealand Apiculture Officer. Mel Disselkoen will discuss summer nucs—a great way to make increases or replace winter losses.

The Spanish beekeepers are convinced that Nosema ceranae, a newly discovered species of Nosema is the cause of their losses. Jeff Pettis will explain the saga of Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae.

Do other countries have the same beekeeping issues? Byron Taylor will describe beekeeping and pest and disease control in New Zealand.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and Research Updates Both Penn State and the PA Department of Agriculture will present updates on CCD, hive beetles, pesticides, and pathogens.

Hive Equipment Sterilization Mark Antunes and Brian Marcy have worked out the details for the next round of equipment sterilization. If you have American Foul Brood (AFB) infected or potentially infected equipment, find out the dates, costs, and process to get it cleaned up. Some beekeepers have found that sterilization helps clean up hives that were affected by CCD.

Pollinator-Friendly Gardens Clubs from Erie to Philadelphia have expressed interest in seed mixtures for bee and pollinator gardens. Bring your plant lists to the meeting—there are several seed companies that are willing to put together mixes for us. See Charlie Vorisek or myself at the meeting if you are interested.

The Penn State Master Gardeners have developed a presentation for the MGs to use throughout Pennsylvania. See the discussion of Pollinator Demonstration Gardens on Saturday afternoon.

Other Workshops A very popular and entertaining speaker, Rick Donovall of PDA, will talk about identification of native pollinators. And, Tom Butzler and Rob Anderson have planned a workshop on working with youth.

Beekeeper Management Roundtable We will wrap up the weekend with a Q&A forum featuring experienced beekeepers. I have invited Dennis Keeney and several other veteran beekeepers to share their wisdom.

Friday Night Banquet The banquet will be a buffet at the Country Cupboard. Alf Bashore will provide entertainment on the dulcimer. See http://cdbaby.com/cd/ajbashoreii for information about his music.

Saturday Lunch You can preorder a box lunch for Saturday afternoon for $8.00. Be sure to mention this when you register as we have to place the order one week before the meeting.

Speaker and Education Luncheon If you are responsible for booking speakers or educating beekeepers for your organization, join me on Saturday at lunch to discuss options to share resources. Be sure to preorder your lunch for Saturday when you register for the meeting and bring along your list of speakers for the past year or two. We can all share the names and contacts of quality speakers.

Vendors Meet vendors and shop for the equipment that you need for next spring. So far we have Brushy Mountain, Bee Line Apiaries, Paul Bagnall, and Craig Cella. Contact Lee Miller if you have a favorite vendor that you would like to invite.

Honey Show Bring your honey and hive products for the competition. See the contest requirements in this newsletter. If you cannot attend in person, be sure to send your entries with another club member.

Election of Officers My term of office as president will be over in November. We only have two incumbents running for office this year, Lee Miller and Yvonne Crimbring. All positions are up for election. Over the past six years, I have met many very capable leaders in the beekeeping community. It is my hope that some of these leaders will step up to help coordinate our state efforts.

This year, I will encourage both the member offering a nomination and the candidate present some brief remarks. Please let me know if you are interested in running for office or know of a suitable candidate. I will pass their name to the nominating committee.

Board Meeting Once again, we will hold the PSBA board meeting on Friday morning at 10:00. Each organization should send one delegate. All PSBA members are invited to attend. A cash lunch will be provided at cost for those attending. An agenda will be sent to those attending previous board conference calls. Or, you may contact Yvonne Crimbring for a copy of the board meeting agenda.

Fellowship No list is complete without mentioning the camaraderie of fellow beekeepers. I learn a lot by talking with other beekeepers at lunch, dinner, breaks, or sharing a piece of berry pie late at night. If you do not know anyone or this is your first meeting, let me know and I will introduce you to some of the most interesting people in Pennsylvania.

How about them bees? I have been working feverously the last two weeks taking off honey and getting the hives treated. My goal was to remove honey before July 15 and to have all treatment on before September 1— only a couple months behind. I still have two out yards and the backyard left to do. I have been treating with Mite Away II (Formic Acid) again this year. It seems to be working for me.

Looking forward to seeing you at Lewisburg in November …

Jim Bobb
PSBA President

Email:  president@pastatebeekeepers.org

Phone:  (610) 584-6778