Join, attend and be entered to win!
Our 2021 club membership drive is off and running. This year we're holding a raffle to win a $50 gift certificate to Mann Lake. To enter, all you have to do is join the club and attend our Zoom Kickoff meeting, January 10 at 4pm. The winner will be drawn and announced at the end of the meeting.
We have a great year planned: a full-flight of classes, bees for sale and monthly meetings with an expanded selection of speakers from across the nation. Class discounts, buying bees and the swarm hotline are some of the great member benefits. If you're a current member and want to renew, make sure you're logged onto the website before clicking the "Join Now" button. That way your information and password from last year will reactivate.
New to Zoom? Here's a tutorial to get started.
Our January speaker is
Stephen Repasky
Master Beekeeper, Author and Consultant
Stephen Repasky is a second-generation beekeeper living in Pittsburgh, PA. He is a certified Master Beekeeper through the Eastern Apicultural Society and also current President of the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association. Stephen also serves a member of the Penn State Center for Pollinator Research and the Penn State Apiary advisory boards. His first book Swarm Essentials was published in 2014 by Wicwas.
Stephen will speak on Swarm Management: What’s Happening in Your Hives?
Join Zoom Meeting
January 10 4pm PST
https://fugue.zoom.us/j/92111764710?pwd=MDFsNjlTWGZRN0pJalk3RGVGbUhPUT09
Meeting ID: 921 1176 4710
Passcode: 895892
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,92111764710#,,,,,,0#,,895892# US (San Jose)
Beginning Beekeeping class starts February 6
Get a good start as a beekeeper in El Dorado County. Beekeeping is local. We teach what you need to know to succeed in our area. Sign up today!
Hive registration reminder
Visit our Resources page to register with BeeWhere, the statewide website for hive registration. This is a yearly requirement for all beekeepers, plus there's no fee for El Dorado County beekeepers. BeeWhere is a great resource, bringing beekeepers and pesticide applicators together to protect bees.
Mite wash alternatives for alcohol
Running low on alcohol for mite washes? Randy Oliver recommends using Dawn Ultra detergent, "It works very well for mite washes and is on par with 91% isopropyl, better than 70% isopropyl, and much better than windshield fluid."
To use, dilute to 1-2 T per gallon of water. A weaker solution is less efficacious and there is no benefit to making it stronger. Allow the bees to soak in the solution for a full minute before agitation, by which time most of the mites will have dropped to the bottom of their own accord. Final agitation should be a swirl action, with no up and down shaking. Little agitation is required for basic mite monitoring.
Hungry Bees?
Brood rearing will soon be starting, if it hasn't already. Having some pollen patties on hand is always a good idea should you need them. The club has pollen patties for sale, $3 each. Placerville area, contact John Havicon at 916.996.8371, or for the Cameron Park area, contact Bernie Ruiz at 916.719.6708.
"See" everyone January 10 Zoom!
Bee well and bee safe!