General Meeting (May 2020)

The Capital Regional Beekeepers Association (CRBA) meets on the second Thursday of every month.

Due to COVID-19 we will not be meeting in person until further notice. Instead, we will be hosting meetings online via Zoom.

Agenda

• 7pm – Regular meeting
  • Welcome – Bill F
  • Zoom etiquette – Brent L
  • Setting up a nuc and the first month – Don L
  • Questions and Answers with – Bob L
  • Swarm season – Peter D
  • What’s in bloom – Nairn H
  • What are beekeepers doing in May and June – Larry L
  • Plan for the outyard – Brad A
  • Just so you know – All
  • Sign-off

Minutes

Meeting started at 7:02pm.

• Bill Fosdick (President of the CRBA) welcomes everyone to the first CRBA online meeting.
  • Bill indicates the executive is working hard to keep the club going during the COVID situation.
  • Bill gives overview of the agenda.
• Zoom EtiquetteBrent Lee gives an overview of Zoom and its operation.
• Setting up a NucDon Lambert presents a video on installing a nuc. Don had a microphone issue so the rest of his presentation was delayed until later in the evening.
• Poll of the audience presented on whether your bees swarmed?Result: 22% yes, 66% no, 13% not sure
• Poll of the audience on whether you have caught a swarm?Result: 74% yes
• Swarm Season (Presented by Peter Day)
  • In full swing.
  • First swarm Apr. 16.
  • Swarm stats presented
  • Peter advises – Don’t panic if your hive swarms. You usually have lots of time.
  • No wasp calls yet.
  • You can call and place your apiary location on our map.
  • Question from Bill regarding COVID-19 procedures.
  • Peter responds – #1 thing we do is ask questions when the call comes in to determine whether a physical visit is necessary.
  • Maintaining social distancing.
  • Don advises it is a good opportunity to educate the public when collecting swarms.
  • Don wears a mask when collecting swarms (re: COVID.)
  • People can provide apiary locations via swarm line or email.
• Packages vs Nucs (Don continues presentation after audio issue resolved)
  • A package is just bees, queen and food.
  • A nuc is a nucleus. Everything a complete colony has in miniature.
  • Packages come earlier.
  • Canada brings in 250K to 300K packages normally. Only about 20K this year.
• Setting up a Nuc (continued)
  • Don summarizes the slides.
  • Keep notes.
  • Doesn’t believe in the mite drop method – do mite check.
• Peter additional comment on apiary map – it is private and only used by swarm committee.
• What’s in BloomBill presented flower quiz (Nairn Hollot not in attendance)
• What Beekeepers are doing in May and June (Presented by Larry Lindahl)
  • Larry refers to notes as slides presented.
  • Keep weeds down.
  • Nectar flow well underway.
  • May want to harvest first honey.
  • Check for queen laying well and space to lay.
  • Check for mites.
  • Check for swarm cells.
  • Check for disease.
  • Need lots of room for evaporation chamber – bees on 7 frames => add a super.
  • Place bait hive for swarms.
  • Watch for dearth at end of May/beginning June.
  • Story was told (a man lost a few limbs…)
• Mite Vaporizers and Extractors
  Available in a location near you!
• Plan for the Outyard (Presented by Brad)
  • No response from Queestos Timber yet.
  • Key is same.
  • Brad going up to take a look at the outyards soon.
  • max 3 tags per household.
  • Draw at June meeting using Zoom technology.
  • 1 Queen per hive.
  • Looking to move one yard to a new location.
  • Will send email with instructions when we get closer.
• Just so you know
  • Battery for vaporizers are now available.
  • If you capture a swarm from your own yard – do not place near the original hive.
    • Don advises – think about what the bees are trying to do.
    • Add a frame of larve, change orientation and 40 yards away.
  • Question from Rupert – Nuc swarmed – now 2 queens, one not laying.
    • Carolyn advises to recombine
    • Larry says wait 21 days for eggs (after 28 days start over)
  • New beekeeper asks are nucs available?
    • Covid has thrown a wrench – not as many packages as usual.
    • They are in short supply
    • Larry advises that the Moodys 250-743-1939 will have nucs soon.
    • Anyone can make them, but nucs must be inspected by provincial inspector.
  • Question on swarm put back to original hive, after some time all bees gone except pile of dead outside.
    Beekeeper advised not to put swarm back in original hive (especially queen).
  • Question – Is there a charge to have bees inspected?
    No
  • Bill’s closing remarks
    • Probably same online format for at least 3 months.
    • Gentle reminder from Nicole Sleeth to renew your membership.

Meeting concluded at 8:25pm.