Why do my honey bees ignore the fresh water I provide, and instead fly over to my neighbor’s pool? The Classroom article in the September 2015 issue of the American Bee Journal had a great answer! Just as with nectar, when bees locate a good source of water they bring it […]
Dr. Dewey Caron is the Principal Drafter on a publication entitled “Tools for Varroa Management, A Guide to Effective Varroa Sampling & Control 2017” “Every honey bee colony in the continental United States and Canada either has Varroa mites today or will have them within several months. Varroa mite infestation represents […]
If you are a current member of SOBA and would like to advertise honey, beeswax, or other hive products here, please contact us with your information. Honey Noah’s Bees We are located in Grants Pass, OR. We have Blackberry, Wildflower and Clover honey. You can order ONLINE or shop locally […]
Contributed by Dr. Dewey M. Caron Feeding bees in the fall was brought up by all the SOBA Fall bee course instructors and we got several questions about feeding. Feeding is unquestionably a way to make the difference in whether a colony survives overwinter or not. Feeding does have some […]
If you see bees hanging out on the front of your hive, they may be bearding – especially if the temperature outside is over 100 degrees. But check closely. Are they rocking back and forth? Maybe they are washboarding—a very mysterious bee activity! From Katie Bohrer and Jeffery S. Pettis. USDA-ARS […]
At her recent Spring Management class, Sarah (BeeGirl) told us that when bees get too hot, they shut down production – the queen stops laying and it’s all hands on deck to bring water into the hive. The bees will spit the water inside the hive and fan it to […]
In the PNW Winter Loss Survey this past April, 250 Oregon and Washington backyard beekeepers provided information on monitoring bee colonies for mites, including 12 SOBA members. Thirty-seven percent (37%) said they did not monitor for mites . Twenty seven (27%) sampled pre-treatment and 30% sampled both before and following treatment. Thirty-seven percent […]
Here’s John’s recipe for an organic, thymol based treatment for Varroa mites. This is a great treatment for summer/fall, after honey has been pulled. If you need to treat for mites when you have honey supers on the hive, Mite Away Quick Strips (formic acid) can be used instead. Old […]
Register with Jackson County Vector Control to protect your bees from aerosol spraying for mosquitoes if you live in Jackson County. This is an important step for beekeepers within city limits as well as those out in the county. To register, call 541-826-2199 or use the Contact Us page on the […]
You’ve taken the classes, bought/built the hive components, and now it’s time to pick up your bees! Nucleus hives (nucs) are a great way to start your first hive. The nuc contains 3 to 5 frames of bees with a proven queen, lots of bees, and frames filled with brood, […]
Contributed by Ellen Wright It seems that whenever a community discusses urban beekeeping, the overriding concern is the fear of being stung by a bee, and the possibility that the sting might be deadly. The data on the true risk of a deadly allergic reaction to an insect bite gives overwhelming […]
Why do some farmers choose to grow GMO crops? Contributed by Dewey Caron Genetically modified crops – do you believe they are “good” for agriculture or are “bad” for us? Maybe you believe Monsanto and other big ag companies force farmers to use GMO seeds and then lose money because they unnecessarily […]
