At our June 4, 2018 meeting, Dr. Dewey Caron gave a talk on. “Responsible Colony Stewardship: June Management/Working Toward Treatment Free Beekeeping.” Dr. Caron is Emeritus Professor, Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware and an Affiliate Professor in the Horticulture Department at Oregon State University and author […]
Question: How early can you split a hive in the spring? What about the cold at night? The key to deciding when to split is the presence of drones, and outside temperature during the day. If you see drones flying, or hatched in your hive, then there will be drones […]
Several local apiaries offer bees and queens in southern Oregon, including Ruch, the Applegate Valley, Grants Pass, and Jacksonville. Applegate Apiaries provides nucleus colony bees. We select for a good “Southern Oregon bee” having mite tolerance and broad genetic diversity. Text or message Andrew Watson at 541 846-0404. Ken Olmstead – 5 frame […]
Today is the first day of the 2017 Mite-A-Thon sponsored by the Pollinator Partnership. This event seemed like a great idea, so I planned my next hive inspection date to coincide with Mite-A-Thon week. I was pretty sure my numbers would be pretty good. I test for mites during the […]
In our area, it is very important to keep the hives dry over winter. One way to do this is to add a moisture wicking material to the top of the hive so that the hot moist air created by the bees will not condense on the cold top and […]
Contributed by Dr. Dewey Caron May and Memorial Day bracket this busy bee month. I start analyzing the pnwhoneybeesurvey responses this month, including those from SOBA members. Results will be posted as soon as I can get them gathered and analyzed. Thanks to all Southern Oregon beekeepers who filled in […]
Contributed by Marianne Heater We are getting our annual fake out February here in Southern Oregon and my beehives are coming alive. Bees are out foraging on alder, hawthorne, early blooming rosemary and crocus. They are busy bringing in pollen that is creamy yellow in color as well as gray […]
When purchasing hive components, be aware that there can be differences in the dimensions of the boxes from different manufacturers. It is best to check with the supplier to make sure the boxes are compatible with your existing equipment.
What hive components should you have ready for your first bees? Well, as in everything that has to do with keeping bees, there is no ‘right’ answer. All beekeeping is local, and the configuration described here is suited to backyard beekeepers in southern Oregon, where we have hot dry summers […]
The slatted rack is used for better overwintering and for swarm control. It is considered an essential hive component by some beekeepers. The slatted rack is placed between the screened bottom board and the bottom hive body.
Contributed by Dewey M. Caron In 2015, I surveyed 250 Oregon backyard beekeepers during April asking about overwintering losses, colony feeding, sanitation and varroa control efforts (The 2015 survey questions are posted on the website pnwhoneybeesurvey.com/annual-surveys/). Loss levels statewide were 27% for both 8-and 10-frame Langstroth hive beekeepers, double that number for […]
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 […]
