ECWBA Newsletter

1. Meetings. Here is the list of meeting dates for the remainder of 2010:

* March meeting: March 20, 2010, 9:30 am to 11:00 am at the Fond du Lac Public Library (click on the event calendar link at the bottom for directions/map).
* May meeting: May 22, 2010. Start time is at 1:00 pm. This will be the field day at Denise Palkovich’s bee yard (see below for further information and directions).
* July meeting: July 17, 2010. Place to be determined.
* September meeting: September 18, 2010. Place to be determined.

2. Meeting Topics. Here are the discussion topics to be covered at the meetings:

* March meeting: Package bee installation, splitting over-wintered colonies, and making nucleus colonies.
* May meeting: Field day at Denise Palkovich’s bee yard – look at beehives and Denise’s beekeeping operation.
* July and September meetings: To be determined.

3. March Meeting. The March, 2010, ECWBA meeting will be at the Fond du Lac County Library. The library’s address is: 32 Sheboygan Street, Fond du Lac, WI. To get there, take Main Street (north or south) to Sheboygan Street. Take Sheboygan Street east one block to Portland Street. Turn left (south) on to Portland and go about a half block to the library’s parking lot located on the east side of Portland Street.

4. May Meeting. The May, 2010, ECWBA meeting will be at the bee yard of Denise Palkovich. Start time is 1:00 pm. To get there, take State Highway 23 east out of Fond du Lac (Hwy. 23 is Johnson St. in Fond du Lac). Turn left onto Log Tavern Road (which is the first road after County Highway W). Take Log Tavern Road north to Pit Road. Take a right onto Pit Road and an almost immediate left turn to address of the bee yard by the brown ranch style house. The address is W1575 Pit Road, Mt. Calvary, WI. (click on event calendar link for directions/map)

* Attention: This is a field day, so bring your own bee veil, bee suit, gloves, etc., for safe and comfortable work around bees.
* The rain date for the May meeting is June 5, 2010. The place and time is the same.

5. Membership dues reminder. ECWBA membership dues for 2010 will remain at $15.00. Dues need to be paid by end of March, 2010, in order to continue receiving a newsletter and association communications.


Beekeeping Notes:

* Spring is definitely on the way. The bees have already begun to break cluster and go on their cleansing flights. This means it will soon be spring feeding time. Be prepared to feed sugar syrup and pollen supplements or substitutes.
* If you do use any medications for the control of diseases (nosema, American foul brood, mites, etc.) now is the time to obtain those. Study and learn how to properly to use those medication. Poorly applied medications can do more harm than good!
* Before things get going too fast in the spring and summer, this would be a good time to check on your honey gathering supplies and equipment. Will you need more honey supers? Queen excluders? Bee escapes? Jars and bottles for honey? Start planning ahead.

Best of beekeeping, Jeff Champeau, President, ECWBA, Telephone: 715-330-9969

P.S. You may send membership dues to the association’s treasurer or president at one of the following addresses: George Weigel, 268 Peters Ave., Fond du Lac, WI 54935 or Jeff Champeau, 145 N. Wisconsin Street, Berlin, WI 54923. Make checks payable to: East Central Wisconsin Beekeepers Association. A membership card will be returned to you promptly.