1. Here is the current list of meeting dates and places for 2013:
· June 8, 2013, Saturday afternoon at 1:00 pm. Field day at Jeff Champeau’s bee yard in Oakfield (see note below). This is a change from the original announcement of June 15.
· July13, 2013, Saturday morning at 9:30 am. Meeting at extension office in Oshkosh (see note below).
· September meeting to be determined. Most likely in Ripon on September 14.
2. June Field Day. The field day this year will be held at Jeff Champeau’s bee yard in Oakfield. There will be no formal meeting conducted. Just come prepared to look at beehives in various stages of development. This is a good opportunity for new beekeepers to see what established colonies look like. Start time will be 1:00 pm. Address and driving directions: N3415 Highway Y South, Oakfield, WI. Oakfield is located about 10 miles southwest of Fond du Lac. Take Highway Y (same as Oak Street) south out of Oakfield (past the old Belle Reynolds School) for about a half a mile. The place is on the east side of Highway Y between River Road and Highway F. Some parking is available in the driveway – overflow parking will have to be along the road. Please bring your own hat & bee veil, gloves, coveralls, strings or something to tie off pants legs, or anything else you think you might need to feel comfortable working around bees. There will be no rain date for this field day.
3. July Meeting. The July meeting of the ECWBA will be held at the Winnebago County UW Extension Office. Meeting date and time is Saturday, July 13, at 9:30 am. The address for the extension office is 625 East County Road Y, Oshkosh, WI. Driving directions: Take US Highway 41 north bound to the Highway 76 & Jackson Street exit. Exit Hwy. 41 onto Jackson Street south. Drive south on Jackson Street about a mile (or two) to Hwy Y at stop and go lights. Turn left, travelling on Hwy. Y, and drive approximately a mile to address. The extension office is on the right side of the street, located in the James P. Coughlin Center building. There will be meeting with a presentation focused on the summer and fall management of colonies for the newly established (first year) beekeeper.
Beekeeping Notes:
· As of this writing, package bees are starting to arrive at the suppliers. Some package bee orders have been delayed until the first week of May.
· Due to the long and continuing winter and the absence of any resemblance of spring time weather, the new package bees will definitely have to be fed sugar syrup and pollen substitutes. Feeding sugar syrup is especially necessary for new beekeepers installing bees into hives with only foundation in the frames.
· Continue feeding overwintered hives until we see something on which the bees can forage.
· If you apply any disease or mite controls in the spring, get what you need now and be prepared to apply the controls when necessary. Remember to always follow the manufacturer’s directives on the label for the recommended dosage and application technique. If you pick up bees at a beekeepers supply store, the suppliers usually have a good inventory of medications for controlling diseases and mites.
· Don’t forget to take your shopping list along to the beekeeper supply store when you pick-up your package bees. It is a good time to pick-up your extra supplies while you are there.
· Attend the June 8th field day. Jeff will be talking about his one brood chamber method of beekeeping. This will also be a great opportunity for new beekeepers to get some “super”-vised hands-on experience.
I look forward to seeing you all at the June 8, 2013, field day.
Best of Beekeeping,
Jeff Champeau
