May 18th – Club Meeting @ Deerfield Community Church. Social @ 6:30/Meeting at @ 7 PM (available via Zoom)
Mel Disselkoen, EAS Master Beekeeper, Author of “OTS Queen Rearing, A Survival Guide for Beekeepers Worldwide”
“On the Spot” (OTS) queen rearing, developed by Mel Disselkoen, is a, simple, non-grafting method that forces a queenless colony to raise new queens from 36-hour-or-younger larvae by “notching” comb. It focuses on using local bees, reducing mite issues through brood breaks, and increasing apiary stock without specialized equipment.
Mel will present his method for becoming self-sufficient so that we have strong, healthy colonies led by young productive queens going into winter.
June 20th – PBA Summer Picnic & Hive Dive – Manchester, NH
Makes plans now to join your fellow club members for a fun and educational day at our annual picnic and hive dive. PBA will provide smoked ribs, hamburgers and hot dogs and bottled water. Club members will be asked to provide a side salad (last names A-K) or dessert (last names L-Z) and their favorite beverage.
During the hive dive, PBA members will be providing demonstrations and education on our new club resources, the UBeeO assay and Instavap Oxalic Acid sublimators. We will also review the Club rules and equipment borrowing requirements.
Lastly, we will also provide information on the Club’s presence at the upcoming Deerfield Fair and how members can sign up to volunteer and sell honey.
July 20th – Club meeting @ Deerfield Community Church. Social @ 6:30/Meeting at @ 7 PM – in-person only
Honey Extraction Workshop & Ice Cream Social. Mmm, honey & ice cream!
Join fellow Club members for a demonstration of how to use the club extractor to extract honey. Followed, of course, by an ice cream social where you can build your own ice cream sundae and drizzle it with freshly extracted honey!
August – No Club meeting
But you should be monitoring for Varroa mites and treating if needed (if you haven’t already!!) Bees may also need 1:1 syrup feed during a dearth as well as a ready supply of fresh water.
September 21st – Club meeting @ Deerfield Community Church. Social @ 6:30/Meeting at @ 7 PM – also available via zoom
Stephen Repasky, EAS Master Beekeeper, Author of “Swarm Essentials: Ecology, Management, Sustainability”, second-generation beekeeper and owner of Meadow Sweet Bees in western Pennsylvania.
This will be Stephen’s 2nd time presenting to PBA. His previous presentation focused on swarming and swarm management concepts outlined in “Swarm Essentials”. September’s presentation will focus on the why’s, how’s and other important considerations of Single Brood Chamber Management.
October 1st thru 4th – PBA at the Deerfield Fair
Pawtuckaway Beekeepers will again be representing pollinators, our club & beekeepers at the Deerfield Fair. Please plan to volunteer for a shift or two over the course of the event. The club will pay your admission fee and you could also sign up to sell your honey during the fair.
October 19th – Club meeting @ Deerfield Community Church. Social @ 6:30/Meeting at @ 7 PM – also available via zoom
Topic & Speaker to be announced