“Saturday in the Apiary” is back! Many already know this event from the last two years. It is an opportunity to gather at the OSU’s apiary at the Central Oregon Ag Research Center in Madras, or, like this time at a private apiary. We perform hive inspections, discuss colony management strategies for the month, and implement them. It is a great opportunity for hands-on experience, plus to get to know other beekeepers in the OMB program and in the region. Following the example of “Friday in the Apiary” at the OSU campus in Corvallis, a popular event among OMB participants in the Southern Willamette Valley, this is a casual, loosely structured event intended to provide a learning experience in a relaxed setting. Everyone who is comfortable being around live honey bees is welcome. You would need to bring your own gear.
We will inspect the colonies and check if they are queenright and evaluate the brood pattern. Maybe an empty brood chamber can be removed or brood boxes reversed. There might be a small but queenright colony that needs to be boosted. Further, we will make sure that the bees have enough feed - the biggest concern this time of year.
Bring your hat/veil/gloves/smoker/smoker fuel and water bottle. RSVP would be very helpful. Please email Heike Williams at heike.williams@oregonstate.edu for details and notification of possible changes. This event is weather dependent. Looking forward to seeing you there!
