May 9 meeting: Dr. Brenna Traver on Nosema ceranae

Posted on May 1, 2013 by
Dr. Brenna Traver

Dr. Brenna Traver

Read minutes from the meeting here.

Dr. Brenna Traver, a postdoctoral researcher in Virginia Tech’s entomology department will speak at the New River Valley Beekeepers Association meeting at 6:30 p.m. on May 9.

Traver specializes in the study of Nosema ceranae, a pathogen of the Asian honey bee that has in recent years been found in U.S. honey bees.

Traver received her Ph.D. from Tech in 2011, and has continued to do grant-funded research with Dr. Rick Fell’s team. In 2012, Traver and Fell co-authored “Low Natural Levels of Nosema ceranae in Apis mellifera queens” for the  Journal of Invertebrate Pathology.

Traver’s talk will give an overview of N. ceranae and the findings of her research so far. She will also discuss new lines of research recently funded through the Virginia Department of Agriculture.

So join us at the Montgomery County Health and Human Services Building at 210 S. Pepper St., Christiansburg.

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Earth Day celebrates beekeepers

Posted on April 18, 2013 by

Grandin, Roanok, Beekeeper, Virginia, New River Valley Beekeepers Association, honey bee, BlacksburgJoin the New River Valley Beekeepers Association from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at the Grandin Court Earth Day celebration in Roanoke. Members Gyorgyi Voros and Sue Hossack will staff an NRVBA information table with live honey bees on display. Other members are encouraged to volunteer and bring their honey and wax products to sell. Contact Gyorgyi for more information.

Time spent educating the public about honey bees and beekeeping counts towards the service requirements for Virginia Master Beekeeper certification.

Combine your trip to the festival with a screening of the new short documentary “Bee People,” at the Grandin Theatre’s Earth Day film festival. Two beekeepers featured in the film will be on hand for discussions.

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More honey bee packages available

Posted on April 12, 2013 by

honey bees, italian, packages, blacksburg, christiansburg, virginia, new river valley beekeepers association

Honey bee packages still available.

Mark Chorba can order more Italian package honey bees to be delivered in early May. These are the standard 3-pound packages with a young mated queen, coming from Dadant. Cost is $89. For more information, contact Mark, 540-204-6882.

Also, please note that the membership has voted to change our meeting time to 6:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the in the Community Room of the Montgomery County Health and Human Services Building, 210 Pepper Street St., Christiansburg, Va. No meeting is held in July or December.

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April 11 meeting: Swarm catching and spring planting

Posted on April 1, 2013 by

Note: Read the April newsletter.

Join us as the Christiansburg Health and Human Services Building at 210 Pepper St., at 7 p.m. April 11 for our spring starter meeting, featuring presentations on swarm catching and planting for bees.

One of VP Richard Reid's bait hives drew a large swarm in 2010.

One of VP Richard Reid’s bait hives drew a large swarm in 2010.

Looking for some free honey bees? Hoping to introduce some locally-adapted survivor stocks into your apiary? Then swarm catching may be for you.

NRVBA VP Richard Reid

NRVBA VP Richard Reid

NRVBA Vice President Richard Reid will talk about why he chases swarms and give a presentation on methods for catching them, including assembly and placement of bait hives.

VT horticulture professor Holly Scoggins

VT horticulture professor Holly Scoggins

NRVBA member and Virginia Tech horticulture professor Holly Scoggins will talk to us about some bee-friendly plants to add to our gardens this spring. Holly directs the university’s Hahn Horticulture Garden and owns a local blueberry farm.

We’ll also have the the monthly beekeeper’s raffle and business meeting. Please read the minutes from the March meeting, and send any proposed changes to Secretary Sam Price.

Please note that the club’s honey bee packages are sold out. Delivery is tentatively set for April 21.

If you did not get an order in and still need bees, NRVBA President Mark Chorba says he can get bees for the following week. He can be reached at 540-204-6882.

Seats are still available in the May 7 nuc and queen rearing workshop with Dr. Larry Connor. Sign up today.

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Workshop: Increase your apiary with Dr. Larry Connor

Posted on March 28, 2013 by
Dr. Larry Connor

Dr. Larry Connor

Join the NRVBA and co-sponsor the YMCA at Virginia Tech on May 7 for an evening workshop with nationally-known beekeeping author and educator, Dr. Larry Connor.

Connor is author of several books on beekeeping, including “Increase Essentials” and “Queen Rearing Essentials.” He travels the country giving workshops, lectures and master classes to beekeepers who want to expand their apiary operations, or just protect themselves against hive losses.

The workshop begins at 4:30 p.m. with a field session at the 5-acre Hale–YMCA Community Garden off Maywood Street in Blacksburg, and continues nearby with a potluck dinner and lecture with Connor. Click for Google map directions.

Cost is $30 for NRVBA members and $35 for nonmembers. Register here.

Questions? Contact NRVBA Program Director Tonia Moxley.

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2013 honey bee packages are sold out!

Posted on March 15, 2013 by
NRVBA member Clem Von Claparede hands out honey bee packages in April 2012. Photo courtesy of Matt Gentry.

NRVBA member Clem Von Claparede hands out honey bee packages in April 2012. Photo courtesy of Matt Gentry.

The 2013 package bees are now sold out!

For those who ordered bees, the packages will include about 12,000 Italian bees and one young mated queen to be delivered on April 21, 2013.

The delivery date is subject to change. Notification of any changes will be via email and/or on thehive listserv.

Thanks for your participation in this club project.

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March meeting: Double screen queen rearing

Posted on March 6, 2013 by

Borger picnicNotes: Anyone who wants a copy of Jerry’s instructions for double screen queen rearing may send an e-mail to twoltcols@verizon.net. Read the March newsletter.

In addition to our popular raffle and our “what should you be doing with your hives” information session, our first NRVBA meeting of the spring beekeeping season will feature member Jerry Borger presenting a simple method for hobbyists to raise queens.

Join us as the Christiansburg Health and Human Services Building at 210 Pepper St., at 7 p.m. on March 14 to learn about using a double screen to raise queens. No grafting or cell builder required.

Jerry says: “This method is intended for use on a strong hive with two hive bodies in the spring or during a nectar flow period. The intent is threefold: 1) to minimize the swarming urge, 2) to maximize honey reserves, 3) and to encourage the production of quality queen cells to keep the line of a good queen going.”

Jerry promises the method, which keeps the queen rearing colony in full honey production requires minimal equipment readily available at a reasonable price from beekeeping supply houses.

So join your fellow beekeepers to learn another way to become a more self-sufficient apiarist.

Note to members: Please review the minutes from the February meeting before the March meeting. This allows us to speed up the housekeeping items on the agenda.

Continue your education in how to increase your apiary through nucleus hives and simple queen rearing with our special guest, Dr. Larry Connor, on May 7.

Have you ordered your bees yet for the spring? Again this year the NRVBA has arranged discounted prices for members on package bees from Dadant. Order today.

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