March 14th Meeting: A practical approach to swarm prevention

Posted on March 12, 2019 by

“As a child, Fred Jones’s family moved 17 times before he left home for college.  So, it is understandable that his life has continued to hold many changes.  Trained as a veterinarian, he practiced as an equine vet specializing in race track work.  Since then he has worked as a medic with the rescue squad, operated a saw mill, built his own timber frame house, played banjo in a bluegrass band, and won numerous awards for his oil paintings.  But his proudest accomplishment was staying home to raise and educate his four children.” 

“Nine years ago, Jones added beekeeping to his list of avocations.  Near disaster ensued when in his second year of beekeeping his four colonies swarmed six times.  As a result, swarm prevention has become an area of special interest for him. This month he will share some of his insights pertaining to this important management problem. In contrast to last year’s presentation, which had a theoretical/academic focus, this year’s talk will be entirely new and have a more practical approach.”

Please join us on Thursday, March 14, 2019 at 6:30 pm at the Montgomery County Health and Human Services Building at 210 Pepper St., Christiansburg to hear Fred’s presentati0n.

Meeting Agenda

-Business:

  • Treasurer’s report
  • Apiary report
  • Education update- Saturday half day review sessions
  • Apparel Committee
  • Silent Auction final report

-What you should be doing with your bees

– Featured Presentation:  A practical approach to swarm prevention by Past President Fred Jones

-The Buffalo Jack Raffle: Please note: there will be no intermission so buy your tickets before the meeting or, quietly, any time during the meeting in the back of the room. Items will include:

  • 10 each assembled deep frames with crimp wired foundation installed
  • 8-frame medium box, assembled and painted
  • “Increase Essentials” book by Connor
  • Size medium leather gloves
  • 10-frame IPM (screened) bottom board, assembled

-Close of formal meeting.  Join in for socializing, refreshments, and a time for asking questions.  Please consider bringing a snack or beverage to share.

-Emory B. Altizer, NRVBA President

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February 14th Meeting- Catch your own free bees and place your bid in our silent auction!

Posted on February 11, 2019 by

There are few things a beekeeper loves more than free bees or a good deal on
equipment! This month Past President Mark Chorba will present tips for
catching swarms and we’ll have our silent auction in the lobby of our usual
meeting location.

Mark has over twenty-three years beekeeping experience dealing with “every
phase, disease, and pest known to honeybees”. Mark refers to as “it’s like a
second language that I’m still learning.” Mark also studied with Dr Rick Fell
and assisted him at Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Mark says after years of replacing winter losses, and not hearing when swarms
were about, he decided to try trapping bees himself. After study of various
articles and videos he created his own method and captured over ten swarms
last year!

NRVBA’s Silent Auction

Bidding starts at 6:00 pm for dozens of wooden-ware and other items of interest to beekeepers plus a nearly- new nine frame extractor with cover (minimum bid $200)! Preparations will begin around 5:00 for anyone available to help unload and setup the items.

 

 

 

 

 

Please join us on Thursday February 14 2019 at 6:30 pm at the Montgomery County Health and Human Services Building at 210 Pepper St., Christiansburg to hear this presentation.

Meeting Agenda

-Business:

  • Treasurer’s report
  • Apiary  report
  • Education update
  • So, You Want to Be a Beekeeper, Beginning Beekeeper’s Course, ​ ​half day
    Saturday review session
  • Apparel Committee
  • Silent Auction Task Force

-What you should be doing with your bees

-The Buffalo Jack Raffle: Note, there will be no intermission so buy your tickets before the meeting or quietly any time during the meeting in the back of the room. Items will include:

▪ J-hook hive tool
▪ 10-frame queen excluder
▪ 8-frame IPM screened bottom board
▪ 10-frame IPM screened bottom board
▪ 10 deep frames with plastic foundation (assembled)

-Featured Presentation:  by ​ ​Mark Chorba

-Close of formal meeting and, for many, the beginning of the “real” meeting. Join in for socializing, refreshments, and a time for asking questions.  Please consider bringing a snack or beverage to share.

– Emory B. Altizer,  NRVBA President.

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“So, You Want To Be A Beekeeper” Presentations, & Beginning Beekeeper’s Course

Posted on November 17, 2018 by

Members of the New River Valley Beekeepers’ Association (NRVBA) will present “So, You Want To Be  a Beekeeper” sessions at regional library branches in January 2019 (see dates and locations below) addressing all aspects of getting started in beekeeping (costs, equipment needed, time required, procedures for acquiring and keeping bees, expectations for honey harvest, etc.)  Presentations last approximately one hour and are free.  No sign-up or pre-registration required.  Address questions to Jerry Borger, 540-382-1798.

Schedule of presentations:

Saturday 5 January at 1:30 pm
Jessie Peterman Library
321 West Main Street
Floyd		 Sunday 20 January at 1:30 pm
Meadowbrook Public Library
267 Alleghany Spring Road
Shawsville
Saturday 19 January at 1:30 pm
Christiansburg Library
125 Sheltman Street
Christiansburg		 Saturday 26 January at 1:30 pm
Blacksburg Library
200 Miller Street
Blacksburg
Saturday 12 January at 10:30 am (note: time is different from
other presentations)
Free Memorial Public Library
300 Giles Ave Dublin

Those interested will be able to sign up for a Beginning Beekeeper’s Course in person at one of the sessions described above or on-line at nrvba.org/bbc2019/ The course lasts two Saturdays, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, 9 February and 13 April 2019.  Cost is $60 per student and includes a beginner’s book, course materials, and lunch; $30 for additional family members who share the book and course materials. The course will be held at 220 Price Hall on the Virginia Tech Campus and will include (weather permitting) a hands-on session in the NRVBA apiary. Seating is limited and pre-registration not later than 31 January 2019 is mandatory.  Registration will close on 31 January or when the class is full.  Address questions to Jerry Borger, 540-382-1798.

 

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November 8th Meeting – The Couvillon Lab at VT

Posted on November 2, 2018 by

Sadly, one of our members, Larry Larson, passed away last month. His family wants to sell all his bee-keeping equipment, so there will be a sale in the parking lot before the meeting. Information about the items and the time of the sale will be sent separately.

The Couvillon Lab at Virginia Tech: Recent work on honeybee foraging.

A recent addition to the faculty at Virginia Tech, Dr. Margaret Couvillon has set up a lab to study the foraging habits of pollinators, especially those of honeybees.  While it is generally recognized that among the major factors causing colony loss in honeybees is the decrease in forage availability, precious little work has been done in this area.  The Couvillon Lab has set out to investigate how pollinators collect food in the landscape with a focus on foraging, recruitment and health.  Dr. Couvillon will share with us her most recent research.

Please join us on Thursday 8th November 2018 at 6:30 pm at the Montgomery County Health and Human Services Building at 210 Pepper St., Christiansburg to hear this presentation.

Meeting Agenda

-Business:

  • Treasurer’s report
  • Apiary  report
  • Hokie Bug Fest Report:
  • T-shirts/ball caps update
  • Elections
  • Audit

-What you should be doing with your bees

-Fred’s Follies:

What you should have learned at last month’s meeting had you been paying attention!

-The Buffalo Jack Raffle: Note, there will be no intermission. Buy your tickets before the meeting or, quietly, any time during the meeting in the back of the room. Items will include:

  •  10 deep Groove Top frames with crimp-wired wax foundation (unassembled)
  • A 10-frame deep box (unassembled)
  • 20 sheets of medium cut-comb foundation
  • A bag of smoker fuel
  • A gently used smoker (from Jack)

-Featured Presentation:  The Couvillon Lab at Virginia Tech: Recent work on honeybee foraging. Dr Margaret Couvillon

-Close of formal meeting and, for many, the beginning of the “real” meeting. Join in for socializing, refreshments, and a time for asking questions.  Please consider bringing a snack or beverage to share.

-Fred Jones, NRVBA President.

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Tonights meeting (Oct 11th) is cancelled due to weather

Posted on October 11, 2018 by

October 11th Meeting: The Couvillon Lab at VT has been cancelled

 

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October 11th Meeting: The Couvillon Lab at VT

Posted on October 4, 2018 by

The Couvillon Lab at Virginia Tech: Recent work on honeybee foraging.

A recent addition to the faculty at Virginia Tech, Dr. Margaret Couvillon has set up a lab to study the foraging habits of pollinators, especially those of honeybees.  While it is generally recognized that among the major factors causing colony loss in honeybees is the decrease in forage availability, precious little work has been done in this area.  The Couvillon Lab has set out to investigate how pollinators collect food in the landscape with a focus on foraging, recruitment and health.  Dr. Couvillon will share with us her most recent research.

Please join us on Thursday 11th October 2018 at 6:30pm at the Montgomery County Health and Human Services Building at 210 Pepper St., Christiansburg to hear this presentation.

Meeting Agenda

-Business:

  • Treasurer’s report
  • Apiary  report
  • Hokie Bug Fest: October 20th @ Squires Student Center
  • Elections
  • Audit

-What you should be doing with your bees

-Fred’s Follies:

What you should have learned at last month’s meeting had you been paying attention!

-The Buffalo Jack Raffle: Note, there will be no intermission. Buy your tickets before the meeting or, quietly, any time during the meeting in the back of the room. Items will include:

  •  10 deep Groove Top frames with crimp-wired wax foundation (unassembled)
  • A 10-frame deep box (unassembled)
  • 20 sheets of medium cut-comb foundation
  • A bag of smoker fuel
  • A gently used smoker (from Jack)

-Featured Presentation:  The Couvillon Lab at Virginia Tech: Recent work on honeybee foraging. Dr Margaret Couvillon

-Close of formal meeting and, for many, the beginning of the “real” meeting. Join in for socializing, refreshments, and a time for asking questions.  Please consider bringing a snack or beverage to share.

-Fred Jones, NRVBA President.

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September 13th meeting. Hunting the Feral Bee!

Posted on September 7, 2018 by

Hunting the Feral Bee: Kidnapping, Brain-washing, and Body Painting

Before there were beekeepers there were bee hunters.  This ancient practice was all but lost until Tom Seeley revived interest in the practice with his book, “Following the Wild Bees“. Our program will cover Seeley’s methods for tracking the locations of feral colonies.  Join us to discover the tools and methods used in this fascinating pursuit.

Please join us on Thursday 13th September 2018 at 6:30pm at the Montgomery County Health and Human Services Building at 210 Pepper St., Christiansburg to hear this presentation.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE WILL BE SALE OF THE REST OF JACK PRICE’S EQUIPMENT BEFORE THE MEETING, AT 5:00 PM IN THE PARKING LOT.

NRVBA SEPTEMBER 2018 Meeting Agenda

-Business:

-What you should be doing with your bees

-Fred’s Follies:

What you should have learned at last month’s meeting had you been paying attention!

-The Buffalo Jack Raffle: Note, there will be no intermission. Buy your tickets before the meeting or, quietly, any time during the meeting in the back of the room. Items will include:

  • 12 ea one-lb invertible, dripless honey jars
  • 1 non-electric de-capping knife
  • 1 pair leather gloves, sz Lg
  • 1 Ten-frame medium super, unassembled
  • 10 ea deep frames and wax foundation (unassembled)

-Featured Presentation: Hunting the Feral Bee: Kidnapping, Brain-washing, and Body Painting! by Fred Jones.

-Close of formal meeting and, for many, the beginning of the “real” meeting. Join in for socializing, refreshments, and a time for asking questions.  Please consider bringing a snack or beverage to share.

-Fred Jones, NRVBA President.

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August 9th meeting, Master Beekeeper Dana Stahlman from Ohio.

Posted on August 2, 2018 by

The NRVBA speakers for 2018 thus far have drawn from local and regional beekeepers. For our August meeting we are fortunate to host someone with a broader view of beekeeping than what we typically provide. Dana Stahlman will be discussing IPM (integrated pest management) among other subjects.

Stahlman is a fourth generation beekeeper who resides in Ohio. He is a certified Master Beekeeper through EAS (Eastern Apicultural Society) and former professional beekeeper having experience in both migratory beekeeping and queen rearing. He was the founder of the Ohio Queen Project, has kept bees in Ohio and Georgia, and has been awarded Ohio Beekeeper of the Year in 1997 and the prestigious Ohio Beekeeper Lifetime Achievement Award. Additionally he is the author of  “Beekeeping 101”, a handbook for beginning beekeepers.

Please join us on Thursday 9th August 2018 at the Montgomery County Health and Human Services Building at 210 Pepper St., Christiansburg to hear this presentation.

NRVBA August 2018 Meeting Agenda

-Business:

-What you should be doing with your bees

-Fred’s Follies:

What you should have learned at last month’s meeting had you been paying attention!

-The Buffalo Jack Raffle: Note, there will be no intermission. Buy your tickets before the meeting or, quietly, any time during the meeting in the back of the room. Items will include:

  • 10-frame deep box (unassembled)
  • 10 medium GTGB frames with plastic foundation (unassembled)
  • Square cutter for cut comb honey
  • One dozen 110 ml hexagonal honey jars
  • Flour sack towel with printed bees/ insect jewelry/Queen bee lavender sachet

-Featured Speaker: Dana Stahlman

-Close of formal meeting and, for many, the beginning of the “real” meeting. Join in for socializing, refreshments, and a time for asking questions.  Please consider bringing a snack or beverage to share.

-Fred Jones, NRVBA President.

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Whitebarrel Winery Honey Bee Festival Saturday June 30th

Posted on June 29, 2018 by

Whitebarrel Winery Honey Bee Festival

Saturday June 30th  12pm – 6pm

Whitebarrel Winery 4025 Childress Road:  Facebook

We will have a table there with our new banner and an observation hive. Come and join us, and/or volunteer to help staff the table, and enjoy the festival.  There will be other vendors,  a food truck (Toasted by Casey), live music, bee-themed events, activities for kids of all ages, tours of the bee sanctuary, and much more.

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June 14th Meeting: Greed in the Apiary: Robbing

Posted on June 6, 2018 by

As our nectar flow begins to slow, new management considerations come into play in our apiaries.  This month we will present a panel of veteran beekeepers who will discuss strategies on how to prevent the devastating phenomenon called “robbing”. There will be a video of robbing behavior for those who have never seen it and ideas on how to stop it if it does occur.  In addition the panel will give some insights into the growing problem of small hive beetles.

Please join us on Thursday 14th June 2018 at the Montgomery County Health and Human Services Building at 210 Pepper St., Christiansburg to hear this presentation.

NRVBA June 2018 Meeting Agenda

-Business:

  • Treasurer’s report
  • Apiary  report
  • Logo Committee: Announcement of winning logo
  • Picnic: Sunday July 29, 10am – dark @ Nellies Cave Park
  • Delivery of Tim Service queens (after meeting)

-What you should be doing with your bees

-Fred’s Follies:

What you should have learned at last month’s meeting had you been paying attention!

-Featured Speaker: Panel on Robbing/Small Hive Beetles

  1. Bob Whiton
  2. Mark Chorba
  3. Richard Reid

The Buffalo Jack Raffle: Note, there will be no intermission. Buy your tickets before the meeting or, quietly, any time during the meeting in the back of the room. Items will include:

  • 10 medium frames with plastic foundation; assembled
  • Nuc hive top feeder; plastic
  • Smoker (From Jack, almost new)
  • 10 frame deep box; unassembled
  • 10 frame queen excluder

Close of formal meeting and, for many, the beginning of the “real” meeting. Join in for socializing, refreshments, and a time for asking questions.  Please consider bringing a snack or beverage to share.

-Fred Jones, NRVBA President.

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