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.

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 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.

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.