LEWIS COUNTY BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION                                                          

Thursday, August 8

LCBA Monthly Meeting

Speaker: Dr. Dewey Caron

Learning from the Past:

2018-19 Loss Survey Results

Where:  Centralia College, Walton Science Center 121; 701 W. Walnut St., Centralia WA 98531.

When:  Social Time 6 to 6:30 p.m.; Speaker, 6:30 to 7:30; Business Meeting & Beekeeping Q&A, 7:45 to 8:45 p.m.

What:  We know that 2018-19 was a brutal year for honey bee losses. Dr. Caron will offer an analysis, rather than just numbers, to help us learn from what we've lost and, let's hope, avoid seeing similar losses next year. Bring your stories & questions!  Also, brief business meeting with updates on LCBA's Fair exhibit.

Saturday, August 10:

LCBA Workshop

Dr. Dewey Caron:  Reading the Hive

Where:  Please RSVP secretary@lcba.community for directions and registration. 

When: 9 a.m. to noon

What:  Dr. Dewey Caron will lead a workshop in "reading the hive," assessing colony condition, brood pattern, disease indications, & more. This workshop is designed for both new and experienced beekeepers. Q&A to follow with refreshments!

This Workshop Is Free, But Open Only To LCBA Members. Please RSVP (see above) so that we can keep track of numbers.

LCBA Will Bee Back at the

Southwest Washington Fair

Tuesday - Sunday, August 13 - 18

Come See the Bees at LCBA's exhibit in the Floral Building! We'll have our Observation Hive, lots of hands-on display items, our "bee the face of the bee" photo board for kids of all ages, our volunteers to answer your questions, and see the display of prize-winning local honey. On the weekend, you can taste free raw honey from local beekeepers and vote for your favorite in the People's Choice Honey Tasting Contest!

 

Enter Your Honey

In the Fair Contest!

Give it a try! Please drop it off at the SW WA Fairgrounds' Floral Building on Monday, August 12 between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. - please note, the Fair has shortened these hours from past years. Alternatively, contact secretary@lcba.community to arrange a drop off.  Honey must be entered in Queenline jars. For guidelines on the honey contest, click here. For tips on how to prepare your honey to enter the Fair contest, click here.

Saturday & Sunday, August 17 - 18 

People's Choice Honey Tasting

Free honey tasting with samples of raw local honey from all over Lewis County. Vote for your favorite to be this year's People's Choice Champion!  To enter YOUR honey in the contest, please bring a half pint jar of your honey to the Floral Building on August 12 between 1 and 7 pm OR drop off at the LCBA exhibit by Saturday morning at 10 a.m. Please put no identifying marks on your jar: include your contact info on a separate card and put both in a bag.  

Thursday, September 12

LCBA Monthly Meeting

Fall Management for Winter Bee Survival

Speakers: LCBA President Kevin Reichert

& Mentorship Coordinator Cody Warren

When: Social Time 6 – 6:30 p.m.; Talk & Q&A, 6:30 to 7:30; Break & Business Meeting, 7:30 to 8:45

Where: Centralia College, Walton Science Center, Room 121, 701 W. Walnut, Centralia WA 98531

What: Kevin & Cody will review the things we need to do for our bees at this time of year to help them survive the winter. We’ll cover what to look for during fall inspections, hive manipulations, moisture control methods, Varroa monitoring and management, & more. Please bring your stories and questions!

Saturday, September 14  

Fall Management Workshop

When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Please RSVP to secretary@lcba.community for directions.

 What: Are your bees well prepared for winter - how would you tell? LCBA Mentors will go through hives to assess their condition & demonstrate Varroa treatments (oxalic acid vaporizing, Api Life Var, & more), as well as winter moisture control methods, including how to build a moisture control box. After the workshop, those interested are welcome to help build moisture boxes for our club apiary colonies. Please bring your protective gear!

 

Above, Dr. Dewey Caron will be LCBA's August 8 speaker; below, Dewey leads a workshop on hive inspection (photo, Portland Zenger News)

Above, visitors to LCBA's Observation Hive at the Southwest Washington Fair; below, Fair visitors tasting raw local honey at LCBA's People's Choice Honey Tasting contest:

Scenes from last year’s fall management workshop: above, mentor Cody Warren demonstrates his oxalic acid fogger for Varroa mite control; below, LCBA 2018 youth scholar Caleb made a moisture control box for his bees; we'll demonstrate how to do this at the workshop.

     LCBA is on Facebook! 

If you're a Facebook member, put "Lewis County Beekeepers Association" in your FB browser to see events, bee news, & more.