June 20-21: Ohio State Beekeepers Association Meeting

AGENDA FOR SATURDAY
June 21, 2008

• 8:30 A.M. Registration
• 9:00 A.M. Welcome & Introductions
• 9:15 A.M. Keynote Speaker: Dr. Dave Tarpy, “Healthy Queens, Healthy Bees”
• 10:00 A.M. Break (Visit the Vendors)
• 10:15 A.M. Breakout Session I
  • “Backyard Queen Rearing, It’s Not As Hard As You Think” Dr. Dave Tarpy
  • “Beginning Beekeeping Basics” (Athens County Instructor)
  • “Ohio Queen Project” (In the beeyard) Paul Cline, OSBA Regional Queen Coordinator
• 11:00 A.M. Break (Visit the Venders)
• 11:15 A.M. Breakout Session II
  • “Making Summer Splits” Dr. Jim Tew
  • “Mead Making” Chuck Harrington, Athens Co. Beekeeper
  • “Dumping a Package, Inspecting a Hive” (In the beeyard) Bob Hooker, OSBA
• 12 Noon - Lunch
• 1:00 P.M. Breakout Session III
  • A. “Marketing Your Honey” Jack Cantrell, Athens County Beekeeper
  • B. “Pests and Diseases” John Grafton, Ohio State Bee Inspector
  • C. “Making Summer Splits” (In the beeyard) Dr. Jim Tew
• 1:45 P.M. Break (Visit the Vendors)
• 2:00 P.M. Breakout Session IV
  • A. “IPM For Beekeepers” Bob Hooker, OSBA
  • B. “Reading A Frame” Joe Kovaleski, OSBA, EAS Master Beekeeper
  • C. “In the Bee Yard” Dr. Dave Tarpy
• 2:45 P.M. Break
• 3:00 P.M. Panel Discussion, Plenary Session (Business), Raffle Drawing, Departure

Learn more here.

June 18: State Inspection: My $5 At Work

Yesterday, I got home and found a slip in my mailbox from the bee inspector. He wrote: "Bees look good. Good brood pattern. Super as needed." I was thrilled! Doesn't seem like much but it's validation for a beginning beek. I just wish I would have been present for the inspection.

Apiaries in Ohio need to be registered. It only costs $5.00 per location. That seems pretty cheap to me: especially since the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture has proposed cuts to the apiary program which would eliminate the position of the chief bee inspector for the state. I would pay a lot more for an annual inspection, and that's what I said in my email for the letter-writing campaign.

Did you know? There were 3,128 beekeepers registered in 2007 in Ohio which represents 4,898 apiaries, or an estimated 16,654 colonies.