Topic: Fondant, PubMed, Bee Survey SnoKing Monthly Meeting

Time: Nov 20, 2024 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89116349846?pwd=V97LOFYtjwAab4V1U22flGA739aRIa.1

Meeting ID: 891 1634 9846

Passcode: 205736

Cover Photo: Gary Heller's bees enjoying fondant

Instead of a single major topic for presentation at this Wednesday’s meeting, we will try a ‘shorts’ format and cover 3 topics quickly: how to make soft fondant, Eli’s favorite free and 'easy to use' research database, and Gary Heller's results from his participation in the APHIS national survey for which Bri Price, Honey Bee Outreach Coordinator at WSU, evaluated hives, collected samples, and sent back results! We will look quickly at what was surveyed, sampled, detected or not and what the survey was intended to cover, or not.

Why make soft fondant, the consistency of thick icing? Why not just use the mountain camp method, that is, pour some granulated sugar on newspaper on the inner cover? One of the reasons can be seen in the closeup photo below of the parts of a bee's proboscis. If you don't already know the answer, join us 6:30PM this Wed to find out why soft fondant may be better for your bees than hard sugar blocks.

We wish that our bees were settled all snug in the lower brood chamber but not all colonies are. Why? First, each colony seems to be an individualist as pictured in the photo below, and second, the warmer than average temperatures this fall are causing them to remain more active and rear brood. Higher than normal activity levels means the bees are eating up their energy stores faster. So, some beekeepers are turning to fondant and other feed at top of hives that can be quickly checked without disturbing the colony.

The third short topic to be presented is the use of the free research database your taxes pay for, with free full-text pdfs of 1000s of research articles about honey bees. Even if you have found https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ , you may not have realized the best - quickest and most efficient - way to get the most relevant and readable research papers and articles out of the database. This is Eli's favorite database, from her days as bench research associate and she would like to show it to you.

Switching to a completely different subject:

The first-ever SnoKing Social, a Breakfast Bar potluck hosted by Pat and Steve Wehmeyer of Marysville, was a deliciously good time had by all! See smiling, well-fed beekeeper faces in photo below. Thank you to the Wehmeyers for opening their home to us and hosting this.

For those who missed this opportunity, the next will be a mead tasting party hosted by Jen Murray in the Kenmore area Saturday evening January 11, 2025. Bring a beverage, perhaps the mead you made, or a non-alcoholic beverage or snack; more information will be coming later in the December newsletter. RSVP to Social Chair Myke Gheparde by emailing par.none@yahoo.com .

Announcing the Digital Library Project of 2025:

In 2025, SnoKing is putting together an online digital library of copyright-free and public domain downloads with links to them on a page on  www.snokingbka.org and we need pdf versions of such free books. Some of these are so old that copyrights have expired and some are no-charge government documents, but all would be more useful to beekeepers if organized and stored online in one easily accessed place. This would be a time-saving boost to our fellow beekeepers who may not have time to chase down these versions. Contact Eli 206-859-7392 if you have items to contribute or if you are interested in working on this project.

CALENDAR of UPCOMING EVENTS: 

11/20 6:30PM SnoKing Monthly Meeting

4th Thursdays usually, but not on Thanksgiving! 6:00PM The Hive Mind discussion group for Beginners to intermediate

Email Gina at ginacuff@gmail.com for the date this month and for info and zoom link if interested.

12/4Trophallaxis discussion group for Journeyman class, Journeymen and Masters

For info/link, contact eliochel@snokingbka.org

12/18 6:30PM SnoKing monthly meeting

1/8/2025 Trophallaxis

2025 classes already scheduled!

1/24/2025 6:30PM Beginner Class on Tuesdays starts

1/16/2025 630PM Journeyman on Thursdays starts

1/27/2025 Apprentice Class on Mondays starts 

Monthly meeting:

We will be sure to end any formal presentation by 8PM. However, you are welcome to stay longer to talk bees. Beekeepers, be ready with your photos or diagrams if you wish to show us what you have come across or tried. As much as we may be tired of Zoom, it has one outstanding feature -- with a couple clicks, we each can 'share screen' and ideas! We will also answer as many questions as possible and direct beekeepers to resources when possible. Networking as a group, we can get more information to more beekeepers than any of us can do alone.

DISCUSSION GROUPS

12/4 6:30PM – 8PM Trophallaxis first Wednesday meeting for Journeyman, Masters, and those who have taken or are taking the academic portion of Journeyman. To join the discussion, email Eli eliochel@snokingbka.org for Zoom link.

Master Beekeeper Certificate at Cornell University

    Cornell is still offering 33 1/3% discount for SnoKing members. Contact Eli Ocheltree for the discount code.

Apiary Managers:

Granite Falls - Ron - dizzybeeapiary@gmail.com 206-719-3604

Maltby - Eli - eliochel@snokingbka.org  206-859-7392

Policy Statement: There will be one essential rule at Trophallaxis and at any meeting or activity hosted by SnoKing Beekeepers. Ron Robinson stated it best for our Facebook discussion group, when he said:

"SKBA prides itself on the fact we are not like other groups on Facebook. We have become known as a safe group for keepers of all levels to comfortably ask questions and opinions without being blasted or publicly humiliated for asking what may seem like a very basic question to others. Any harassing, bullying, demeaning behavior, or such will not be tolerated. We have a zero tolerance policy and such behavior will result in immediate removal from club and all club activities."

We look forward to talking bees with you at 3rd Wednesday monthly meetings. Zoom link for this meeting:

Topic: Fondant, PubMed, Bee Survey SnoKing Monthly Meeting

Time: Nov 20, 2024 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89116349846?pwd=V97LOFYtjwAab4V1U22flGA739aRIa.1

Meeting ID: 891 1634 9846

Passcode: 205736

The mission of the SKBA, a 501c3 member club of WASBA, is to provide educational opportunities, networking and support to beekeepers and people interested in honey bees, particularly those involved in small-scale beekeeping in Washington State west of the Cascades.

"We talk bees!" at SnoKing Beekeepers Association.