In our November meeting, John mentioned that he has been concerned that we may be breeding resilience out of our bees. In particular he mentioned that breeding to reduce the amount of propolis that bees collect may be a mistake. One of the speakers at the 2014 Oregon State Beekeepers […]
Karessa Torgerson spoke at our December 8th meeting outlining the five most common beekeeper mistakes. Karessa is owner of Apicurious (www.api-curious.com), an EAS Master Beekeeper, co-founder of Nectar Bee Supply (www.nectarbeesupply.com), and board member of Tree Hive Bees (www.treehivebees.com). She serves on the Oregon Master Beekeeper committee and teaches and […]
Honeybees, Jackson County, and the Oregon Department of Revenue: A Saga Contributed by SOBA President John Jacob of Old Sol Bees Honeybees are the backbone of our modern agricultural economy. Essential pollination services are provided to growers of key cash crops such as nuts, berries, tree fruits, and innumerable seed […]
Contributed by Dewey Caron How much surplus honey have your bees stored this year? Our active storage season is over or about over by this time. I hope you are thinking about exhibiting your honey in the State Fair Honey Show (deadline online August 7th). At the very least plan […]
contributed by Dr. Dewey M. Caron The middle week of June is our set aside for special recognition of pollinators. Governor Kitzhaber has proclaimed the middle week of June 16th to 21st as Oregon Pollinator Week. Several events are planned to recognize honey bees including a queen rearing course in […]
Several SOBA members offer bees and queens in southern Oregon, including Ruch, the Applegate Valley, Grants Pass, and Jacksonville. Applegate Apiaries Applegate Apiaries near Ruch is a local supplier of Nucleus colonies. We include a 1-2 hr. mini bee school at the time of pickup and weekly pickup dates. Our […]
An unprecedented and devastating bee kill occurred this past month at the end of the almond bloom. Affected beekeepers, the Pollinator Stewardship Council ([email protected]) and the American Beekeeping Federation (www.abfnet.org), plus representatives of EPA, met Monday, March 24 in Los Banos, California to discuss the pollinator losses. 75 beekeepers attended […]
Contributed by Dewey M. Caron Beekeeper interest in Treatment-Free beekeeping has never been stronger. Electing not to treat bees or seeking to move toward treatment free is a possible option in our colony stewardship. Bee colonies in the wild experience heavy losses. Our hives, with mites, viruses and other “issues,” […]
As part of a USAid Farmer:Farmer and Partners of the Americas Program Laura Bee Ferguson at the College of the Mellissae was offered the opportunity to travel to Jamaica for a one-month volunteer beekeeping study and service trip. Service included travelling with a team throughout the island to teach on pesticides, value-added hive […]
UPDATE November 2014: Wehde V Jackson County was decided in favor of Whede! Read more: Beekeeping Qualifies as EFU in Jackson County The matter of Wehde V Jackson County is currently before the Oregon Tax Court. The Jackson County tax assessor’s office has taken the position that beekeeping operations are not […]
