Rockwood Park Backyard Beekeepers

Hello beekeepers and honey bee enthusiasts,
Our bees are finally settling down as we ease into cooler weather. Our hive pests, like the small hive beetle and wax moths, seem to be doing the same. For those who attended the September meeting with Keith Tignor discussing Winter prep, I hope you feel comfortable and have all your questions answered. If anyone out there is still looking for guidance, the club is here with many smiling faces to help. The RPBBA Practical Beekeeping Group (Rockwood Park Backyard Beekeepers Group) is a great first start for those who use Facebook. You can also come out to a meeting or email us! There is time for some last minute preparations and questions.

RPBBA Calendar of Events
📅 Monday, Oct 10th – RPBBA Meeting @ 7pm
📅 Saturday, Oct 15th – Last Day to Cast a Vote for Board of Directors
📅 Monday, Oct 17th – Study Group @ 7pm

October Meeting

For October, our club meeting will be 7pm, Monday, October 10th at the Rockwood Park Nature Center. Our very own, John Davis, will be giving a presentation. RPBBA is lucky to have John, a master beekeeper; he has a wealth of knowledge and is always helping others with their hives. John will be talking with us at the October meeting on clues to look for in the hive now to prepare for Spring. Spring will be here before you know it. Let’s learn to read our hives, find clues the bees are giving us, and use the Winter months to bee ahead of the bees come Spring. Meeting will begin at 7pm. Doors open at 6:30pm. Add to Google Calendar

Club News – Board of Directors Nominations
Members Theo Hartmann, Jody Conway, Sherry Kelley, and Don Osbourne have been nominated, and willfully accepted, to serve on the Board of Directors of the Rockwood Park Backyard Beekeepers Association. Following this newsletter, a separate email will be sent to RPBBA members with a link to cast their vote. The Board asks that members approve the slate as shown. Please vote once for the slate of candidates. Voting will continue until midnight, Saturday, October 15, 2022.

🐝 VSBA Master Beekeeping Study Group
For those who have never checked it out, the study group is a great way for RPBBA members to further their beekeeping knowledge. Several members are studying for the annual VSBA Apprentice and Journeyman exams, however there is no requirement for attendees to be pursuing certification. The study group is open to all members who want to learn. The study group is an informal group setting. During their sessions, questions from the VSBA Apprentice Study Guide are posed for the group to discuss and answer together. There is much to learn during open discussion with our peers!

The study group meets monthly on the 3rd Monday of each month. They’ll next be meeting Monday, October 17th, 7pm, at the Nature Center. The group will continue to go through the VSBA Apprentice Study Guide questions, provide answers, and discuss. Those interested to attend are encouraged to download the guide in advance and start working through the questions on their own. Add to Google Calendar

Beehive Distribution Program
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is offering their Beehive Distribution Program again this year. Applications for the Beehive Distribution Program (Program) will be accepted October 26, 2022 through November 10, 2022. When the application period opens on October 26, a link to the online application will be made available on this webpage, under a section titled “APPLICATION.” Recipients of beehive units will be selected at random from qualifying applications. Individuals are encouraged to provide a valid email address with their application since notifications regarding the status of an application will be sent by email. Applications from individuals who were not selected to receive beehive units this year, will not be carried forward to next year’s Program.

For more information, including how to apply, visit https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/plant-industry-services-beehive-distribution-program.shtml?fbclid=IwAR2fxdAUa35rbxPp0BWsvbKSwDkALAuNm0rr1M3DZSTOYpA0xAD-6HeeO5Q

Virginia State Beekeepers Association (VSBA)
Reminder: VSBA Annual Meeting and Master Beekeeper Testing
The Fall VSBA meeting will be November 4 & 5th at Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave, VA. This is also when testing for Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master Beekeeper certifications is completed. If you’re behind on your studying, consider coming to join the RPBBA Study Group mentioned above. Mark your calendar for the VSBA conference: Add to Google Calendar

More information about the VSBA programs can be found on their website: https://www.virginiabeekeepers.org/

Bee Vocabulary – “Corbicula”
Also known as the Pollen Basket. This is a flattened depression on the outside of the bee’s back legs. It is used to carry collected pollen from flowers back to the hive. As the bee returns to the hive the beekeeper can often see full pollen baskets in a variety of vibrant colors.

Beekeepers in the News
What Genetic Sequencing Can Reveal About The Secret Lives Of Bees
If you missed the story, you can read it at: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/how-bee-genomes-can-help-answer-questions-from-conservation-to-climate-change

This Month in the Hive (October)
The bees are settling down for the winter. Varroa mites should be under control. The bees are reducing entrances and drafts with propolis and consolidating stored honey from the outer reaches of the hive to the center. The brood nest is about 8 inches across and egg laying has slowed to 200-300 per day. On cold nights, the cluster forms around the queen, and may remain tight until temperatures rise. Drones are gone by month end in almost all hives.

It is unlikely that the frost will hold off enough to permit much nectar-gathering. In some years, the frost does not come until after October 10 and some gathering of nectar may occur. Asters, daisies, and goldenrod may provide substantial amounts of pollen for winter brood.

Watch for robbing on warm days. Wax moths work diligently to enter the hives at night and lay eggs until a hard frost kills the adult moths. Look for continued egg production and capped brood, as new bees are needed to keep the population strong for the winter.

Combine weak hives. Watch out for robbing this month. Finish feeding for the winter. Remove all honey supers not intended as a source of honey for the winter. Remove Apistan or other chemical strips if you used them, assuming you have had them in for 42 days. Attend your bee club meeting. Install mouse guards, after making sure there is no mouse inside the brood boxes. Reserve packages or nucleus hives for next April. Install the plastic insert on the bottom of the screened bottom board if you use screened bottom boards. If you use solid bottom boards, decide whether to reverse the boards to utilize the small entrance on the “winter” side of the bottom board.
[From https://buzzwordhoney.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Northern-Virginia-Honeybee-Annual-Cycle.pdf]

What’s in Bloom (according to Maymont)
(Camillia) Tea, Osmanthus, Elaeagnus, Rose, Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus, Abelia, Fall Crocus, Sternbergia, Annuals and Perennials, Fall Foliage
https://maymont.org/explore/gardens/whats-in-bloom/

Final Word
If you are a member of RPBBA, you will receive a separate email with the Board of Directors election ballot. Please bee on the lookout for it! If you are not a member of RPBBA, we encourage you to join and be active. You can join on our website.

We are always looking for ways to improve communications in the club. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please let me know.

I hope to see you at the meeting on Monday, October 10th, 2022.

Michelle Clark
Communications

Like us on Facebook!
Join our Facebook RPBBA Practical Beekeeping Group!
Keep up with what RPBBA is doing, see Calendar of Events!

Hello fellow beekeepers and honeybee enthusiasts!

Have you been in your apiary lately? If so, you’ve probably noticed your sweet Spring honey bees have turned into feisty, defensive, Summer honey bees. The dearth is here.  With less pollen and nectar sources available, robbing is all over. You’re likely also noticing an uptick in hive pests. Now is the time to be testing and treating for varroa mites. Watch for small hive beetles and wax moths.

RPBBA Calendar of Events for August
📅 Monday, Aug 8th – RPBBA Meeting @ 7pm
📅 Monday, Aug 15th – Study Group @ 7pm
🐝 Saturday, Aug 20th – National Honey Bee Day

August Meeting
Our meeting this month will be 7pm, Monday, August 8th at the Rockwood Park Nature Center. RPBBA member, Don Osborne, will be giving a presentation on robbing and how to prevent it. When nectar resources are scarce, bees are more likely to rob other colonies. Weak colonies are particularly prone to being robbed because they are unable to defend themselves from the onslaught of invading bees. There are signs to identify robbing behavior as well as strategies you can implement to help your gals defend their hive.

Don Osborne has been a RPBBA member for several years. He is our current club Secretary and previously held the Communications position. Don has assisted in teaching our Beginner Beekeeping class as well. For those that don’t know Don, he uses honey from his apiary to make mead. He can often be found with a bottle of homemade mead in tow. I’m sure Don would love to converse about making mead at our meeting next week. Hope to see you all there: 7pm, Monday, August 8th at the Rockwood Park Nature Center. Doors open at 6:30pm. Add to Google Calendar

National Honey Bee Day
Saturday, August 20th is National Honey Bee Day 2022 in the United States. National Honey Bee Day (formerly National Honey Bee Awareness Day) is an awareness day when beekeepers, beekeeping clubs and associations, and honey bee enthusiasts from across the United States celebrate honey bees and recognize their contribution to humans’ everyday lives as a means of protecting this critical species. National Honey Bee Day also pays homage to beekeepers, whose labors ensure there are well-managed, healthy bees to pollinate crops.

Sample And Control Of Varroa Mite And Hive Beetle Workshop
A workshop on the life cycle and control of the Varroa mite and small hive beetle is being held Wednesday, August 17, 2022, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, at Randolph Farm near Colonial Heights, VA. Topics to be covered include how to inspect for these and other honey bee pests and various integrated pest management strategies to control them. Following a presentation at the Extension Pavilion, participants will move to the bee yard on Randolph Farm for demonstrations on how to inspect a hive to identify, sample and control these pests. Further information and registration is available at https://www.ext.vsu.edu/events/2022/08/17-mites.

Space is limited to 30 participants.

All participants going to the bee yard must bring their own bee suit and wear light-colored clothes, gloves and closed-toe shoes. Please do not wear fragrances or perfumes. If you are allergic to bee venom, you must bring your own Epipen.

For more information, contact Tracy Porter at (804) 481-2566 or tporter@vsu.edu.

Bee Vocabulary – “Robbing”
Western honey bee workers can invade and steal honey/nectar from other colonies or sugar/corn syrup from feeders used to deliver syrup to other colonies. This is called “robbing” behavior. Robbing behavior typically involves the collection of nectar and honey, but not pollen or brood.

Beekeepers in the News
City Bees Rva Shares The Science, History And Importance Of Beekeeping
There’s a lot of buzz about a new program in Richmond. It aims to teach kids about the world of honey bees. If you take a trip to the Sankofa Community Orchard, you will discover more than 20,000 honey bees working together. The bees are a part of a new experience in the city of Richmond called City Bees RVA.

If you missed the story, you can read it at: https://www.nbc12.com/2022/07/28/city-bees-rva-shares-science-history-importance-beekeeping/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=news_tab&fs=e&s=cl#l66hexpunokst28hmg

Virginia State Beekeepers Association (VSBA)

This Month in the Hive (August)
The colony’s brood growth rate is slowing down. Drones are still around, but the workers will soon lose interest in feeding them. Outside activity slows down as the nectar flow decreases and stops. Much of the flight activity is water-gathering, pollen collection, and orientation of new bees. On hot evenings and nights, the bees may drape the front of the hive, making them especially vulnerable to skunks.

Smartweed, ironweed, Joe Pye weed, milkweed, thistles, heartsease, chicory, clethra, pepperbush, dandelion, blueweed, and some asters and daisies may provide a small nectar flow. Clovers, soybeans, alfalfa, sunflowers, and common vetch continue to offer nectar, but there are few concentrated plantings of these cultivated crops in Northern Virginia. Cucumbers, melons, carrots, and pumpkins need honeybees for pollination this month. Net honey production is unlikely in August due to heat and drought. The hive may consume 10 pounds of stored honey or syrup during a dry August.

Watch for a failing queen, especially a queen that is more than 1 year of age. Egg laying should continue at the rate of 400-500 eggs per day, and the brood nest should be at least 14 inches across. Watch for wasps and hornets attacking the hives to steal away live bees for the purpose of feeding their brood. If you may have harvested too much of the hive’s honey, examine the hive to make certain there is at least 10 pounds of capped honey before you go on vacation.

There is not much chance of swarming this month. Do not expend much energy catching a swarm that escapes in August, as it will not build up enough to survive the winter. Watch out for robbing. Re-queening of all hives with queens from the prior year is done in this month or in early September. Queens may be a little less expensive this time of year, especially if they were reserved in April or May. Watch for wax moths and small hive beetles; ruthlessly combine hives that are too weak to defend against them now. Take losses now, rather than in the winter.

The bees that are born in August will have to carry the hive through the early winter. Make certain that the hive has enough pollen and honey to generously feed new brood. Skinny August bees will not make it to February.

Many chemical mite treatments should be applied in early August, if they are going to be used. Carefully read the instructions and consider the temperature forecast before any treatment is applied, however. Honeybees may not be able to tolerate harsh chemical treatments combined with high temperatures. However, it is also not wise to allow Varroa mites to parasitize the bees that you hope will carry the hive into early winter.

[From https://buzzwordhoney.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Northern-Virginia-Honeybee-Annual-Cycle.pdf]

What’s in Bloom (according to Maymont)
Crepe Myrtle, Rose, Hibiscus, Rose of Sharon, Abelia, Annuals, Perennials
https://maymont.org/explore/gardens/whats-in-bloom/

Final Word
If you are not a member of RPBBA, we encourage you to join and be active. Our club operates 100% on volunteers. There is a constant flow of activities within the club to bee as active as you want to bee. You can join on our website.

We are always looking for ways to improve communications in the club. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please let me know.

I hope to see you at the meeting 7pm, Monday, August 8th at the Rockwood Park Nature Center. Our club meetings are open to members and non-members with no pressure to join. Come on out if you can make it.

Michelle Clark
Communications 

Like us on Facebook!
Join our Facebook RPBBA Practical Beekeeping Group!
Keep up with what RPBBA is doing, see Calendar of Events!

Hello beekeepers and honey bee enthusiasts!
How did you like the Honey Bee Festival? We have received so much positive feedback. It’s really a special event and has given me extra pride in our club and our mission. The day certainly couldn’t have happened without many helping hands. Thank you again to all of our volunteers! I hope everyone has had some time to rest and recuperate from the buzz of preparations and day-of tasks.

RPBBA Calendar of Events for July
📅 Monday, July 11th – RPBBA Meeting @ 7pm
📅 Monday, July 18th – Study Group @ 7pm

July Meeting
This month, we are going to use our meeting as a time to recap on the Honey Bee Festival with our Planning Committee and jot down notes for next year. Some things to keep in mind:
💡 What went well?
💡 What didn’t go so well? How can we do better next time?
💡 Ideas for next year?
We will be meeting at the Nature Center, yay! Add to Google Calendar

🐝 VSBA Master Beekeeping Study Group
For those who have never checked it out, the study group is a great way for RPBBA members to further their beekeeping knowledge. Several members are studying for the annual VSBA Apprentice and Journeyman exams, however there is no requirement for attendees to be pursuing certification. The study group is open to all members who want to learn. The study group is an informal group setting. During their sessions, questions from the VSBA Apprentice Study Guide are posed for the group to discuss and answer together. There is much to learn during open discussion with our peers!

The study group meets monthly on the 3rd Monday of each month. They’ll next be meeting Monday, July 18th, 7pm, at the Nature Center. The group will continue to go through the VSBA Apprentice Study Guide questions, provide answers, and discuss. Those interested to attend are encouraged to download the guide in advance and start working through the questions on their own. Add to Google Calendar

Bee Vocabulary – “Afterswarm”
The first swarm to leave the parent colony with the mother queen is called the primary swarm. If the colony is still crowded from subsequent brood emergence when the first virgin queens emerge, another swarm may launch. This is an afterswarm and is sometimes referred to as “cast” swarms. These swarms are usually smaller and are accompanied by a virgin queen.

Beekeepers in the News
RPBBA made the news several times in June both before and after the Honey Bee Festival! In case you missed these segments, here are the links.

🍯 June 20th on NBC 12
11th Annual Honey Bee Festival
https://www.nbc12.com/video/2022/06/20/th-annual-honey-bee-festival/?fbclid=IwAR0BA8YmcwjKcBVN5b1fiiSiUhSRdAvCbwneM-CIOHuxGcY_KC3qdAlKLeA

🍯 June 21st on WRIC ABC 8
Honey Bee Festival Returns To Chesterfield This Week
https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/chesterfield-county/honey-bee-festival-returns-to-chesterfield-this-week/

🍯 June 21st on WTVR CBS 6
2022 Honeybee Festival Will Have Fun For The Whole Family
https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/2022-honeybee-festival-will-have-fun-for-the-whole-family

🍯 June 25th on CBS 6
Learn About Hives At Honey Bee Festival In Chesterfield

🍯 June 26th on WRIC ABC 8
2022 Honey Bee Festival Returns to Rockwood Park
https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/chesterfield-county/2022-honey-bee-festival-returns-to-rockwood-park/

In other honey bee news,
Honeybees Join Humans As The Only Known Animals That Can Tell The Difference Between Odd And Even Numbers
https://theconversation.com/honeybees-join-humans-as-the-only-known-animals-that-can-tell-the-difference-between-odd-and-even-numbers-181040?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1zsR1VntRsjL3aNhBA0WiQgn0DTz6aEucA0tBaRdfEjALthBuWY_e48w0#Echobox=1651471660

This Month in the Hive (July)
On hot and humid nights, you may see a curtain of bees cooling themselves on the exterior of the hive. Swarming is still possible, but it becomes less likely as the month advances. The Varroa parasitic mite continues to increase its population at the expense of the bees, and it will require some type of treatment or management, soon. The bees continue to raise 3000-5000 replacement bees per week in July, and may consume a larger amount of honey and pollen than is collected if the month is dry. The stronger hive populations will peak at 50,000-60,000 worker bees.

Late June and July are harvest times for the Northern Virginia beekeeper. After supers and frames are removed for extraction, the best practice is to return the supers and frames to the hives for cleanup. The bees may manage to store 5 pounds or more of honey during July, but they will eat more than they collect if the month is dry. Continue inspections of the hive to make sure the hive is healthy. Catalpa, bee bee tree, linden, milkweed, butterfly weed, horsemint, fireweed, and globe thistle will bloom. Heartsease and smartweed bloom this month, starting in damp bottomlands. Cucumber, melons, some soybean varieties, sunflowers, some vetches, verbena, and clover will supply supplemental nectar or pollen, where cultivated. If you can find a field of alfalfa, soybean, or buckwheat in bloom, these plants are major nectar sources and produce distinctive honey flavors.

Watch for bees fanning droplets of water to cool the hive. Especially around the harvest, watch for robbing activity near the entrance. Look for a falloff in egg production, as the brood nest shrinks gradually down to about 60-75% of its peak size.

Make sure the water source for the bees is clean and accessible. Harvest honey. Return wet supers to the hives. After the supers are cleaned of honey by the bees, remove excess supers and stack them with moth-repellent PDB crystals. Watch for signs of robbing and take steps to discourage robbing if it starts. Select perfect frames of comb for honey competitions. Attend the club picnic. Learn how to filter and bottle honey for the most competitive local and state fair honey judging. Decide if, when and how you are going to treat for Varroa. Order any supplies or equipment that you need for mite treatments.

If you are going to make splits to overwinter, the first half of July is the last time to do it. You will need to be prepared to feed any split during the dry months of July and August. About half the time, you will need to feed splits in September and October as well.
[From https://buzzwordhoney.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Northern-Virginia-Honeybee-Annual-Cycle.pdf]

What’s in Bloom (according to Maymont)
Crepe Myrtle, Rose, Daylily, Annuals, Perennials, Buddleia, Rose of Sharon, Abelia
https://maymont.org/explore/gardens/whats-in-bloom/

Final Word
Between the VSBA semi-annual conference, the Honey Bee Festival, the work out in the apiary, honey extracting (the list goes on), it’s been a busy 30 days. I hope all are able to make Monday’s meeting to recap the festival. It’ll be a big help to have our notes when it comes time to begin planning for next year.

Speaking of the festival, we had many folks interested in keeping bees come by and say hello at the club tent. If you see a fresh face at the meeting, introduce yourself. One of my favorite things about RPBBA is the welcoming environment our members create; we have a wonderful, helpful, and kind community.

If you are not a member of RPBBA, we encourage you to join and be active. You can join on our website.

We are always looking for ways to improve communications in the club. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please let me know. Thank you!!

Michelle Clark
Communications

Like us on Facebook!
Join our Facebook RPBBA Practical Beekeeping Group!
Keep up with what RPBBA is doing, see Calendar of Events!

Hi everyone,Our favorite festival is nearing. Our planning committee is tying a bow on their preparations to make this year a success. I have been so impressed with their efforts and equally impressed seeing the number of volunteers willing to help man a station at the festival. 100+ volunteers, wow!

There are a few areas in which we would like to see more sign-up’s.

1. Bake Sale Current sign-up count is 12. Of those, we have 4 commitments to donate cases of water. We could use more water and more baked goods. Bringing water is a great (and easy) way to contribute without any baking skills necessary.
2. Drone Supply Our festival allows kids the unique opportunity to pet drones. To do this, we need members to help supply drones from their colonies.As the kids pet the drones, they fly away and we pull another. Current sign-up count is 1 (for an estimated supply of 20 drones). We are in desperate need of more members to supply drones.
3. Honey Extraction Current sign-up count is 3. Everyone loves the sweet taste of honey. It’s such an interesting process for the public to see how honey is extracted from the hive. Members are welcome to bring their own supers to be extracted by our festival volunteers during the festival.

The Honey Bee Festival is our opportunity to share our love and fascination of honey bee’s with the public. I await the 25th with pleasure and plan to bring my own family to enjoy the festivities. I look forward to seeing you all there!

Thank you,

Michelle Clark
Communications

Like us on Facebook!
Join our Facebook RPBBA Practical Beekeeping Group!
Keep up with what RPBBA is doing, see Calendar of Events!

Hi Everyone,

Two important Club events are happening in June.

1) One of the best Honey Bee Experts, Dewey Caron, in the country will be guest speaking at our June 13th Meeting in Powhatan at 7:00pm.

Powhatan Village Building Auditorium
3910 Old Buckingham Rd
Powhatan, VA 23139

This is being held jointly with Huguenot Beekeepers.

2) The 2022 400th Anniversary of Honey Bees Coming to America Honey Bee Festival at Rockwood Park on June 25th.

Please come to both events! We will finalize the details of the HBF at the Monday Meeting and need your participation of some kind in the Festival.

Our Charter Mission is educating the public about honey bees and their role in our environment. Our best way is through the Honey Bee Festival. Together, we can do ANYTHING, but we need help from EVERYONE!

There’s still time to become a part of it.

a) Please plan to donate to our bake sale with homemade cookies or other non-refrigerated baked goods. These must be packaged for individual sale. Cookies are simple. Please note: Many people have allergies and refrain from using nuts. Label accordingly.

b) Not a baker? Donate a case of water that can be sold at the booth as we are expecting over 3000 to 4000 attendees.

c) Do you have some time to give? Help us set up Friday night (5pm), Saturday morning early (7am), or help take down afterwards (2pm). Your gift of time will assist tremendously.

This Saturday, June 11th, I will be at the Virginia State Bee Conference at the Blue Ridge Community College, manning a booth of historical info about the 400th Anniversary of Honey Bees Coming to America and inviting beekeepers from around the state to attend our Honey Bee Festival. This is the only 400th celebration in the state (and maybe the country). Let’s make it one for the history books!

I hope to see you this Monday night in Powhatan and at the Honey Bee Festival.

Thanks,
Stan Houk
President of RPBBA

2022 Honey Bee Festival Flyer for printing.pdf