2010 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

2010 REGULAR MEETINGS

Our monthly meetings begin at 7:30 pm on the last Tuesday of the month at the Norfield Church Community Room at 64 Norfield Road, Weston Connecticut. There is usually a meeting designed specifically for new beekeepers at 6:30pm (prior to our regular meetings).  These events are free and open to the public. Our calendar is subject to change, so please check our website for the latest updates (www.backyardbeekeepers.com) or call any members of the Board (see listing of Board members).

In addition, a number of weekend workshops are scheduled each year to give participants a hands-on opportunity to learn new beekeeping skills & techniques and visit other bee yards.

January 26	Marina Marchese
Honeybee: From Hive to Home, Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper
BYBA’s own Marina will share her experiences from writing her book, which is quite the love letter to the BYBA.

February 23	Walter Steve Sheppard
Genetic Diversity
Walter S. Sheppard Professor, Thurber Chair, Department of Entomology at Washington State University will share his thoughts on Genetic diversity in the honey bee and the consequences of colonization.

March 30	Sam Comfort
Top Bar Hives
Sam Comfort of Anarchy Apiaries will share his years of experience with keeping honeybees in Top Bar Hives.

April 27	David Tarpy
The Reproductive Quality of Commercial Queens
David Tarpy, Associate Professor and Extension Apiculturist at North Carolina State University will discuss his latest findings from his research.

May 25	Maryann & Jim Frazier
Impacts of Pesticides on Honey Bee Health and Behavior
Maryann & Jim Frazier, from Penn State's Dept. of Entomology, share findings from their research on the "Impacts of Pesticides on Honey Bee Health and Behavior" from their joint research on the Colony Collapse Disorder of the honey bee.

June 29
Annual Pot Luck Dinner Meeting and Silent Auction
Our fabulous Pot Luck Dinner and Silent Auction may be our most popular meeting of the year. Mark you calendar now so you will not miss out on the festivities!

September 28	Dr. Stan Schneider
Caste Interactions and Their Role in Colony Reproductive Decisions in the Honey Bee
Dr. Stan Schneider has conducted several studies on worker-queen interactions and he will discuss how workers may communicate with drones to influence sexual maturation.

October 26	Jennifer Berry
Sub-lethal Effects of In-hive Pesticides
Jennifer Berry, Apicultural Research Coordinator and Lab Manager at the University of Georgia will discuss her recent publication from the Proceedings of American Bee Research Conference

November 16	Allan Hayes
Beekeeping Tools & Gadgets
Allan Hayes, President of Maryland's Howard County Beekeepers Association & Certified Master Beekeeper, will share with us some of his really clever little utensils.

NO MEETING IN DECEMBER

2010 WORKSHOPS

Our weekend workshops are scheduled each year to give participants a hands-on opportunity to learn new beekeeping skills & techniques and visit other bee yards.  They are held at various locations, and we ask that those planning to attend contact the host so that if the workshop should be postponed for some reason, the host can contact the attendees.   Please check our website for the latest updates (www.backyardbeekeepers.com) or call the workshop host(s) with any questions.

Saturday January 23
Mead Madness	Howland Blackiston
Did you ever wonder how you could make mead at home? Please join fellow BYBA member Howland Blackiston and learn about the craft of mead making. Discover the many different types of mead, and become acquainted with the simple equipment you can use to make delicious honey wines at home. Making mead is fun, easy and deliciously rewarding.  For workshop attendees over 21, Howland will also offer free tasting of a wide array of honeywines, spirits and liquors.  Contact Howland at (203) 571-1774 or blackiston@sprynet.com

Saturday February 6
Soap Making	Marina Marchese
Marina Marchese, of Red Bee Studio, will demonstrate how to make handmade soap the way your grandma did - using lye, oils such as coconut and palm, beeswax, honey, and natural fragrances. Bring along a milk carton and towel, and you can bring home some handmade soap to try! Contact Marina at (203)226-4535 or redbee@optonline.net

Saturday March 20
Hands on Hive set up	Leslie Huston
The weekend workshop will have a number of BYBA members demonstrate the basics of assembling equipment and the tools one needs to make your job easier. If you have equipment to assemble, bring it and we’ll help you. Bring your smoker, and we’ll show you the fastest way to clean it! Tips and hints galore! Discussions will include hive site location, Queen selection, and demonstrations of various pieces of beekeeping equipment that you may not have seen or used before. If you have made a piece of equipment that you find useful in your beekeeping, please contact Leslie Huston so that we can make arrangements to display it—you get to explain how it is used. Nothing is too small or too big for this workshop!  Location: Norfield Grange, 12 Goodhill Road, Weston. Time: 11:00 - 2:00 p.m.  Contact Leslie at (203) 417-2023 or ljhuston3@charter.net

Saturday April 10
Hiving Package Bees	Dick Marron
Dick Marron will demonstrate how to hive package bees at his bee yard in Newtown at Cherry Grove Farm.  This workshop will provide a hands on opportunity to learn and try the proper techniques for transferring a package of live honeybees into a new hive.  Cherry Grove Farm is located at the junction of Palestine Road and 100 Acres Road in Newtown. It may be a little muddy. Bring a veil. Parking in the farm yard is OK. Bees are in the field opposite the house. (There are no buildings in this field.) If it’s pouring we’ll do it on Sunday the 22nd. For details contact Dick Marron at (203) 743-0541 or dickm@snet.net

Saturday April 17
Hive Inspection I	Dick Marron
At the first inspection after hiving a new package, it's important to check that the queen's been released and has started laying eggs, as well as surveying the condition of the newly established colony.  At this workshop Dick will check on how the bees hived at April's demos are progressing. For details contact Dick Marron at (203) 743-0541 or  dickm@snet.net

Saturday May 8
Hive Inspection II	Henry Myers
Board member Henry Myers will conduct this early summertime bee inspection workshop at the BYBA Bee Yard at 11 a.m. This inspection is will focus on late spring, early summer activity, mite inspection and queen evaluation.  Contact Henry at (914) 299-8898 or ht.myers@gmail.com

Sunday May 16, 2-4 pm
Wannabees Open Yard Fest	The Wannabees
Come see the hive we built! Inspect the colony we have raised! Watch the bees at work in the orchards! (kids must be accompanied by an adult with this liability waiver signed) Light refreshments will be served. (Shade and seating will also be available.) rsvp requested, but not required, by May 16. Contact Carla Jaffe: cajaffe@earthlink.net, or 203 335 5860. In case if inclement weather, please check with us here. (Rain date May 23.)

Sunday May 23
Queen Yard Open House	David Blocher & Leslie Huston
This workshop we will focus on the startup activities for this year's queen-rearing. General background information will be provided - how to set up and provision a colony to raise queen cells, timing, and other equipment that can come in handy when raising queens.  Bring your bee apparel! This workshop will be held at the BYBA queen rearing bee yard at Trout Brook Valley, near Aspetuck Orchards Apple Barn.  Contact Leslie Huston at (203) 417-2023 or ljhuston3@charter.net

Saturday June 5
Installing a Bear Fence	Jeff Shwartz
Board member Jeff Shwartz will conduct this workshop on installing a bear fence. Contact Jeff for directions at (203) 426-8620 or Jeff@shwartz.com

Sunday June 13
Basic Queen Rearing	David Blocher & Leslie Huston
At this workshop we will demonstrate the Miller method of raising queens - a method that requires no special equipment and no special skills (i.e. eagle eyesight!).  Attendees will also have a chance to try their hand at grafting larva into queen cups to raise queens. General background information will also be provided - how to set up and provision a colony to raise queen cells, timing, and other equipment that can come in handy when raising queens.  Bring your bee apparel! This workshop will be held at the BYBA queen rearing bee yard at Trout Brook Valley, near Aspetuck Orchards Apple Barn.  Contact Leslie Huston at (203) 417-2023 or ljhuston3@charter.net

Saturday June 19
Swarming & Making Splits	Win Baum
Past BYBA President Win Baum and his wife Stefanie will be hosting this back yard bee visit at 500 Papurah Road in Fairfield, Connecticut at 10:30 am. Come and see how Win's bees are doing, and discuss the swarming. Contact Win for directions at (203) 255-9185 or win@winbaum.com

Saturday July 10
Hive Inspection III	Mary Howansky
BYBA member Mary Howansky will conduct this bee inspection workshop at her home in Wilton at 10 a.m. This inspection will focus on mid-summer activity, ongoing mite inspection and queen evaluation, nectar flow (and/or dearth!).  Contact Mary for directions at (203) 762-5912 or showansky@sbcglobal.net

Saturday July 24
Honey Harvest	Ellen Zampino
Board member Ellen Zampino will host a honey harvest workshop. We will take honey from the hive, extract it and bottle it. Come see just how it's done. The workshop will start at 11 a.m. Contact Ellen at (203) 981-0611 or jazampino3@aol.com

August 14
Fall Preparation Workshop	David Blocher
BYBA President David Blocher will be hosting this fourth inspection and also addressing the important issues of fall preparation. This inspection will look at hives to assess their condition and discuss what actions can be taken to give the bees the best shot at surviving the winter - August is the time to start preparing your hives for winter! The workshop will start at 11 a.m. Contact David at (203) 938-2549 or dblocher@optonline.net

September 11
Hive Inspection V	Andrea Azarm
BYBA board member Andrea Azarm will be hosting this fifth inspection and final inspection workshop. This inspection will look at hives to assess their preparedness for winter, and point out final touches that can help the bees survive the winter months. The workshop will start at 11 a.m. Contact Andrea at 203) 255-2525 or aazarm@snet.net

September 18
Honey Harvest	Ellen Zampino
Board member Ellen Zampino will host a honey harvest workshop. We will take honey from the hive, extract it and bottle it. Come see just how it's done. The workshop will start at 11 a.m. Contact Ellen at (203) 981-0611 or jazampino3@aol.com

November 6
Beeswax Workshop	Ellen Zampino, Patty Pulliam & Marina Marchese
Ellen Zampino will demonstrate a safe, easy way to clean and process beeswax so that it may be utilized for candle and ornament making.  Patty Pulliam will demonstrate how to prepare your own lip balm and hand creams.  Just in time for you to create your own hand made holiday gifts!  Contact Patty Pulliam at (203) 259-4861 or pattpull@optonline.net