Everyone that has bees wants to be as well informed and educated as possible.  Bee school will help you get to that next level.  It doesn’t matter if your just starting out or have had bees for some time.  Everyone needs to learn how to manage their hives so they don’t swarm, stay productive and stay healthy.  If your interested in learning more click on this Link.

March
Monday 11, 2013

Karen Thurlow – Experienced Beekeeper, Master Gardener, Herbalist
Problems with the hive as it relates to queens

Her talk to the club would be a bit like this:

1. How to tell you have a queen verses a laying worker or no queen.

2. How to requeen, introduce a queen to a queenless hive, should you have attendants in her cage or not,

3. Different types of queen cages and how to insert them,

4. Should you mark your queen, clip her wings, or do nothing ?

5. How to find the queen. Is it important to see her or just see evidence of her?

6. Inserting queen cells, using a queen catcher,

7. Different races of queens.

February
Monday 11, 2013
Brian Pride – Experienced Beekeeper & Award Winning Mead Maker

You all may know Brian as a bit modest, but he has been making mead for some time.  He recently made a batch of award winning mead.  This was tested by the Experts at EAS and again in Massachusetts.  In both situations, Brian walked away as the overall Mead Champion.  So we are honored to have our very own member and mead extrodinair to tell us how we can make a batch of award winning mead.    The Best Mead East of the Miss. 

ALSO….
Karen Thurlow – Experienced Beekeeper, Master Gardener, Herbalist & Ross Round Champion.  She has spoken to us several times in the past.  However, Karen has a beautiful plaque to show her achievement in creating Ross Rounds.  These were examinined and scored way ahead of all the other sectional comb honey at EAS and she was rewarded with a beautiful silver plaque as the overall champion in sectional comb.  We hope she will explain how we can make sectional comb honey as well.
This should be a great meeting for everyone interested in extravagant products of the hive.  Hope to see you there.

January
Monday 14, 2013
Dave & Dorinda Prieb – Master Beekeepers – NH

Dorinda and her chauffeur, David Prieb, both Master Beekeepers will be coming from New Hampshire.  Dorinda has been making the circuit talking to beekeepers about bees.  She has what sounds like a terrific presentation on the cycle of beekeeping, hive management through the seasons, titled “Bee Cycle”.  We do hope you’ll plan on coming to hear Dorinda tell us about the Bee Cycles.

This is a link to a really helpful Beekeepers Calculator.  Anything you can think of, requiring making calculations for beekeeping, this link will help you out.  Click Here :)

Erin Checking a frame

November
Monday 12, 2012
Erin Forbes – Master Beekeeper, MSBA President
WAX, candles, creams, propolis and recipes

Erin will be our November Guest Speaker.  She will be explaining how to render wax so it’s usable to make hand cream or lip balm.  These are products she makes, as well as, other wax products.  Erin will also explain about propolis and how to clean/render it into a usable product of the hive.  We’re hoping she will remember to bring some recipes for us to try.  Hope to see you there.

For more info on our Meetings, Click Here

Maine has 5 new Master Beekeepers

Once a year, the Eastern Apiculture Society runs it’s Master Beekeeper candidates through its program.  This summer at the EAS conference on August 17, there were 9 candidates that earned the distinction of being a Master Beekeeper.  Of those 9 Master Beekeepers, 5 Mainers earned the Master Beekeeper certification:

• Larry Peiffer
• Jack Hildreth
• Peter Richardson
• Mark Cooper
• Phil Gaven

Congratulations to all!

New Master Beekeepers

Congratulations to the York County entrants in the Honey Show at Topsfield Fair.  Bill Turner won multiple ribbons and trophies for his observation hive, frame of honey, gift basket and multiple baked goods.  Lois Delp won 1^st place for her dark honey and Brian won another 1^st place for his elderberry mead.