Orange Blossom Beekeepers Association

Monthly Meeting: June 17, 2021

OBBA Announcements

What's the buzz?

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OBBA Meetings

We can meet in person (FINALLY)!

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OBBA Workshop

Visit the official OBBA apiary at the UF Extension Office 8AM Saturday!

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Honey For Sale

We have OBBA honey to purchase!

(Send Matt a message on Slack)

Number (1 lbs) Price
1 bottle $10
2 bottles $18
3 bottles $25

2021 OBBA Member Apiaries

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2021 National Honey Bee Day

August 21, 2021

Is this possible?

June/July Bee Management

Current UF Management Recommendations (June)

  • Monitor for Varroa
    • Treat if >3 % with Apiguard, Apistan, Apivar, Hopguard, and Mite Away
  • Remove and process honey as main flow slows or stops

What is blooming in Central Florida (June)

  • Black Mangrove
  • Butter Mint
  • Dahoon Holly
  • Dog Hobble
  • Elderberry
  • Gopher Apple
  • Joint Weed
  • Loblolly Bay
  • Mexican Clover
  • Palms
  • Palmetto
  • Red Bay
  • Red Mangrove
  • Sandhill Prarie Clover
  • Spanish Needle
  • Spiderwort
  • Virginia Creeper
  • Walter Viburnum
  • White Mangrove

Current UF Management Recommendations (July)

  • Monitor for Varroa- Treat if >3%
  • Remove and process honey as main flow slows or stops

What is blooming in Central Florida (July)

  • Butter Mint
  • Elderberry
  • Gopher Apple
  • Joint Weed
  • Loblolly Bay
  • Many types of Palm
  • Palmetto
  • Partridge Pea
  • Primrose Willow
  • Red Bay
  • Mexican Clover
  • Sandhill Prarie Clover
  • Spanish Needle
  • Spiderwort/Dayflower
  • Mangrove (Black, Red, and White)

So, you decided you want to keep bees…

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(Photo: Rafael Tongol)

Learning to Keep Bees

Bees are important!

  • 1940: 5.7 million managed colonies
  • 2015: 2.74 million managed colonies

71 of the 100 crop species that make up most of the global food supply

Ways to help the Bee Population

  1. Plant nectar producing plants
  2. Allow garden to go (just a bit) with some flowers
  3. Avoid using insecticides
  4. Create a watering hole in your yard
  5. Talk about and discuss bees
  6. Begin beekeeping

Start with Exposure to Bees

  1. Meet/Talk/Ask Questions of Beekeepers
    • Social Media
    • Local Apiaries
    • Farmer's Markets or Fairs
  2. Attend Apiary Workshops (like Saturday!)
    • Involve your senses:
      • Feel the hive buzz
      • Smell the hive
      • Watch the bees fly around you
      • Listen the hive
      • Taste the honey ;)

Join the Beekeeping Community

Find and Join an Association(s):

Education - Read a book

  • Homegrown Honey Bees: An Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Beekeeping Your First Year, from Hiving to Honey Harvest
  • The Backyard Beekeeper: An Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard and Garden
  • Honeybee Democracy
  • Beekeeping For Dummies
  • Beekeeping for Beginners: How To Raise Your First Bee Colonies
  • The Beekeeper's Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes & Other Home Uses
  • Plan Bee: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Hardest – Working Creatures on the Planet
  • The Practical Book of Beekeeping: A Complete How-To Manual on the Satisfying Art of Keeping Bees and Their Day to Day Care
  • The Beekeeper’s Lament: How One Man and Half a Billion Honey Bees Help Feed America

Education - Take a class (or two)

Leverage your new Resources

Leverage your new Resources - YouTube!

  • Kamon Reynolds - Tennessee's Bees
  • Devan Rawn
  • 628DirtRooster Bees
  • Jeff Horchoff Bees
  • a Canadian Beekeeper’s Blog
  • JPthebeeman
  • Honey Bee Health Coalition
  • Little Bits Honey Bees joe may
  • Treatment-Free Beekeeping
  • beekeepersworkshop
  • The Tipsy Beekeeper

When it is time for your first hive(s)

  1. Personal Protection
  2. Bee hive(s) home(s)
  3. Bees
  4. Register with the State

Starting Equipment

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Beehive Home

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  1. Roof
  2. Inner cover
  3. Deep Super (Main hive body)
  4. Bottom board (floor)

Obtaining Bee Options

  1. You can buy them (~$150-$200)
    • Nuc
    • Package
  2. You can catch them (free, and $25 queen)

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Inevitable losses

Average colony loss was 40% in 2018 in the US!

  • Don't panic
  • Opportunity to learn
  • Try to figure out what happened:
    • Abscond?
    • Disease?
    • Queenlessness?
    • Late swarm?
    • Starvation?

Will I get STUNG?

Yes.

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Hopefully not often … but yes.

When to harvest Honey?

Don't expect much (if any) in year 1.

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Use your mentor to not take too much

Growing and Mentoring

As with most things in life - what you give back matters more!

  • Expose others
  • Share your journey
  • Introduce kids to bees
  • Welcome new members
  • Be open to mentor others
  • Be available to answer questions

Stay involved, Stay connected

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