On May 31, the south jersey branch will have a meeting. We will be doing begining inspection techniques, and additionally, queen grafting, making a split or two as well. If you have any interest in more details, please PM me w/ your email address, and I will forward the vital info.
Oh yeah, I will be donating two feral nucs for auction as there are many new beeks w/o beees as everyone is sold out for the most part!
Hope to see you all there.
Pictures from the meeting.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/mrilovetheants/Bees%202008/NJBA/Beekeepers2.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/mrilovetheants/Bees%202008/NJBA/Beekeepers.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/mrilovetheants/Bees%202008/NJBA/SmokingHives.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/mrilovetheants/Bees%202008/NJBA/BeekeepersandHives.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/mrilovetheants/Bees%202008/NJBA/MiteCheck.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/mrilovetheants/Bees%202008/NJBA/MiteSearch.jpg)
Supposedly there's a mite or two here. I can't make them out personally.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/mrilovetheants/Bees%202008/NJBA/Tetramoriumcaespitum.jpg)
What I did notice was a lot of the invasive pavement ants, Tetramorium caespitum. They don't really threaten hives but will nibble at any extra honey and pollen laying around.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/mrilovetheants/Bees%202008/NJBA/Hives.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/mrilovetheants/Bees%202008/NJBA/NJBAbees.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/mrilovetheants/Bees%202008/NJBA/NJBAqueencage.jpg)
I noticed some larva in the cells on the queen cage. Hopefully they made their way back into the hive.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/mrilovetheants/Bees%202008/NJBA/HorseStable.jpg)
WOW. Great Pics. I like the bee shot , one bee has wax on abdomen and another has pollen. I hardly had time to see bees at meeting, oh well. It was a very successful meeting, many new members, lots of great fund raising which was never more succesful in our little clubs history.All in all a great time, rain held off just long enough and oodles of homemade stuff to go along w/ dogs and burgers. Everyone meade their best sides an desserts and it was really nice to see so many beeks talking bees and stuff. Phew!