2012 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

2012 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 31	Al Avitabile
"The Beekeeper’s Handbook" & Bee wisdom
Emeritus Professor at the Biology Dept. of the University of Connecticut, Alphonse Avitabile will join us to share his reminisces on co-writing one of the great beekeeping books along with some of his insights into the honey bee.

February 28	Jim Fischer
Reinfection and Reinfestation - Am I My Brother's Keeper? Am I My Brother's Beekeeper?
Mr. Fischer, director of NYC Beekeeping (aka Gotham City Honey Co-op) in New York City will discuss his thoughts on fostering cooperation between beekeepers to minimize various problems which might arise.

March 27	Ron Breland
Dodecahedron Hive
Sometimes called "bee temples," these hives use the Pythagorean dodecahedron geometric form as a pattern for their design.

April 24	Hannah Nordhaus
"The Beekeeper’s Lament"
Ms.Nordhaus will discuss her critically acclaimed book and share experiences from following a commercial pollinator following the pollen flow across the US and what that entails..

May 29	May Berenbaum
The Chemistry of Honey
Dr. May Berenbaum of University of Illinois-Champaign, will explore the extraordinary chemical properties of honey and its many varieties.

June 26
Annual Pot Luck Dinner Meeting and Silent Auction	Marina Marchese, Chair
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 25	Dr. Susan Cobey
Queens!
Dr. Cobey, Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis will give us insight into the majesty of the Honey Bee Queen.

October 30	Nancy Ruppert
Honey Bee Nutrition
Nancy Ruppert, Apiary Inspector North Carolina Department of Agriculture will discuss the importance of Honey Bee Nutrition.

November 27	Heather Mattilla
Behavioral organization of foraging
Dr. Heather Mattilla, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Wellesley College, Mattilla will share her research on Behavioral organization of foraging effort in honey bee colonies.

NO MEETING IN DECEMBER

2012 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 28, 10am
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

Sunday February 19
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 redbee@optonline.net

Sunday March 25
Hands on Hive set up	Leslie Huston, Chair
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 14
Hiving Package Bees	Dick Marron & Bobbie Meyzen
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 anyway!. For details contact Dick Marron at (203) 743-0541 or dickm@snet.net

Saturday April 21
Hive Inspection I	Dick Marron & Bobbie Meyzen
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

Sunday May 12
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 2
Hive Inspection II	Dan Carr & Ralph Szur
Board members Dan Carr and Ralph Szur will host this inspection workshop at the Stone Barns Center, Tarrytown, NY. This inspection is will focus on the progress of newly hived package bees, early summer activity, and general hive health. Contact Dan at (914) 860-5561 or danc@stonebarnscenter.org, contact Ralph at (845) 228-5635 or ralphsz@comcast.net

TBD
Installing a Bear Fence, Swarm Retrieval & Cut-outs	Jeff Shwartz
Board member Jeff Shwartz will conduct this workshop on installing a bear fence, and will also discuss retrieving swarms, even when they involve cutting into buildings and such. Contact Jeff for directions at (203) 426-8620 or Jeff@shwartz.com

Sunday June 10
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 16
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 14
Hive Inspection III	Mary Howansky
BYBA member Mary Howansky will conduct this bee inspection workshop at 1042 Stillwater Road, Stamford, CT 06902. This inspection will start at 10 a.m. and 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 howansky@optonline.net

Saturday August 4
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

Saturday August 11
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) 938-2539 or dblocher@optonline.net

Saturday September 8
Hive Inspection V	Andrea Azarm
BYBA board member Rick Glover will conduct this workshop at the home of Nadine and Bernard Nizet, 345 Mill Hill Terrace, Southport, CT 06890. This final inspection workshop of the season 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. (no rain date). RSVP to Nadine at bnizet1@optonline.net

Saturday, Date TBD
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

Saturday November 3
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