May 2016 Beeline

In this month’s Beeline we will be recapping our April 6th PUB meeting. Our next meeting is Wednesday, May 4th at Alberta Abbey from 7-9pm. Hope to see you there!

In lieu of our monthly member spotlight, Bill Catherall led an informative Q&A session called “What to do in the hive this month” that included strategies in swapping brood boxes and when to split your hives. Feel free to email Bill if you have any questions regarding his session.

what's-in-bloom

Glen Andresen shared his monthly Pollen & Nectar report. We are seeing the beginnings of a nice spring flow which is quite advanced for this time of year. Wisteria is blooming now as are fruit trees such as the sweet cherry, Asian pear and Greengage plum. Broccoli and kale are flowering which is great for those urban farmers. For a more detailed report check out bridgetownbees.com for Glen’s monthly “What’s in bloom” report. Please email Glen with any photos and/or suggestions of other good honey bee plants.

nativepollinatorsDid you know that there are over 4,000 species of native bees in North America alone? Our April meeting featured local entomologist Rebekah Golden, who gave a fantastic presentation about native pollinators. Thank you Rebekah for  sharing with our group. If you have any questions about Rebekah’s presentation you can contact her here.

Swarm season is underway and it’s not too late to get in on the action! If you need bait hives there are still a few available for purchase for $30 ($25 for 2 or more) so email Lauren Smith to order yours.

And last but not least… don’t forget to SPREAD THE WORD for Tour De Hives 2016 which is the weekend of June 25-26! This is our yearly fundraiser and PUB’s opportunity to introduce Portlanders to the art and science of beekeeping. There are still opportunities to volunteer or host your hive so if you are interested follow this link to the official volunteer/host application.