April 2021

Who isn’t loving these warmer days? We’re happily watching our bees zip back and forth from parts known and unknown or we’re anticipating the arrival of our bees (or both!). Either way, the Spring is a harbinger of finer days to come. 

PUB was fortunate to hear from its own Mandy Shaw at our March meeting. Many of you know Mandy as the creator and producer of the podcast Beekeeper Confidential and she gave us an overview of swarm catching – showed informative videos and provided stories and lots of tips and tricks for success in both collecting and baiting swarms. 

For a few months now, PUB has been surveying its members regarding whether members would like to reconvene in person or continue our meetings on Zoom, after the pandemic. We’ve heard from about half our membership and so far the votes are 2:1 in favor of remaining on Zoom. It seems the convenience of participating in a meeting while in our pajamas is too good to pass up!  PUB is now looking at ways to augment those with in-person social events, which we all know is an important part of our community development. PUB is hoping to start work parties at its apiary in June and we’re considering hosting quarterly gatherings at local pubs for informal sharing and mingling. 

Many thanks to our members who developed and created a virtual Bee Buddy system on our web page. Now potential mentors and mentees are able to connect through our website and find another beekeeper to pair up with, learn from, and teach. If you’re a beekeeper in the Portland area, join in!

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