July 2022

I’ve never been so happy and grateful for the lovely Linden trees. A wet Spring, lasting up until July finally gave way to gorgeous summer sun just in time for the Linden trees to bloom across NE Portland. This is a major source of nectar for inner NE bees. Last year, the trees bloomed just as the 115-degree weather hit for a week which quickly dried up the trees, leaving my primary hive to begin eating its stores mid-summer. This year the supers are bursting with lots of time left to fill their brood chambers. Meanwhile, other hives 2 miles away are barely filling supers, unaware of the bounty nearby. I love this cyclical pace to beekeeping – there are years that give and years that take and every year is a little bit different.

PUB is hoping to reinstate some sort of honey tasting or in-person social event to close out the year and we hope to see you there!

June 2022

OK, by now I was pretty sure we’d be on the verge of complaining about how hot it was getting outside, but that sure isn’t happening. In Portland, everything is blooming as it should, but this summer will probably go on record as feeling very short. About this time, I’m always reminded of how the bees are already starting the glide into winter – they’re noticing the days getting shorter – all while we’re gearing up for peak summer fun.

Besides Bee Days, many in PUB have missed opportunities to hang out with each other and swap stories and questions. PUB decided to hold a Meet and Greet evening in mid-June to try to capture some of the feeling of meetings in the “before times”. We didn’t count it as a monthly meeting (because people are super attached to their monthly zoom meetings) but it was nice to get together and it’s likely we’ll make these events part of our new normal.

Our June meeting was full of interesting information. After an overview of plants in bloom, Brian Fackler taught us how to use an Epi Pen (on an orange!) and provided useful medical information and tips for beekeepers who work in remote areas. Our meeting featured Dr. Dewey Caron talking about all things Queens. It was a great meeting, with a good turnout and lots of interesting discussion and questions. PUB is wishing all of you a wonderful summer!