[AmericasBeekeeper]

Please join us at the USF Botanical Gardens in Tampa, Florida one Saturday every month. This is our second year of workshops that include hands-on training.
February 13 Beekeeping tools and equipment, painless beekeeping, USF Botanical Gardens, 10 to 2, $10 $8 USF BG Members, 813-910-3274

March 27 Beehive building and smoker practice USF Botanical Gardens, 10 to 2, $10 $8 USF BG Members, 813-910-3274

Apr 17 Swarms, splits and package bees, propagating the hive USF Botanical Gardens, 10 to 2, $10 $8 USF BG Members, 813-910-3274

May 22 Inspecting the beehive USF Botanical Gardens, 10 to 2, $10 $8 USF BG Members, 813-910-3274

Jun 19 What should and should not be in the hive USF Botanical Gardens, 10 to 2, $10 $8 USF BG Members, 813-910-3274

TBD Extracting and products of the hive

TBD Epinephrine auto-injection administration and insect stings

TBD Review for Florida Master Beekeeper exams

Thank you

Gary VanCleef
Americasbeekeeper.com
Americasbeekeeper.org
813-480-1200

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

I have two websites http://americasbeekeeper.com/ and http://americasbeekeeper.org/ USF Botanical Gardens is linked off my sites http://www.cas.usf.edu/garden/ they can be reached at 813-910-3274.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

USF Botanical Gradens likes to know how many to expect and plan for at every class. The only classes that I need prior notice are the hive building and populating classes. I am not a supplier of equipment or bees. I have to get all the hive kits and bees from somewhere in advance. So please let me know if you are coming to the March or April classes. Thank you

Gary VanCleef
[email protected]
americasbeekeeper.com
americasbeekeeper.org

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Thank you and to all who braved the cold last Saturday. I am so happy it warmed up enough for the bees to start flying and we could at least look in the top. I mentioned the lack of seating for everyone. The staff will correct and more closely monitor chairs for future workshops.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Remember to bring a hammer and white glue to the hive building workshop in March. Bring the hive you build and a ratchet strap to the April workshop. I added the hive equipment and bee information to the class information on
http://americasbeekeeper.com contact me here or [email protected] for more information or to confirm the workshop. Thank you

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

I am off to Honduras Saturday, hopefully to work with COAPIHL. I will be back March 13 to catch up on my mail and getting ready for the hive building workshop. If you are interested COAPIHL is a cooperative of beekeepers in Honduras. They start new beekeepers with hives, assisted by Heifer Intl., and market the honey for the beekeepers. They make their woodenware at the office in Siguatepeque, Honduras. Many times it is the difference between starving, risking illegal and dangerous immigration through Mexico, and supporting a family.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

I am back from Honduras. The cooperative was not. I was supposed to meet a beekeeper in Honduras but did not get time. I have pictures of my trip at
http://americasbeekeeper.com/Honduras.htm
The pictures have nothing to do with beekeeping, rather my primary purpose in Honduras every year.
The hive building workshop is coming fast. Please get in your orders as soon as possible. Thank you.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

All the hive kits are ready for Saturday. I am still waiting on suppliers for beekeeping tools. I picked up Cordovan bees and queens from David Miksa today and made 12 five frame nucs for the April class. We will still be making splits and package bees the April class. This is a necessary beekeeping skill. If you want to adopt a hive before the April class, please bring sugar syrup made with white sugar and do not boil the water or syrup. New splits should not be moved or molested for two weeks the same as requeening. Heavy feeding will stimulate comb production. Making the splits today gave these 12 hives a good head start and reduces the workload on me. Last year there was only one hive tool working on split day.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Bring your own, no problem, with a hammer and wood glue if you have it. If
you could mix up some sugar syrup for the hive you adopt we can feed them
after the building class. A glass jar with a metal lid would be nice too.
I have some mason jars if you do not have one. I bought a large pickle jar
on sale too. I have not eaten so many pickles in a long time. See you
Saturday!

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

We are ready! Everything ordered came in, all the woodenware is on my truck, the Gardens is prepared, and the weather is perfect! Thank you to all who responded already. I will have some extra for anyone who shows up and did not reply already. Remember hammers, wood glue, and bee tools if you already have them!

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Thank you to all who attended the hive building class last Saturday. I appreciate your patience with the overwhelming attendance. I will get the pictures posted as soon as possible. More supplies are on order. I have Pierco black foundation for the medium super. You will need 7 sheets. I will bring building tools for any desiring to finish building hives the next class. The next workshop will begin with smoker practice. We will populate a hive with package bees and make splits for everyone that orders them. Please bring the hive you made last class and a ratchet strap or bungee cords to tie the hive together. Make sure it goes around the hive you built, the cover, bottom board and medium super. We will not need the deep super since the splits are on medium frames. For all future classes bring your beekeeping tools -- veil, hive tool and smoker.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Working the bees yesterday there is a slight change. There are 12 three frame splits, 8 five frame splits, and 4 six frame splits. If you wish to change a current order or make an order before the Sunday deadline, these splits will be first come first served because of the limited number. Several are already paid for. Please let me know even if you remain unchanged. Thank you
3 frame split $50 with marked queen
5 frame split $72 with marked queen
6 frame split $83 with marked queen
Package bees $65 with queen (not sure if marked)
We also have a Kenyan top bar hive for teaching thanks to Gene.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Thank you to all who attended the last class. Did anyone get pictures? Would you mind sharing please? There were hives populated for 24 splits and 2 package bees. I was told there was a cloud of bees from all the hives and activity hovering over us. Hopefully I am once again the only one stung. I have orders in for more bees and supplies. If there is anything you need please let me know as soon as possible. All the future classes will start with a lecture, question and answer period and then practical experience. Please bring your tools - smoker, hive tool and veil, to all future workshops. We will be using both Langstroth hives for the practical and the Kenyan top bar at the end of the workshop. It will be a learning adventure for all.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

We have pictures from the swarms, splits and package bees workshop thanks to one of the beekeeper. http://americasbeekeeper.com/2010_Gallery.htm

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

I am picking up more bees on Friday for those that missed out last class. Please make some pictures and a note of your experiences as a new beekeeper. I will be at the Gardens all Friday morning from 0930 until noon or 1300. The Hillsborough area State Apiary Inspector will be our guest for the next workshop on hive inspection.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Always bring your tools - smoker, hive tool and veil. If you reserved bees bring your hive and a ratchet strap to hold it together on the way home.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Schedule for the rest of the year --
May 22nd Inspecting the beehive (Florida Apiary Inspector as guest speaker)
Jun 12th What should and should not be in the hive
July 17th Diseases, pests and parasites
August 21st Integrated Pest Management, Best Management Practices, Controlling Diseases Pests Parasites
September 18th Honey extraction and products of the hive (bring your frames of honey, supers and empty containers)
October 16th Queens and requeening
November 20th Keeping the hive alive through Winter
December 11th Preparing for Spring
Everything is lecture, question and answer followed by practical hands-on experience, rain plan is meet inside at USFBG
University of South Florida Botanical Gardens, Tampa, FL, start at 10:00, $10 $8 for USFBG members

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

One of our student's hive was lost to small hive beetles this week. The hive had just been inspected by the state and it was healthy on Monday. We will share some small hive beetle prevention in the inspection workshop next Saturday. One method is to get your hive strong fast. If your hive is not drawn out to 7 or 8 frames, you might consider adding a feeding patty which I will have a case of for class. The case of smokers is still on back order. Everything else will be there for Saturday.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

I will do one more round of splits this Saturday. We need to move on to learning how to keep these hives alive!

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Thank you to all who attended and assisted at the USFBG Inspecting bee workshop. There are new pictures posted at americasbeekeeper 2010_Gallery. The Garden hives and most of the students' hives are filling their honey supers. The student hives were just started in April. We used a mix of queens for splits this month - Cordovan, Caucasian and Buckfast from Canada. David Miksa supplies all the hives and queens for our workshops.