Club meetings:
May meeting wrap up: Our first Apiary meeting of 2025 (Thursday May 8) was a great success; highlights included:
We held a raffle of beekeeping equipment (boxes, frames, feeders, tools) -- the odds of winning were excellent and many people received upgrades for their bee yards.
Scott Groenier described and showed his top-bar hive.
Charlie, Bob, and Scott led hands-on demonstrations on such key topics as:
How to evaluate a hive for queen activity including:
How to spot bee larve and judge their age.
Difference between the different types of cells in the comb and how to identify drone comb, worker comb, and queen cells.
Mike Guess (and others) emphasized the importance of treating for varroa mites and described the treatments (particularly, Formic Pro, and VarroxSan Strips). The following videos give instructions for Formic Pro and VarroxSan;
Formic Pro instruction video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mImTswyYGfE
VarroxSan Strips instruction video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un3JAGUrfz0
And we all concluded: It was a beautify evening -- See pictures below. A wonderful time to make new beekeeping friends and renew our shared enthusiasm for beekeeping.
REMINDER: Our next meeting is Thursday June 12, 6pm at Ten Spoon apiary.
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Other news and future events (watch this space):
Reminder: 2025 dues: ($20 per person or family):
Pay at the club meeting or mail cash or check to Rachel Shull (Checks should be made out to “Big Sky Beekeepers Club”) at:
Rachel Shull
Big Sky Beekeepers Club
2009 W. Central Ave
Missoula, MT 59801
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