Updates

I see that no one has visited this site for a long time but just in case anyone stumbles upon this...

Sorry for the lack of updates. This was supposed to be a GROUP blog for the GCBA. At the time I started it there were several members who seemed enthusiastic about having a club blog. I never intended or expected to be the only person to ever update it. I just offered to start it because I had done it before.

I'm not sure if anyone is checking the club email account or not. If you're interested in beekeeping or just want to know something about it the best thing to do is to go to one of the meetings, the first Thursday of every month at the Northeast Technology Center in Afton. They really are a very nice little group of people.

Meeting

Don't forget - the monthly meeting is this Thursday (Aug. 3) at 7:00pm at the Northeast Technology Center in Afton.

Bee Fonts

Beekeepers and fans of bees (and honey) will like these two from Abstract Fonts:

BzzzBee

KR That Silly HunnyBee

Catching Swarms

We have received several emails from people who have requested that we post a list of contacts for capturing and removing swarms. There are several beekeepers in the GCBA who will remove swarms. If you have a swarm call your local fire department or county agent. They have the contact information for beekeepers who will remove swarms.

We're just a small group of regular folks who love beekeeping and getting together and talking about bees and beekeeping. We prefer not to post our personal information on the Internet.

Solar Wax Melter

This is the solar wax melter that Roger built recently. It's working great.

Bee Facts

Looking to learn about honeybees? Here a couple of web pages that might be helpful:

Bee Facts at Honey.com - Just the basic information about bee colonies, bee life cycles and so forth with a few simple illustrations.

Honeybee Biology - More detailed information and illustrations. Very informative. (Might want to take your sunglasses with you. I really wish web designers would not use that particular yellow as a background.)

Meeting Reminder

Not that anyone's reading this but...

Don't forget the monthly meeting, Thursday, May 4 at 7:00pm at the Northeast Technology Center in Afton. The meeting is open to the public so if you are in Northeast Oklahoma and are the least bit interested in bees and beekeeping (even if you're just a little curious) please join us. You can find detailed directions on the NTC website.

Confusion?

Yesterday I saw a bee checking out one of our irises. She seemed a little confused. She circled the bloom, touched down on a petal, circled it again several times. Apparently, the iris was attractive but not quite what she was looking for.

Beginning Beekeeping

A year ago, I stood at the county fair, transfixed by the single frame observation hive. "You should take them home," my wife said with a laugh, and I thought, she's right. Bees are fascinating social insects. The colony is really a single organism, with the individual bees more like cells, and the ordered chaos that drives this organic machine is an art. Beekeeping offers the chance to co-operate, instead of dominate, to assist, but not control. It gives you the chance to learn more about yourself, the life you lead, and about the way nature runs itself. There's also the honey.

Read the rest of this great article on beekeeping.