posted May 12, 2013, 11:15 AM by T Sandoval
Are you a Facebook user? The Omaha Bee Club has a facebook page for the bee club and a private group for members only.
Are you a Google Plusser? We have a Plus page and a community for members only there as well.
How about LinkedIn? We recently set up a page for the Omaha Bee club there.
By using various social media sites, we are trying to make more informational and personal resources available to our members.
Just because we only have a meeting once a month, you can still ask questions of your fellow members, have a chat with them or share your pics and videos in our communities online.
The Omaha Bee Club. Because beekeeping should bee fun. |
posted May 9, 2013, 5:26 AM by T Sandoval
I mentioned earlier that the observation hive that the Omaha Bee Club uses for public presentations was now set up and ready to use. This hive gets transported to classrooms, business meeting rooms, outdoor event booth tables and more over the course of a summer as we bring bee education to the folks of the Omaha/Metro area.
Last year, Wendy from "It's All About Bees" loaned the Omaha Bee Club the use of a larger observation hive which was very nice because it allowed such a big view of a bees nest. However, it proved to be a bit too big in terms of transporting it frequently or easily. This year, Wendy loaned us a smaller observation hive that has already proven to be easier to transport and still provides a terrific view of the bees.
We want to keep the bees warm and dark when they are not being shown at various events and we do not keep this particular observation hive indoors. instead it's kept outdoors, but under a roof that keeps the direct weather elements from it. We are experimenting using a hive wrap from NOD that normally fits around a Langstroth 2 deep hive.
Below, you can see the observation hive in use at an area elementary school. We set up for a bee presentation to an after-school nature club made up of second graders. Very well bee-haved second graders I might add.
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posted May 6, 2013, 12:27 PM by T Sandoval
Finally today, after 5 days of cold, snow and rain, in may mind you, we were finally able to get our portable observation hive stocked and ready to teach.
The queen was seen laying eggs in the obs hive which was very good to see and she was named Sobee. Pictures coming soon.
Special thanks to Omaha Bee Club member and supporter Wendy F for the loan and use of the observation hive. She and Margi own "It's All About Bees" on 84th & Park Drive in Ralston. |
posted May 2, 2013, 7:30 AM by T Sandoval
Our nuc delivery date had to be changed and the total amount of nucs delivered was a bit reduced overall, but all of those who had pre-ordered got their nucs and we had a few left as "extras" that were able to go to other beekeepers who had lost bees in the package fiasco earlier or had lost bees from Winter after the pre-order had gone by.
We look forward to increasing our members orders next Spring and streamlining the process in which we are able to distribute the nucs. Always try to improve where we can. It's always about learning from what we did to improve what we do. |
posted Apr 26, 2013, 6:00 AM by T Sandoval
We get asked that question a lot at the Omaha Bee Club. Here is a short list of things people can do to help bees without cracking open a single hive on their own.
1) Don't use toxic pesticides if you don't have to. Learn about and use Integrated Pest management methods.
2)
Allow dandelions, clovers and other early Spring flowers to bloom, they
provide very crucial sources of nectar and pollen bees need coming out
of Winter.
3) Plant lots of Spring and Autumn blooming bee
friendly plants. These two times of the year are important in helping
bees going into and coming out of Winter. The more they have access to,
the better chance to have enough stores to survive.
4) Make
sure your Summer blooming plants are watered and abundant. In the heat
of Summer, lack of moisture can cause many plants to wither and dwindle,
often resulting in a dearth of foraging resources that result in weak
colonies and robbing by wasps, hornets, and other bees.
5) Offer
to support your local beekeeping club or association. Many beekeeping
groups try to provide resources to their members to help provide
foraging resources for their hives such as bags of sugar and
supplemental pollen patties. Donations of money to buy these things or
simply donating a bag of sugar, etc.. when you can will help many
beekeepers keep their bees from starving over Winter.
6) Offer a
place for a beekeeper to place a hive near your garden or flowering
trees. You get the great pollination for your fruit trees, vegetable
gardens and ornamental flowers and the beekeeper gets someplace friendly
to place bees. Many beekeepers will share some honey with the person
who lets them keep bees on their property. It's mutually beneficial.
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posted Apr 25, 2013, 11:24 AM by T Sandoval
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updated Apr 25, 2013, 11:24 AM
]
Due to a delay, the bee nucs that Omaha Bee Club members have ordered will be available for pickup on Wednesday, May 1st.
If there are any extras available for sale, we will announce it on this website. Omaha Bee Club members are first priority.
If you are an Omaha Bee Club member and you pre-paid for a nuc order, please check your email for more details regarding the pickup. If you did not give us an e-mail address, please call Tony S at 402-740-1454 for more information.
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posted Apr 4, 2013, 7:03 AM by T Sandoval
On April 20th from 10 am till 2 pm, the Omaha Bee Club is holding a "Bee Friendly" public awareness event at Earl May off of 90th & West Center Rd.
The goal of this event is to increase the public's awareness of making their lawns and gardens "bee friendly" by minimizing or eliminating the use of toxic pesticides, using Integrated pest management methods and products that fit into IPM plans as well as allowing plants to grow that are exceptionally good food sources for bees and other Spring pollinators like dandelions and clovers.
Please plan to come down to this event and tell others to come down too. Bring a friend!
We will be needing our members to volunteer at the information tables for this event.
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posted Apr 4, 2013, 6:47 AM by T Sandoval
We have heard back from the supplier that our nuc order will take place on the last weekend of April, most likely that Saturday.
The nuc pick up will take place at Vice president Gary Kulas house, the address will be made known to Omaha bee Club members via phone call or email.
We will have a system for members to pick up their bees in Alphabetical order in shifts as parking is limited.
More details will be provided in the bee club newsletter.
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posted Mar 21, 2013, 8:17 PM by T Sandoval
Perhaps the most important thing to us at the Omaha Bee Club is to help local area beekeepers bee successful. By providing education, information and other resources, we can accomplish that.
We want our bee club meetings to be useful to our members. When Omaha Bee Club members arrive once a month, we want them to make the most of the experience. With that in mind, we are re-structuring our monthly meetings to include more resources for learning and doing things.
The meetings will open with the official club business as we do now. The goal is to keep this part of the meeting to a minimum. Following that, the "main event" being an informational presentation or special speaker that will give our member beekeepers food for thought. Following the presentation, the members can then choose to pursue individual interests and look through the bee club library. There they can check out materials that can be returned at the next month's bee club meeting (please return all items on time so other members can make use of these resources).
Visit the new "Colony Clinic" where members of our experienced Mentor team will be on hand to help troubleshoot and identify problems and concerns members have with their hives. Members can even bring in frames and other items to get help identify what they are looking at and help them determine where to go next. The "Colony Clinic" will be available during the "Bee Season" from April to September.
Take a specialized class on a beekeeping topic like Queen Rearing, Observation Hive beekeeping, Top Bar Beekeeping and other special interest topics. Let us know of special interests in beekeeping that you are wanting to learn more about so that we can provide the information our members are looking for.\
A bee club is only as successful as it's members make it. if you participate regularly and often, the more you will get out of it. if you don't participate, you are limiting your opportunities to get s much as you can from it.
Don't forget, every bee club, in order to provide resources to the club as a whole needs member volunteers to make it happen. If we don't have members pitching in to make things work, the less we can offer to the group.
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posted Feb 22, 2013, 10:47 AM by T Sandoval
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updated Feb 22, 2013, 10:48 AM
]
Did you know that the Omaha Bee Club has two themes each year?
One for beekeepers and one for our public information.
For our 2013 beekeeper theme, we have "Bee Educated". This is to
encourage our beekeepers to always look for ways to advance their
education in bees and beekeeping instead of relying on initial
information and experience alone.
Our 2013 Public awareness theme is "Bee Safe". This
is our way to encourage area residents to handle their gardening and
lawn care with a mind towards reducing or eliminating the use of toxic
pesticides in their yards and garden to better provide forage for our
beneficial pollinators, the bees.
The Omaha Bee Club wants you to "Bee Educated" and "Bee Safe" this year. |
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