Ontario Beekeepers' Association Seminar

Saturday, 23 May 2009, the Young Beekeeper and I went along to a beginners' beekeepers' seminar in Guelph, given by the OBA.   The Young Beekeeper observed that the coolest thing we saw all day was a bee born--emerge from her cell.   He learned to pick up a drone by the thorax.   I was electrified to discover that despite the frost we had a few days ago which knocked back some lilies adjacent to our hives and did other damage (and even though some hives in Southern Ontario are still wrapped for winter) our beehives should have their summer entrances in place.  (A job for me for today.)  One of our instructors gave me a lift in the OBA's tech van from the classroom to the "yard" and I asked RE two brood boxes (standard in days of yore) and one brood box (common hereabouts nowadays), and was told that although "we don't tell anyone," it takes a LOT more expertise to manage bees in one brood box than in two, and the great advantage of one brood box is varroa mite control; keeping bees in the 1970's and 1980's, as we did, was relatively simple, compared to today, when "you almost need to be a scientist."   We sat next to a member of the Toronto beekeepers' association, fresh from performing tasks on the roof of the Royal York Hotel.   I asked RE membership, and he replied that the club had this year expanded membership from 20 to 40, and someone wishing to join in 2010 should go along to the March information meeting and apply.