Burgh Bees

Upcoming Talk – Larry Connor

Josh Kucharski — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 14:56:14 +0000

Larry Connor Hands-on Workshop and Lecture

Wednesday, May 2, 2012
5:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Topic: Two and a Half Hives – A Management Plan for Successful Small-Scale Beekeeping by Dr. Larry Connor, author of Increase Essentials and Bee Sex Essentials

Details: At 5:00 PM a hands on Apiary Workshop (limited to 20 participants) will be conducted by Dr. Connor at the Burgh Bees Community Apiary, 6900 Susquehanna St, Pittsburgh PA 15208, followed by a dinner with Dr. Connor.

A formal presentation open to everyone (and free!) will follow beginning at 7:30 PM and will be held at the office of the Penn State Extension Allegheny County, 400 N. Lexington St, Pittsburgh PA 15208.

***PLEASE NOTE – The workshop is limited to the FIRST 20 people to register, there is a $20 per person fee for the workshop and that includes the dinner with Dr. Connor.

The Formal lecture is free and open to everyone.

To RSVP for the workshop, please first send an email with your name and phone number to Steve Repasky no earlier than April 2, 2012. Steve will then provide you the address to send the check to, along with any other information required.

For more general information about this workshop/lecture, please contact Burgh Bees atinfo@burghbees.com.

Upcoming Talk – Maryann Frazier

Josh Kucharski — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 14:52:48 +0000

Maryann Frazier Talk – Update on Pesticides Found in Pittsburgh Hives

Friday, April 6, 2012

Doors will open at 6:30 PM with refreshments, and the talk will begin promptly at 7 PM.

Penn State Extension of Allegheny County

400 North Lexington Street, 3rd Floor

Pittsburgh, PA 15208-2585

(Please check-in at the security office)

RSVP is required to attend, so please visit our EventBrite page for this event in order to get your ticket for attendance.

Topic: Last Fall, Burgh Bees teamed up with Maryann to take a look at pesticide use and accumulation of these pesticides in honey bee colonies around the Pittsburgh area. Pollen and wax were sampled from nearly 20 hives in three locations in the Pittsburgh area and analyzed. Burgh Bees was one of two clubs chosen to work on this study with Penn State, the other being a club in California. So come out and find out if pesticides are having an impact on your hive in Pittsburgh!

Speaker(s): Maryann Frazier and her student Brian Bates

Biography:

Maryann received her B. S. in Agriculture Education from Penn State University in 1980. In 1983 she completed a Masters of Agriculture in Entomology, specializing in apiculture. She has worked as the assistant state apiary inspector in Maryland and for two years as a beekeeping specialist in Africa and Central America. For the past 22 years she has held the position of Senior Extension Associate in the Department of Entomology at Penn State and is responsible for honey bee extension throughout the state and cooperatively across the Mid-Atlantic region. She is working collaboratively with other members of PSU Department of Entomology to understand how pesticides are impacting honey bees and other pollinators. In addition she is working with a team of US, Kenyan and Brazilian researchers to understand the impacts of newly introduced Varroa mites on different East African honey bee subspecies and help Kenyan beekeepers become more productive. She teaches courses in beekeeping, general entomology and teacher education and is involved in the Entomology Department’s innovative public outreach program.

For more general information about this workshop/lecture, please contact Burgh Bees atinfo@burghbees.com.

Burgh Bees Queen Rearing Workshop June 9th and 10th

sekinger — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 20:01:34 +0000

This classroom and apiary based course offers advanced beekeepers detailed information on how to raise their own queens. Two thirds of the time allotted for this class will be spent doing hands on activities or in the Burgh Bees Community Apiary. The two primary method of queen rearing discussed will be the Doolittle Method (grafting) and the ‘OTS’ method (non-grafting). Student will be given their successful grafts to take to their own apiary.

For more information, see this link for all the details.

Burgh Bees article

sekinger — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:14:56 +0000

Here’s a link to an article about Burgh Bees that was originally published in Grit magazine. http://www.examiner.com/neighborhoods-in-pittsburgh/pittsburgh-area-organizations-burgh-bees

Burgh Bees Beekeeping 101 Class

Josh Kucharski — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:47:47 +0000

This is a three-day comprehensive beginner beekeeping class to be held on: Monday, January 23rd, Wednesday, January 25th, and Monday, January 30th from 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM each night.
(Space is limited, so please register early)

This classroom-based course offers beginning beekeepers an introduction to honey bee biology and basic approaches to beekeeping. The course will include: an overview of honey bee castes and races, a discussion of bee biology in order to understand the challenges facing honey bees, and an overview of the basic equipment necessary for successful beekeeping. The goal is for students to learn how to keep bees for the first year.

For more details, please view the course description PDF located here. Within this document you will find further information about the class, as well as specifics about how to register.

Penn State Extension of Allegheny County
400 North Lexington Street, 3rd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15208-2585

2012 Western PA Bee Seminar

Josh Kucharski — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:42:15 +0000

February 17 & 18, 2012
Four Points by Sheraton,
Pittsburgh North
Cranberry Township, PA

Please join us for the most up-to-date information about managing honey bees. A trade show featuring many major beekeeping supply companies will be held on site in conjunction with this seminar.

Featured Speakers

Craig Cella, PA Beekeeping Entrepreneur
Diana Cox-Foster, Ph.D., Professor of Entomology, Penn State
Leo Donovall, Chief Apiary Inspector, PA Department of Agriculture
Jeremy Fitzgerald, Penn State Bee Lab
Mary Alice Gettings, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator
Jerry Hayes, Author and Florida State Apiary Inspector
Jon Laughner, Ag Entrepreneur Educator, Penn State Extension
Lee Miller, past president, PA State Beekeepers Association
Dan O’Hanlon, 2011 West Virginia Beekeeper of the Year
Nancy Ostiguy, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Entomology, Penn State
Steve Repasky, EAS Master Beekeeper, Vice President and Apiary Director of Burgh Bees
Joe Zgurzynski, EAS Master Beekeeper, President of Burgh Bees

Registration Information

Registration fee is $50 per person and $30 for guests and children under 18. Registration deadline is February 10, 2012.

Registration forms with more information are available at http://extension.psu.edu/beaver/events/western-pa-bee-seminar or by calling Penn State Extension of Beaver County at 724-774-3003.

Confirmed List of Trade Show Vendors:

Blue Sky Bee Supply, Betterbee, Brushy Mountain Bee Farm, Walter T. Kelley Company, Dadant and Sons – NY Office, Simpsons Bee Supply, and Beeline Apiaries and Woodenware

Burgh Bees on the Radio

Josh Kucharski — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:34:55 +0000

Tune in to KDKA Radio 1020 AM, Sunday, February 15th from 7:00 to 8:00 AM to hear The Organic Gardeners, Doug Oster and Jessica Walliser, discuss bees and beekeeping with Burgh Bees’ own Steve Repasky.

Burgh Bees Beekeeping 102 Class

Josh Kucharski — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:30:41 +0000

This is a one-day class to be held on: Saturday, March 10th from 8:00 AM until 2:30 PM.
(Space is limited, so please register early)

This classroom-based course offers new beekeepers detailed information about what to expect during their second year of beekeeping. The course will include: an overview of seasonal management issues, with a strong focus on swarm management. The goal is for students to learn how to maximize hive health and productivity.

For more details, please view the course description PDF located here. Within this document you will find further information about the class, as well as specifics about how to register.

Location: Penn State Extension of Allegheny County
400 North Lexington Street, 3rd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15208-2585

Burgh Bees Honey for Sale!

Josh Kucharski — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:19:02 +0000

A limited amount of Burgh Bees honey is available, and it’s delicious! The cost is $15.00 per one pound jar, and proceeds help support Burgh Bees! Please call the Penn State Extension Office at (412) 473-2540 between the business hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday for more information.

Penn State Extension of Allegheny County
400 North Lexington Street, 3rd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15208-2585
(Please check-in at the security office)

January Beekeeping 101 & March Beekeeping 102 Class information

sekinger — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 05:25:04 +0000

Our November Beginning beekeeping class is full at 36 students.

The January Beginning Beekeeping class 101 is to be held over 3 nights: Monday, January 23rd, Wednesday January 25th and Monday January 30th from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm. For more information, see Beekeeping in the Classroom 101 Course Information 01232012.

The March second year class (Beekeeping 102) is scheduled for Saturday, March 10th 8:00 am to 2:30 pm. For more information, see Beekeeping in the Classroom 102 Course Information 02102012

We will cap the registration for each of these classes at 36 students as well so register early!