We are having our Sept. meeting Aug. 31 at GzBz Honey Farm - 7:00 p.m. - Bring your chair! Program- "Making Soap" by Amy Lynch

SANDUSKY RIVER VALLEY BEEKEEPING ASSOCIATION

www.srvbeekeeping.com

AUGUST 31, 2009

At GZ BZ HONEY FARM

7:00 P.M.

Bring your chair!

HELLO!

   I imagine you're all busy harvesting tons of honey this year! What I've heard so far, some places are getting a lot, and some aren’t getting so much. I guess it just depends on where you're standing….

   Our last meeting was the annual picnic! I heard everyone had a great time and plenty of good food! The Allinders were gracious enough to have us again at their house.

Thank YOU, Allinders!!!

   This next meeting will be about making soap. Amy Lynch will be doing the program, she sells soap and lotions and balms that she makes her self from beeswax and honey. You don't want to miss this!

   It's a busy time of year that’s for sure.  Harvesting our gardens, fair time, school starting, and harvesting the honey.

   For the beginners, and those who just have a few hives to harvest; There are several ways to remove honey from the colony of bees that are inclined to keep you from doing so! 

   1st take some precautions before you start. Making sure you have a fairly safe place to put frames or supers that have been harvested to avoid robbing. One at a time, you can place it in a covered super so bees can't get in. If you are removing entire supers, keep the stack covered until you leave the bee yard. A robbing frenzy can be disastrous, dangerous and counterproductive!

   You can harvest the honey several ways: Smoking the colony, using a bee escape, a fume board or blowing the bees out. If you only have one hive, smoking is the easiest. Smoke the colony lightly before opening (preferably during the busy part of the bees' day)then gently open. To remove, lift the frame, brush the bees off the surface, using a bee brush and place the frame in a super nearby that has a bottom, and can be covered. Continue until all capped frames are removed. For the other methods, follow the directions on the device, or bottle, or ask a fellow beekeeper their preference and instructions!

"Exploring Your Back Yard"

  This is a program put on by the Sandusky county Soil & Water Conservation District.  We have been donating our time and expertise for 4-5 years now.  It's a great way to introduce beekeeping to all the 4th graders in the county!  We explain the how's and why's of beekeeping to them…They are always very attentive and come up with very good questions!  We need volunteers!! This year its Sept. 22nd and 23rd at the Sandusky county fair grounds. We need to be ready to go by 9:40 a.m., so we usually meet there by 9:00 a.m. They usually have coffee and juice and donuts or fruit. And they provide a free lunch to the presenters. We need to know how many are going to be there by Sept. 11th.

Honey Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

2 Cup Flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup honey

1 cup pumpkin

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Mix all ingredients well.

Pour into greased 9x5 bread pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hour, or until a knife placed in the center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then remove from pan

 

See you Monday night!

                 Sue