It's time again for National Honey Bee Appreciation Day" and your local beekeepers association is hosting an event!

Orange Blossom Beekeepers Association will have an all-day event to be held at the Orange County Extension Offices located at 6021 S. Conway Road, Orlando, FL on Saturday, August 21, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Greetings all,

We will have a very fun July meeting. We will be extracting honey from the OBBA hives at David Webb's Honey House located at 21777 State Road 520, Orlando (407) 568-7725.

Meeting called to order at 7:00pm.

Chris opened, introducing Beth as having an announcement.

Beth Fox is requesting donations for the Florida OBBA Honey Queen program. Donations will be used to pay for the sash, scrap booking, tiara, and any travel related expenses.

Chris introduced Mark Dikes from University of Florida. Mark travels across Florida working on various Honey Bee research projects. Mark spoke about some of the current research projects such as: pesticide interactions, varroa research using larvae grafts, and the rearing room.

Mark recommended a few websites:

Our next meeting Thursday May 20, 2010 will be in the Magnolia Room at the UF IFAS / Orange County Cooperative Extension Office @ 6021 S. Conway Rd. Orlando, FL 32812.

Mark Dykes, Research Technician from the Honey Bee Research Extension Laboratory Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida will be presenting information on Seasonal Beekeeping, information about the Master Beekeeping Program and about Current Projects ongoing at the Honey Bee Research Laboratory.

Greetings,

The Orange Blossom Beekeepers Association April Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. in the Azalea Room of the Orange County Extension Office located at 6021 S. Conway Road, Orlando.

This month's guest speaker will be Thomas P. Breaud, Ph.D., Manager, Mosquito Control Division Orange County Health Services Department.

Dr. Breand will speak on general mosquito control techniques as well as address concerns beekeepers have with spraying. Don't miss this lecture, it is long awaited and should be very interesting!

Orange Blossom Beekeepers Association will be meeting Thursday, March 18, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. in the Azalea Room at the Orange County Extension Offices located at 6021 S. Conway Road, Orlando, FL.

There will be two guest speakers this month! Bo Sterk, a beekeeper from North Florida will be presenting his photos and discussion about his tour of Haiti last year. This should prove to be a very eye-opening, interesting lecture. Come join us to see how Beekeepers from other places operate!

This Saturday, February 20 at 10:00 a.m. we will be conducting a hive splitting workshop.

Come to Webb's honey located at 21777 State Road 520, Orlando. Please do not email me for directions, check mapquest.com and get directions that way.

If you plan to come, please bring the following:

1. Bee veil and gloves, hive tool and smoker, smoker fuel and lighter

2. Lunch and drinks for your entire party

3. Chairs for your entire party

4. White or light colored latex paint and paint brushes

5. Hammer

Attention everyone!

Dr. Jamie Ellis is sending me a FREE bee college tuition!

We will raffle it off on Saturday at the workshop so bring your dollar bills -- one ticket, $1, six tickets, $5.

See you Saturday

Beth

Saturday, February 20, 2010 OBBA will conduct its annual "Hive Splitting Workshop" at Webb's Honey located at 21777 SR 520 Orlando, FL 32833. The workshop will begin at 10:00 a.m.

Participants are asked to bring white or light colored latex paint and paint brushes to help assemble supers and frames and paint the supers.

ALSO, bring your own lunch and drinks as the workshop may take awhile and there is no place nearby to eat. If you wish to bring extra to share, everyone would appreciate that.

This bulletin contains THREE specific topics for your consideration. Please read through.

1. OBBA meeting is THIS Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. in the Orange County Extension office, 6021 S. Conway Rd., Orlando in the Azalea Room.

2. Holly Burroughs is looking for a source of FRESH, frozen pollen to feed her bumblebees. She is a researcher. Email her at: hburroughs@koppertonline.com. She is the quality manager of Koppert Biological Systems, Inc. Her phone number is: 800-928-8827.