The First Year Bee Yard is open again. We begin meeting Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. Masking is optional. Veils are required to view the bees. See the Schedule for programming.

Winnie Williams

First Year Bee Yard Queen Bee

Mike welcoming you to the Bee Yard!

Our normal bee yard agenda includes a pot luck, hive inspection, hive review and a presentation.

Checking the hives.

We split up into groups and each group inspects a hive.

Frame of newly installled bees

As groups inspect the hives we check for population size, laying patterns, stores of nectar and pollen, etc.

After action review

After the hive inspections are completed, we meet together to briefly review each hives status. Did we see the queen? Brood? Larva? Eggs? Queen cups / cells? How was the laying pattern? These questions and answers help us undertand what is happening in the hive and what actions, if any, we should take.

 

The First Year Bee Yard is located just west of the Rothenbuhler Bee Lab at 2501 Carmack Road, 43210. This is at the Waterman Farm Complex of The Ohio State University. We meet every Wednesday, April 6, 2022, through September unless it is a COBA meeting night. We begin with a potluck from 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Then we begin the work of the evening.

The First Year Bee Yard is co-led by Winnie Williams and Mike Hatter.

We have bee yard rules that are in place for your safety. Please review these rules before visiting the bee yard.

  1. No one under the age of 5 years old is to be present at the bee yard.
  2. Long sleeved, light colored clothing that covers arms and legs to the ankles – blue jeans are fine, not black.  Black is the color of a bear and upsets the bees.
  3. Closed toed shoes and socks or boots to protect feet from possible stings.
  4. You must have your own clean veil and protective clothing.  Non-beekeeper visitors at the First Year Bee Yard may borrow one of the loaner veils and shirts (if available).
  5. Leave your hive tool, gloves and smoker at home.  We have hive tools for each of the hives.  These are provided to minimize transferring diseases from one location to another.  We have Vinyl or Nitrile gloves available for all that desire gloves.  DO BRING YOUR VEIL.
  6. NO cologne or aftershave – no smells.  Pay attention to the scent of your soap, detergent, fabric softener, shampoo, hair products, after shave.  All these draw bees to hang around you.

WEATHER:

Temperature below 50 – don’t come

Raining – if it is raining everywhere – don’t come.  Many times it is raining in one area and OSU is dry.

Tornado – don’t come

Facebook Page:

Kevin Kise has set up a Facebook page for use to get short notice cancellations out to people.  This can also be used to ask questions with phone photos about what is happening to your hive.  There are a number of people who will be monitoring it to answer your questions as quickly as possible.  This page is a closed group.  It is open to all the COBA members.  Just let Kevin know you are a member of COBA or have taken Bee School.  Kevin will respond to you with a welcome and a questionnaire.  Please reply to the questionnaire in order to become a member of the group.

The group name is:  OSU First Year Bee Yard.