Worcester County Beekeepers

WORCESTER COUNTY BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION, WCBA

EST. 1900
The oldest county beekeeping organization in the United States


	News & Events

	Friday February 12, 2010 Chef Supper Date: Friday February 12, 2010 Time: 6:30pm Topic: Brewing Beer and Wine Making the Hobbyist Way Place: Knights of Columbus Hall Leicester, MA Speaker: David Richardson & Peter West This program will be a two part program. Dave Richardson is a fairly new beekeeper from Gardener and is a master brewer at the Gardner Ale House in Gardner, Mass. He is also the proprietor of this pub-restaurant which has a wide assortment of local brewed beers. He will do a presentation on beer brew2ing which will touch on the history, the process, how honey can be used in brewing and what is needed to get started. He will have samples of his beer so that we can get a taste. Peter West of Petersham is a longtime beekeeper who has been keeping bees for over 25 years. He is a wine connoisseur and expert wine maker. I have personally tasted 4 or 5 varieties of his fruit wines and they are some of the best that I have tasted. He will do a presentation on how to make fruit wines and how to use honey in wine making the hobbyist way. The audience will be split in half and watch one demonstration and then move to the other demonstration. Peter will also bring samples to taste. This is a meeting that you do not want to miss. This meeting will also have a Chef Supper --- Bring a dish based on your last name. A - I: Dessert J - R: Main Course S - Z: Vegetable Directions: See below Saturday March 13, 2010 Date: Saturday March 13, 2010 Time: 9:00AM to 1:00PM Place: Knights of Columbus Hall Leicester, MA Speakers: Dr. John Skinner, Univ. of Tennessee and Dr. Chengsheng Lu, Harvard Univ. Agenda & Topics: 8-9am Coffee, Danish and Bee Talk 9am Welcome -- WCBA President Mary Duane 9-10:15am Dr. John Skinner, Pollination: The Grand Interaction Among Bees, Flowers, Beekeepers and Growers 10:15-11:30 Dr. Chengsheng Lu, Experiments at Harvard on Environment 11:30-1:15pm Dr. John Skinner, Swarming: Do We Know All There Is About This Fascinating "Beehavior" The Grand Interaction Among Bees, Flowers, Beekeepers and Growers This talk will explain the value of bees to people and the ecosystem. The co-adaptations between pollinators and plants will be examined and expanded to adaptation between beekeepers and growers. A visual tour of Knoxville, TN will be included. Swarming: Do We Know All There Is About This Fascinating "Beehavior" Swarming will be examined including queen reduction and decisions on where the new colony should live. Swarm management and collection will also be discussed. Friday April 9, 2010 Chef Supper Date: Friday February 12, 2010 Time: 6:30pm Topic: Managing a Successful Small Backyard Apiary All Season Long Place: Knights of Columbus Hall Leicester, MA Speaker: Dr. Brant Viner Brant Viner is one of the most successful and meticulous beekeepers that I have been associated with over the past twenty years. Year after year his bees continue to survive and thrive. This is because of Brant's management techniques and the constant care he gives to his bees. He is always trying new techniques to see what might work better. His honey yields are always abundant. Brant will share his secrets for successful beekeeping (well some) with all of us. Brant is always willing to help new beekeepers when asked. Brant runs betweeen 123 and 14 hives in Northboro. You want to be here for this one. Chef Supper -- Bring a dish based on your last name. Last names beginning with: A-I Main Course J-R Vegetable S-Z Dessert Saturday May 1, 2010 First Outdoor Meeting of the Season Date: Saturday May 1, 2010 Time: 1:00pm Topic: Swarm prevention methods and Making effective splits..... Hive openings and hands on workshops for new beekeepers Place: Home of Norman Mercier, 99 Lovett Road, Oxford, MA 01540 508-987-0947 Speakers: Ken Warchol & workshop leaders Ken will open several hives and demonstrate how to keep your hive at peak strength and yet keep it from swarming. There is a delicate balance between a booming hive and a swarming hive. Ken will demonstrate several methods of swarm detection and prevention in order to increase your honey yield. The second half of the program will be hands on workshops for new beekeepers under the mentorship of experienced beekeepers. New beekeepers will have the opportunity to put their theoretical learning at the bee school into practice. Directions to Norman's: Take Route 395 south from Auburn or north from CT.. Exit on 4A to Sutton Ave. Go left onto Lovett Road at the lights (Home Depot is on the right). Stay right at first intersection and left or straight at the second intersection. Norman's is the 2nd to last house on the left before the end of the road. Saturday June 12, 2010 Date: Saturday June 12, 2010 Time: 1:00pm Topic: Tour of the Grape Vineyard followed by a Winery Tour and Sampling Place: Nashua Valley Winery 100 Wattaquadock Hill Road, Bolton, MA 01740 978-779-5521 Speaker: Rich Pelletier, Owner We will be the guests of Rich Pelletier and the beautiful Nashoba Winery. Following a brief hive opening discussing summer management by Ken, we will be taken on a tour of the vineyard to discuss the grape varieties being grown. We will then be taken into the heart of this commercial winery and listen to Rich explain the process that his wines go through. We will then be able to sample a variety of the Nashoba Valley wines. Those who would like to arrive early starting at 11AM may take advantage of the excellent luncheon offered. The lunch menu, signup sheet and directions will be published in the spring newsletter. Saturday June 26, 2010 Date: Saturday June 26, 2010 Time: 9AM-4PM Topic: Field DAy for State Beekeepers - See the spring newsletter or Mass Bee web site for details. WCBA will be taking a bus to go. Place: UMass Agronomy Farm South Deerfield, MA

	Directions to the Leicester Knights of Columbus for the WCBA monthly meetings Monthly Meetings and many of the Special Events of theWCBA are held at the Knights of Columbus Hall, Manville Street, in Leicester, Massachusetts. Directions From Webster Square in Worcester: Follow Route 9 West, a major road, into Leicester. 2 miles from the town line turn right onto Manville Street, just after Entwhistle’s Garage. Directions From Spencer or Leicester: Follow Route 9 East. Turn left onto Mannville Street just before Entwhistle’s Garage. The entrance to the Knights of Columbus Hall will be on your left within ½ mile on Mannville Street.



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