1 / 14

The Rocky Mountain Survivor Queenbee Cooperative

The Rocky Mountain Survivor Queenbee Cooperative. Established 2012 By New Mexico & Colorado Beekeepers:. Meg McGee, Resa Sawyer, Moira O’Hanlon, Angela Lewis, Kate Whealen, Melanie Kirby, Janet Fink, Kris Holthaus, & Marygael Meister. AGENDA. 7pm Welcome 7:02 WHO & WHERE

yakov
Download Presentation

The Rocky Mountain Survivor Queenbee Cooperative

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Rocky Mountain Survivor Queenbee Cooperative Established 2012 By New Mexico & Colorado Beekeepers: Meg McGee, Resa Sawyer, Moira O’Hanlon, Angela Lewis, Kate Whealen, Melanie Kirby, Janet Fink, Kris Holthaus, & Marygael Meister

  2. AGENDA 7pm Welcome 7:02 WHO & WHERE 7:05 2012 Project Parameters & Objectives 7:10 Weather & Apiary Reports 7:30 Review Nuc #s & Potential Breeding Stock 7:40 Discuss June 20th Queen Wkshp 7:45 Schedule Stock Exchange/Visits 7:55 Final Comments- signing up for blog instructions from Marygael 8pm Meeting Adjourned

  3. WELCOME: Hola Ladies! I’m really looking forward to working with you all. I am so excited to see where this endeavor takes us and to create a beautiful and cooperative partnership of and for our bees! --Melanie Margarita Kirby

  4. RMSQB Coop Founders Just want to give proper acknowledgement To Resa (l) and Meg (r) who inspired me to attempt to organize and pull off this special Project. These two ladies in the Mora Valley have each been keeping bees on their own for some time now. I have no doubt that their dedication and motivation will soar them to new heights as they buzz along with their bees. And a SINCERE THANK YOU to each of you for participating DOUBLE RAINBOW- Now that’s a good sign! - -Sorry for the blurry pic- low battery. With new digi- cams our documentation should be crystal clear.  Resa’s home apiary Buena Vista, NM August 2011

  5. WHO & WHERE-Colorado Mountain Mamas- Kris Holthaus- Ft. Collins CO Survivor Stock Breeder RMSQB CO Coordinator Marygael Meister- Denver Founder & Coordinator DenverBee.org Janet Fink- Walsenburg Founder & Coordinator Spanish Peaks Bee Club

  6. New Mexico Mountain Mamas Meg McGee- Mora Valley RMSQB NM Coordinator Angela Lewis- Arroyo Hondo Moira O’Hanlon- Arroyo Seco Kate Whealen- Santa Fe Founder & Coordinator of Sangre de Cristo Beeks Resa Sawyer- Buena Vista Melanie Kirby-Truchas RMSQB Facilitator

  7. You all are the authors. • We will only get out of it, • what we put into it. • We shall set realistic expectations • and look to remain flexible • with our bees and with Mother Nature. • We will strive to remain in communication with each other and to allow for minor • alterations as seen fit by each if needed. • If something doesn’t work out, • please do not hesitate to share so that we can work together to figure out a solution. • We will sweat comb with each other!  Parameters • TOTAL DISTANCE COVERED: • SANTA FE TO FORT COLLINS = 458 miles • Project Covers 7 counties total! • Split down the middle for both Top Bar & Langstroth • with several of us maintaining both (or wanting to )

  8. 2012 Project Objectives- Update • 1. (Jan-April) Ag Professional composes project protocol manual for issue to producers at 1st mtg. • 2. (April) Hold first meeting to discuss timeline and coordinate site visit calendar (mtg. location in NM- Taos area) • 3. (May) Get equipment assembled/mating apiaries bear fenced • 4. (June) Bring participants to ZQB farm for weekend Queenrearing workshop and to schedule brood exchange/cell exchange. • 5. (June) Conduct first graft for swapping (approx. 2 week process) • Stock mating nuclei • Deliver ripe cells for out-crossing and pick up cells- round 1 • 6. (July) Exchange mated queens (5 week process from graft to harvest)* from round 1 and swap cells for round 2 • 7. (August) Exchange round 2 mated queens and swap cells/brood for round 3 • 8. (September) Exchange round 3 queens and mark all queens/collect data • 9. (October) Review season and begin discussions for following spring • 10. (November) Review documentation and compile data for reports to producers and WSARE.

  9. Weather & Apiary Reports Please share how your bees overwintered and how spring commencement seems to be treating them. • Those that overwintered successfully- how is their spring build up? • Any selection for breeders? • Share selection criteria. Q: Who has bear issues? Needs fencing? Protein levels- need Pollen?

  10. Nuc # & Breeder Review How many nucs would you like to get going this season? Do you have any Breeding Contenders?

  11. June 20th Queen Workshop @ ZQB Farm in Truchas, NM From the Art of Grafting To Mature Harvest We’ll start at 9am and go through to late afternoon. I’ll provide lunch. We can do bee beards for those interested.

  12. Schedule Stock Exchange and Visits • 1) First graft swap will take place June 20that ZQB. • I will provide some cells/virgins of some of our prize 3 and 2 year old breeders. • * If you are willing and able, you can bring a comb of some young larvae- just hatched eggs for grafting or if you already grafted and have some cells/virgins to share- great! • 2) Set date in July to visit Colorado. • On this trip we would visit Janet, Marygael and Kris • Beekeepers can conduct grafts of their selected breeders two weeks before visit to swap. • * I will venture to visit NM ladies to help them establish their nucs/mating apiaries starting after QR workshop in June. 4) 4th and final graft swap for 2012 season in Walsenburg in September if timing and weather oblige. Queen swapping can take place at this time for those interested and able. • 3) Set August for CO to visit NM beekeepers. • Visits for Angela, Moira, Meg & Resa & Kate • We can conduct 3rd graft two weeks before visit to swap.

  13. -Final Comments- Marygael- Blog Talk Marygael secured http://www.RMSQBcoop.orgas our project website • She has information and directions on how to establish a free blog online. www.blogspot.com or www.wordpress.com • Everyone is encouraged to establish their own free blog- as it relates to the project. Please upload any pictures or data that you would like to disclose. • Marygael will link up everyone’s individual blogs to the main website. I have also secured www.SurvivorQueenbees.org as an umbrella site. I hope to include RMSQB Coop project links there and also other regional survivor rearing and breeding efforts. Your input is appreciated. • Everything is at your discretion- I will not censor anything unless it is posing to arrest project development in a negative manner.

  14. Conclusion: • June 20thQR wkshpZQB home farmTruchas, NM • 1st exchange • Get grafting and set up nucs • July CO visits • 2nd exchange • August NM visits • 3rd exchange • September • Final exchange • Cross-Mated Queen Swap Thank you Ladies for your time and attention. This is a new and unique project. I am so very glad and honored to have you all participate and to serve as the Technical Advisor. Thanks Bee to All- Melanie

More Related