SnoKing Beekeepers Association SKBA

This Wednesday's 6:30PM monthly Zoom meeting is open to public as always. Link can be found in the newsletter: https://www.snokingbeekeepers.org/so/d4Ps5bg04?languageTag=en
Julie O'Connor of Central Oregon Beekeeping will present the Pollen Study in which OSU and WSU and so many bee researchers are involved. Even our Maltby Apiary has signed up! If there is enough time, we will 'read' some frames by powerpoint slides and talk about what we are seeing in our colonies. Looking forward to talking bees with you all.

Pollen Study, 'Reading Frames' 6:30PM Wed 4/15; Apprentice starts 4/23 We will start the monthly meeting 6:30PM with quick announcements and business. Then Julie O'Connor, a beekeeper in Central Oregon (cobeekeeping.org), who is working with Andony Melathopoulos at OSU and Priya Basu at WSU on the pollen and honey bee nutrition project that she will present to us. If t...

Reminder that 6:30PM monthly meeting tonight is open to the public. Link inside the newsletter:
https://www.snokingbeekeepers.org/so/29Pq0_Hkd?languageTag=en
For the presentation part of the meeting, Mike Kossian, a real beekeeper, will zoom with us and talk about producing the different honeys from our local nectar flows. Come 'talk bees' with us!

Remiders: "Honey Varieties" 6:30PM tonight 3/18; Brunch Sat 3/21 The featured speaker this Wednesday, Mike Kossian is pictured above in normal Western Washington beekeeper apparel - rain gear, of course! Mike will speak on Varietal Honey in Western Washington and how he has worked out a system of beekeeping to take advantage of our nectar flow calendar in this re...

Our monthly meeting is open to the public. Link is inside our newsletter:
https://www.snokingbeekeepers.org/so/37PlXlQYt?languageTag=en
We are talking swarms TWO months before we expect them, even in the warmer lowlands and in overwintered hives.
Why? Because night temps are in the 20s F for many of us beekeepers, we can do very little inside our hives. However, this is the perfect time - before the beekeeping season takes off - to get our swarm kits together and handy, get our club swarm lines and teams set up, and make sure we have the quick direct lines of communication we need when a swarm call comes in. So Tony is going to get us thinking now about swarms while we have time to prepare for them. Proactive beekeeping!
And then we can talk about anything bees after the presentation and Q&A. We will be sure to finish the promised topic portion of the meeting by 8:00 for you early-to-bed, early-to-rise beekeepers.
Hoping to talk bees with you tonight 6:30PM. SnoKing Beekeepers.

"Swarms" Tonight 6:30PM 1/21 Wed Tonight! "Everything You Wanted to Know about Swarms", by Tony Weller, SnoKing Beekeepers 1/21/2026 meeting Time: Jan 21, 2026 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89231925450?pwd=iIosz7zjIOK1yPajUDUmNrO3OgWFKz.1 Meeting ID: 892 3192 5450 Passcode: 069135

"Everything You Wanted to Know about Swarms" presented by Journeyman Tony Weller at this Wednesday's SnoKing Beekeepers meeting.
It's a couple months until our overwintered colonies could swarm, but now is a good time to prepare for swarms, because we have more time to assemble swarm kits and plan sswarm teams.
To be proactive instead of reactive. is a great way to start 2026!

"Swarms" at SnoKing Beekeepers 6:30PM 1/21 Wed "Everything You Wanted to Know about Swarms", by Tony Weller, SnoKing Beekeepers 1/21/2026 meeting Time: Jan 21, 2026 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89231925450?pwd=iIosz7zjIOK1yPajUDUmNrO3OgWFKz.1 Meeting ID: 892 3192 5450 Passcode: 069135

BEEKEEPING CLASSES via Zoom
Next week SnoKing Beekeepers Association SKBA starts WASBA certified classes at all levels - Beginner, Apprentice & Journeyman. We want to make sure that beekeepers and future beekeepers in this area realize that there is more support out there for those who decide to keep honey bees in this area than random facebook posts. Tne purpose of SnoKing Beekeepers Association SKBA is to offer support to beekeepers in Western Washington in every form we can: classes in beekeeping, a youtube channel, discussion groups and meetings. My club offers classes via zoom year-round and in our Maltby Apiary May to August, even to September if weather permits.
The most important class for beginners to take is Beginner BEFORE purchasing any bees or equipment. After starting, Beginner may still be of value, but please continue on with Apprentice, designed for those with 1 or more seasons of beekeeping.
For those of you ready to get deeper into beekeeping, Journeyman starts next Monday.
You can find more information about classes at snokingbka.org/classes . Feel free to call/text/email me if you are looking for classes or other resources. If you are not sure what level at which to start or if this is the right program for you, contact me. Eli Ocheltree, master beekeeper, 206-859-7392 [email protected]
If you are not looking for a class, still feel free to visit our website for the Bee Joke of the Day at https://www.snokingbeekeepers.org/.../categories/bee-jokes . Humor holds winter gloom at bay! You may also wish to check out the Beekeeping Tip of the Day at https://www.snokingbeekeepers.org/.../cat.../bee-tips-trivia

The weather is great for zoom meetings, so let's talk bees this Wednesday 6:30pm. The link is inside the newsletter. The meeting is open to the public, so join us to 'talk bees'. We will talk about what are bees are doing now and we are going to look at what we see in our colonies during the warmer weather when we can inspect our hives. We will go through slides of frames and slideout boards and what we see that tells us about how our colonies are doing.

"Reading Frames and Slideout Boards" 6:30PM Wed 12/17 Topic: "Reading Frames" Dec. 17 monthly meeting Time: Dec 17, 2025 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86401425801?pwd=O67TNkx0rEeQHNaSfKcjxgvfoDIQYd.1 Meeting ID: 864 0142 5801 Passcode: 432835 Come zoom with us this Wed if your internet sevice has not been washed out by...

Please remember that this is only a 'splash' page. For real information, please visit our website, www.snokingbka.org or join our discussion group. It's not always completely updated but applications for classes at all 3 levels - Beginner, Apprentice and Journeyman - are online for January. If you are thinking of gifting a class to a beekeeper, you will need them to look at the website and fill out the information.for us to register them. Then you can pay via the Donate button at the top of each page of the Website. If gifting them the annual dues of $30 or a class for $95 ($65 class fee +$30 dues), you can email [email protected] for whom you are paying. If the class and dues are for a military veteran, email the same address for information on where to request possible reimbursement. We don't handle it directly but are glad to assist those whose service to our country we do appreciate, by referring you to those who might be able to.
As always, if you encounter difficulties using the website, (few beekeepers are webmasters!) email or call Eli 206-859-7392 with concerns.
Picture below is of well-provisioned bees we will not bother again until the coming couple months are over, usually the coldest part of winter at the Maltby Apiary.
To join our discussion group, open to Western Washington beekeepers only!, email [email protected] for invitation to the group.

Presentation on "Managing Bees in Apimaye Hives" by Tony Weller at this month's club meeting: https://snokingbeekeepers.org/so/89PgGX297?languageTag=en
The public is invited to SnoKing's monthly meetings.

APIMAYE with TONY WELLER 6:30PM Wed 11/19 Topic: "Apimaye with Tony" Time: Nov 19, 2025 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82712704102?pwd=qzeU8CJYuaUv6ONa0PAH4vbAfyF0EC.1 Meeting ID: 827 1270 4102 Passcode: 331648

Is starting beekeeping in your future, or already part of your present? Classes for WASBA certification at all 3 levels - Beginner, Apprentice, Journeyman - are starting the first week of October. Information and registration forms can be found at www.snokingbka.org/classes. If you have questions or concerns not addressed there, text/call Eli Ocheltree, master beekeeper, 206-859-7392 or email [email protected] .
Let's take these classes during the rainy season when it's difficult to work our hives anyway. Judging by the rain this past weekend, the rain is returning, at least for the Maltby Apiary and surrounding Snohomish/King County area!
Below: Picture of our booth area at the Evergreen State Fair this year. Hope you had as much fun there as we did!

The Fair Volunteer Prize drawing will take place at the Zoom SnoKing meeting this Wednesday. Link can be found in our newsletter with the list of prizes and other announcements https://snokingbeekeepers.org/so/12PbBuMG5?languageTag=en
Of course, after the excitement of the drawing is over, we will 'talk bees', particularly what we are seeing in and around our hives this fall. Meeting is open to the public.

Prize drawing & Our Fall Hives "Prizes and Our Fall Hives" September 17 monthly meeting Time: Sep 17, 2025 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89862948937?pwd=qjRhNfpHbt8iiDzPLaidyOFYwDp31g.1 Meeting ID: 898 6294 8937 Passcode: 491361 One tap mobile +12532158782,,89862948937 #,,,,*491361 # US (Tacoma) +1...

6:30PM tonight! club meeting is open to the public and we will talk "bears, varroa, the Fair, and bees!"

Bears, Fair, Varroa 6:30PM Tonight This is a reminder email for tonight's meeting! Bears, Varroa, other troubles! What's a beekeeper to do? Come commiserate or celebrate at the Evergreen State Fair! Here's the signup link for shifts, free admission and parking passes!: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4DAEAD2FA0FAC07-57546879-202...