Oklahoma State Beekeepers Association
To promote and improve the art of beekeeping.
News and Events
Help Christopher Reinstate the Boy Scout Beekeeping Merit Badge!
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Past News and Events
2010 Big Bee Buzz - Northeast Oklahoma Beekeepers Association (NEOBA)
Keep this date open and watch the site for updates or if you have any questions you may email neoba@cox.net; www.neoba.org.
Spring Meeting April 4th 2009
KIAMICHI TECHNOLOGY CENTER
Nancy Gentry, Vice-president of the Northeast Florida Honey Bee Association, will be our main speaker. She will give an update on the Florida Standard of Identification for Honey and explain the importance of states adopting a uniform standard for defining "honey." (have you ever looked at the labels on the jars labeled as "honey" in the grocery store? Many products called "honey" contain substances that did not originate in a bee hive) Florida was the first state to adopt honey standards in the US.
Africanized bees will be discussed, along with ways to increase the size of your bee hives.
With the increasing problems facing our honeybees as pollinators, the public is invited to come and learn more about honey bees and talk to experienced beekeepers who can answer their questions about getting started in beekeeping.
March 13 - 14, 2009
2009 Big Bee Buzz - Northeast Oklahoma Beekeepers Association (NEOBA)
We have an outstanding roster of speakers this year, and hope you will be able to attend. This is your opportunity to hear nationally recognized speakers, most of whom you will recognize from the pages of Bee Culture and American Bee Journal. It will be held at the OSU extension center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The cost will be $20.00 if paid before Feb. 9 and $25.00 after. Below you will find the meeting agenda and topics to be presented. Call 918-425-2026 to register. If you have any questions you may email neoba@cox.net. www.neoba.org
Schedule
*Friday, March 13*
5:30 p.m. Registration
6:00 p.m. Opening Announcements
6:15 p.m. Bee Nutrition - Dr. Dewey Caron
7:00 p.m. Dinner (barbecue sandwiches)
7:40 p.m. Honey Bee Pest Overview - Jerry Hayes
8:30 p.m. Nosema - Ed Levi
9:10 p.m. Adjourn
*Saturday, March 14*
8:00 a.m. Registration and Opening Announcements
8:30 a.m. Swarm Prevention - Dr. Dewey Caron
9:30 a.m. Break
9:45 a.m. What's In Your Comb? - Ed Levi
10:30 a.m. Break
10:45 a.m. The Africanized Honey Bee Experience - Dr. Dewey Caron
12:00 p.m. Lunch (Fried Chicken and Potluck)
1:00 p.m. Africanized Honey Bee Best Practices - Jerry Hayes
1:30 p.m. The Importance of Pollinators and Beekeeper Public Relations - Jerry Hayes
2:00 p.m. Break
2:15 p.m. Panel discussion regarding CCD
3:00 p.m. "The Classroom" Live - question and answer free-for-all - Jerry Hayes, Dr. Dewey Caron and Ed Levi
3:45 p.m. Auction and Raffle
4:00 p.m. Adjourn
In Fresno CA on January 10, 2009 Harvey Price was awarded the American Honey Producers Association 2009 Beekeeper of the Year Award! Congratulations Harvey, you deserve a big hand!!
January 13 - 17, 2009
The American Beekeeping Federation will host the North American Beekeeping Conference in Reno/Sparks, Nevada, at John Ascuaga’s Casino Resort Hotel. Click here for more information.
January 6 - 10, 2009
The 2009 American Honey Producers 40th Annual Convention will be at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center in Fresno, California, January 6-10, 2009. One of the major focuses of the 2009 AHPA Convention will be the interaction with Almond Industry. Click here for more information.
December 2008
I am pleased to announce to you and the Oklahoma State Beekeepers Association that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has renewed the Section 18 clearance for Hivastan™ in Oklahoma. Your members now have a powerful weapon to help protect their bees from Varroa mites. The active ingredient in Hivastan, fenpyroximate, is a highly effective contact miticide and is new to the beekeeping industry, which makes it a valuable tool in the battle against resistant Varroa mites. Since controlling Varroa mites requires an integrated pest management approach, it is extremely important to follow a rotational strategy to slow down or prevent the development of resistance. Hivastan fits well into a rotational strategy for mite control, thus we are recommending treating all infested bee colonies with Hivastan once a year – prior to the first honey flow in the spring, or in the fall after the last honey flow.
Hivastan is manufactured by Central Life Sciences, whose founders introduced Apistan to the apiary industry several years ago to begin the fight against Varroa mites. It is available from Dadant, Brushy Mountain Bee Farm and Walter T. Kelly Co. Let your members know that they can purchase Hivastan in 25-pound buckets containing enough product to treat 50 hives. Each treatment consists of 8 oz (225 grams) of product per hive. This is enough to treat a typical colony for six weeks, and any excess product remaining after this period should be removed from the hive.
To find out more about Hivastan, visit Central Apiary or call 1-800-248-7763.
Mark Taylor Business Manager Central Life Sciences
OSBA was formed in 1939 then Incorporated Septemper 7, 1976.
The origin of the Oklahoma State Beekeepers Association has been traced back some 70 years. However, written records are very inconclusive or non-existent; therefore, the historical report has been based largely on people's recollections of dates and events.
The Oklahoma State Beekeepers Association was formed in 1938 or 1939, according to Mr. J. M. Goin of Rattan, Oklahoma. Mr. Goin worked for the Entomology Division of the Oklahoma State Department of Agriculture. He entered the department in 1938. Shortly after that, possibly in 1939, the first State Association was formed. Mr. Bob Blackwell of Oklahoma City was the first president.
We worked hard to get where we are!
Gradually the Association began to grow. More and more people became aware of the importance of beekeeping and the desire for recognition prompted them to join the Association and attend the meetings. During this period the meetings were held in the Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City. With the growing interest in beekeeping and with beekeepers scattered all over the state, this prompted the idea for beekeepers in different areas of the state to form local associations. Beekeepers in the northeastern section of the state were the first local to organize with the "Northeastern Oklahoma Beekeepers Association, with headquarters at Claremore in 1967. In March of 1968, the "East Central Oklahoma Beekeepers Association" was organized with headquarters in Ada, Oklahoma. In October of 1968, the Northwestern Oklahoma Beekeepers Association was formed at Enid. As previously stated, the State Association held most of their meetings in Oklahoma City; however, with the organization of various local associations over the state, this led to the ruling of having the spring meetings, which were designated as being educational: meetings, to be hosted by the local associations. In June 1969, the state meeting was held at Ada, Oklahoma, at the Fairgrounds building, hosted by the East Central Oklahoma Beekeepers Association. This turned out to be a very worthwhile meeting not only for the gracious hospitality of the host association, but also for the speech given by Dr. Wm. G. Peterson, famous allergy specialist. Dr. Peterson recommended pure raw honey as a cure for most allergies and hay fever patients. In two months time his speech had been printed some 20 thousand times in newspapers and medical journals all over the country. It was a "shot in the arm" for all beekeepers large and small.