Trees as Pollinators?!? All About Pollinator Habitat

Presenter: Mike Conner

Mike has been an ISA Certified Arborist since 1998. Being an Arborist and a nursery grower, as well as a beekeeper for more than 50 years has provided him with a unique understanding of trees, plants, and bees. Mike Connor owns Honeytree Nursery and is an experienced Beekeeper. He grew up on an orchard and Christmas tree farm in Southwestern Michigan acquiring his first bees when he was just 12 years old. Mike understands the relationships between plants, trees, and bees. Including a 7-year commitment as a municipal arborist and park superintendent, Mike has spent his entire career growing and caring for plants, trees, and bees. He is a co-founder of the Grand Rapids Area Bee Club. Mike attended Cornerstone University and Michigan State University.

Did you order trees through MBA?? Were you notified by email from HABA with instructions? If so, orders will be ready for pick-up before the meeting. If not, you will be notified by the club you are assigned to with instructions.

4:30-6:30 pm - Tree pick-up for those notified by HABA with instructions

6:30-6:45 pm - Open Forum Q&A. Come with photos or videos & questions!
6:45-7:00 pm - Opening Remarks - HABA President
7:00-8:30 pm - Presentation and Q&A
8:30-8:45 pm - Closing Remarks / Stick around for conversation.

This tree pick-up is only for those notified by HABA that your order is scheduled to be delivered to Holland.

Did you order trees through MBA?? Were you notified by email from HABA with instructions?

If so, orders will be ready for pick-up before the meeting. Otherwise, you will be notified by the club you are assigned to with instructions.

4:30-6:30 pm - Tree pick-up for those notified by HABA with instructions

Tonight’s Meeting Presenter Mike Conner is the arborist who provided the trees for this fundraiser. He knows his stuff!

What We Can Learn From Each Other
Mentee Discussion Panel, Annual Meeting and Board Elections

“Beekeeping is a fascinating and rewarding craft that requires dedication and discipline to advance successfully. Fortunately, within the beekeeping community, there is a culture of sharing knowledge and experience, which has been a guiding force for many beekeepers…” [Bee Kind Honeybees - Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada]

A few of the HABA mentors and mentees will be with us to share what they learned throughout their 2023 beekeeping experiences working with each other. Board member Rich Dykstra will interview them on lessons learned.

No meeting this month.

Our bee club needs YOU to serve on our board. Your input is valuable. Monthly meetings are virtual. Elections are in January.

Bee School registration begins this month. Consider volunteering to help, your registration will be free! There are some tasks beforehand and others are day-of only.

“Making your hobby financially sustainable while supporting bee conservation.”

Presenters: Audrey Heckwolf and Marge Kesler, Beekeepers and owners of BestBees

Ever wonder how you can make money as a hobbyist beekeeper? BestBees will cover what you need to know to create and sell products from your hives. They will cover the creative process as well as marketing, merchandising, and pricing.

Marge Kesler and Audrey Heckwolf have been beekeeping for four years and in 2020 decided to develop their hobby into something really special. Bestbees began creating products from their hives and made their hobby financially sustainable while giving back to support bee education and conservation.

Both Marge and Audrey are on the Grand Rapids Area Beekeeper’s Board as well as members and content creators for the MBA Bee Curious Program actively supporting children’s education about the importance of bees. Audrey is also a professor at Grand Rapids Community College’s Secchia Institute for Culinary Education.

HABA does not meet in December.

“The What and How of Mini-Nucs”

Steve Tilmann

Steve started keeping bees over a quarter century ago (yikes!). When he first started, he read the Hive and the Honey Bee (a 500+ page tome) from cover to cover. At one time, he produced nearly a ton of honey in one year; but has since cut back to around 6 hives.

From 2010 thru 2016 Steve served as Treasurer for the Michigan Beekeepers’ Association (MBA). During his tenure on the MBA Board, he also helped to organize the spring and fall conferences as well as the MBA’s web site. During that time he also served as Treasurer (for one year) for the Heartland Apicultural Society.

Steve is the producer, chief cook and bottle washer for his YouTube channel “In the Beekeeper’s Workshop”, a video series devoted to making your own equipment with over 1.5 million views.

He resides in Eaton County with his wife, Adrian, the beagles and around a couple hundred thousand bees.

“Windbreaks & Winterization”

Chuck Bauer

This presentation covers everything to successfully keep your bees alive and healthy into next spring. Chuck has had tremendous success in overwintering his colonies. Learn from an expert what he does to keep his bees alive.

Chuck is in his 15th year as a beekeeper. He intended to have two “hobby” beehives; he now has 25. He says it’s still a hobby that keeps him out of trouble. He prides himself in successfully overwintering his colonies.

Chuck is a past board member of our club and our 2017 ‘Beekeeper of the Year.’

and a member of five different bee clubs. He does “bee presentations” at all five clubs plus other clubs.

He is past president of the Grand Rapids Area Bee Club and a past board member of the Michigan Beekeepers Association and their 2020 ‘Beekeeper of the Year.’ Chuck was awarded ‘Beekeeper of the Year 2020’ by the Michiana Beekeepers Association (Indiana).

Field Day: Honey Extraction Demo

Time and details to be determined. FREE, no registration.

Bring your frames of honey and use the HABA club extractor to extract your honey. Bring something to take you honey home in.

Anticipatory Beekeeping & Intro to BeeMD

Dr. Dewey M Caron - Author/ Educator

"Anticipatory Beekeeping" and "BEE MD"

Anticipatory Beekeeping: The learning curve to success in beekeeping can be huge. Initially we tend to react to what is happening but as we gain experience, we find anticipating what the bees are going to do helps ensure we are 'in charge' vs the bees managing us. What do we need anticipate now in August (many consider it the beginning for the new year of bee care)? - queen replacement, splitting colonies, mite population growth, food needs of the winter, or ..(add here your favorite!). A look at the beginning of our annual bee season with emphasis on the major issues where anticipation, versus reaction, might ensure success (however we might define success).

Bee MD: Ever wonder where to go to get an answer for something you see in a beehive? Well Bee MD might be a good resource. I have spent the last year revising the Pollinator Protection website BeeMD and we have moved it to a USDA, APHIS, Information and Technology server. We will look at this resource and maybe even answer a question or two you have about your bees.

Biography: Dr Dewey M. Caron is Emeritus Professor of Entomology & Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, & Affiliate Professor, Dept. Horticulture, Oregon State University. He enjoyed professional appointments at Cornell University (1968-70), University of Maryland (1970-81) and University of Delaware (1981-2009), serving as entomology chair at the last two. He spent a sabbatical year at the USDA Tucson laboratory (1977-78) and two Fulbright awards for projects in Panama and Bolivia with Africanized bees. He retired from the University of Delaware in 2009 and moved to Portland, OR to be closer to grandkids.

In retirement he remains active in bee education, writing for newsletters, giving Bee Short Courses, assisting in several Master beekeeper programs, and giving presentations to local, state and regional bee clubs. He is the author of Honey Bee Biology & Beekeeping, main textbook used in University and bee association courses. His 10th and newest bee book is The Complete Bee Handbook published by Rockridge Press in 2020. He is the major author of several Honey Bee Health Coalition publications including Tools for Varroa Management and is finishing a USDA APHIS Bee MD web program.

Varroa Mite Control for Healthy Bees

10 am - 12 pm

The Field Day will start with a presentation created by MSU Extension office followed by hands-on options to test for mites and simulate treatment options.  

If you have already attended a previous HABA varroa mite check field day, please do not complete this registration. Space is limited and we need to reach as many beekeepers and future beekeepers as possible.

“Evaluating Honeybee Brood Frames”

Ana Heck, MSU Apiculture Extension Educator

Learn to distinguish between healthy and sick brood and to recognize signs of European Foulbrood, American Foulbrood, chalkbrood, and varroa parasitic mite brood syndrome.

Ana Heck is Michigan State University’s Apiculture Extension Educator. She began working with honeybees in Nicaragua, and then she worked with the University of Minnesota Bee Squad and Michigan State University, Department of Entomology before joining Extension. Her role engages beekeepers, growers, pesticide applicators, and home gardeners to improve the health of pollinators. Ana holds a master’s degree in public policy and a graduate minor in Entomology from the University of Minnesota.

Ana’s MSU web page

Queen Rearing and Colony Increase Workshop - 2nd of 2 parts

Shaana Way, Instructor

June 17 part 2

See June 10 Part 1 for details and sign-up.
This is a 2-part series on June 10 & 17. Attendance at both is expected.

• 10-10:30- Recap June 10

• 10:30- ?? Inspect hives for queen cells and make splits

• Demo on marking queens

• BYO Lunch

• Q&A / possible option to purchase the new colonies and/or mated queens

• WEARING PROTECTIVE GEAR IS REQUIRED!

Queen Rearing and Colony Increase Workshop - 1st of 2 parts

Shaana Way, Instructor

Part 1 Date: June 10, 10-2pm

• 10-11:30 -Classroom (cover 3-4 methods of generating queens for increase)

• 11:30-noon -BYO Lunch

• noon-2PM - hands on in the hives (target 3 strong hives)

Part 2 Date: June 17, 10-2pm

• 10-10:30- Recap June 10

• 10:30- ?? Inspect hives for queen cells and make splits.

• Demo on marking queens

• BYO Lunch

• Q&A / possible option to purchase the new colonies and/or mated queens

Limited to 20 participants for this 2 part Field Event. Attendance both dates is expected.
Cost: $30 per participant plus Eventbrite fees, includes BOTH dates.

WEARING PROTECTIVE GEAR IS REQUIRED!

“All About Making New Colonies”

Dr. Meghan Milbrath, MSU Dept of Entomology

Meghan will speak on the benefits of using NUCs - We will discuss how to make NUCs mid-summer for apiary expansion, for sale, and for maintaining queens.  We will cover why NUCs are useful, what equipment you need, how to make them up, and how to maintain them.  

Meghan Milbrath is an assistant professor in the Department of Entomology at MSU, where she studies honeybee diseases, focusing on transmission risk and treatment.  Dr. Milbrath is also a beekeeper - she began working bees over 25 years ago as a hobby, and since 2011, has run The Sand Hill Apiary, a small livestock and queen rearing operation in Munith, Michigan. She studied biology at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, and received degrees in public health from Tulane University and the University of Michigan, where she focused on environmental health sciences and disease transmission risk.  Meghan worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Michigan State University, studying Nosema disease and in the honeybee lab at Swedish Agricultural University. 

Dr. Milbrath's MSU web page
Megan's Sand Hill Bees site

New meeting location!

Howard Miller Community Center, 14 S. Church St., Zeeland, MI 49464

On-the-Spot Queen Rearing/ Varroa Control

Mel Disselkoen - MDA Splitter Author, Inventor of OTS Method of Increase [colonies]
Author of “OTS Queen Rearing: A Survival Guide for Beekeepers Worldwide”

Mel Disselkoen was born on a farm in a Dutch settlement in southeast South Dakota and he grew up with an independent farming mentality of hard work and creative problem solving. He has kept bees for 40 years and is familiar with all phases of beekeeping including maintaining 450 colonies with a commercial migratory operation. In 2000, he sold his bees to that operation so that they could meet their pollination contracts. They are still in business today but Mel decided to leave the operation in order to focus more on his research into bee behavior in the tradition of Rev. L.L. Langstroth, G.M. Doolittle and Dr. C.C. Miller.

In 1988, he authored a booklet entitled “I.M.N. System of Queen Rearing” and today is incorporating that work with making splits and overwintering nucs to outbreed varroa mites while simultaneously avoiding expensive and harmful chemicals. He has kept chemical-free bees for over 20 years and is dedicated to sharing his findings in order to help novice beekeepers become successful and self-sufficient.

Packaged Bees Installation Demonstration on Saturday

One demonstration only: 10 am

A HABA member will be present to demonstrate how to install packaged bees into your hive.

Free. No advance sign-up. WEARING PROTECTIVE GEAR IS REQUIRED!

Packaged Bees Installation Demonstrations Friday

Four options:

• 9 am

• 11 am (B-Funnel method demo)

• 1 pm

• 3 pm

A HABA member will be present to demonstrate how to install packaged bees into your hive.

Free. No advance sign-up. WEARING PROTECTIVE GEAR IS REQUIRED!

5:45 pm - A Mobile Slovenian Hive Trailer will be in the parking lot for you to view with it’s creator Reese Watson.

6:30 - 7 pm - Q & A and club updates

7 - 8:30 pm (presenter and Q&A) Forage & Honey Flow: Trees are the single largest source of pollen and nectar for pollinators throughout most of the U.S. Bees need trees for Spring build-up, for population growth, and for a honey crop. Trees are often overlooked as nectar sources, so we are passionate about spreading the word to beekeepers, educators, and garden groups.

Presenter Biography: Mike Connor is a certified ISA Certified Arborist specializing in growing pollinator-friendly trees. He owns Honeytree Nursery in Shelbyville, Mi and has kept bees for more than 50 years. His experience as a beekeeper has provided Mike with a unique understanding of trees, plants and their impact on honeybees.

8:30 pm - First pick-up option for trees, parking lot

Michigan Beekeepers Association Spring Conference

Sponsors: Michigan Beekeepers Association & Michigan State University Extension

Keynote: David Peck, Ph.D., Director of Research and Education, Betterbee in Greenwich, NY.

Walk-ins are WELCOME!

SOLD OUT - See WAITLIST LINK below. Bee School is geared for two levels of beekeepers. Beginner beekeepers or those considering considering beekeeping and an intermediate track for more experienced beekeepers. It will feature two keynote speakers, six different breakout session topics offered at three time slots throughout the day, vendors, and the option to purchase a boxed lunch in advance. Primary adult registrations include $10 in Bee Bucks to use with vendors the day of Bee School. Registration materials will be sent to you by email attachments in advance of Bee School. If you must register by check, please email members@hollandbees.org for instructions with the subject line “Personal check registration.” Check-in time with Bee Bucks distribution is 7:30 am - 8 am. Bee School begins at 8 am.

Join us in a new room (#133) for a panel of seasoned beekeepers to share their experiences and answer your questions. This is also our annual meeting to elect board members as outlined in our by-laws.

Reminder: No monthly meetings in February or March. We encourage you to attend Bee School if you are a relatively new beekeeper. We don’t meet in March to free up your month to attend the MBA - Michigan Beekeepers Association - annual spring conference at MSU.

Presenter Amy Fester.

Presenter Chuck Bauer. Chuck is on his 14th year as a beekeeper. He intended to have 2 “hobby” beehives, he now has 25, “it’s still a hobby, something to keep me out of trouble.”

Chuck is a past board member of the Holland Bee Club and Holland’s 2017 “Beekeeper of the Year." He is currently the president of the Grand Rapids Area Bee Club and a member of 5 different bee clubs! He does “bee presentations” at all 5 clubs. He is a board member of the Michigan Beekeepers Association and their 2020 “Beekeeper of the Year” winner. Chuck was awarded “Beekeeper of the Year 2020” by the Michiana Beekeepers Association (Indiana).

Chuck prides himself on successfully overwintering his colonies.

Presenters Jenny & Molly Murphy. Jenny is a MSU Certified Pollinator Champion and HABA member who, along with her daughter Molly, will be presenting information on planting for pollinators and sharing their journey into beekeeping and creating a pollinator friendly habitat.

This event is free with no sign-up. Join Don Lam & Erin Von Tom for a sticky experience. Bring your own frames for extraction and a container(s) to bring YOUR own honey home with you. No frames to extract? No worries! you’ll get hands on experience learning alongside others beekeepers.

Detailed background knowledge will be covered at the July 14 regular HABA meeting. The Field Day will have a short refresher followed by hands-on options to test for mites and simulate treatment options.

If you have already attended a previous HABA varroa mite check field day, please do not complete this registration. Space is limited and we need to reach as many beekeepers and future beekeepers as possible.

REGISTER for 9 AM Session HERE

REGISTER for 11 AM Session HERE