The (Early) Arrival of Spring & Our Swarm Season!!
March Meeting = THIS WEDNESDAY 3/11/20 @ Library
Have YOU ever caught a Swarm?! Do you KNOW anyone who has?! How about WHAT causes a hive to Swarm?!
Would you like to not only learn the types/ behavior of “Swarms” but also what’s needed to catch one, along with the best tips/advice/methods in doing so??
Well, that’s what we hope to decipher at our upcoming meeting!
When: Wednesday, March 11th, 2020
Where: KDH Library – 400 Mustian Street, Kill Devil Hills 27948
Time: Starts @ 7:00 pm – Arrive anytime after 6:30 to chat each other up!
DETAILS
Our next meeting will be held Wednesday, March 11th, 2020, at the Kill Devil Hills Library meeting room. Arrive at 6:30 pm to socialize prior, and the meeting begins at 7:00 pm. If you arrive after 7:00 when the Library has locked their front door, follow the sidewalk around the left of the building to the back door. (Please remember, the Library requests no food or drinks!).
I will bring in the Swarm Trap made a couple of years ago at the workshop we held, that I’ve been lucky enough to employ in catching a swarm successfully (still have), as an example. We will aim to detail the many kinds of traps used, recommended wood/paint, best bait tactics, & suggested placement/retrieval methods.
Anyone who has one they’ve successfully used, are encouraged to bring theirs in as well, along with the stories (or Tales) of how you managed to catch a swarm – a sort of Show & Tell!
Swarm Season officially starts with Spring, yet swarms are cast anywhere from March through July; Sometimes there are even cases of swarms during Fall.
A swarm in May is worth a load of hay.
A swarm in June is worth a silver spoon.
A swarm in July ain’t worth a fly. [or …Let it fly.]
For those of you interested in possibly making your own – I have been working on finding a woodshop to utilize in order to host a “Swarm Trap Workshop”. The goal is to have the OBBG purchase the wood/materials, have it all pre-cut/drilled, with those in attendance applying glue/screws to construct it. Anyone unable to make it could simply buy any of the extra traps. The cost should be approx $25.
I’ve been following the National Phenology Network, which y’all may find helpful/interesting, so check out the following links…
Spring Overview
https://www.usanpn.org/news/spring
Spring Leaf Index
https://www.usanpn.org/files/npn/maps/six-leaf-index-anomaly.png
Spring Bloom Index
https://www.usanpn.org/files/npn/maps/six-bloom-index-anomaly.png
REMINDER:
Please see the previous email regarding the Volunteer Opportunities in need of YOU! Volunteering directly benefits our OBBG, our Community, & Ourselves!
Catch me with any Questions, Comments, or Concerns via email @ outerbanksbeekeepers@gmail.com
See y’all soon.
-Dalton Hyde
2020 OBBG President