Foothills Learning Center

The TVBC has partnered with the Foothills Learning Center to provide educational opportunities about the Apis mellifera (honey bees) for the public. We have a bee yard on the grounds used for the Honey Bee Apprentice Program taught each year for new beekeepers. Please visit their website for all classes available at the Foothills Learning Center.
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FLC UPDATE JUNE 2017

MOU
-MOU is signed by both parties!  Woo hoo!

HIVE UPDATES
-Observation hive is populated and doing well.
-The grumpy hive has been moved back from Kevin Duesman’s camp for queen rehabilitation and merged with a hive that had laying workers.
-3 hives are confirmed queen right.  1 had swarm cells and will be checking for the queen July 1st. Queen right hives have honey supers on!
-July 1st I will be doing hive inspections.  Anyone interested in seeing a hive inspection is encouraged to attend.  Times TBD depending on weather.  Updates will be posted on Facebook and FLC distribution or contact me.

GARDEN UPDATES
-June garden cleanup this Saturday the 24th 10:30AM-1:00 PM.  Please bring:
    •Garden gloves
    •Full sized shovel, trowel, hand shovel, or weeding tool
    •Water bottle (there is water available)
    •Lunch
    •Hat, sunscreen
    •Plant questions!

COMING UP
-June 24th garden clean up
-July 1st hive inspections
-End of July Honey extractions and mite counting

FLC UPDATE APRIL/MAY 2017

MOU
-MOU was approved by the City.  Some minor changes are being updated and should have it signed by the end of May

HIVE UPDATES
-After the garden cleanup we had OSU apprenti assist with hive inspections. 
  -Goal was to determine timeline to split the hives.
  -Learned some good methods to try when you cannot find the queen.
-Hives have been labeled from North to South 1-4
-Hive 1 Grumpy.  Dispatched the queen and added a WSU QC.  Emerged as of 4/29 but also observed emergency cells.
-Hive 2 Moved queen to nuc. Modified Demaree split with WSU cells in both top and bottom
-Hive 3. Modified Demaree split with queen in bottom and WSU cell in top.  Added a deep to bottom colony since and queen emerged successfully.
Hive 4. Really grumpy.  Moved queen to nuc eventually dispatching her.  Placed WSU cell in hive and nuc.  Nuc still really grumpy so relocated it due to proximity to public and FLC employees.
-We have caught 3 small swarms on the FLC grounds.  Have not determined which hives they came from or if they even came from our hives.
-Planning to populate the observation hive in the upcoming weeks.

GARDEN UPDATES
-The April garden cleanup was a success.  About a dozen club members attended.
-Sierra Laverty (OSU apprenti and runs the Botanical Garden hives) has agreed to help with the garden and planting.
-Purchased and planted 27 plants at the Botanical Gardens yearly sale and planted in the garden. I will provide a list off all plants at the bottom of this update.
-We will start having garden cleanup events every 4-6 weeks to help with weeding and garden maintenance.
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COMING UP
-Sierra will be hosting a garden cleanup this weekend, Saturday May 20th from 1:00-4:00 PM.  Please bring your own tools, sunscreen, water, and questions for Sierra!
-Will be doing inspections sometime in the next few weeks.  Once I have a solid date I will post on the Facebook page and to the FLC TVBC distribution list.  Due to the limited amount of space we are only looking to have about 10 club members participating.  I will ask for RSVP’s.  If you are not signed up to the FLC TVBC distribution you can do so here: http://eepurl.com/cPegbH

PLANTS THE TVBC ADDED TO THE GARDEN
Apache Sunset Hyssop x 2
Azure Blue Sage
Blanketflower x 2
Cardwell's Penstemon
Chocolate Flower
Davidson's Penstemon
Dill
Echinacea 'Magnus'
Engelmann's Daisy
Indian Feather 'Belleza White' x 2
Indian Feather 'Little Janie'
Indian Feather 'Passionate Blush'
Mercury Rising Tickseed
Nepeta 'Walker's Low'
Professor Kippenburg Aster
Purple Rain Salvia
Red Mexican Sage
Red Monardella 
Rockvine Penstemon
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Sienna Sunset Tickseed x 2
Winecups
Yellow Coneflower