2023 Open Apiary Day

The Oregon Master Beekeeper Program is excited to offer our 2023 Open Apiary Day as a chance to hear about updates from the OSU Honey Bee Lab, investigate various hive types and styles, and network with fellow beekeepers. Getting Started and Apprentice students can earn Education Points for participating.

Date: Saturday June 24th, 2023
Time: 12 pm to 4:00 pm
Location: Oak Creek Center for Urban Horticulture, OSU campus, Corvallis OR
Parking: Parking is free at OSU on the weekends. Parking is extremely limited at Oak Creek (except for handicapped access), so please plan to park at either of two nearby lots and walk to Oak Creek.
What to bring: chair, sunscreen, water bottle, notebook, bee suit (tools and smoker not needed). We have a small number of bee suits and hats/veils for people to borrow.

SCHEDULE

Under the big tent

12:00 pm to 12:50 pm: Arrivals and street taco buffet lunch

12:50 to 1:00 pm: Welcome and introductions (Jen Larsen, Rita Ostrofsky, Dewey Caron)
1:00 to 1:30 pm: Lunch talk – OSU Honey Bee Lab Research Updates from Dr. Ramesh Sagili
1:30 to 1:40 pm: Introduction to the “To Cull or Not to Cull” Activity by Dr. Andony Melathopoulos
1:40 to 2:00 pm: Smoker lighting demonstration

Activity rotations

2:00 to 2:20 pm

  • Apiary – 8-frame Langstroth hive basic topics (Jennifer Holzapfel-Hanson, OMB Master student)
  • Apiary – 10-frame Langstroth hive basic topics (Julie Schmidlkofer, OMB Master student)
  • Apiary – Pagoda hive (Eric Holzapfel, OMB Journey student)
  • Apiary – Flow hive with EFB (Carolyn Breece, OSU Honey Bee Lab)
  • Pavilion area – Bumble bee nest display (Steve Gomes, OMB certified Master Beekeeper and Master Melittologist certified Apprentice)
  • Pavilion area – Beekeeping equipment display (Max Kuhn and James Hagerman, OMB certified Master Beekeepers)
  • Gardens and polytunnels – *Natives vs. Nativars for Pollinators study plots (Jen Hayes, OSU PhD graduate student, Garden Ecology Lab)
  • “To Cull or Not to Cull” frame activity – Location TBD

 2:20 to 2:40 pm 

  • Apiary – 8-frame Langstroth hive basic topics (Jennifer Holzapfel-Hanson, OMB Master student)
  • Apiary – 10-frame Langstroth hive basic topics (Julie Schmidlkofer, OMB Master student)
  • Apiary – Pagoda hive (Eric Holzapfel, OMB Journey student)
  • Apiary – Flow hive with EFB (Carolyn Breece, OSU Honey Bee Lab)
  • Pavilion area – Bumble bee nest display (Steve Gomes, OMB certified Master Beekeeper and Master    Melittologist certified Apprentice)
  • Pavilion area – Beekeeping equipment display (Max Kuhn and James Hagerman, OMB certified Master Beekeepers)
  • Gardens and polytunnels – *Natives vs. Nativars for Pollinators study plots (Jen Hayes, OSU PhD graduate student, Garden Ecology Lab)
  • “To Cull or Not to Cull” frame activity – Location TBD

2:40 to 3:00 pm

  • Apiary – 8-frame Langstroth hive advanced topics (Troy Gooding, OMB certified Journey Beekeeper)
  • Apiary – 10-frame Langstroth hive advanced topics (David Martinez, OMB Master student)
  • Apiary – Top bar hive (Jana Patterson, OMB Journey student)
  • Apiary – Long hive (Matt Stouder, OMB Master student)
  • Pavilion area – Beekeeping equipment display (Max Kuhn and James Hagerman, OMB certified Master Beekeepers)
  • “To Cull or Not to Cull” frame activity – Location TBD

3:00 to 3:20 pm

  • Apiary – 8-frame Langstroth hive advanced topics (Troy Gooding, OMB certified Journey Beekeeper)
  • Apiary – 10-frame Langstroth hive advanced topics (David Martinez, OMB Master student)
  • Apiary – Top bar hive (Jana Patterson, OMB Journey student)
  • Apiary – Long hive (Matt Stouder, OMB Master student)
  • Pavilion area – Beekeeping equipment display (Max Kuhn and James Hagerman, OMB certified Master Beekeepers)
  • “To Cull or Not to Cull” frame activity – Location TBD

Under the big tent

3:20 to 3:30 pm: Gather back under the big tent

3:30 to 4:00 pm: Dr. Andony Melathopoulos will be walking us through the answers to the hands-on frame grading exercise, “To Cull or Not to Cull”

* for more information about this study, see the links below:

https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/gardenecologylab/

https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/gardenecologylab/2022/12/26/2022-field-update-native-plants-native-cultivars/

https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/gardenecologylab/2023/01/27/petal-cutting-bees/

https://extension.oregonstate.edu/podcast/pollination-podcast/191-jen-hayes-natives-v-nativars-pollinators