Event Details

Date  

Saturday, July 16, 2021

 

Time

9 AM - 2 PM

 

Location

Cherry Glen Learning Center

3989 NW 94TH Ave

Polk City, IA      

 

Agenda

• 9 AM

  • Welcome!

• 9:15 AM

  • We will walk out to the hives where there will be three stations.  Time allotment at each station is approximately 30 minutes - each participant will rotate from station to station.  

  • Stations:

    • Hive examination:  Presentations with Jamie Beyer and Dr. Ray Meylor

    • Queen Marking:  Presentations plus hand's on drone-marking with Dr. Linn Wilbur and Dr. David Schmitt

    • Varro mite testing:  Presentations with Randall Cass

• 11 AM: 

  • Return to the Cherry Glen Learning Center, where it is air conditioned!

  • Lunch and a short business meeting

• 11:30 AM

  • Presentations

    • Randall Cass:  Mite treatments

    • Dr. Ray Meylor:  Conservation/Bee habitat

    • Jamie Beyer:  Swarm Trapping/bee vacuums

• Approximately 1:30 PM

  • Wrap up​

 

Speaker/Presenter Bios​

Ray Meylor / Cherry Glen Farms

Ray Meylor operates Cherry Glen Learning Farm dedicated to providing education related to conservation, soil and water quality and sustainable agriculture. The 10-acre working farm has community gardens, a bee yard and building used for hands-on classes, demonstrations and other community events. Among the farm’s many partners are the Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District that has set up a watershed mitigation demonstration at the farm.

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Randall Cass

Iowa State University has an extension specialist devoted to working with Iowa beekeepers, Randall P. Cass. An entomologist, Cass joined Iowa State in 2018 to develop educational materials for beekeepers, including how-to videos and fact sheets, and materials to inform the general public about issues related to honeybees and native Iowa pollinators. Cass also is a member of the Iowa Pollinator Conservation Working Group that is studying ways to protect pollinators in agricultural landscapes.

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Linn Wilbur

Linn Wilbur—Retired federal veterinarian. Long time CIBA board member and presently Secretary/Treasurer of CIBA. Started beekeeping here in Iowa in the 1970’s for a few years after taking a college beekeeping class his senior year at Penn State and then shortly after graduating moving to Iowa. Picked up beekeeping again after retiring. Linn and his wife, Ann, have about 40 hives and honey is sold under his daughter’s business (Elizabella Flower Farm) primarily at the Ames Main Street Farmer’s market. Lives north of Nevada but apiaries are in both Boone and Story Counties.

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Jamie Beyer

Jamie Beyer has been keeping and managing honey bee colonies for over 7 years and presently has over 50 hives. He has a Masters Degree in Fish and Wildlife Biology and nature has been his passion for his entire 72 years of his life – well, at least since he could stand and walk.
He is President of the Central Iowa Beekeepers Association and is District 4 Director of the Iowa Honey Producers Association. He is also a Legislative Representative of IHPA. He is best known for swarm capture techniques by either using swarm traps or catching the clusters.

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Things to Remember to Bring!

1)    Lunch for yourself

• Drinks, dessert and some snacks provided during lunch by CIBA

2)    Protective bee gear to your liking, as we will be working with bee hives, and you will have opportunity for hand's on experience!

3)    Water/beverages/water bottles for taking outside to the station

4)    Sunscreen, hats, for sun protection, as needed.  

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COVID-19 

• Please do not attend if you feel unwell or have recent contact with a known or suspected COVID positive individual.

• Feel free to wear a mask regardless of your vaccination status whenever you deem it appropriate or CDC recommends.  

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Contact Us

If you have questions, contact:

• Don Sievers, CIBA Vice President

• Call:  (515) 447-3203

• Email:  Don at dwsievers4@gmail.com