Category: Guild
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Winter Loss Survey
Hi everyone! PLEASE fill out the PA winter loss survey before the end of April! The survey about overwintering survival of bees in PA is HERE. Surveys like this are used to learn about the impacts of management, land use, and weather and how they interact to affect winter bee survival. You can check out last year’s results…
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We Got the Trailer!
Last year the Guild received a Grant for extraction equipment from the PA Dept. of Agriculture. The project is nearing completion with the acquisition of a trailer for honey extraction that will serve as a certified honey kitchen. It features state-of-the-art equipment and aims to facilitate honey processing anywhere and any time.
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Farm Show 2026
This year, PBG Apiary Committee Lead Eric Schoefer volunteered for the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association at the Farm Show, where he engaged in educational activities about beekeeping. He enjoyed various demonstrations and competitions. Despite the crowds, he found volunteering rewarding and encourages others to visit on weekdays for a more relaxed experience.
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March Monthly Meeting – Phil Lester and DSRNA for Varroa Mites
We were fortunate enough to get Dr. Phil Lester from New Zealand for our March Meeting speaker. A next-generation biopesticide for Varroa management: gene silencing and the use of dsRNA with Dr. Phil Lester. Varroa destructor is a global pest that has developed resistance to synthetic pesticides. In this talk, I’ll discuss a novel, next-generation…
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February Monthly Meeting featuring Ty Kelius of Bee Rescue Company
In February local removal expert Ty Kelius shared his business and current work with us. It was an impressive show and well worth your time. Removals need to be done carefully and with a detailed understanding of the structure you’re removing from. Ty combines a love of beekeeping with a family legacy of contracting to…
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A Flood of Extension Links
Everybody loves Robyn Underwood. This is a beekeeping fact as well known as the proper term for a laying worker. It’s gospel. Well Robyn has been up to it again and has flooded my inbox with incredibly helpful information and asked that we pass it on. Since it’s too cold outside to do anything, even…
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A Beekeepers Co-op?
Yes! The Guild has been awarded a Farm Vitality Grant from the PA Dept. of Agriculture for assistance in setting up a Beekeepers Co-op. The Grant is for $7,500 towards the $10,000 contract that the the Guild is entering with the Keystone Development Center. KDC is a non-profit that specializes in developing cooperatives. The Guild…
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Mobile Extraction Grant
The Guild has been awarded a PA Dept. of Agriculture grant to build a mobile honey extraction trailer. The proposal is to put a complete extraction line including uncapper, wax recovery, holding tank for uncapped frames, extractor, clarifier, honey pump, filters, holding tanks, bottling tanks, bottling machine, air conditioner, generator, etc. The idea of this…
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USDA Announces New Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crop Producers
The USDA’s Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program supports specialty crop producers, including honey sellers, with cash payments based on prior sales. Applications are open from Dec. 10, 2024, to Jan. 8, 2025. Eligible producers must be active and share the risks associated with specialty crop production.
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Please Help Us Sell Ice Cream
We have received an urgent plea for help from the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association for help with the honey ice cream stand that they present every year at the Farm Show. The Farm Show is not a major destination for us in the Philly area but if you’re interested in agriculture and seeing what’s going…