PPBA

Thursday, April 17th, 6:30pm: General Membership Meeting
The PPBA meets from 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm on the third Thursday of the months of January, April, July and October. We are looking for a permanent location for our meeting but in the meantime, please be aware that the meeting locations may change from meeting to meeting. Meetings are open to the public.

The first half hour (6:30-7:00) of the PPBA General Membership meetings is reserved for socializing and general questions. The formal portion of the meeting will start promptly at 7:00 pm and will include association business and the presentations for that meeting. There will be time for questions during or after the formal portion of the meeting, but those questions should be limited to the topics being discussed.

The next PPBA General Membership Meeting will be Thursday, April 17th, at the Gold Hills Mesa Police Station, 955 West Moreno Ave, in Colorado Springs. Please come prepared to pay 2025 dues if you have not already done so.
Our April guest speaker is Mr. David Izaguire, hailing from Pierce, Colorado. He is a commercial beekeeper with over 20 years experience, who manages around 800 hives. In late fall he transports his hives to California to pollinate the almond trees and at the end of March/early April his hives return to his Colorado business location. He raises his own queens and hive splits, and sells nucs, queens, and bee packages. In summer, his hives are spread throughout north central Colorado to the Wyoming border. Lazarus Fields will also be speaking about swarm management techniques.

The July 17th meeting will be at the St Constantine and Helen Orthodox Church – 2770 N. Chestnut Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80907

Second Quarter Hive Management
Hive management tips are from Rocky Mountain Bee Supply. More details can be found by clicking here.

April – The weather begins to improve, and the early blossoms such as dandelions begin to appear. The drones will begin to appear. The bees will begin leaving the hive in search of pollen sources as the month passes. Towards the end of the month, the entire hive will begin to return to an almost normal operation now that winter is almost over. There will be cold snaps, but the bees will do fine as they begin to expand. Their need for food will rapidly increase. Note: throughout the Rocky Mountain region, it is not uncommon to experience snowfall or a cold snap all the way thru mid-May.

● Inspect hives, and take appropriate actions based on individual hive condition

● Keep feeding weaker hives, keep pollen patties on top too

● Inspect for abnormalities, you are looking for a healthy queen and solid brood laying pattern

● Package bees typically arrive at the end of the month – make sure all equipment is prepared

● Consider equalizing hives: combine weak hives with strong ones, as a weak hive is an invitation for pests and disease May – The hive is expanding rapidly. The brood chambers are filling up fast and the bees will be working hard. If insufficient space has been provided, the brood chambers are becoming crowded and congested, and bees are probably preparing to swarm. The hive should be bursting with activity.

● Spring mite treatments should be completed, and removed prior to adding any honey supers.

● If using, add a queen excluder, and place honey supers on top of the top deep.

● Implement a swarm management strategy and consider having extra, empty hives on hand so you’ll be able to capture a swarm.

June –The bees will be working hard filling supers. They can still swarm during June, so stay vigilant. There is no need to feed the mature hives. They are gathering plenty of nectar and pollen. You may see the bees hanging out on the front of the hive at night. This is normal. On hot evenings, many bees will spend the night outside the hive, clinging to the front of the hive or they may form a beard on the ground in front of the hive. This phenomenon is called “bearding”. Don’t worry, this would be like you enjoying your cool porch on a hot evening. You can help by adding ventilation such as propping the telescoping cover up slightly, or installing a screened inner cover or slatted rack.

● Continue to monitor your hive. Inspect your hive every two weeks to ensure the queen is laying well.

● The bees will need water, so be sure to keep a water source near your hives. Bird baths filled with water will help to ensure that your bees stay out of the dog’s water bowl and your neighbor’s pool. Some beekeepers maintain their feeders full of water (no syrup) to make it easier for the bees to keep cool.

● Add honey supers as needed. Keep up swarm inspections.

July – If the weather is good, the nectar flow may continue this month. As the nectar flow subsides, the bees will become more flighty, searching for nectar which is not as plentiful to find. The bees are beginning the final effort to store up for winter, searching for final nectar sources. Golden Rod and Aster plants may provide some nectar flow in the fall. On hot nights, you may see a huge curtain of bees cooling themselves on the exterior of the hive.

● Continue inspections to assure the health of your colony, add more honey supers if needed

● Continue to check your supers! You’ll now begin removing and extracting your honey.

● Most beekeepers begin to consider the amount of mites within hives during July. Most begin to treat, based upon mite count/survey results. However, most treatments cannot be administered in a hive while supers are on. This could contaminate the honey with chemical residue.

● If mites become a problem it will be during the summer and fall months. It is best not to disturb the bees during summer nectar flows unless there is evidence of extremely heavy mite loads.

2025 Meeting and Event Dates
Bee Package Installation at Adrian May’s Bee Yard
We will be meeting at Adrian May’s bee yard to talk about installing a bee package. If you are receiving package bees from Rocky Mountain Bee Supply, they are currently scheduled for pickup on April 26th from 6:00am to 3:00pm. Our recommendation is either to pick up your bees early and store them in a cool dark place, come to the package install and then return home and install your bees in the early evening, or come to the package install and pick up your bees on the way home.
Fountain, CO
April 26th
10:00am
Dates and times could change at the last minute due to weather. Approximately 48hr before the event we will check the weather, confirm the bees are on time, and then send out the address to the list of registrants.
Click here to sign up, and receive the event address

April 17th: General Membership Meeting – Gold Hills Mesa Police Station

April 26th: Bee Package Installation at Adrian May’s Bee Yard
June 7th: Summer Bee Yard Visit – Volunteer Hive Needed
July 17th: General Membership Meeting – St. Constantine and Helen Orthodox Church
July 19th: Package Check-in at Adrian May’s Bee Yard + Potluck Picnic at Fountain Creek Regional Park
August 23rd: Honey Extraction Demo at Bear Creek Nature Center – Volunteer Frames Needed
September 6th: Fall Bee Yard Visit – Steve and Corky Watt’s Bee Yard
September 27th: UCCS Cool Science Carnival Day – Volunteers Needed
October 16th: General Membership Meeting – Gold Hills Mesa Police Station

Bee Yard Visit and Potluck Picnic at Fountain Creek Regional Park
Let’s check in on Adrian’s bees! After a bee yard visit in the morning, we’ll be doing a potluck picnic at Fountain Creek Regional Park. PPBA will provide main dishes, and you can sign up for side dishes on the link below. We’ll have food, games, and a baking competition (must include honey!). We are also planning on a smoker competition – bring your own smoker and fuel and see who can keep theirs going the longest!
Fountain Creek Regional Park
July 19th
9:00am bee yard visit, picnic down the road around 11:00am
Click here to sign up, and let us know what you’re bringing

Bees in the News
UC Health on How to Start Beekeeping
Bees, butterflies and other pollinators are now classified as wildlife in Colorado

HELP OUT PPBA – Volunteer Opportunities!
MENTORING! If you’ve been a beekeeper for a while and would like to be a mentor, contact PikesPeakBeekeepers@gmail.com to update the roster and get hooked up with a beekeeper who may need some help!
PPBA Guest Speakers. PPBA gets lots of requests for guest speakers at schools, service organizations and local expos or events. Most speaker requests are just for a one-hour long presentation on beekeeping. If you could speak about beekeeping to a school or group, please email PikesPeakBeekeepers@gmail.com . See our events list above for current volunteer needs.