Kamloops Beekeepers Club
General Meeting Minutes, 16 January 2024
TRU, Scratch Café
Meeting revised to education session only due to snowfall and road conditions. We want everyone to get
the best information from our speaker and make it home safe! Items in red were not addressed.
1. Call to Order: 6:28, 21 present: Board present: Gary Martin, David Bruce, Nancy Burkholder, Joanne Nicklas, Trisha Watkinson,
Gerry Herman, Duane Robinson, Murray Willis, Klauss Voss, Bonnie Klohn
2. Approval of agenda:
3. Approval of meeting minutes:
4. Education presentation: Doug Gordon, Okanagan Honey Company, Armstrong
Introduction by Murray Willis
Topics Covered:
1. Setting up the hives for winter.
The plan starts in the fall to set you up for spring success. Tip; maintain the “winter”
insulation wrap, especially the top insulation, later into spring for a stronger hive.
2. Checking winter stores.
Tip; use 6mm vapour barrier poly at the top of the top box so when you open there’s no draft into the hive.
Fridge/freezer temp – 8 to + 3/4 ideal for quick winter/spring inspection.
Ideally you should see a cluster of bees & capped honey around the sides of the hive/cluster.
Open hive if unsure of what is happening within the hive; if you know what is occurring in the hive.
Doug feeds Global patties w/ 15% pollen; add to box 2 week prior to flight feeding – approx. March
3. Plans for spring treatment & ways to expand spring build-up
When overnight temp is around 0 a sugar syrup can be added to stimulate the hive.
After pollen is abundant in the hive (pollen pants!) no further nutritional supplementation is required.
Tip; thermal camera can be used to view the size of the nest.
Feed when 10 day forecast shows no flying weather – rain/heavy wind
Tip; Err on the side of nutrition.
5. New Business: 19 March 2024 general meeting – education topic?
6. Action Items: Beekeepers task list
7. Next meetings:
1. BOD, Tuesday 20 February 2024; GoogleMeet
2. General Meeting, Tuesday 19 March 2024; TRU, Scratch Café
8. Motion to adjourn: 7:48 Gary