Knox-Lincoln County Beekeepers [KLCB] host their End of Summer Wrap Up meeting with hive opening on Saturday, Aug. 19. The topic of this meeting is “Early Fall Look.” The meeting begins at 10 a.m. at the home Joan Ray in Bremen.

KLCB is pleased to welcome speaker, Dave Spicer, KLCB past president, Vice President of the Maine State Beekeepers Association, and co-owner of Spicer Bees in Whitefield. David and his wife Susan are an educational resource for beekeepers across Maine, but especially to those in the Midcoast area. Come with questions and a desire to learn more about how we can best manage our local hives.

The hive opening will focus on fall management based on what was learned last month with Jennifer Lund, State Apiarist. The hive will be inspected for varroa mites with a demonstration of how to apply any needed miticide treatment; set up for fall flow, and position brood and honey reserves in anticipation of winter.

Spicer will also show how to set up the hive for winter with proper installation of the entrance reducer, mouse guard, insulated winter board, positioning of inner and outer covers and insulated hive wrap.

Please come ready to share your successes and challenges; let other beekeepers know what strategies have worked for you and what has been less than successful. This will be a great time for more experienced beekeepers to share with those folks approaching their first winter keeping bees.

Bring a veil (bee or insect), your picnic lunch, a dish to share if desired, friends and family, lawn chair, and questions. It's a relaxing way to spend an early fall afternoon and a good way to get your bee questions answered.

This meeting is free and open to the public and anyone interested in beekeeping. For more information, call Jean Vose at 207-563-7564 or visit us our website at www.klcbee.com for details and directions.

Knox-Lincoln County Beekeepers is a chapter of the Maine State Beekeepers Association. The goal of the chapter is to encourage, support and promote education in matters related to bees and amateur/hobbyist beekeeping and to promote successful beekeeping in Knox and Lincoln counties.