Events and meetings hosted by Superior Beekeeping Club and other Beekeeping Organizations
Check back often. We'll post upcoming workshops and in-person meetings here and on the club's facebook page.
REGULAR MEETINGS of the Superior Beekeeping Club: Unless otherwise noted, meetings will be held on the THIRD THURSDAY of the month at the Chocolay Township Hall, 6:30 pm.
REGULAR MEETINGS of the Superior Beekeeping Club: Unless otherwise noted, meetings will be held on the THIRD THURSDAY of the month at the Chocolay Township Hall, 6:30 pm.
The Upper Peninsula Beekeeping Conference is BACK IN 2024!!! More info!!
Past events....
Superior Beekeeping Club’s Annual Potluck and Auction!!
Thursday, December 7th, 6:00 pm. - Chocolay Township Hall
Thursday, December 7th, 6:00 pm. - Chocolay Township Hall
Fall Prep: Thursday, Sept. 21st, 6:30pm; Chocolay Twp. Hall
- Sugar boards for emergency winter food - how to make and how to place in the hive.
- Late fall mite treatments.
- Overwintering insulation options.
- Late fall mite treatments.
MITE TESTING and Treatment Methods - FIELD workshop - John and Angie Robinson will host a mite testing demo on Monday, June 19th at 5pm. The powdered sugar roll method and/or the alcohol wash method will be demonstrated. Discussion of some treatment methods will also be included.
***Varroa testing and management resources are now listed on our "Links" page!***
***Varroa testing and management resources are now listed on our "Links" page!***
Splits Workshop at Nodding Trillium Camp - Saturday, May 20, 2023 - 10am (Eastern DSTime)
Join us at Dave Payant's Nodding Trillium camp. Dave plans to make ten splits. There will also be plenty of discussion and possibly a tour. This workshop is open to all.
Hive splitting is an intermediate-to-advanced beekeeping practice. If you've been keeping hives for at least a few years, you'll find that successfully making splits (along with good mite control) is one of the best ways to become sustainable. (Wouldn't it be nice to not purchase bees, year after year?)
If you are a first-year beekeeper, or even a "wanna-bee", you might not make splits this year, but you’ll learn plenty about general beekeeping, honey bee biology, and more. Take the opportunity to hang out with other beekeepers and enjoy a spring day in a bee yard!
Please bring your own water, snack, sunscreen, etc. If you have a bee suit, bring it (and wear it). If not, long sleeves, pants, boots, hat are the order of the day. It's tick season, so light-colored clothing is helpful in seeing the little critters. Tuck your plant legs into your socks or wear tick gaiters.
Join us at Dave Payant's Nodding Trillium camp. Dave plans to make ten splits. There will also be plenty of discussion and possibly a tour. This workshop is open to all.
Hive splitting is an intermediate-to-advanced beekeeping practice. If you've been keeping hives for at least a few years, you'll find that successfully making splits (along with good mite control) is one of the best ways to become sustainable. (Wouldn't it be nice to not purchase bees, year after year?)
If you are a first-year beekeeper, or even a "wanna-bee", you might not make splits this year, but you’ll learn plenty about general beekeeping, honey bee biology, and more. Take the opportunity to hang out with other beekeepers and enjoy a spring day in a bee yard!
Please bring your own water, snack, sunscreen, etc. If you have a bee suit, bring it (and wear it). If not, long sleeves, pants, boots, hat are the order of the day. It's tick season, so light-colored clothing is helpful in seeing the little critters. Tuck your plant legs into your socks or wear tick gaiters.
Hiving your bees - Chocolay Twp. Hall - Thursday, April 20th, 7pm (note later time)
This replaces the March meeting that we cancelled due to weather. If you are getting bees this spring, come learn how to handle the queen, how to get the bees from the box to the hive, and why you need a marshmallow!
This replaces the March meeting that we cancelled due to weather. If you are getting bees this spring, come learn how to handle the queen, how to get the bees from the box to the hive, and why you need a marshmallow!
Colony necropsy: Why did my honey bees die?
Guest Speaker: Ana Heck, MSU Extension
Monday April 10th - 6-9 pm
Marquette Arts and Culture Center (Lower level PWPL)
Learn to:
Guest Speaker: Ana Heck, MSU Extension
Monday April 10th - 6-9 pm
Marquette Arts and Culture Center (Lower level PWPL)
Learn to:
- Identify reasons for a colony’s death based on the clues the bees left behind.
- Prevent colony loss in future beekeeping seasons.
Beekeeping 201: How to Keep Bees Sustainably
We had a great turnout for this event, held in Marquette on March 4, 2023. Roughly 50 folks from across the U.P. attended, representing several local beekeeping clubs. If you missed it, we've posted links to Meghan Milbrath's paper, video, decision tree and more on our Links page. Scroll down to the Varroa section. (Red text - hard to miss!)
We had a great turnout for this event, held in Marquette on March 4, 2023. Roughly 50 folks from across the U.P. attended, representing several local beekeeping clubs. If you missed it, we've posted links to Meghan Milbrath's paper, video, decision tree and more on our Links page. Scroll down to the Varroa section. (Red text - hard to miss!)
Beekeeping 101
Saturday, February 18th - 10:00-3:00 (1 hour lunch on your own)
Peter White Public Library Community Room
Saturday, February 18th - 10:00-3:00 (1 hour lunch on your own)
Peter White Public Library Community Room
- Beekeeping – The Big Picture (Joel Lantz)
- Basic Bee Biology (David Payant)
- Bee Keeping Equipment (John Robinson)
- Managing Hives (Isaac Behrens)
- Q&A
Products of the Hive (part II)
Thursday, November 22, 2022, 6:30 pm. - Chocolay Township Hall
This month, we'll talk about "What to do with all that BEESWAX!!!"
Thursday, November 22, 2022, 6:30 pm. - Chocolay Township Hall
This month, we'll talk about "What to do with all that BEESWAX!!!"
- Sue Payant will share her methods for rendering wax.
- Joel Lantz will demonstrate candle making.
Superior Beekeeping Club’s Annual Potluck and Auction!!
Thursday, October 20, 2022, 6:30 pm. - Chocolay Township Hall
We had a great turnout, lots of good food, and raised a nice sum that the club will use for educational materials. Most everyone went home with honey, equipment, books, jewelry, or other good stuff!
Thursday, October 20, 2022, 6:30 pm. - Chocolay Township Hall
We had a great turnout, lots of good food, and raised a nice sum that the club will use for educational materials. Most everyone went home with honey, equipment, books, jewelry, or other good stuff!
Honey Extraction. Got honey? No way to extract it? Joel Lantz has once again offered his workshop for those who need to extract.
******************************************* BY APPOINTMENT ONLY!! *********************************************
Saturday, Sept. 10th. There will be 30-minute time slots, starting at 10am and ending at 4pm.
**************************************************************************************************************
Thursday, Sept. 15th - Join us at the Chocolay Township Hall at 6:30 p.m. Our guest will be Rich Wieske, President of the Michigan Beekeepers Association. Rich will give a presentation on Pollen and Propolis (the other products from the hive!).
******************************************* BY APPOINTMENT ONLY!! *********************************************
Saturday, Sept. 10th. There will be 30-minute time slots, starting at 10am and ending at 4pm.
**************************************************************************************************************
Thursday, Sept. 15th - Join us at the Chocolay Township Hall at 6:30 p.m. Our guest will be Rich Wieske, President of the Michigan Beekeepers Association. Rich will give a presentation on Pollen and Propolis (the other products from the hive!).
Thursday, August 18th, 2022, 6:30 p.m. at NMU. This will be an outdoor meeting, featuring the following:
- Overview of an NMU research project on the effects of a species of flowering plant on honey bee health and behavior;
- Demonstration of hive winterizing options;
- Fall feeding;
- Short discussion on Varroa management. (If our bees aren't healthy going into autumn, winterization won't help!)