Door County Beekeepers Club

Promoting beekeeping in Door County

Door County Beekeepers Club

Promoting beekeeping in Door County

Mentoring Program

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Door County Beekeepers Club Mentoring Program

The unique thing about beekeeping is that there are no firm rules, and every hive contains new experiences and adventures. Continuing education is always beneficial, and there are no better resources than fellow beekeepers and club members.

The Door County Beekeepers Club is dedicated to helping new beekeepers, seasoned beekeepers, and everyone in between. Many members have asked about establishing a mentoring program to provide answers and connect fellow beekeepers with both resources and solutions. Several members have volunteered to serve as mentors and they are listed below. The location of each beekeeper mentor is also listed to guide members in selecting someone near their apiary. As more volunteers step forward, the list will be updated.

Volunteer Mentors:

Bill and Barb Meyer
Sister Bay
920-388-9010
bmeyer1010@gmail.com

Kevin O’Donnel
Clay Banks / Forestville
920-473-4244
fadoauthor@gmail.com

Mark Lentz
Brussels / Southern Door
920-948-0090
mclentz55@gmail.com

Max Martin
Sturgeon Bay
920-495-8457
mwmarti1@wisc.edu

Jave Hughes
Peninsula Center
920-421-2094
doortiles@gmail.com

John Rybski
Algoma
920-362-4038
silvercreekfarm@wizunwired.net

Max’s Minute – Archives

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Max’s Minute – Archives provides helpful insights and tips for managing your beekeeping throughout the year, as well as a look into the monthly activities of the Door County Beekeepers Club. These posts are provided by Max Martin, co-president of the DCBC, and initially appear on the Home page for timely aid during the various beekeeping seasons. Visit our Home page often to see the latest Max’s Minute.

Max’s Minute – Archives

Beekeeping Resource List

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2019/2020 DCBC Winter Hive Loss Survey

All About Bees by HalloweenCostumes.com

Bee Biology and Physiology – Presentation by Bill Meyer, providing an overview of the various body parts and functions of the bees, including the influence of hormones and other chemicals on bee behavior.

Bee Check – BeeCheck is a voluntary communication tool that enables beekeepers and pesticide applicators to work together to protect apiaries through use of the BeeCheck mapping program.

Negative behavioral effects from Oxalic Acid Vaporization – Study completed by DCBC member Kevin O’Donnell for UM Master Beekeeping Course.
PowerPoint Presentation Slides (PDF)

Scientific Beekeeping – Beekeeping Through the Eyes of a Biologist.

Sturgeon Bay Beekeeping Ordinance – Final version of the City of Sturgeon Bay beekeeping ordinance.

University of Minnesota Bee Lab – Research and education for promoting healthy bees.

Wisconsin Honey Producers – Resources for everything honey in Wisconsin.

WI DATCP – Wisconsin Department of Agriculture – Bees & Honey.

The Xerces Society – Protecting wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat.

DCBC Meeting – August 28, 2018

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August 15, 2018 – Bee keepers, it is almost the end of August. It is time to pull your honey off your hives and start to raise some fat bees for the winter.

I will pull all my honey off at the first of September, do a mite check and treat if necessary. I’ll check my queens for age it they are marked and if they are older than 2 years, or doing poorly, I will requeen the hive with new queens after my mite treatment. I will add a half a pollen substitute paddy and start to feed them heavy sugar water. Weak hives will be combined.

See you on August 28th for the Hive Dive at the Crossroads Flow Hive. We’ll meet at 5:30 PM. This is the club hive located along the trails at Crossroads, just south of the Collins Learning Center. I will be checking the hive and demonstrating how honey is harvested from a flow hive. Following the honey harvest, I will demonstrate a powder sugar roll test for mites.

Our 6:30 PM Club Meeting will be at the Collins Learning Center at Crossroads.

DCBC Meeting – July 24, 2018

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July 24, 2018 – When you check your hives, be sure that your second brood box is not filled with honey, and that there is space for the Queen to lay eggs.

See you at the meeting tonight (July 24th) at Cross Roads. 5:30 hive dive, 6:30 meeting, all at Cross Roads.

DCBC Meeting – June 27, 2018

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June 26, 2018 – The June gathering of the DCBC on June 27, 2018 includes a Hive Dive and Meeting.

Hive Dive at Wildwood Farm @ 5:30
1693 Wildwood Road, Sister Bay, WI 54234
Max will talk to us a bit about the green drone brood frame (mite control) installed in the hives.

6:30 PM Meeting
Savory Spoon Cooking School 12042 Hwy. 42 Ellison Bay
Presenter and Topic: Janice Thomas and Max Martin – ‘The Sweet Life’. Max will discuss honey flow this time of year. Janice will lead our group in a honey pairing tasting.

DCBC Meeting – April 24, 2018

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April 24, 2018 – April meeting for the Door County Beekeepers Club will be held at the Peninsular Agricultural Research Station, located at 4312 WI-42 in Sturgeon Bay at 6:30pm on Tuesday, April 24th.

Presenter and Topic: Max Martin

Installing your bees/Hive splitting.
Keeping your smoker lit (Max is not very good at this, so crowd participation expected)!

DCBC Meeting – March 27, 2018

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March 26, 2018 – Our monthly Door County Beekeepers Club Meeting will be held at the Kress Pavilion (Great Hall), located at 7845 Church Street in Egg Harbor at 6:30pm on Tuesday, March 27th.

Presenter and Topic: Bill Meyer, Managing Your Bees Against Diseases (and Pests)

Guest presentation: Southern Door AP Literature and English 11 Honors classes
They will present their book project, DC Law. Proceeds earned from their book sales will be donated to our club towards a beehive at Crossroads at Big Creek. Books will be on sale at the meeting.

DCBC Meeting – February 27, 2018

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February 27, 2018 – Our monthly Door County Beekeepers Club Meeting will be held at the Crossroads in Sturgeon Bay at 6:30pm on Tuesday, February 27th.

Presenter and Topic: Max and other seasoned beekeepers.
Getting Ready for Your Bees (types of bees, location, equipment, etc.).