Forwarding message posted to Facebook by COBA President Tom Hall:

COBA MEETING THIS WEEK.

This Thursday, August 26 at 7:00 PM we will have our monthly COBA meeting at Will Rogers Gardens at 3400 NW 36th Oklahoma City. The meeting is free and open to all. We welcome you to join us! If this is your first COBA meeting please try to catch up with me and introduce yourself and in turn I’d like to introduce you to the crowd and you just might meet a fellow beekeeper that lives nearby.

At our July meeting we started a back to normal meeting. I’d like to point out to our new members something we used to do before covid canceled our in person meetings and placed restrictions on it thereafter that we are continuing at this meeting. Before covid shut things down we used to have a potluck style snack table to snack on during the break. Attendees can bring some simple items like cookies, cakes, chips and other simple items or to share with others. COBA will supply the drinks, paper plates and utensils.

Another thing we used to do was have a table of items for a ticket drawing. These items are brought by members to give away. Some suggested items you can bring for the drawing table are starts of plants, seeds, crafts, beekeeping equipment, tools and accessories, books, magazines or excessive fruits and vegetables from your garden. COBA will pass out tickets for the drawing. You are not required to bring any giveaway items or potluck snacks it’s up to you.

TOPICS We will be talking about some of the tasks that you may need to be considering soon in the bee yard, like when to count your losses and combine hives, downsizing and late summer feeding options. I’d like to have some time for questions regarding our recent past topics like mite testing and treatment for anyone that might have had any problems getting this accomplished we will try to answer you questions on this very important task.

HONEY SAMPLING An after harvest tradition we have had at past meetings was to bring in your honey for taste testing by all interested. If you would like to participate bring your honey in a squeeze bottle with your name and source of nectar if known. We will have one or two people in charge of dispensing the honey from the squeeze bottle to your clean spoon to minimize contact. Spoons will be provided by COBA. You do not have to bring honey to participate in sampling.

COVID restrictions- Will Rogers requires that you wear a mask when you enter the building and leave our meeting room to go to the restroom. Once you are in our meeting room its up to us what we want to do. Please follow their request.

COBA has decided that wearing a mask is optional in our meeting room and we will wipe down the tables and have plenty of seating if you want to social distance or set together, Its up to you. Please be kind to the Will Rogers staff at the entrance as they have had to deal with a lot of COVID requirements over the last year.

Forwarding message posted to Facebook by COBA President Tom Hall:

COBA MEETING THIS WEEK.

This Thursday, July 22 at 7:00 PM we will have our monthly COBA meeting at Will Rogers Gardens at 3400 NW 36th Oklahoma City. The meeting is free and open to all. We welcome you to join us!

BACK TO NORMAL I’d like to point out to our new members something we used to do before covid canceled our in person meetings and placed restrictions on it thereafter that we are restarting at this meeting. Before covid shut things down we used to have a potluck style snack table to snack on during the break. Attendees can bring some simple items like cookies, cakes, chips and other simple items or to share with others. COBA will supply the drinks, paper plates and utensils. Another thing we used to do was have a table of items for a ticket drawing. These items are brought by members to give away. Some suggested items you can bring for the drawing table are starts of plants, seeds, crafts, beekeeping equipment, tools and accessories, books, magazines or excessive fruits and vegetables from your garden. COBA will pass out tickets for the drawing. You are not required to bring any giveaway items or potluck snacks it’s up to you.

TOPICS We will be discussing mite testing and some treatment options along with some tips to consider when placing your hives on some of the mono crops that are starting to bloom. For those not able to join us and if conditions permit, we will broadcast the meeting via Facebook live. No promises on the Facebook live as we have had problems in the past getting Facebook live up and going. Due to the added tasking and complications of the Facebook live this will be our last meeting to broadcast via Facebook live as our meeting attendance is slowly getting back to normal.

COVID restrictions- Will Rogers requires that you wear a mask when you enter the building and leave our meeting room to go to the restroom. Once you are in our meeting room its up to us what we want to do. Please follow their request. COBA has decided that wearing a mask is optional in our meeting room and we will wipe down the tables and have plenty of seating if you want to social distance or set together, Its up to you. Please be kind to the Will Rogers staff at the entrance as they have had to deal with a lot of COVID requirements over the last year.

NOTICE- MEETING CANCELLED Due to the bad weather coming this evening we have decided to cancel the COBA meetings tonight. We schedule the room 18 months in advance so the meeting will not be rescheduled and we will meet next in June. Please pass the word to others. I know some that are at their first year mark in beekeeping were looking forward to attending and seeing the presentation tonight on adding honey supers. We are working on some information to share via Facebook live this evening and answer questions you might have in regards to supering your hives. We will plan to do this at 7:00 this evening so have your questions ready. Facebook live can be sketchy to get going at times so if it doesn’t work this evening we may try something else like posting your questions on COBA Facebook or whatever plan B we come up with. Right now is the time to be adding supers and we want to make sure that anyone who has questions get them answered and not miss this valuable opportunity.

From Tom Hall, 2021 COBA President:

You are invited to join us for our monthly COBA meeting.

Rick Schantz will be presenting on adding honey supers to your hive for the upcoming nectar flow.
Tom HallI will have a short presentation on how to protect ourselves against ticks and how to make a solar wax melter.

We’ve been running the meetings a little late and it seems like after we are done with our presentations people have been enjoying the time after the presentation to meet each other and talk bees but we don’t have much time for it with having to break down tables and wrap up so I plan to have the presentations done about 8:15 to give us more time to meet and help one another with bee questions.

There have been some changes to the Will Rogers’s COVID policy noted below:

Will Rogers has had some recent groups meet there that have been very rude about the COVID policy and they have had staff quit over some altercations and groups have been banned from meeting at Will Rogers because of these altercations. I assured them that we would honor their very minor restrictions and be polite to the staff.

Please read the COVID policy below to determine if it is agreeable with you before attending and thank you for your understanding.

See meeting details below:

This Thursday, May 27 from 7-9pm we will have our monthly COBA meeting at Will Rogers Gardens at 3400 NW 36th Oklahoma City. The meeting is open to all.

COVID precautious: Your forehead temperature will be taken at the door. A recent change to their mask policy is we are required to wear a mask outside of the meeting room but within the room we don’t have to wear a mask. Feel free to wear a mask or not within the meeting room. We will still be wiping down tables with disinfectant and space the tables for social distancing, but families and friends may sit together as desired.

For those not able to join us we plan to broadcast the presentation part of the meeting on Facebook live. No promises on the Facebook live as we have had some problems at past meeting getting Facebook live up and going but hopefully this time we can get it going ahead of time.

See you there!

The Officers and Executive Board approved a 3rd class for 2021.

The 2 Saturdays of this class will be March 20 and April 3.

Please see the Classes page for details and how to enroll.

Forward from Tom Hall – 2021 COBA President:

This Thursday, February 25 from 7-9pm we will have our monthly COBA meeting at Will Rogers Gardens at 3400 NW 36th Oklahoma City.

The meeting is open to all, your forehead temperature will be taken at the door. masks will be required, and seating will be wiped down with disinfectant and spaced for social distancing.

I will have a presentation directed at those wanting to order bees and discuss the pros and cons of package bees verse buying a nuc of bees and what you can do in preparation before receiving your bees.

If you have an established hive I will discuss some things you can do coming out of winter.

For those not able to join us we plan to broadcast the meeting on Facebook live on the COBA FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CentralOkBeekeepersAssoc

Jay Silver forwarding FB post by Rick Schantz

Looks like a great beekeeping day. Tonight is our video presentation on getting your bees and installing them in your hives. Also a couple of other ways to get bees. I will be the speaker at the presentation. John Bowman will be putting it on Facebook live.
Hope everyone can tune in tonight at 7:00 pm on this COBA Facebook.
Happy beekeeping

Jay Silver additions:

With our usual meeting place closed due to the Coronavirus measures, the meeting will be online only on the COBA FB group.

COBA Facebook Group is at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CentralOkBeekeepersAssoc/

Just click on John Bowman’s FB Live video post.

It appears some of the restrictions are going to be easing. However, we are considering other measures for future meetings, if we cannot meet in person.

WHERE:

Will Rogers Gardens Exhibition Center
3400 NW 36th St
Oklahoma City, OK 73112

SW Corner of NW 36th and Grand. No access from Grand. Enter from either driveway on 36th.

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/6PYq6X3Zdhr

WHEN:

Thursday, July 25, 2019
Setup will begin by 6:30 PM
Meeting 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
Cleanup and out by 9:30 PM.
Assistance with setup and cleanup is appreciated.

TOPICS:

Honey Tasting: Bring your honey and enjoy sharing in tasting other beekeepers’ honey. (You can sell some if you like.)

Tom Hall will give a demonstration of extracting a couple of frames. He’ll also present a couple of methods of uncapping your frames.

Rick Schantz will give video presentation of larger extracting methods.

NOTES:

Please bring a snack to share with others. COBA provides beverages, but other items are brought by those attending.

Members are invited to bring a bee-related item for the door prize drawing.

Guests are always welcome at regular monthly COBA meetings!

WHERE:

Will Rogers Gardens Exhibition Center
3400 NW 36th St
Oklahoma City, OK 73112

SW Corner of NW 36th and Grand. No access from Grand. Enter from either driveway on 36th.

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/6PYq6X3Zdhr

WHEN:

Thursday, June 27, 2019
Setup will begin by 6:30 PM
Meeting 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
Cleanup and out by 9:30 PM.
Assistance with setup and cleanup is appreciated.

TOPICS:

How to increase honey production.

What kinds of things you should be doing with your hive this time of year.

NOTES:

Please bring a snack to share with others. COBA provides beverages, but other items are brought by those attending.

Members are invited to bring a bee-related item for the door prize drawing.

Guests are always welcome at regular monthly COBA meetings!

WHERE:

Will Rogers Gardens Exhibition Center
3400 NW 36th St
Oklahoma City, OK 73112

SW Corner of NW 36th and Grand. No access from Grand. Enter from either driveway on 36th.

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/6PYq6X3Zdhr

WHEN:

Thursday, May 23, 2019
Setup will begin by 6:30 PM
Meeting 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
Cleanup and out by 9:30 PM.
Assistance with setup and cleanup is appreciated.

TOPICS:

Jay Silver will present information from the NEOBA Big Bee Buzz. The annual BBB is the premier Beekeeping Conference in Oklahoma.

A panel of “seasoned” beekeepers will handle open Q&A.

NOTES:

Please bring a snack to share with others. COBA provides beverages, but other items are brought by those attending.

Members are invited to bring a bee-related item for the door prize drawing.

Guests are always welcome at regular monthly COBA meetings!