Linn Benton Beekeepers Association

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March 20th Meeting

This months speaker will be Ellen Topitzhofer from OSU speaking on “Honey Bee Nutrition”.

This will be a two-part talk. First, she’ll discuss basic nutrition requirements and how bees find what they need, and second, the what/how/when for beekeepers artificially feeding their colonies.

February 20th

This months speaker will be Jen Holt from OSU Honey Bee Lab speaking on “Spring Management for Beginning Beekeepers”

Springtime is a busy time for bees and beekeepers. This talk will cover spring hive inspections (reading frames, assessing food resources, and more!), the mechanics of swarming, what to expect when you peek inside your hives and more! She will also give a brief overview of the Master Beekeeper program and introduce everyone to their new website.


Sad News

We are sorry to inform everyone that our very own Fred Mann passed away this past Saturday, February 9th from complications from cancer.

Fred was always the first to volunteer to help out with events and helping other beekeepers. Besides being a board member of the LBBA, he helped out at our booth at the Farmers Markets, the BEEvent in Albany and LBBA Field Day.

In addition to helping out the LBBA, he was involved with the Willamette Valley Beekeepers Association and OSBA. He loved helping out building props and setting up the state fair booth.

He will be greatly missed.

  • SO very SAD. Fred was one of the most unforgettable persons I have ever know – may the bees carry you to your just rewards overflowing with honey and sweetness from the bees. We will miss you. Rest in Paz Fred
  • I always looked forward to working the fair with him. He was a great man.
  • Fred was such a friendly person – he always made me and anybody new feel welcomed. 
  • I’m heartbroken.
  • Not only the friendliest, but also willing to help out with most anything involving beekeeping. He could always be counted on to go after the swarms no one else was interested in, no matter the time of year or the difficulty of removal. Who else is/was more of an expert at removing swarms from hollowed trees, in chimneys, on top of roofs, from inside walls with bees that were there for maybe 50 years or more, etc? I will miss him, a lot, as he was always happy to help out– no matter what.  No lip, no “I am too busy,” no “it is the wrong time of the year,” no “it is too difficult,” and no “there are not enough bees or honey to make it worthwhile.”  An absolute pleasure to work with.

January 16th LBBA Meeting

Our guest speaker will be Amber Reese. She is currently in the Oregon Master Beekeeper program working towards her Master Level certification. Over last summer, she worked with Dr. Andony Melathopoulos at Oregon State University to develop a presentation for the new “Residential Beekeeping Best Practices Guidelines Extension Service Publication.” The guidebook is “designed to supplement beekeeping education by making people aware of specific management practices that greatly reduce the risk of residential beekeeping turning into either a private or public nuisance.”