New Mexico Beekeepers Association 2023 Summer Conference There is still time to register for our in-person summer conference this Saturday, August 19. https://nmbeekeepers.org/conference <https://nmbeekeepers.org/conference> The day will begin with a workshop held at Albuquerque’s Open Space Visitor Center (OSVC) located at 6500 Coors Blvd NW. The eight hives from our Certified Beekeeping training program will be utilized for the following four ongoing demonstrations: Station #1 “Reading Langstroth Comb” Led by Craig Noorlander Station #2 “Testing for Varroa Sensitive Hygiene” led by Corey Stevens Station #3 “Mite Testing” Led by Dr. Jose Villa and Melanie Kirby Station #4 “Reading Top Bar Comb” Led by Kate Whealen The workshops will begin at approximately 9:00 AM. We suggest arriving around 8:30 to sign in and traverse the half mile trek to the hives. As parking at OSVC is somewhat limited, we also suggest carpooling wherever possible. Attendees with mobility issues can hitch a ride with one of our volunteer “valets”. Participants in the workshops should bring protective equipment of their choosing but must, at a minimum, wear a veil. Following the workshop, we will be sponsoring a food truck at OSVC so that attendees can grab lunch, if desired, before heading to the South Broadway Cultural Center (1025 Broadway Blvd SE) for the afternoon session that starts at 12:30. The talks will take place as follows: 12:30 Kyle Swimmer, “The Laguna Pueblo Apiary and YAKANAL” 1:40 Lara Lovell and Wes Brittenham “Los Poblanos - The Bee Program & Plants for Bees and Other Pollinators” 2:50 Dr. Jose Villa, “Attempting the Everest of Beekeeping: Managing Colonies and Varroa Mites Without Slipping” 4:00 Cory Stevens “The Advantages of Virgin Queens” Free raffle tickets will be handed out to all afternoon session attendees with door prizes given out between each speaker. There will also be a vendor show, during the SBCC portion of the conference, beginning around 11:30, and running through the entire afternoon. Vendors will be bringing hives of various types, hive products, bee themed ceramics, and beekeeping equipment, as well as providing information on New Mexico native plants. We will end the day with a honey tasting table! All attendees are invited to bring a small jar to share with our fellow New Mexico Beekeepers. One last item! Don’t forget our NMBKA Silent Auction which is currently online at: https://www.32auctions.com/NMBKA2023SummerConference <https://nmbeekeepers.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ad273a1c86937b09e594d10af&id=910d7a20d5&e=996cb488c6>