News and Events
Spring 2012 OSBA Conference
The Oklahoma State Beekeepers Association will hold its annual spring conference on March 3, 2012, in Ponca City.
Host of the conference will be the North Central Oklahoma Beekeepers Association (NCOBA).
NCOBA was formed last year and, after meeting all requirements, was approved for membership in the state organization during the OSBA's 2011 fall conference.
The 2012 spring conference will be Saturday, March 3 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the American Legion Post No. 14, which is located at 407 W. South Avenue, Ponca City, OK.
The American Legion Post is on the West side of South Avenue.
As an added attraction, the new Conoco Museum, will be open that Saturday and admission is free.
The museum is located at 501 W. South Avenue, Ponca City.
For further information regarding the Spring Conference, please contact Todd Rivers, President of NCOBA at
childofgod777@hotmail.com or Maribeth Snapp, Treasurer of OSBA, at
BeesRneat@gmail.com.
Speakers will be announced at a later date.
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Past News and Events
I am pleased to announce to you and the Oklahoma State Beekeepers Association that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has renewed the Section 18 clearance for Hivastan in Oklahoma. Your members now have a powerful weapon to help protect their bees from Varroa mites. The active ingredient in Hivastan, fenpyroximate, is a highly effective contact miticide and is new to the beekeeping industry, which makes it a valuable tool in the battle against resistant Varroa mites. Since controlling Varroa mites requires an integrated pest management approach, it is extremely important to follow a rotational strategy to slow down or prevent the development of resistance. Hivastan fits well into a rotational strategy for mite control, thus we are recommending treating all infested bee colonies with Hivastan once a year - prior to the first honey flow in the spring, or in the fall after the last honey flow.
Hivastan is manufactured by Central Life Sciences, whose founders introduced Apistan to the apiary industry several years ago to begin the fight against Varroa mites. It is available from Dadant, Brushy Mountain Bee Farm and Walter T. Kelly Co. Let your members know that they can purchase Hivastan in 25-pound buckets containing enough product to treat 50 hives. Each treatment consists of 8 oz (225 grams) of product per hive. This is enough to treat a typical colony for six weeks, and any excess product remaining after this period should be removed from the hive.
To find out more about Hivastan, visit
Central Apiary or call 1-800-248-7763.
Mark Taylor
Business Manager
Central Life Sciences
OSBA was formed in 1939 then Incorporated Septemper 7, 1976.
The origin of the Oklahoma State Beekeepers Association has been traced back some 70 years. However, written records are very inconclusive or non-existent; therefore, the historical report has been based largely on people's recollections of dates and events.
The Oklahoma State Beekeepers Association was formed in 1938 or 1939, according to Mr. J. M. Goin of Rattan, Oklahoma. Mr. Goin worked for the Entomology Division of the Oklahoma State Department of Agriculture. He entered the department in 1938. Shortly after that, possibly in 1939, the first State Association was formed. Mr. Bob Blackwell of Oklahoma City was the first president.
We worked hard to get where we are!
Gradually the Association began to grow. More and more people became aware of the importance of beekeeping and the desire for recognition prompted them to join the Association and attend the meetings. During this period the meetings were held in the Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City. With the growing interest in beekeeping and with beekeepers scattered all over the state, this prompted the idea for beekeepers in different areas of the state to form local associations. Beekeepers in the northeastern section of the state were the first local to organize with the "Northeastern Oklahoma Beekeepers Association, with headquarters at Claremore in 1967. In March of 1968, the "East Central Oklahoma Beekeepers Association" was organized with headquarters in Ada, Oklahoma. In October of 1968, the Northwestern Oklahoma Beekeepers Association was formed at Enid. As previously stated, the State Association held most of their meetings in Oklahoma City; however, with the organization of various local associations over the state, this led to the ruling of having the spring meetings, which were designated as being educational: meetings, to be hosted by the local associations. In June 1969, the state meeting was held at Ada, Oklahoma, at the Fairgrounds building, hosted by the East Central Oklahoma Beekeepers Association. This turned out to be a very worthwhile meeting not only for the gracious hospitality of the host association, but also for the speech given by Dr. Wm. G. Peterson, famous allergy specialist. Dr. Peterson recommended pure raw honey as a cure for most allergies and hay fever patients. In two months time his speech had been printed some 20 thousand times in newspapers and medical journals all over the country. It was a "shot in the arm" for all beekeepers large and small.