Cutrignelli Fattoria Apiaries

Today, my sister, @taramarielopez , helped me with a classroom zoom presentation about bees. Well, to be clear, she had too. The number one student in the class is hers. . #womanberkeeper #savethebees #beekeeperslife #beekeeper #teachingkids #pollinators @st_cats

Today, I experimented with grafting queen cells. My fellow beekeeper, Arthur grafted his own too. We met, installed them in one of his hives to grow. Next week, we’ll see if we had any successes.

I love this part of rendering wax. It never looks like it until you add a little water. Sooo cool, never gets old. #womanbeekeeper #savethebees #beekeepinglikeagirl #beekeepers #beekeeperlife #beeswax #honeybee #apismellifera #pollinators #waxrendering #nevergetsold

I love beekeeping, and especially love sharing it with you. I had the pleasure of teaching bees and having an apiary visit with a group of home schooled youth from Santa Cruz. Along with their curriculum, they are teaching homesteading. The youth are learning to grow their own food, be environmental stewards, and bees fit right in. Promoting education and outreach on behalf of Gilroy Beekeepers Association and myself allows for great perks like youth sized veils, jackets, and gloves donated to us for use. #Gilroybeekeepers Gilroy Beekeepers Association

Interested in beekeeping, but not sure where to start or who to ask questions to? Gilroy Beekeepers Association is a good start. We are currently beginning our 2021 year registration for new and current members. Cost is $25 per individual or $30 per family. You can register and pay your dues online, or mail it in. We are a great source of information, having guest speakers come to our current zoom meetings as well as doing an around the table where each beekeeper shares their... latest news and discoveries. In beekeeping, you can ask 2 beekeepers the same question and get 5 different answers, knowledge is powerful, and the more you can get, the better you are in practice. We also look forward to returning to in person meetings and teaching our various beekeeping classes in the future. Until then, we will continue to meet via zoom. https://www.gilroybeekeepers.com/membership/

It’s a beautiful day today with sun out, great day to pollinate. #savethebees #pollinators #pollinatorgarden #ilovebees #carpenterbee #womanbeekeeper #backyardbeekeeping

Ever wondered what it takes to become a beekeeper? Join our two-part seminar and find out everything you need to know to get started! No prior experience necessary, this course is designed to help anyone new to beekeeping gain confidence to care for their own bees. Gilroy Beekeepers Association (GBA) has been supporting local hobby beekeepers and bringing those curious about bees together for over 20 years.... We will be kicking off our Beekeeping for Beginners with a virtual meeting on March 20 (10 am - noon) and follow up with a hands-on session in the field on March 27 (10 am - noon). Use this handy link to sign up: https://www.gilroybeekeepers.com/beekeeping-for-beginners-/

Support your local businesses. Guglielmo Winery is a family business who puts together gift baskets from local vendors, like me. In this basket/box: Guglielmo Private Reserve Pinot Grigio and Merlot wines, Cutrignelli Fattoria Apiaries honey, Frantoio Olive Oil, Guglielmo Red Wine Vinegar, 1lb Andy’s Orchard apricots, Mariah Candy, Roxanne’s biscotti, and an ornament. You can always check out their tasting room that has a terrific store to shop from. You could buy a jar of our honey from there and make yourself a picnic with all the other goodies they have. #shoplocal #shoplocalmorganhill #gugliemowinerymorganhill #frantoiooliveoil #roxannesbiscotti #andysorchardmorganhill #smallbusiness

We built a new chicken mansion. At night we have to sneak into the old coops, collect the girls and boys and sneak them into the new home. We do this because, #1 it’s easier to pick them up when sleeping, and #2 they get tricked so that when they wake up it’s like they were all friends all along. Otherwise, the natural pecking order kicks in and hens and roosters get beat up by each other via hierarchy. Tomorrow we will bring more over. I lost count. We should have run a tally so for once I would know the exact number of chickens. All can say is that it’s over 60.

I received news today that I officially passed my second level of the California Master Beekeeping Program through E.L. Nino Lab at UC Davis. Aside from taking an extensive written exam, I had to submit videos for the practical exams. Here is one of my submissions, the in hive inspection. Please note I said feeding with entrance reducer, and I meant entrance feeder. I encourage all beekeepers to do this program as you learn from other beekeepers as well as the science based information regarding bees, beekeeping and the bees' challenges in our environment. https://youtu.be/hRRnFO3pnOU