Perfect spring weather made the Central Iowa Beekeepers Association (CIBA) annual equipment auction a sweet pleasure for the 50 or 60 people attending.
The auction was held at Spring Valley Honey Farm’s honey house along Iowa Highway 141 at Eighth Street in Perry.
The auction began at 10 a.m., with buyers and sellers of equipment on hand and a number of people attending simply for the sake of the fellowship and the well-stocked concessions stand, the proceeds from which go to the CIBA Honey Queen fund.
Donations of equipment were also made to CIBA, with proceeds supporting ongoing association projects.
All comb was inspected by State Apiarist Andrew Joseph of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Rejected equipment and comb was immediately removed from the vicinity of the auction in order to avoid the bacterial infections that can kill hives.
For more information about beekeeping in central Iowa, visit the CIBA website.
