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February 2013
Club News: Welcome to 2013!
in this issueFebruary Meeting:Tuesday, February 12, 20134M Mixer starts at 7:00 p.m.Program starts at 7:30 p.m.
LOCATION:Wake County Cooperative Building4011 Carya Drive, Raleigh, NC 27610
Greetings! Your newly elected club executive committee (listed on page 2) is eager to serve you. We have been hard at work planning for exciting programs, new initiatives and revivals of old traditions for this year, including the following:) “Swarm Out” sessions: Debuted at the January meeting! Upcoming sessions will supplement
regular club meetings with off-site, small group, hands-on activities hosted by experts from within the club and beyond. WCBA member George Skinner of Bee Friendly Hives has graciously offered to host multiple sessions about building hives at his workshop in Knightdale, NC. Further details to come at future meetings and on the club website.
) Mix & Mingle with Mentors & Masters (4M): To encourage dialogue between experienced and new beekeepers, we would like to initiate dedicated social time from 7 - 7:30 p.m. on regular meeting nights before the formal program begins. Look for the blue name tags!
) Reinstatement of door prizes, meeting snacks and club raffles: Door prizes and raffles will resume with the February meeting; for March, we already have a complete starter hive donated as a raffle item! Also, healthy snacks and beverages have been planned for all club meetings, and a sign-up sheet will be available at the February meeting and online. Thanks to the Underhills for providing February’s snack of hot mulled cider and trail mix!
) Proposed election schedule adjustments: To ease the transition from one executive team to another, the committee proposes announcing the slate of officers in September and holding elections in October. This gives the new committee adequate time to plan and prepare for the January meeting. These proposed changes will be discussed at the February meeting.
) Creation of a “Sergeant-at-Arms” position: While ad hoc volunteers will still be needed, an additional administrative officer is needed to assist with logistics for meetings and club events. Tom Underhill has graciously offered to serve in this capacity for 2013.
Offsite meetings, facility tours and group field trip possibilities are also in the works - look for details in upcoming newsletters, at meetings and on the website. With your support and involvement, together we can make this the WCBA’s best year yet!
February program: Nancy Ruppert on bee nutrition 2 2013 Officers / In the beeyard: What’s in bloom? 2Welcome, Ryder Currin! 2Announcements, Requests & Reminders 3Upcoming events 4January meeting summary 4
WCBA Newsletter / February 2013 page 2
February program: Honey Bee Nutrition
In the beeyard: What’s in bloom?
Welcome, Ryder Currin!
2013 OFFICERSPresident: Sarah MyersVice President: Ken CobbSecretary: Kate HanserTreasurer: Neil WoodcockProgram Chair: Kim Underhill
Board of Directors:Ricky Barbour (3 yrs)Larry Williams (2 yrs)Vivian Joyner (1 yr)
Officer contact information is available at the club’s website: www.wakecountybeekeepers.
org/about
State apiary inspector Nancy Ruppert will present a program on honey bee nutrition at our next meeting on February 12. Nancy has been an apiary inspector for the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services since August of 2010, covering 19 counties in south-central and southeastern North Carolina. A registered nurse since the 1980’s, Nancy worked almost 20 years as a family nurse practitioner before changing to a less stressful occupation. An active beekeeper for 13 years at her residence in Montgomery county, her particular apiary interests include hive pests and diseases, honey bee nutrition, and reducing honey bee stress.
Reference CD’s will be available for purchase at the February meeting for $5.00 each. They will include EVERYTHING and more that Nancy discusses. This invaluable resource includes website links, Nancy’s program outline and powerpoint presentation, a digital copy of the book Fat Bees Skinny Bees on honey bee nutrition, YouTube demos on making fondant, lists of best plants for pollinators and more. A must have for your library! We are offering this resource so you can absorb and enjoy Nancy’s presentation without having to frantically take notes! To purchase, please see Kim Underhill, Program Chair.
Past president Andy Currin and his wife Jill welcomed their first child, son Ryder, on January 16, 2013. At 11 lb. 2 oz. and 21 inches long, he’s getting off to a healthy start! Proud papa reports that mother and son are doing great. Please take some time to congratulate the family and welcome the newest future beekeeper to our club.
February marks the start of the foraging season in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain with the flowering red maple (Acer rubrum). Bees use this early, important pollen source to replenish depleted winter stores and feed brood in the all-important spring population buildup. On warm days, look for light yellow-green pollen in your foragers’ baskets.
In recent years, dandelions often start flowering in mid- to late February. Rather than being just a lawn pest, these bright yellow blooms’ pollen helps your hives grow stronger.
Even though the growing season has started, food supplies are almost certainly low, so check to see if your bees need supplementary food. And give them plenty of room to grow!
WCBA Newsletter / February 2013 page 3
Announcements, Requests, & Reminders
Volunteers are always needed at the Asheboro Zoo Honey Bee Garden! You may sell honey while working at the exhibit. The next orientation training for new volunteers will be Saturday, April 27, 2013.For more information about volunteering, please contact Judy Pick ([email protected]) or Janno Lewis ([email protected]).Zoo time counts towards the Golden Achievement award!
Also, please check next to your name on the sign-in sheet at the treasurer’s table when you attend meetings so we can maintain accurate attendance records.
Please bring your club nametag with you to every meeting! Wear
it so we can easily identify each other. New members can collect their badges at the treasurer’s table.
Club dues are now due! If you have not renewed or picked up your WCBA and/or NCSBA memberships, please see Neil Woodcock, club treasurer, to do so. Renewal forms are available at the club website.
The North Carolina State Bee-keepers Association (NCSBA) and South Carolina Beekeepers Association (SCBA) are hosting a joint Spring Meetingin Rock Hill, South Carolina at the Baxter Hood Convention Center of the York Technical College on March 1 & 2, 2013.
Please visit the SCBA website for registration infor-mation.
www.scstatebeekeepers.org
Click on the “News” button for meeting information, and the “Events” button to register.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Our club will only be a success if members stay active and get involved with club-sponsored activities! Here are some 2013 events to start planning for: March 23 - Rockin’ Chicken Contest, sponsored by Hudson’s Hardware of Clayton: an educational display will be a “dry-run” for BugFest.September TBD - BugFest at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh: WCBA provides an educational exhibit, plus some honey sales are allowed.October - NC State Fair: The chapter has presented an award-winning booth in years past, plan to contribute to this year’s display to make it the most inclusive, best exhibit ever!Golden Achievement award: Keep track of your service efforts during the year and help the chapter repeat its 2009 win.
Gain hands-on experience by working the Carya Drive hives! Starting March 16, every third Saturday at 11 a.m. an experienced WCBA member will lead a small group in checking up on the club-sponsored hives at Carya Drive, weather permitting. Look for more details soon!
SIGN UP & HELP OUT!The club needs to update its lists for mentoring and swarm recovery, plus we need members to bring the planned snacks to future meetings. Please look for the sign-up sheets that will be available at the February meeting and online.
4M: Mix & Mingle with Masters and Mentors
If you are a Master Beekeeper or are willing to be a mentor, please attend a pre-program mixer from 7 - 7:30 p.m. to meet new beekeepers and answer their questions.Special blue nametags will be provided for mentor/masters.
WCBA Newsletter / February 2013 page 4
Upcoming Events
January meeting summary
FebruaryTuesday, February 12Club Meeting: Bee Nutrition with Nancy Ruppert7 - 9 p.m. at Carya Drive
Saturday, February 23Swarm Out Session: Hive Building with George Skinner, time TBD, Knightdale, NC
MarchFriday/Saturday, March 1-2Joint Spring NCSBA / SCBA meeting, Rock Hill, SC Register by February 20!
Saturday, March 9Swarm Out Session: Hive Building with George Skinner, time TBD, Knightdale, NC
Tuesday, March 12Club Meeting: Bayer Bee Center; Bee Friendly Hives7 - 9 p.m. at Carya Drive
Saturday, March 16Carya Drive hives workday11 a.m., weather permitting
Saturday/Sunday, March 16-17Beginner Beekeeping Workshop8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sat. at Raleigh Police Club, from 1 p.m. Sunday at Carya Drive. See club website for details!
Saturday, March 23Outreach event: Rockin’ Chicken Contest - educational booth - volunteers needed!11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Clayton, NCSwarm Out Session: Hive Building with George Skinner, time TBD, Knightdale, NC
AprilSaturday, April 6Swarm Out Session: Hive Building with George Skinner, time TBD, Knightdale, NC
Tuesday, April 9Club Meeting: Spring Banquet - Cooking with Honey7 - 9 p.m. at Carya Drive
Saturday, April 20Carya Drive hives workday11 a.m., weather permitting
Saturday, April 20 & 27Swarm Out Session: Planting a Honey Bee Garden with Eleanor Silver (garden tour)time TBD, Garner, NCFor more information, visit the club website:
www.wakecountybeekeepers.
org
James Knox of the Nominating Committee presented the 2013 slate of officers, which the membership voted to accept. New president Sarah Myers then addressed the club, reminding everyone that member involvement will be crucial to club success in 2013. Start thinking now about getting involved with BugFest, the state fair and the Golden Achievement award.
To encourage mixing and meeting, attendees divided into four groups in a “Swarm Out” session. Each group brainstormed ideas for programs and came up with questions to present to the Master Beekeepers present. Topics included splits, swarm prevention, pest control, nutrition, queen rearing, hive abandonment, mead making, and pollen. Many of these topics will be addressed in future club programs.
Danny Jaynes discussed the Golden Achievement award, presented by the NCSBA, which our chapter won in 2009 and is now eligible to apply for again. Ben Crawley concluded the meeting with a brief review of essential beekeeping equipment and the need to feed new colonies.
Connect with fellow Wake County beekeepers on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/BeekeepersofWakeCounty/
This open group is NOT WCBA controlled; simply ask group administrator Theresa Bowen to add you as a group member & join the conversation!
