1 P.M. – WEATHER ALERT:  MEETING CANCELLED TONIGHT DUE TO POTENTIAL DRIVING HAZARDS FROM FREEZING RAIN

After following the weather predictions for tonight & consulting with several senior members of the club, the officers have decided to cancel tonight’s meeting because driving conditions will likely be hazardous at meeting time.  Please join us next month at the NC Rural Development Center at 4023 Carya Drive.  Thank you for your understanding!

Our first meeting of 2015 will be tomorrow night – Tuesday, January 13 – from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Wake County Commons Building at 4011 Carya Drive in Raleigh.  Sandy Carlson will present information on the NC beekeeping license plate, and a panel discussion with experienced beekeepers will follow. We also hope to have more information about memorial services for Dr. John Ambrose, and will have a sympathy card for club members to sign.

Also, 2015 membership forms are now due – please print out a renewal form (2015 Registration WCBA NCSBA) and bring completed forms and payment to the meeting.  Thank you!

Membership forms for 2015 are now available!  Please print out and complete a form for each member and return the forms with payment to club treasurer Margie Gurganus by March 31, 2015.  Forms and payment may be given to Margie at club meetings or mailed to the address included on the form.  You may renew both WCBA and NCSBA memberships using this form.

2015 Registration WCBA NCSBA

If you are planning to attend the joint NCSBA-SCBA Spring Conference in February 2015, and would like to qualify for the NCSBA member rate for registration, we strongly advise you to renew your NCSBA membership by mail directly with the NCSBA so that they will receive your membership renewal prior to the conference.  Because of the volume of WCBA members renewing at this time of year, we cannot guarantee that NCSBA membership renewals will be received and processed by the early registration deadline of January 31.  Please visit the link below for the NCSBA renewal form and instructions.

http://www.ncbeekeepers.org/membership/join-or-renew-now/

December brings our annual holiday banquet, which will take place at the Wake County Commons Building at 4011 Carya Drive, Raleigh, on Tuesday, December 9.  Please bring a side dish or dessert to share; the club will provide meat.

Set up will be at 6 p.m., with the meal to follow at 6:30 p.m.  Family and guests are welcome to join us as well.

We hope to see many of you there on Tuesday!

Join us this coming Tuesday, November 11 at 7 p.m. at the Raleigh Police Club at 3500 Leonard Road in Knightdale for an informal honey tasting during our social time followed by a candlemaking demonstration by club president Sarah Myers.  Bring your own or other interesting honey to share, taste & discuss with other club members – the club will provide spoons, apples, crackers & water.

Join us as Dr. Hongmei Ly-Byarlay, a National Research Council research fellow at the Apiculture Program at NC State University, shares insights from he research on oxidative stress, longevity, and stress resistance in honey bees in several different environmental conditions.  A Ph.D. recipient from Purdue University, she has given many talks to beekeepers and the general public in the midwest and enjoys helping the public and children learn more awesome bee facts!

Dr. Ly-Byarlay’s current research focuses on the mechanisms of biotic and abiotic stressors in honey bee development, and how different stressors impact the genetic and epigenetic architecture of honey bees.  In Tuesday’s presentation, she will discuss her recent study on aggression behavior, and whether oxidative stress occurs when bees are under artificial migration conditions.

Please note that the October meeting will be held in the Parish Life Center of the Church of the Good Shepherd on Hillsborough Street in downtown Raleigh.  Free parking is available in the lot across the street from the church.

Directions to the Church of the Good Shepherd

Join us tonight at 7 p.m. at the NC Rural Center to hear NC Apiary Inspector Will Hicks discuss the latest issues and best practices in hive pest management.

The NC Rural Center is located at 4021 Carya Drive in Raleigh, at the far end of the parking lot by the County Extension Building where we have often met.  The club has reserved the auditorium – hope to see many of you there!

Google map showing NC Rural Center location

North Carolina lost a major champion of beekeeping with the September 2 death of John David Foust, known to most as “J.D.”  He and his wife Betty Jean contributed much to the development of beekeeping chapters and the state beekeeping organization, and were instrumental in the development of the Apiculture Program at NCSU.  Read more about J.D. in this month’s newsletter and his obituary.  We were very fortunate to have had his service in this state, and he will be fondly remembered and greatly missed!

The WCBA Officers

WCBA September 2014 Newsletter

J.D. Foust obituary

Ben Crawley has just reported that the club-sponsored hive at Oak View Park on Carya Drive in Raleigh has failed.  He will be cleaning out the hive and equipment tomorrow afternoon to try to determine what went wrong.

Until the club has a replacement hive at the park, we unfortunately will have to discontinue the hands-on sessions on the 4th Sunday.  We’re very sorry about this!

Please keep an eye on the website for information about whether & when we’ll have another colony at Carya.  Thanks for your understanding!

Beekeeper and Computer Science Professor Dr. James Wilkes returns to Wake County to update us on new trends in online apiary management.  As Hive Tracks cofounder and technical lead for the Bee Informed Partnership, Dr. Wilkes brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in applying online and mobile technology to data collection and record keeping.

First started in 2006, Hive Tracks leverages technology to create a web-based record keeping service designed to assist beekeepers in efficient, effective management of their honeybee colonies.  Its most basic function forms a record keeping database that allows users to store and access a wide variety of critical information about their hive inspections, hive health, relevant weather information, and hive components.  Hive Tracks also includes integrated mapping tools that help users site their hives in appropriate locations.  With constant input from the user community, Hive Tracks is continuously improved to meet the changing needs of beekeepers and to incorporate the latest improvements in hive management practice.  Join us as Dr. Wilkes provides the club with an update and demonstration on how this tool continues to evolve to serve the needs of the beekeeping community.

Φ Please note that the July meeting will be at the Church of the Good Shepherd at 125 Hillsborough Street in Raleigh!!  

Directions to Church of the Good Shepherd