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

Our June club meeting will be held tomorrow, June 10, at the Wake County Cooperative Building at 4011 Carya Drive in Raleigh.  Social time starts at 7 p.m., with the business meeting starting at 7:30.

The main program will feature Triad Bee Supply of Trinity, NC, demonstrating honey extraction.  Any club member who ordered items from TBS should be able to pick them up at the meeting.

Program Chair Kim Underhill will speak about the upcoming NCSBA Summer Meeting in Wilkesboro, and we may have a visit from researcher Holden Appler to present the results of his local study.  There may also be a raffle and door prizes – we’ll see what shows up!

Apologies for the late posting, and hope to see many of you there tomorrow!

Please welcome Debbie Roos of the Chatham County Extension Program as she shares her expertise in gardening to support pollinators – especially honeybees!  One of her many accomplishments has been coordination of the design, installation and maintenance of the Pollinator Paradise Garden at Chatham Mills in Pittsboro – a true gem of a pollinator-friendly garden.  Debbie leads monthly tours of the garden, and will share her experience by discussing principles of planting a pollinator garden and how to select tress, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, herbs, vines and grasses to attract and support a diversity of pollinators.

Social time will start at 7 p.m., with the business meeting starting at 7:30 p.m.

Please note that the May meeting will be held at the Raleigh Police Club, 3500 Leonard Road, Knightdale, NC 27545.

Come enjoy food & friendship with your fellow beekeepers, celebrating spring!  Bring a salad, side dish or dessert to share; the club will provide meats.  The banquet will be held at the Raleigh Police Club at 3500 Leonard Road in Knightdale.  Plan to arrive by 6 p.m. so the meal can start promptly at 6:30 p.m.

Indoor space will probably be tight, so please bring lawn chairs and portable tables if you are able – weather permitting, we may have some outdoor dining!

Thanks to all those who have registered for this weekend’s workshop!  We will begin check-in at 7:30 a.m. so that we can start instruction promptly at 8 a.m.  We will have a very full day of instruction, covering lots of material.  For your reference, PDF files of two very content-rich topics, honeybee biology and enemies of the hive, are available below.  If you are planning to take the NCSBA Certified Level test at the end of the class, these documents will be useful for review.

The location of the Raleigh Police Club in Knightdale can be found here - you can enter your starting address to get directions from Google Maps, or enter the street address of 3500 Leonard Road, Knightdale, NC 27545.

WCBA_BeeBio_2014_WEB

WCBA_BeeBio_2014_handout_WEB

Enemies of the Hive

Registration for the March 2014 beekeeping class has closed, and the 60-person class is full.

If there is sufficient interest, the WCBA may offer a second class later in the year.

Please contact club secretary Kate Hanser (secretary@wakecountybeekeepers.org) if you would like to receive information about a future class.

Thank you to all who have expressed interest!

Please note that the March meeting will be held at the Raleigh Police Club, 3500 Leonard Road, Knightdale, NC 27545.

As beekeepers, we are often asked questions about bees by people we meet.  While interest in bees remains high, ignorance and fear persist in the minds of the public.  Ms. Newsome’s talk will address how to interact with the public when talking about bees so that we can more effectively educate and communicate with our communities about how valuable and threatened our honeybees are.

A graduate of NC State University, Ms. Newsome holds a degree in horticulture and works for the Johnston County Cooperative Extension as an extension agent for agriculture and commercial horticulture.  In addition to promoting Johnston County nursery products, she teaches classes including the Beginning Beekeepers Short Course.  Please welcome Amie as she brings her knowledge, enthusiasm and experience to Wake County.

WEATHER ALERT:  The club officers are monitoring the weather situation, and are currently still planning to host Dr. Connor’s lecture tonight.  However, if conditions demand it, we may need to cancel or reschedule – please check back here frequently for updates!

February’s presentation will start earlier than usual at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 11.  Join beekeeping expert Dr. Larry Connor as he leads you through your hive, telling you what each cell, bee, and frame tells you about colony health.  This three-part presentation will consist of Dr. Connor’s lecture (approx. 50 minutes), a question & answer session, followed by a book signing and sales period.

A regular contributor to Bee Culture and The American Bee Journal, Dr. Connor is a highly sought after speaker.  He earned his Ph.D from Michigan State University, and as owner of Wicwas Press, has published more than a dozen titles dealing with bees, beekeeping, queen rearing and pollination.  Dr. Connor will have some signed copies of his books available for purchase (no credit cards, please).

More information about Dr. Connor can be found here.

Beekeepers from surrounding counties are welcome to attend as well.

Dr. Connor will also give a lecture in Chatham County on February 13 on winter losses and recovery.  Please visit the Chatham County Beekeepers Association website for more information.

If you decide to attend the Pittsboro meeting, please RSVP to CCBA president Pat Weisbrodt (919-545-9603) and tell her which county you’re coming from.