As part of our educational outreach, Vice President Ben Crawley will lead our monthly “Hands on in the Hive” each 3^rd Sunday beginning 1:00 pm at the Historic Oak View Park.  Anyone who needs practical instruction and/or needs to take the practical portion of the Certified Beekeeper test is encouraged to attend. The first session is Sunday, April 15.  You may park in the lot near the visitor’s center, or in the large lot near the Commons Building and walk to the park.  Look for the hives near the demonstration cotton field.  If you need more directions, please call Susan Benton at 919-961-5600

Join us on April 10 as speaker Dana Stahlman teaches us anyone can raise a queen.  How and why!  The meeting location is Greystone Baptist Church, 7509 Lead Mine Road, Raleigh NC 27615, in the fellowship hall.  (This is the same location where we held the beginner beekeeping school in February).  The gathering begins at 7:00 pm and the meeting starts at 7:30 pm.  Data is a retired commercial beekeeper.  He sold package bees, raised queens, and produced honey in Ohio, Indiana, and Georgia.  He is an EAS Master Beekeeper and mentor, now a member of our club since moving to North Carolina.

This event is postponed until April 15 because the weather forecast for March 18 is too cold to open the hive for the inspection.

Join us on each month on the 3rd Sunday at 1:00 pm at the club’s hives in Historic Oak View park as we learn to inspect the hives.  The instruction and the practical test for the Certified Beekeeper will be offered.  Wear a veil and dress to examine a beehive.  All are welcome.

The Wake County Beekeepers Association (WCBA) will meet on Tuesday, March 13 at the Wake County Commons Building, lower level conference room.  The gathering begins at 7:00 and the meeting starts at 7:30 pm.  The address is 4011 Carya Drive, Raleigh NC 27610.  The entrance to the lower level conference room is on the right side of the building near the back.  Our topic this month is Beekeeping Basics.  All new and experienced beekeepers are encouraged to attend. Visitors welcome.

Below is the agenda for Saturday’s Beginning Beekeeper School being held at Greystone Baptist Church, 7509 Lead Mine Road, Raleigh NC 27615.

Bee School 2018 Agenda

After the class, you may choose to take the NCSBA Certified Beekeeper written test.  To become a Certified Beekeeper, you must be a member of the NC State Beekeepers Association (NCSBA), pass a written test, pass a practical test, and have kept bees for at least 4 months.  The practical instruction and testing will be offered monthly between March and September, weather permitting, on the 3^rd Sunday at 1:00 pm.  The NCSBA has a study guide for the certified test on their website at http://www.ncbeekeepers.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Certified-Study-Guide.pdf  Additionally, you may see questions from the exam and a game on the home page of the ncbeekeepers website if you scroll down to the bottom and click on the link.

The Wake County Beekeepers Association (WCBA) will meet on Tuesday, February 13 at the Wake County Commons Building, lower level conference room.  The gathering begins at 7:00 and the meeting starts at 7:30 pm.  The address is 4011 Carya Drive, Raleigh NC 27610.  The entrance to the lower level conference room is on the right side of the building near the back.  Club Board Member Ricky Barbour will speak on “Making Meade”.

The location for the February 17 Beginner Beekeeping Class was changed to Greystone Baptist Church, 7509 Lead Mine Road, Raleigh NC 27615.  More seats for the class are available. Students who mailed in the registration form and payment have been notified by e-mail regarding the class.  Treasurer Dawn Childers is now keeping a waiting list.  If you want to be on the waiting list, please contact

Join the WCBA in the lower level conference room of the Wake County Commons Building for the first 2018 meeting.  Pollinator Garden is tonight’s topic.  Also we will form committees for 2018, including the Swarm List, Mentors, Bug Fest, State Fair, etc.  Join or renew your club membership for $10 using this form 2018+WCBA-NCSBA+membership+form

The entrance to the lower level conference room is on the right side of the Commons Building toward the back.  You may want to park in the parking lot near the NC Rural Center.  The gathering begins at 7 pm and the meeting starts at 7:30 pm.  4011 Carya Drive, Raleigh NC 27610.  Visitors welcome!

*** The location for the February 17 class was changed to Greystone Baptist Church, 7509 Lead Mine Road, Raleigh NC 27615. Please check with to see if any seats remain. *** The WCBA workshop for beginning beekeepers will be held Saturday, February 17, 2018.  Classroom instruction from 8 am – 4 pm, followed by the opportunity to take the written portion of the Certified level test of the NCSBA Master Beekeeper Program.  Additionally, a practical training will be held the third Sunday at 1:00 pm during March – September, weather permitting.  The workshop fee is $60, which includes the book First Lessons in Beekeeping, one year membership in the WCBA, and lunch on Saturday.  Click below for the registration form.   Please mail your check prior to January 24, 2018. 

Draft 2018 Spring Beginner Beekeeping Workshop Registration Form

We invite you to join us on December 12 for our Annual Christmas Dinner.  The club supplies the meat, but members bring a dish or dessert to share.  Come to enjoy an evening of socializing with other beekeepers.  Wake County Commons Building, upper conference room, 4011 Carya Drive, Raleigh.

Join us to hear Betsey Spencer speak on Queen Rearing.  She has assisted with running upwards of 3,000 colonies at a time and raised Minnesota Hygienic queens.  Sustainable beekeeping is using locally bred queens.  Also, officers for 2018 will be elected at the November 14 meeting, to be held at the Wake County Commons Building, 4011 Carya Drive, Raleigh.