Wilson County Beekeepers

Meeting Minutes – 10 September 2012

September 10, 2012 brought 77 members and guest to the monthly meeting of the Wilson County Beekeepers at the Ward Ag Center.  President Carey Mitchell called the meeting to order.

•  Minutes from the July 23 meeting were approved.

• Carey thanked everyone that volunteered their time at the Honey Show (there were a total of 50 volunteers and 481 hours that made it happen), donated honey bears and items for the raffle basket.  A big thank-you to Glenn Bradley for providing all 10 frames for the weekend extracting demonstrations.  Also thanks to WT Nolen for providing the wax we sold.  THANK YOU to all entries…that is what makes the show.  And Congrats to Fred Corley, winner of the Bluest of the Blues with his jar of Dark Amber Extracted Honey.

• We were reminded that Early Conference Registration ends September 21 and Petra can take your registration forms along with payment tonight.  Vendors will be at conference and you can call them to place an order to avoid shipping charges.

• Empty honey bears were made available for purchase at $5.00/dozen for those interested.

• After some discussion, the Association decided to give 8 new beekeeper grants away for 2013.  Discussion will continue next month as to whether it will be in the form of actual beginners’ kits, or a monetary grant later in the year.  Members were asked to email suggestions to Petra.

• The 2013 Programs Idea list was circulated along with the Christmas Charity and Mentor lists.  The top winning Charity will be where we donate in December and the runner up will be provided for at the June 2013 picnic.

• The Fair Stats Sheet was also circulated:  26 categories, 41 entrants, 104 entries (we were down 37 from last year) $435 in dividends awarded, and $2,367 collected in total items for sale.  Fair Questionnaires were at the tables and asked to be completed to give us likes/dislikes and any helpful suggestions that will make next year’s Honey Show even better.  We are splitting the plain and fancy molded wax categories  (under 1 pound and one pound and over)

• The club purchased new dvds (My Hive Tool: A Comprehensive Guide for Beekeepers) to be distributed to the local libraries.  Petra had delivered Watertown’s, David Elliot will deliver Mt. Juliet’s and Jim Murff will deliver Lebanon’s.  The club’s library also has a copy.

• Fred’s Monthly To Do’s:

1) Check Stores—need 60# for winter
2) Feed if necessary
3) Store empty supers
4) Check mite count (sticky board/ether roll) — work with your mentor on treatment
5) Begin to evaluate week hives for combining … better to have 1 strong hive than 2 weak hives to survive winter

• Allen Persinger’s evening discussion on Fall and Winter Management was well received with much valuable information provided.

• Our next meeting is scheduled for October 1, with Carey discussing Hive Combining.

The evening’s door prizes were given out:  a Frame Feeder was won by Bill George, Melissa Everidge won a bee brush, and Julia Harper won an entrance reducer made by WT Nolen.