Wilson County Beekeepers

Meeting Minutes – Monday, 6 March 2023

Wilson County Beekeepers’ president Carey Mitchell called the March 6, 2023 meeting to order at the Ward Ag Center with 83 members and guests in attendance.  The minutes of the February meeting were approved with the checkbook balance reported at $xxxxx.  A copy of the financial report was available for anyone interested.
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Old Business Discussed:

• The Refresher Course was held February 25 with 20 in attendance. The weather permitted a smoker lighting demonstration.  Attendees through this class was well worth their time.
• Jamie Irons recapped the TBA Board Meeting that was held after the Refresher Course. TBA is searching for a new treasurer and secretary, as well as a newsletter editor, if anyone is interested.
• The Swarm List is in the back, if anyone wants to be added to it, or make updates. This will be posted to our website.  You do have to be a paid member to be included
• March 7 * 8 will be the Inspector Class with Mike Studer. There are still a few open seats.
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New Business Discussed:                                                             

• Two new books for our library: NICOT Queen Rearing and Beekeeping with 25 Hives by Grant Gillard.
• Brenda Sweeney, a former member, contacted us and has an extractor and miscellaneous uncapping tools to sell. We will be doing this as a sealed bid.  Put your highest bid on a slip of paper along with your name and seal it in an envelope…we will open them at the next meeting with the high bid winning.  She also donated two books to our library.
• Each year, WCBA sponsors the Honey Show at the Wilson County Fair along with Honeybee TN. This covers all premiums available plus paying the judge.  Our portion is $547.00 and the check has been delivered to Wilson County Promotions.
• This year there will be a Tennessee Honey Show at the Fair, along with our County show. Anyone can enter the Tennessee Honey Show.  One stipulation is that if you are a Wilson County resident, you will also need to enter the county show.  So get your entries ready.
• We received an invitation from Home Safe for their 40^th Anniversary Celebration on March 31 on the square in Gallatin. Bailey Roddy and David Shoulders have volunteered to represent WCBA, but anyone is invited to attend.  Start time is 6:00 pm
• Farm Day is scheduled for May 9 and 10 and Jessica Dodds will need some volunteer help. If you can give one or both days, it would be greatly appreciated.
• We have two memorial books that need to be delivered to the public libraries. The one going to Mt. Juliet is for Caroline Brewer who passed away last November and David Elliot agreed to take it.  The one for Lebanon is for Frank Fox who passed way in February and Jessica will deliver it.
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Leonard’s Monthly To-Do

• Order nucs or packages. You should know by now if you need to replace any hives.
• Check your brood. If it is all in the top hive body, you could rotate to give the queen room to lay
• Check on diseases and mites when you do this
• We usually recommend to feed this time of year, but with everything that’s blooming, you may not need to.
• Super colonies with drawn comb. It’s too early for foundation.  You want a good honey flow for them to draw it out.
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What’s blooming (at our house) that the bees are working:

• Crabapple
• Creeping Charlie
• Dandelion
• False Nettle
• Flowering Quince
• Grape Hyacinth
• Hazelnut
• Hellebores
• Henbit
• Maples
• Nanking Cherry
• Peaches
• Pussy Willow
• Redbud
• Snow Goose Cherry
• Spicebush
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Program:  Mike Studer, State Apiarist was on hand to discuss bee diseases and pests
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Announcements: 

• March 7 & 8—Inspector Class with Mike Studer (6:00 – 10:00) Registration Required
• March 31—HomeSafe 40^th Anniversary Celebration
• April 3—Mead Making with Honeytree Meadery
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Door Prizes:

• Honeybee Healthy—Jenny Lamb
• Frame Grip—Bill Rourke
• Sedum—Rhonda Stansbury, Caryn Boles, Aaron Cooper
• Honey Candy—Tricia Davis
• J Hook Hive Tool—Dwayne Smith
• WCBA T-shirt—Sterling Earhart
• Hive Tool—Guy Davidson
• TBA Mug—John Strothenke
• Honeybee TN bag—Pat Gooch
• Honeybee TN T-Shirt—Leonard Walker
• Honeybee TN travel mug—Ronnie Woodard
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The meeting adjourned at 8:42pm for refreshments & fellowship.

The Club’s current checkbook balance is $xxxx

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Respectfully submitted:  Petra Mitchell, Secretary/Treasurer
Wilson County Beekeepers Association
March 7, 2023

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