Wilson County Beekeepers

Meeting Minutes – Monday, 3 July 2023

President Carey Mitchell called the July 3, 2023 meeting of the Wilson County Beekeepers to order at the Ward Ag Center with 62 members and guests in attendance.  The minutes of the June meeting were approved with the checkbook balance reported at $xxxx.  Our current membership count stands at 198.

Old Business Discussed:

• The picnic was a great success…there was so much yummy food…no one went home hungry.  We collected a whopping $1,015.00 for Wounded Warrior Project…Thanks to everyone that contributed.
• Thanks to Chuck Benson who donated the raffle items…a bee tool box that was won by Aaron Coper and the two swarm traps that Tricia Davis and Bailey Roddy took home.
• We had a few members attend the TBA South & North Middle Region Education Day on June 17^th in Lewisburg.
• The extractor and uncapping bucket/board are up for auction today.  Put your highest bid on a card, seal in the envelope and get to Petra.  Highest bidder will take it home tonight.

New Business Discussed:                                               

• Full disclosure from the Treasurer:  We paid Kent Williams $500.00 for the queen rearing class in May.  We charged $20.00 for non-WCBA members…there were 5 for a total of $100.00 collected.  That money when to Sterling for the use of is bee yard for that event plus Field Day.  (Thank you Sterling!).  We received a $400.00 grant from TBA so the queen class cost us $100.00 with 40 in attendance.
• The Wilson County Fair—Tennessee State Fair is just around the corner…August 17-26.  There are two Honey Shows…Local and State…in order for you to enter the State show you have to enter the same category in the Local show.  Petra has the Fair schedule, should you like to sign up for a shift or three.
• Petra is looking for bee themed items for the Fair Basket, including small jars of honey with your label.  She also has bears for those willing to donate some of their honey back to sell.
• We will be doing extracting all five weekend nights, so we will be looking for a total of ten frames to extract.  If you are willing, please let Petra know.
• Fair catalogs will be available to the next meeting, but you can find details at the Fair website.  Categories are the same as last year.
• New this year

Leonard’s Monthly To-Do

• Continue removing your capped honey
• Put wet supers back on just before dark to prevent robbing
• Supers that are going to be stored should be fumigated with Para dichlorobenzene (Paramoth) or stored where   they can get light and air circulation.  I use Para dichlorobenzene.
• Swarms after mid-June will require a lot of care until they are full sized or combined with another hive.  When       you combine weak colonies, you still have a week colony.
• If your nectar flow is over, weak hives can be built up with sugar water
• Check and treat for varroa mites.
• Look for hive health
• The queen will start slowing down on her laying and the mites and beetles will increase, so keep an eye on them.
• When your honey flow is over, you should install entrance reducers to help prevent robbing.

What’s blooming at our house that the bees are working:

• Abelia
• Bass Wood
• Bottle Brush Buckeye
• Catnip
• Clover
• Elderberry
• Euonymus
• Magnolia
• Milkweed
• Mints
• Seven Sons
• Sumac
• Vitex

Program:  John Benham, EAS Master Beekeeper from Kentucky was on hand to discuss How Summer Bees Can Determine Winter Survival.  He highly recommended Honeybee Health Coalition for information on mite control.   honeybeehealthcoalition.org/varroatool

Announcements:

• July 24—Al Taylor—Is my Queen Ready for Winter
• August 12—Honey Show Entries due
• August 17-26—Wilson County—Tennessee State Fair

Dale McCleskey announced that he will be placing an order for one-pound plastic honey jars.  If anyone is looking for some, please contact him before he places his order, as the more purchased, the price goes down.

The winner of the Extractor is Duane Smith with a bid of $133.33.  Proceeds were given back to WCBA, per Susan Schulert, who donated the unit.

Door Prizes:

• 9 count 8 ounce bears—Katy Wilson (donated by Susan Schulert)
• 11 count 2# jars with lids—Anna Burciaga (donated by Susan Schulert)
• Uncapping knife—Edward Miller
• Varroa tester—David Thompson (donated by Susan Schulert)
• Uncapping scratcher—Chrissie Wilson
• Vitex—Leonard Walker
• TBA mug & decal—Norma Jean Stroupe
• J hook hive tool—Dale McCleskey
• 9 count 23 jars with lids—Joan Giltner
• Honey Candy—Sterling Earhart
• Vitex—Amy McCain
• 10 sheets brood foundation—Al Dutton (donated by Susan Schulert)
• Greeting Cars—Marianne Smith (donated by Wounded Warrior Project)

The meeting adjourned at 8:40 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
July 4, 2023

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