Wilson County Beekeepers

Meeting Minutes – Monday, 24 July 2023

Wilson County Beekeepers met at the Ward Ag Center on Monday, July 24, 2023 with 60 members and guests in attendance.  President Carey Mitchell called the meeting to order.  The minutes of the July 3 meeting were approved with the checkbook balance standing at $xxxx

Old Business Discussed:

• The Wilson County—Tennessee State Far is just around the corner.  Petra has 6-ounce bears for those willing to donate to the club.  She is looking for bee-themed items, including small jars of honey with your label, for the raffle basket.  We are needing 10 frames of honey for the uncapping demonstrations on the weekend. 
• Petra has the Fair schedule.  Please help where you can.  Fair passes will be sent out in about a week along with parking passes.  You are allowed to park in the Preferred Parking without having to pay the $10.00 as long as your parking pass is displayed (provided there is space)

New Business Discussed:                                               

• Fair catalogs are available on the back table along with the Honey Show outline and rules.  Please consider entering.  And as long as you are putting together an entry, why not do two and enter one in the Tennessee State Fair.  Think of the bragging rights.  Remember, Wilson County residents can only enter the State Fair if they enter the same category in the County Fair.
• New book in the club library…Brian R. John’s Honey Bee Biology
• TBA has a new interim President…our own David Thompson.  David thanked all that voted for him and he listed some of the speakers that will be at the October 6 & 7 TBA Conference at MTSU.

Leonard’s Monthly To-Do

• Extract your remaining honey
• Store honey supers to prevent wax moth damage after the bees have dried them out.  I use Para chlorobenzene (Paramoth)
• Check hives for disease and mites.  Mite levels tend to peek in August or September, treat if necessary.
• If you are requeening, do it before or after mite treatment.
• Recheck your requeened colonies in 3 days for release and 10 days for a laying queen.
• Reduce the colonies to over winter size to help in the management of beetles.
• Feed if necessary.
• 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:

• Catnip
• Clover
• Crepe Myrtle
• Devil’s Walking Stick
• Magnolia
• Milkweed
• Mimosa
• Mints
• Seven Sons
• Vitex

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Program:  Al Taylor had a very informative program on getting our queen ready for winter.

Announcements:

• August 12—Honey Show Entries due
• August 17-26—Wilson County—Tennessee State Fair
• September 11—Kent Williams—Wintertime Preparations

Door Prizes:

• 10 sheets brood foundation—Sophie Stoiko (donated by Susan Schulert)
• Vitex Plants (donated by Norma Jean Stroupe and Petra Mitchell)—Chuck Benson, Donnie Gleaves, Deanie Yoest, Diane Leu, Tricia Davis and Norbert Braunwalder
• Honey Candy—David Yoest
• Propolis Scraper—Bryan Leu
• Veil—John Stansberry
• Pigeon Mountain t-shirt—Bill Rourke
• 6 month ABJ Subscription—Joan Giltner
• Small J-Hook hive tool—Sterling Earhart

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The meeting adjourned at 8:35 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 25, 2023

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