Wilson County Beekeepers

Meeting Minutes – Monday, 6 May 2024

Sixty-seven members and guests attended the May 6, 2024 meeting of the Wilson County Beekeepers Association at the Ward Ag Center.  President Carey Mitchell called the meeting to order.  Minutes of the April meeting were approved with the current checkbook balance ending at $ xxxx and total membership count of current paid members at 210.

We received word that our friend and WCBA member/mentor Dave Gordon passed away on Sunday, April 28.  There will be a Celebration of Life Service on Friday, May 10 at 2:00 pm at Immanuel Baptist Church.  A memorial book will be placed in the Lebanon Public Library I his honor.

Carey reminded newbees to find a mentor (or two) so they have an idea who to contact should problems arise.

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Old Business Discussed:

• What do you call be bee that works for the government? A Pollentician
• Several members attendee the Kent Williams Bee School
• Still taking topic suggestions for 2025
• Still needing volunteers for Farm Days, (May 7 & 8).
• Field Day at Sterling’s is Saturday, May 18 starting at 10:00 am. Rain Day is May 25.  Folks who were planning on attending were asked to sign up so we can get a head count.  Sterling said that there might be queen cells available, so bring a Styrofoam cup along with some tissue paper to transport

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New Business Discussed:                                               

• For all of our inspectors…be sure to turn in your inspection reports to Petra in order to receive payment. There is no charge to the beekeeper.  Inspectors are paid through a grant given by the USDA.
• Our next meeting, June 10, will be our annual picnic. (one week later than usual).  The club is providing the barbecue and drinks.  Members and their immediate family members are invited.  Families are asked to bring a covered dish AND a dessert.  Petra will need to know by May 31 how many are attending so food can be ordered and make sure enough seats are set.  Our charity for this event will be New Leash on Life, the humane shelter in Lebanon.  They have a wish list, which is at the back table, and will gladly accept monetary donations.  The raffle ticket revenue from the observation hive and the stick pin will go to them.
• Petra is starting to work on the Fair Raffle Basket…if you would like to donate anything bee-themed or hive products (honey, Chap Stick, soap, etc.) it would be greatly appreciated.
• If you are extracting honey and don’t want to do anything with the cappings, please rinse them and bring to a meeting. Petra will melt them down to make wax blocks to sell during the fair.
• We have been in contact with Kent Williams and he will be here next May to do another queen rearing class, in case you missed last year’s or need a refresher. It’s always great to have Kent in our neighborhood.
• Carey had a picture of a European Hornet that Bryan Leu had in his back yard.

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Leonard’s Monthly To-Do

• If everything has worked and you have a strong hive or hives, you should be checking your honey supers
• When a honey super is ½ to 2/3 full, it’s time to put on another one. I’ve been late on several of mine.  When you’re late, the bees can’t catch up.  You’ve just lost some honey production.
• Everything is about 2 weeks early. Last year I extracted the first week in June.  I will be extracting this year by the middle of May
• Check for queen cells every two weeks by lifting the second box and looking at the bottom of frames. if you find any, the hive will swarm.  You can try to cut them out, but you will probably miss one.  You can split or watch for a swarm.  When this happens, your honey production is over
• You should keep extra space on your hive until the flow is over. If you run out of honey supers, you should be able to extract and replace the empty ones.
• I can remember my day saying, a swarm in May is worth a load of hay, June a silver spoon, and in July not worth a fly.

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

• Blackberries
• Black Locust
• Clover
• Creep Charlie
• Dandelion
• False Indigo
• Holly
• Little Leaf Linden
• Magnolia
• Privet
• Tulip Poplar
• Wild Roses

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Program:  Dale McCleskey had the most interesting program on the Managing the Sex Lives of Honeybees.  He also showed how to make a bee-vacuum.

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    Announcements:

• May 7-8—Farm Days
• May 18—Field Day @ Sterling’s…start time 10:00 am—rain day: May 25
• May 31—RSVP for June Picnic
• June 10—June Picnic

The evening’s door prizes were handed out by Carey with the help from Jennifer Ferguson and Blair Bradshaw

Door Prizes:

• Wounded Warrior Greeting Cards—Philip Chapman
• Ultimate Uncapping System—Sophie Stoiko
• Patty holder/riser (donated by Beth McClain)—Steve Brewer
• 1^st Lessons in Beekeeping—Jovie Talbott
• Boardman Feeder—Jennifer Ferguson
• Uncapping Knife—Gina Solo
• Capping Scratcher—Trish Aud
• Ultra Bee Feed—Shannon Redmond
• Refrigerator Magnet—Duane Ackley
• Honey Gate—Blair Bradshaw
• Kent Williams Hive Tool—Allen Ferguson
• Bee Gloves—Tricia Davis

The meeting adjourned at 8:41 for refreshments & fellowship.

The Club’s current checkbook balance is $

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Respectfully submitted:  Petra Mitchell, Secretary/Treasurer
Wilson County Beekeepers Association
May 7, 2024

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