Wilson County Beekeepers

Meeting Minutes – Monday, 9 September 2024

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Wilson County Beekeepers met at the Ward Ag Center on Monday, September 9, 2024 with 70 members and guests in attendance.  President Carey Mitchell called the meeting to order.  The minutes of the July 29 meeting were approved with the checkbook balance standing at $xxxx, which includes the deposit from the Fair.

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Old Business Discussed:

• Why did the bee go to the doctor? It had hives!
• Another Wilson County-Tennessee State Fair is in the books with record results. Total attendance over the 10-day event was 861,425 which is 122,110 over last year’s attendance.
• The Wilson County Honey Show had 313 volunteer hours and had a total of $2,232.00 in sales, which included honey, raffle tickets and 134 wax blocks. After deducting for honey purchased and the cost of the bears, we netted a profit of $1,106.  There was a total to 456 raffle tickets with Stacie Graves from Murfreesboro winning the basket.
• A big thank you goes out to those that donated honey, wax and cappings, brought observation hives, and gave their time at the booth. Also a big thank you to Kenny Birdwell who made the 3D bees given to the kids.  Without everyone, we would have had the successful year at the Fair.
• Congratulations to all the Honey Show winners and a big congrats to first-time entrant Rhonda Stansberry who not only took first place in Extracted Amber Honey, but also the Best of Show and the Bluest of the Blues Tom Hart Award along with the $50.00 gift certificate from Maple Bend Bee Supply. That jar of honey constitutes a $75.00 win.  Way to go Rhonda!!!!
• We had 65 folks show an interest I the Short Course scheduled for October 22-24.

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New Business Discussed:                                               

• The annual book purchase for the public libraries have been made. We have ‘Piping Hot Bees and Boisterous Buzz-Runners:  20 Mysteries of Honey Bee Behavior Solved’ by Thomas D. Seeley.  Also a copy for the club’s library has been made.  Diane Leu volunteered to take the copy to the Lebanon Library and Jenny Lamb the copy to Mt. Juliet.  Petra has already delivered the copy to Watertown.
• Jennifer Ferguson reported that she and Allen have donated a copy of Honeybees ABC’s for the club’s library.
• For those of you that are interested in attending the October 22-24 Short Course, please let Petra know so she can get a headcount. (This is for those that are using it as a refresher or mentors)
• TBA Board Meeting is scheduled for Thursday October 10 starting at 7:00pm at MTSU. Our delegates have been seated, but any TBA member is welcome to attend.
• The TBA Conference is Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12 at MTSU. The cost is $45.00 for one day or $60.00 for both days.  Registration is on the TBA website.

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Leonard’s Monthly To-Do

Every year about this time, we hear someone say ‘The bee year starts in September or October’.  You need to start planning your 2025 year NOW!

1. How many hives do you want?
2. How much honey do you want?
3.   What new equipment do you need?
4. Repair existing equipment and be ready by late March or early April.

Back to 2024

• Remove any honey you wish to extract before treating.
• Treat for mites. I like Apiguard.  The temperature is just getting right for Apiguard.  The second treatment might not fume off.  You need to get this done and give the bees time to raise their winter fat bees.
• If you need to requeen, do so. Give them time to raise fat bees
• Feeding can stimulate brood rearing for hives that need it.
• You need 35-40 pounds of honey on each hive.

 

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

• Asters
• Boneset
• Chinese Sumac
• Crepe Myrtle
• Crownbeard
• Cup plant
• Garlic Chives
• Golden rod
• Horseweed
• Ironweed
• Mexican Bamboo
• Mimosa
• Mints
• Partridge pea
• Ragweed
• Sedum
• Seven Sons
• Smartweed
• Virginia Copperleaf
• Vitex
• Yellow Wingstem

 

No Book Report

Program:  Kent Williams was on hand to discuss pest management and fall and winter preparation

 

      Kent announced the dates for the 2025 free bee school at the farm…April 24, 25 and 26.

 

Announcements:

• There is NO meeting in October, due to building scheduling. As you know, we do not pay to utilize the space for our monthly meetings (or using the closet), so if the Ag Center has an opportunity to rent the space, we may get bumped, but usually with plenty of notice.
• September 30—Carey Mitchell—Combining Hives and Lou Taylor—Scottish Apiaries
• October 10—TBA Board Meeting at MTSU (7:00 pm)
• October 11-12—TBA Conference
• October 22-24—Short Course—Start time: 6:00 pm

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

 

Door Prizes:

• Dial entrance—Margaret Cantrell
• Queen marking cage—Petra Mitchell
• Bee magnet—Lou Taylor
• Queen catcher—Andrew Poteete
• J hook hive tool—Ronnie Woodard
• ‘The Beginner’s Guide to Beekeeping’—Ed Schwark
• 9 frame spacer—Jack Erdley
• Field Journal—Shelly Cole
• T-Shirt from Blue Sky—Dwayne Smith
• 2025 calendar from Wounded Warrior Project—Diane Leu
• Kent Williams hive tool  from Kent Williams—Craig Gallman

The meeting adjourned at 8:55 for refreshments & fellowship.

The Club’s current checkbook balance is $

 

Respectfully submitted:  Petra Mitchell, Secretary/Treasurer
Wilson County Beekeepers Association
September 10, 2024

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