Wilson County Beekeepers

WCBA Meeting & Event Schedule

We meet monthly (except for August) at 7:00 PM in the Ward Agriculture Center on the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, Tennessee. NOTE: If the front gates are locked on the Ag Center, use the Tennessee Boulevard (next light) exit.
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2023 WCBA Programing Schedule

April 3 — Honeytree Meadery—Mead
May 1 — Carey Mitchell—Extracting Honey
May 5 (13) — Kent Williams—Queen Rearing Class
May 20 (27) — Field Day
June 5 — Picnic (Members & family)
July 3 — John Benham—How Summer Beekeeping Can Determine Winter Survival
July 24 — Al Taylor—Is My Queen Ready for Winter
September 11 — Kent Williams—Wintertime Preparations
October 2 — Jay Williams—Become a Better Bee Detective
October 23-25 — Short Course
November 6 —  Susan Welchance—Working with Beeswax
December 4 — Christmas Dinner

Regular monthly meetings & courses (visitors welcome)
Dinners / Events for Paid members only

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2023 (expired)

January 2 — David Hughes—Bee Trees and Shrubs
February 6 —  Clarence Collison—Investigating Bee Hive Issues
February 25 — Refresher Course
March 6 — Mike Studer—Bee Pests and Diseases
March 7 & 8 — Inspector Class
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2022

January 10 — Dale McCleskey — Packages & Nucs
February 7 — Clarence Collison — Spring Management
February 19 — Refresher Course — 9 AM to Noonish in the Ward Ag Ctr. School House
March 7 — Shannon Trimboli — Planting for Honeybees
April 4 — John Ratcliffe — Cut outs
May 2 — Lynda Rizzardi — Getting Ready for the Fair
June 6 — Picnic (Members & family)
July 11 — John Benham — The Threshold to Healthy Spring Bees
July 25 — Fall Management —  Kent Williams
September 12 — Trevor Qualls — How, When, & Why To Feed your Bees
October 3 — Barry Richards — Observation Hives
October 24-26 — Short Course
November 7 — What Have You Learned? /  Open Q & A
December 5 — Christmas Dinner
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2021

January 4 — Sterling Earhart — Double Nuc — Two Queen Hives
February 1 — Leonard Walker — Double Screens
February 27 — Refresher Course
March 1 — Dale McCleskey — Types of Hives
April 5 — Clarence Collison — The Importance of Bee Nutrition
May 3 — Kent Williams — The Importance of a Good Queen
June 7 — Christy Luna from the ASCS — Grants for Beekeepers.
July 5 —  Extracting Honey — Carey Mitchell
July 26 — Fair Review — Melissa Ross
September 13 — Open Forum — What Have you Learned?
October 4 — Kamon Reynolds — Varroa Treatments
November 1 — Sue Dickhaus — Lotions
November 2-4 — Short Course
December 13 — Christmas Dinner

2020

January 6 — Honeybee Biology — Trevor Qualls
February 3 — Woodworking Applications — Gene Armstrong
February 22 — Refresher Course
March 2 — Spring Preparation — Clarence Collison
April 6 — CANCELLED – NO MEETING due to Coronavirus / COVID-19
May 4 — CANCELLED – NO MEETING due to Coronavirus / COVID-19
June 1 — David Hughes f/ Rock Bridge Trees – Bee Trees – NO PICNIC
July 6 — Extracting Honey — Carey Mitchell
July 27 — Propolis — Karin Gray, President of the Cookeville club
September 14 — Double Hive Honey Production – Sterling Earhart
October 5 —  Managing the Sex Lives of Honeybees — Dale McCleskey
October 27-29 — Short Course — CANCELED due to COVID-19
November 2 — Making Salve — Sue Dickhaus
December 7 — Which Bee is Right for Me — Al Taylor

2019

January 7 — Honeybee Biology — Carey Mitchell
February 4 — Use of a Double Screen/Making Splits — Joel White
February 23 — Refresher Course
March 4 — Honeybee Nutrition — Clarence Collison
April 1 — Nucs —  Sterling Earhart substitute presenter – Charlie Parton
May 6 — Pest Management — Kent Williams
June 3 — WCBA Spring Picnic
July 1 — Marketing and Packaging Honey — Jay Williams
July 29 — Fair Review — Carey Mitchell
September 9 — Fall/Winter Management — Carey Mitchell
October 7 — Wax — Susan Welchance
October 22-24 — 3-Day Beginner Beekeeping Short Course
November 4 — Stings — Peggy Scholes
December 2 — WCBA Christmas Dinner

2018

January 8 — Barry Richards — Observation Hives
February 5 — Kent Williams — Spring Build up
February 24 — Refresher Course
March 5 — Clarence Collison — Laying Workers
April 2 — Sterling Earhart — Making a New Queen
May 7 — Jay Williams — Bee Removal
June 4 — WCBA Spring Picnic
July 2 — Fair Review
July 30 — Howard Kerr — Summer and Fall Build up
August 17-25 — Wilson County Fair
September 10 — Jim Garrison — Fall & Winter Management in the Education Building
October 1— Dale McCleskey — Different Types of Hives
October 23-25 — 3-Day Beginner Beekeeping Short Course
November 5 — Trevor Qualls — Emergency Feeding & Spring Readiness
December 3 — WCBA Christmas Dinner

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2017

January 2 – Susan Welchance – Cleaning Wax and Molding Candles
February 6 – Jay Williams — Solitary Bees
February 25 – Refresher Course
March 6 – Charlie Parton — Making and Using Nucs
April 10 – Clarence Collison — Swarm Prevention
May 1 – Kent Williams — Things that can cause summer losses & what to do
May 20 – WCBA Field Day – 10:00 AM in Lebanon & Mount Juliet
June 5 – WCBA Picnic
July 3 – Lynda Rizzardi — Getting Ready for the Fair
July 31 – Fair Review
September 11 – Trevor Qualls — Alternative to Chemicals / Fall & Winter Mgmt
October 2 – Carey Mitchell — Combining Hives
October 31 – November 2 – 3-Day Short Course
November 6 –   Q&A w/ Carey Mitchell
December 4 – Christmas Dinner

2016

January 4 – Jay Williams – Cut Comb
February 1 – Trevor Qualls – Drones: The Forgotten Part of Queen Rearing & Evaluating for Splits
February 20 – WCBA Refresher Course
March 7 – Kent Williams – The Importance of a Good Queen
April 11 – Clarence Collison – Honeybee Biology
May 2 – Joel Hausser – Bee Plants
May 23 – Extracting Workshop
June 6 – WCBA Picnic
June 20 – CANCELED DUE TO RODEO – NO MEETING – Jeff Herel – Mite treatment
July 11 – Fair Review
August 19-27 – Wilson County Fair
September 12 – Carey Mitchell – Fall and Winter Management
October 3 – David & Deannie Hughes – Rock Bridge Trees – Bee Trees
October 18-20 – 3-Day Beginner Short Course
November 7 – Mentor Moments:  Interesting but non-essential bee facts
December 5 – WCBA Christmas Dinner

2015

January 5 — Spring Feeding w/ Carey Mitchell
February 2 — Splitting & Combining Hives w/ Jay Williams
March 2 — Spring & Summer Hive Preparation — Kent Williams
March 9 — Beginning Beekeepers Workshop
April 13 — The Importance of Bee Nutrition — Clarence Collison
May 4 — Nucleus hives – making, using, selling — David LaFerney
June 1 — WCBA Picnic
June 15 — Honey Extracting Workshop
July 6 — Bee Pests – Small Hive Beetle and Varroa Mites — John Pace
July 20 — Fair Review
September 14 — Fall & Winter Management — Carey Mitchell
October 5 — Arlis Swafford — Emergency Feeding
October 27-29 — 3-Day Beekeeping Short Course
November 2 — Natural Beekeeping — Trevor Qualls
December 14 — Christmas Dinner

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2014

January 13 — Natural Beekeeping — Trevor Qualls
February 3 — Raising Queens — Mike Haney
February 8 — Beginning Beekeepers Workshop
March 24 — Preparing Hives for Maximum Honey Production — Clarence Collison
April 14 — Nucs — Charlie Parton
May 19 — Observation Hives — Barry Richards
June 2 — Picnic
July 7 — Fair Prep and Catalog Review — Melissa Ross
July 28 — Working with Wax – Cleaning/Molding/Candle Making — Jim Garrison
September 8 — Fall & Winter Management — Kent Williams
October 6 — Pollinator Plants — David & Deanna Hughes
November 3 — Making Mead — Paulette Scott & Arlis Swafford
December 1 – Christmas Dinner

2013

January 7 — Bee Biology 101 — Clarence Collison
January 22-24 — Beekeeping Short Course
February 4 — Homemade queens, requeening, splits — Dann Purvis
March 4 — Natural Beekeeping — Trevor Qualls
March 16 — Beginner’s Workshop
April 8 — Swarm Prevention and control — Kent Williams
May 6 — Nectar & Pollen Plants — Jim Garrison
May 18 — Field Day — date and locations to be announced
June 3 — Club Picnic
June 17 — Extracting Workshop
July 1 — Fair Prep Workshop
July 29 — Marketing Honey & Photography — Jay Williams
August 16-24 — Wilson County Fair
September 9 — Fall & Winter Management — Mike Studer
September 27-28 — TBA Conference – Hyder-Burks Pavilion, Cookeville, TN
October 7 — Making Lotions & Salves — Sue Dickhaus
October 15-17 — Short Course
November 4 — Elections / Trapping & Selling Pollen — Harris Overholt
December 2 — Christmas Dinner
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2012

January 2 — Splitting Hives:  Pros and Cons of Spring & Fall Splits – Dan Purvis
January 17, 18, 19 — Beekeeping Instructional Short Course –  $25/person or $45/couple — contact Petra Mitchell petrabee@hotmail.com to register
February 6 — Cell Punch Method of Queen Rearing – Leonard Walker
February 20 — Building & Maintaining Bee Equipment Workshop
March 5 — Native Plants and Wildflowers – Elizabeth Forbes
April 2 — Honey Basics: From the Flower to the Jar – Clarence Collison
May 7 — Observation Hives with Barry Richards
May 19 — Field Day (alternate date 5/26 – location TBA)
June 4 — Club Picnic (Members only)
June 25 — Honey Extracting Workshop
July 2 — Top Bar Hives – Steve Buckner
July 23 — Wilson County Fair Review
Aug 17-25 — Wilson County Fair
September 10 — Fall and Winter Management – Allen Persinger
September 28-29 — TBA Fall Conference  (see tnbeekeepers.org for details)
October 1 — Combining Hives – Carey Mitchell
November 5 — Elections and Presentation  TBD
December 3 — Christmas Dinner (Members Only)
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2011

January 3 —
February 7 — Natural Beekeeping – John Seaborn & Trevor Qualls
March 7 — 2 Methods of Raising Queens – Ed Holcombe
April 4 — The Pollination Program – Christy Luna
April 30 — Field Day (914 Maple Hill Road, Lebanon)
May 2 — Swarm Prevention/Making Splits – Carey Mitchell
June 6  — Club Picnic (Members only)
June 27 — Cleaning Wax and Molding Candles – Jim Garrison
July 11 — Honey Extracting Workshop
July 25 — Fair Catalog Review
No August Meeting
August 12-20 — Wilson County Fair / Honey Show
September 12 — Fall & Winter Management – Mike Studer
October 10 — Presenting a Program – Fred Dawson
November 7 — Elections and Open Forum Discussion
December 5 — Christmas Dinner (Members Only)

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