Wilson County Beekeepers

French Beekeepers and Mysterious Blue & Green Honey

7 October 2012 by Greg

MULHOUSE, France — Bees at a cluster of apiaries in northeastern France have been producing honey in mysterious shades of blue and green, alarming their keepers who now believe residue from containers of M&M’s candy processed at a nearby biogas plant is the cause.

Since August, beekeepers around the town of Ribeauville in the region of Alsace have seen bees returning to their hives carrying unidentified colourful substances that have turned their honey unnatural shades.

French apiarist Andre Frieh holds a sample of green-coloured honey at his home in Ribeauville near Colmar Eastern France, Oct. 5, 2012. Keepers believe residue from containers of M&M’s candy processed at a nearby biogas plant is the cause of the oddly coloured honey.

Mystified, the beekeepers embarked on an investigation and discovered that a biogas plant 4 kilometres away has been processing waste from a Mars plant producing M&M’s, bite-sized candies in bright red, blue, green, yellow and brown shells. … READ MORE

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/10/05/french-beekeepers-blame-mms-candy-for-mysterious-blue-and-green-honey/

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The Health Benefits of Honey by Kris Wetherbee

7 October 2012 by Greg

In addition to being a tasty natural sweetener, honey is rich with healing antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Discover the many health benefits of honey!

For centuries, honey has been one of nature’s culinary wonders. But the value of this golden treat isn’t strictly in its sweet taste. Honey also has a long history as a natural medicine, used to treat ailments of the internal organs and the skin. Hippocrates recommended consuming honey for optimal health, the ancient Egyptians used it as a salve to treat wounds, and Cleopatra is said to have considered it a vital part of her daily beauty routine. Today, honey with lemon is still a favorite remedy for colds and sore throats. … READ MORE

http://www.motherearthliving.com/health-and-wellness/health-benefits-of-honey-zmez12mjzmel.aspx

Posted in From the Hive | Leave a Comment »

Minutes for October 2012 Meeting posted

3 October 2012 by Greg

The Minutes for the 1 October 2012 meeting have been posted here:

https://wilsoncountybeekeepers.org/about/minutes-201210/

You can access this year’s meeting minutes by scrolling to the bottom of the About Us page of this web site.

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WCBA Meeting – Monday, 1 October 2012

29 September 2012 by Greg

The Wilson County Beekeepers Association meets Monday, 1 October 2012 at 7:00 PM at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center on the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon Tennessee.

The program for October: Combining Hives with Carey Mitchell

Note: After you enter the fairgrounds through the main gate, we are in the West Building (2nd building on your left). Look for all the cars.

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TBA Fall Conference – Fri-Sat, 28-29 Sept. 2012

22 September 2012 by Greg

The Tennessee Beekeepers Association Fall Conference is Friday-Saturday, 28-29 September 2012 at the Hyder-Burks Agricultural Pavilion in Cookeville, TN.

Dr. Richard Fell of Virginia Tech University will be our main speaker. He is recently retired as the Professor of Entomology and taught courses including Insect Biology Laboratory, and Bees and Beekeeping. Dr. Fell’s research program is directed toward biological and behavioral studies of honey bees, pollination biology, and forensic entomology. One of the topics he will discuss is Understanding the Queen.

Other speakers include: Clarence Collision, retired State Apiarist of Mississippi (now living in Middle TN); TBA favorite Kent Williams; former KY State Apiarist Phil Craft; world renowned honey judge and breeder of Russian Bees Virginia Webb; former TBA president Jim Garrison; and Jay Williams. Also, TN State Apiarist Mike Studer and Professor of Entomology at UT, Dr. John Skinner will speak. In addition, several regional local presenters are committed to speak.

There will be information and topics of interest for beekeepers of all stripes, from the ‘just thinking about it’ to the most seasoned beekeeper. And as always, the George DeBusk Honey Show, the silent auction, loads of vendors, and the Tennessee Honey Exchange will take place at the conference. Make plans now to join us in Cookeville! And for further details on the TBA Fall Conference, visit: tnbeekeepers.org

Hyder-Burks Agriculture Pavilion

Go here for directions to the Hyder-Burks Agriculture Pavilion.

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2012 WC Fair Exhibit Winners

14 September 2012 by Greg

Congratulations to Fred Corley on winning the 2012 Tom Hart “Bluest of the Blues” Award for his Dark Amber Extracted Honey entry. Unfortunately, I did not get a photo of Fred’s winning entry, nor any other entries this year. If you have photos of the 2012 WCBA booth, display, or any of the entries and wouldn’t mind sharing them on the website, please email them to, or contact me at: cedarbees@gmail.com

Congratulations to all entrants and winners in the 2012 Wilson County Fair Exhibit competition. The complete list of winners is available for download in pdf format here: