June 2013

Club News

in this issueMay meeting:Tuesday, June 11, 2013Social starts at 7:00 p.m.Meeting starts at 7:30 p.m.

LOCATION:Wake County Cooperative Building4011 Carya Drive, Raleigh, NC 27610

After a cool spring, summer is heating up quickly. The long awaited nucs have gone to their new homes, and package bees have been arriving as well. In both cases, these nascent colonies will need food supplied, especially since our major spring nectar flow is mostly past. As you feed your bees, the club strives to feed your need for activities and information - see what’s up! ) Local research project: Contact researcher Holden Appler of the

NCSU Apiculture Lab if you have colonies that have overwintered and would like to participate in his study. He can be contacted at email rhappler@ncsu.edu or (336) 403-3954.

) Snacks needed: No one has yet signed up to bring snacks to the June or July meetings. We need three volunteers for each meeting to bring the suggested items. The club will reimburse you. Please visit the online snack sign-up form and volunteer today.

) NCSBA Summer Meeting: Will be in Southern Pines from July 11-13! Since it’s so close, we’d like to get a strong showing from Wake County - more info on page 3 and online.

) Articles in Bee Buzz: Kudos to Program Chair Kim Underhill for contributing the article “Apiary Inspection...Why?” and member Mary Jaynes for her column “Cooking it Right with Honey” in the Summer 2013 issue of the North Carolina Bee Buzz.

) Swarm-out session 1: The Underhills will host Rick Coor as he gives a queen rearing demo at their home in Raleigh on June 8 from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Lunch will be provided, and the $10 fee (cash only, please) will be donated to the NCSU Apiculture Lab.

) Swarm-out session 2: Larry Williams will host a hands-on honey extraction on June 22, with participation limited to current year WCBA members only.

As always, the club officers remain eager to support our local beekeeping community. Your input, ideas and assistance will always be appreciated.

June program: Queen rearing with Rick Coor 2

2013 Officers / What’s in bloom? / Bees in the news 2

Announcements, Requests & Reminders 3

Calendar of events / April meeting summary 4

WCBA Newsletter / June 2013 page 2

June program: Queen Rearing with Rick Coor

What’s in bloom?

Bees in the news

2013 OFFICERSPresident: Sarah MyersVice President: Ken CobbSecretary: Kate HanserTreasurer: Neil WoodcockProgram Chair: Kim UnderhillSgt-at-Arms: Tom Underhill

Board of Directors:Ricky Barbour (3 yrs)Larry Williams (2 yrs)Vivian Joyner (1 yr)

Officer contact information is available at the club’s website: www.wakecountybeekeepers.

org/about

Rick Coor of Spring Bank Bee Farm in Goldsboro, NC will address the club about his experiences in rearing quality queens in North Carolina. A pillar of the North Carolina beekeeping community, Rick lives and believes by paying it forward, making all efforts to mentor and assist beekeepers of all levels. He will review the steps needed to raise quality queens and discuss the techniques used and lessons he has learned. As a licensed seller of bees in NC, he is sure to have professional level insights that will help everyone improve their understanding of beekeeping and perhaps inspire you to try to raise queens to support our local honeybee populations. With this past season’s difficulties with queen failure and mortality, the dire need for locally-sourced queens certainly exists. A lecture not to be missed!

The June heat quickly brings the main piedmont nectar flow to a close, but several unobtrusive (and often unwanted) “weeds” give pollinators a much needed source of nectar well into our normally lean, dry months of summer. We treat them as lawn weeds and pull them from our garden beds, but vetches (Vicia spp.) and clovers (Trifolium spp.) do more than feed bees. As members of the legume family (Fabaceae), clovers and vetches add nitrogen to the soil via nitrogen-fixing bacteria housed in root nodules. Clover in particular is valued as a bee forage plant, and where it is grown in quantity beekeepers can collect the highly prized clover honey. Locally, rather than aiming for that pristine golf-course type lawn, why not let some clover linger and flower? Pollinators benefit. And you don’t have to mow so often.

Recently, honeybees have been adding a new task to their pollination & honeymaking resumé: that of locating landmines. This Business Week article discusses how honeybees’ highly developed sense of smell and their learning ability may be applied to help Croatia clear its territory of landmines left over from the Balkan wars of the 1990’s.

One of the hot topics in high-tech at the moment is the engineering of insect-sized flying machines, to be used for exploration or surveillance. A study of bumblebees (with related video) reveals that the flexible wing structure increases aerodynamic lift at these small scales.

Thanks to club member Ted Shear for sharing these links!

WCBA Newsletter / June 2013 page 3

Announcements, Requests, & Reminders

Please bring your club nametag with you to every meeting! Wear

it so we can easily identify each other. New members can collect their badges at the treasurer’s table.Also, please check next to your name on the sign-in sheet at the treasurer’s table when you attend meetings so we can maintain accurate attendance records.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Our club will only be a success if members stay active and get involved with club-sponsored activities! Here are some 2013 events to start planning for: September 21 -- BugFest at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh: WCBA provides an educational exhibit, plus some honey sales are allowed.October 17 - 27 -- NC State Fair: The premium book will be posted online this month. Start preparing your entries now.Golden Achievement award: Keep track of your service efforts during the year and help us repeat our 2009 win.

Connect with fellow Wake County beekeepers on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/BeekeepersofWakeCounty/

This open group is NOT WCBA controlled; simply ask group administrator Theresa Bowen to add you as a group member & join the conversation!

MISSING EQUIPMENTThe club’s demonstration hive remains AWOL!! This hive body contains 9 frames, with photos of different aspects of the hive interior, including some diseases. This important educational equipment has not been seen since last year.

If you have this item in your possession, please contact club secretary Kate Hanser

IMMEDIATELY!

NC Master Beekeeper CertifiCatioN prograM

If you would like to participate in this program, or if you need to complete your practical test portion of the Certified Level of the NC Master Beekeeper Program, please contact Charles Heatherly (chasheath@gmail.com) to find out more.

Snack sign-up reminder: Healthy snacks and beverages have been planned for club meetings, please see the online sign-up sheet. The club will reimburse members for these snack expenses. We need 3 volunteers for the June and July meetings.

NCsBa suMMer MeetiNg July 11 - 13, 2013

Sandhills Community CollegeSouthern Pines, NC

Hosted by the Moore County Beekeepers. Keynote speaker Dr. Larry Connor will address varroa control, resource management and young bees. See the Summer 2013 Bee Buzz or the NCSBA website for a complete list of speakers, topics and workshop sessions. Advance registration ends July 5, and online registration is available.

HELP OUT AT CARYA DRIVE! Would you like to gain hands-on experience working in a hive? Meet Ben Crawley on the 3rd Sunday of each month at 12 noon in the Carya Drive parking lot. He will lead a small group in checking up on the club-sponsored hives, weather permitting.

WCBA Newsletter / June 2013 page 4

Calendar of Events

May meeting summary

JuneSaturday, June 8Swarm Out Session: Queen Rearing Demo by Rick Coor, Raleigh, NC, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Pollinator Workshop & Garden Tour with Debbie Roos Pittsboro, NC, 2 - 5 p.m., $15 Register by June 5!

Tuesday, June 11Club Meeting: Queen Rearing with Rick Coor7 - 9 p.m. at Carya Drive

Sunday, June 16Carya Drive hives workday12 noon, weather permitting

Saturday, June 22Swarm Out Session: Honey extraction with Larry Williams, time TBD

JulyTuesday, July 9Club Meeting: Making Splits & Good Recordkeeping PractiesClub masters will demonstrate hive splitting techniques and discuss the how’s & why’s of sound recordkeeping. 7 - 9 p.m. at Carya Drive

Saturday, July 11 - 13NCSBA Summer Meeting:Sandhills Community College, Southern Pines, NC Register by July 5!

Sunday, July 21Carya Drive hives workday12 noon, weather permitting

AugustTuesday, August 13Club Meeting: FIELD TRIP!Tour of Bayer Bee Care Center in Research Triangle ParkEvening hours TBD, details forthcoming

Sunday, August 18Carya Drive hives workday12 noon, weather permitting

For more information, visit the club website:

www.wakecountybeekeepers.org

Club president Sarah Myers opened the meeting, noting that nucs would be delivered on May 25. She reviewed club and outside events planned for June (see calendar above) and introduced the speakers for the evening. Robert “Holden” Appler and Dr. David Tarpy of the NCSU Apiculture Lab gave a presentation about Holden’s research project about how urban beekeeping may be affecting honeybee immune systems. In particular, he is looking for both managed and feral colonies from a variety of settings (urban, suburban & rural) that have survived at least one winter to sample over the course of this summer. Interested beekeepers should contact him at rhappler@ncsu or phone (336) 403-3954.Ron Nickels provided a basic overview of the steps taken and equipment needed for honey extraction.Door prizes included plants from Eleanor Silver, Charles Heatherly and Ben Crawley, as well as two honey storage buckets provided by Larry Hall.Nuc delivery (pictured) was scheduled for May 25 and it went smoothly. Except for the bees that escaped from my nuc and flew around in the cab of my truck while I drove home. All arrived safely, including the driver.