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April - May 2016 Newsletter of the Wake County Beekeepers Association

Editor’s note: The arrival of Spring brought more tasks, such as planting the garden, having company, yard work, etc. and I got a little behind. I didn’t publish an April newsletter, so this one combines news from April and May. I know the swarm season was active. Attendees from the March Bee School have been taking the practical test with Ben Crawley on the 3rd Sunday at the Historic Oak View Park. Our mentoring program is underway. One of our biggest concerns is how the public will react to the Zika virus and spraying for mosquitoes. We need to be proactive to protect the honeybees. There have been a lot of interesting posts on the Facebook group “Beekeepers of Wake County”.

WCBA Officers for 2016: President: Mike Childers Vice President: Ben Crawley Secretary: Susan Benton Treasurer: Dawn Childers Membership: Kim Rossi Program Chair: Marc Larin Sergeant-at-Arms: Tom Underhill Board of Directors: Ricky Barbour (3 years); Sarah Myers (2 years); Sue Carson (1 year)

Membership The Membership campaign has closed. If you didn’t join or renew by the end of March, you are still welcome to attend meetings and participate. We will open the time for new members and renewals in the fall/winter for 2017.

The Master Beekeeper program, administered by the North Carolina State Beekeeping Association (NCSBA), consists of 4 levels; Certified Beekeeper, Journeyman Beekeeper, Master Beekeeper, and Master Craftsman Beekeeper. Please visit the NCSBA website to take a practice quiz. A new game, Honey Of A Game, has been added to test your knowledge of honey and Honey Competition. Go tohttps://www.ncbeekeepers.org at the bottom of the home page for the practice test questions. The questions are changed each month. The written test for the Certified Beekeeper will be administered by our club as needed. Please contact Secretary Susan Benton when you are ready to take the test. Please watch the club website for more information. The practical test will be given in the club’s bee yard at Historic Oak View Park, 1:00 to 3:00 pm, each 3rd Sunday between April and September. For the Journeyman and Master levels, test is only administered at one of the State Meetings. The next State meeting is July 7-9 in Hickory, NC.

“A swarm in May is worth a bale of hay; a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon; a swarm in July is not

worth a fly.” Quote heard at the May meeting.

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Upcoming Meetings June 14 – Wake County Commons Building – Danny Jaynes will speak on preparing honey for the State Fair. July 12 – Wake County Commons Building August 9 – Wake County Commons Building Monthly Workshop – 3rd Sunday of the month at 1:00 pm at the Bee Yard near the cotton field of Historic Oak View County Park, April – September. Join Ben Crawley to get a monthly look inside the beehive.

April 2016 Meeting Summary:

Dr. Danesha Seth Carley gave an informative presentation “Enhancing Pollinator Habitat with Native Plants in the

NC Landscape” at the April meeting.

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April 12 was the last night to join WCBA for 2016. The swarm list and mentor list was passed

around for club members to sign. Club President Mike Childers asked all the 1st year

beekeepers to stand up. Mike told of mentoring 3 “newbies” to learn to catch a swarm. Mike

announced that each 1st year beekeeper who does a service will get a free renewal for WCBA.

Sargent at Arms Tom Underhill is in the process of purchasing new A/V equipment for the club.

Expect to see the much needed sound system, mics, and speakers at an upcoming meeting.

The new NC license plate “Save the Honeybee” is now available from the DMV. Hats will be

available at the next meeting. The hat features a mesh back opening.

Dr. Danesha Seth Carley, NCSU Director, Southern IPM Center, Department of Horticultural Science, spoke at the April meeting. Her presentation was filled with beautiful pictures of plants and habitat. She explained how honeybees and other pollinators are important to the landscape, with the honey bee as the most important pollinator for agricultural purposes. When combined with native pollinators, the annual benefit of managed honeybees to American consumers is about $1.6 billion; when native pollinators are not available to service crops, the estimated value of managed honeybees rises to $8.3 billion. The pollinator populations are in decline due to

Loss of feeding and nesting habitat

Disease, pests, and genetics

Pesticide exposure

Climate change and weather NCSU is doing research on

Effects of urbanization on bee populations and health

Honeybee queen health and genetics

How climate change impacts honeybee health

Native plant and the suburban matrix affect

Best seed mixes to attract pollinators

Does providing habitat actuall bring bees? Dr. Carley told us about one of the studies, a seed mix study. The researchers tested 5 different seed mixes for germination, true to type, ease of establishment, and cost. The studies were conducted by prepping the ground, no pesticide or herbicide, till, water, wait for weeds to come, then till again and plant. The initial results indicate the native seed did not germinate as well; the general pollinator mixes competed better with weeds than native seed mixes; native seed plots had lower floral diversity; and general pollinator mixes were more affordable. However, all mixes of seeds attracted pollinators. You can buy seeds on line, till, water, plant and get pollinator habitat that will attract bees. In another study, the NCDOT planted 5,000 acres; there were 12 controlled sites and 18 wildflower sites; they collected bees, flies, and butterflies between May and August 2015 to determine the abundance and richness of pollinators. In the control site (mowed turf), there were 58% flies, 37% bees, 5% butterflies; in the wildflower sites there were 37% flies, 56% bees, and 7% butterflies. Nearly 3 times as many pollinators were collected at the wildflower sites than the control sites. The conclusion – to get more bees, plant more wildflowers!

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Home gardens attract pollinators. In some cases, urban habitats have more diversity than rural. Your bees will be happier and healthier and more productive if you make room for more flowers. To begin, think about variety, architecture (small, tall, skinny), year round bloomers and groupings. Clump plants so bees can visit many flowers in one location. Provide water for bees by filling a shallow container with pebbles or twigs for the bees to land while drinking. Reduce your grass areas with something “other” (like clover). Mow when the bees are not flying. She presented a list and beautiful pictures of plants that will bloom each season. Here is a summary by season:

Spring – Zizia aurea-Golden Alexanders; Aquilegia canadensis–Eastern wild Columbine

Late Spring to Summer – Asclepias species (milk weeds), such as Asclepsiastuberosa–Butterfly weed or Asclepias incarnate; Swamp milkweed; all species are great for honeybees

Late Spring to Summer to Fall - Echinacea purpurea–Purple coneflower; Rudbeckia hirta-Gloriosa daisy (height depends on variety); Borage officinalis–Borage (nectar and pollen from June to October)

Summer - Stokesia laevis–Stokes’ aster ‘Peachie’sPick’; Agastache spp. -Anise hyssop; Nepeta spp.‘Walker’s Low’ Catmint; Pycnanthemum spp. -Mountain mint

Summer into Fall – Brown-eyed Susan; Bee Balm; Sunflower; Asters; Goldenrod

Fall - Helianthus schweinitzii-Schweinitz'ssunflower; Helianthus angustifolius-Swamp sunflower ‘Gold Lace’ Trees and shrubs – Basswood, Black Gum / Tupelo, Persimmon, Red Maple, Redbud, Sassafrass, Sourwood, Sumac, Tulip Poplar, Button Bush, Clethra, Summersweet, Elderberry, Holly, Serviceberry. Now that you have a BEE-utiful garden, avoid spraying pesticides and herbicides in areas bees will forage. Pesticides are toxic to bees and other beneficial insects like ladybugs, spiders, praying mantis that naturally keep pest populations in check. Herbicides kill many plants, such as dandelions and white clover that bees forage for pollen and nectar. Reinvent your perfect lawn to include these flowers. Dr. Carley will send her presentation for personal use, upon request. Her e-mail is Danesha_Carley@ncsu.edu Thank you Dr Carley for a wonderful presentation! A discussion of how to interact with neighbors who want to use a commercial company to spray for mosquitoes followed. Be kind to your neighbors. Take them a jar of honey. Explain the consequences of spraying to the neighbor. Register your bees with the Managed Pollinator Protection Plan. Program chairman Marc Larin wants to know if you know about pesticides and how they impact bees. Please e-mail Marc at program-chair@wakecoutybeekeepers.org

May 10 Meeting Summary Program Chair Marc Larin conducted the May meeting and Vice President Ben Crawley spoke on Swarms. Visitors were recognized and welcomed. Our club’s demonstration apiary at the Historic Oak View Park has 5-6 hives, thanks to Ben Crawley, who provided the beehives and instruction. Here are a few pictures of the Sunday afternoon sessions in April and May.

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Learn how to light your smoker and keep it going during an inspection is an important skill. Note the hives in the background.

Examine the frame with the sun at your back so it is easier to see eggs.

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Every beekeeper is looking for capped honey. The white caps indicate honey. You can also see the uncapped nectar on this frame. Here is a summary of Ben Crawley’s presentation. A swarm is a queen plus bees. The prime swarm can take 60% of the worker bees from the hive. There can be secondary swarms. A swarm can be 1,000 to 10,000 bees. Our club’s swarm program consists of a captain and list of beekeepers who are willing to capture a swarm. The list is geographical for Wake County. The swarm captain assigns a member to respond to the call based on availability. When he receives a call he may ask “How did you hear about it?” He may ask the caller to take a picture of the swarm with a cell phone and send it. If the swarm is in a structure, he will contact people who have experience with structures. What signals a swarm? Often, it is overcrowding. To keep bees from swarming, decrease the number of bees in a hive. However, it is the bees’ nature to swarm. Ben showed pictures of swarms. Sometimes they are conveniently located on a tree limb close to the ground; others are high in a tree or in a structure. One way

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to capture a swarm is with a bucket on a pole. The bucket can be attached to the pole with a bolt and wing nut. Another way to get a swarm from a tree is to hoist a frame of wax in the tree using a fishing line and arrow, shot over the limb. This method takes a lot of patience and time, but can be successful.

Ben showed the bee vacuum he uses to capture swarms. Inside the vacuum is a drum/cage, a round package of bees with a door. The vacuum can be hung from a tree limb or on a ladder rung. Often it takes more than one drum to get the swarm. Don’t vacuum bees on gravel or mulch. Ben explained the difference in a “wet” swarm and a “dry” swarm. A “wet” swarm has food in the belly and is easy to handle. A “dry” swarm is “fire from the sky”. A question from the audience was “what happens to the bees left in the hive?” The bees left behind will produce queen cells and raise a new queen. They continue to store honey. It takes 3 weeks and 3 days between the time the old queen leaves and the new queen hatches.

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Other discussion at May’s meeting was about Mosquito spraying. We are a large group with special interests. We need to be nice to neighbors, but work to inform others of the danger of spraying to honeybees and other beneficial insects.

A bucket on a pole, used to catch a swarm, doubles as a pointer during the presentation. What to do in the hive in May: Mr. Knox said this has been an excellent year for honeybees. Be sure they have plenty of room to store their honey. Swarm season is about over.

NCSBA meeting July 7-9, 2016 in Hickory, NC

NCSBA President Rick Coor provided this information about the upcoming summer conference that will be held July

7-9 in Hickory, NC and hosted by the Catawba Valley Beekeepers. Information about the

conference is posted at http://www.ncbeekeepers.org/education/statewide-conferences/2016-summer-conference

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Advance registration for the conference (discounted $10) is now open and will be available through JULY 1.

Discounted hotel rates will be honored through JUNE 23. The sooner you register, the better we can

plan, and so we thank you in advance for doing that. We encourage members to register and pay on-line, but they

can also download a registration form and go through the mail-in process. To register at the lower member-rate,

individuals must have paid their 2016 NCSBA membership dues. That means payment was received and fully-

processed by the NCSBA, not just turned into the local Chapter. Individuals can also pay dues directly to the NCSBA

when they register for the meeting (this option is on the form and will also be presented at the end of the on-line

registration process).

Paul Newbold, chairman of the Master Beekeeper Committees, is planning information sessions and testing on

Thursday morning July 7, ...

Room E:

Written testing begins on Thursday at 9am for all levels: Certified, Journeyman, and Master. Practical testing begins at 10am

Room D: Review Sessions, Certified through Journeyman. Open to everyone, no charge!

9 am – 9:50 Anatomy and Sociology (Development, Colony activities and tasks)

10 am – 10:50 NCSBA – MBP, Beekeeping history, Hive Products, and Races of Bees

11 am – Noon, Pests and Diseases, Symptoms, and Treatments overview

Join us for one or all three sessions, again open to everyone whether you plan to test or not.

ROOM C:

At 10am we will have a Question & Answer session, this will be an informal open session until noon. All are welcome, we will have several Master Beekeepers to answer your questions. This will be in a panel format and have lots of open discussion so come early. If you don’t have a question, listen to the ones others have.

Other test times are Friday Noon till 3pm and Saturday at 10:30 am.

The summer conference is a great time to get your honey in for that blue ribbon needed for you Master Sub

Specialties. Rules for Honey Judging can be foud on the NCSBA website under the Members Only section, Contest

and Awards, Honey Contest Rules.

Other Opportunities to Serve

The Triangle Land Conservancy has invited our club to participate in Triangle Land Conservancy’s 5th installment in

our Wild Ideas series: Wild Ideas for Birds and Bees on Wednesday, June 22nd at The Frontier in RTP! The

TLC’s Wild Ideas series provides a dynamic, interactive venue for the community to share their innovative ideas for

safeguarding clean water, protecting natural habitats, supporting local farms and food, and connecting people with

nature. Wild Ideas events are free and open to the public with specific marketing focused on attracting young

professionals working in RTP. Wild Ideas for Birds and Bees will bring together bee keepers, bird experts,

landscapers, policy makers and more to talk about the plight of pollinators in our area and why their survival is crucial.

Wild Ideas begins with 5 Pecha Kucha style presentations followed by a Q&A, then an Expo where participants can

enjoy free food, beer, and non-alcoholic drinks, while learning more about what they can do for pollinators in the

Triangle. You are invited to join the Wild Ideas Expo and help Triangle residents to take action for pollinators!

For the Expo, we’ll provide a table for your organization along with a captive audience; you provide representatives,

information, and inspiration! Set-up for the Expo will take place from 5pm to 6pm and the Expo will officially open

after the presentations, approximately 7pm-8pm. (More information on logistics and schedule attached) Spaces for

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the Expo will be limited this year and available on a first-come, first serve basis. If you are interested in participating in

the Wild Ideas for Birds and Bees Expo please contact Margaret Sands at msands@triangleland.org or call 919-

908-0058.

Picture of the month:

This picture was taken by Susan Benton when Ben Crawley removed a swarm

from her tree. The containers are the cages from Ben’s bee vacuum.