July 2013

Club News

in this issueJuly meeting:Tuesday, July 9, 2013Social starts at 7:00 p.m.Meeting starts at 7:30 p.m.LOCATION CHANGE!!Raleigh Police Club3500 Leonard RoadKnightdale, NC 27545

The warm, wet summer has kept grass greener and flowers blooming a little longer, but keep in mind that high summer typically is a time of dearth for honeybees, and be prepared to supplement them with food if need be. Congratulations to those of you who have been able to harvest some honey - think about entering some in the NC State Fair and perhaps sharing some at our annual club honey tasting in the fall. ) 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. You can register online if you are a member of NCSBA, or register on site at the event. Two paid family attendance passes to the summer meeting will be raffled at the July meeting.

) 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 & recycling: No one has yet signed up to bring snacks to the August meeting. 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. Also, please give a big thank-you to Russ & Kristy Catania who have offered to collect recyclables from club meetings.

) NC State Fair: The 2013 premium book has been posted online; “Bees & Honey” is Department I. Entry forms for items in this category will be accepted from August 1 to September 19. The club plans to prepare a booth for this year, so your entries can do “double duty” as both individual and part of the club exhibit. Check out the competition categories and get involved!

) Summer inspections: This is a good time of year to consider doing a mite count to see how your colonies are doing, or schedule an inspection with Will Hicks. See pg. 3 for details.

Enjoy your bees and your summer, but start thinking about fall. It will be upon us all too soon.

July program: HiveTracks with James Wilkes 2

2013 Officers / What’s in bloom? 2

Announcements, Requests & Reminders 3

Calendar of events / June meeting summary 4

WCBA Newsletter / July 2013 page 2

July program: Hive Tracks

What’s in bloom? 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

Dr. James Wilkes is Professor of Computer Science and Chair of the Department of Computer Science at Appalachian State University where he has been a faculty member for 21 years. He has also been around bees his whole life. His father kept several stands of bees in his backyard after purchasing his first bee package through mail order from Sears in 1964. Dr. Wilkes started keeping bees in 2000 with three hives and now manages about a hundred hives from his family farm, Faith Mountain Farm (www.faithmtnfarm.com), in Creston, NC. Dr. Wilkes is

cofounder of Hive Tracks along with a fellow beekeeper and software engineer friend. He is also the technical lead for the Bee Informed Partnership (www.beeinformed.org).

Since 2006, American beekeepers have lost close to 30% of their 2.4 million managed colonies each year according to annual winter loss surveys. These deaths are linked to a number of factors including viruses, parasites, nutrition, pesticides, and the not yet fully understood phenomenon of colony collapse disorder (CCD). Around this same time Hive Tracks cofounders James Wilkes and Mark Henson were in their bee yards dealing with frustrations about how to best maintain useful beekeeping records that would allow them to manage their hives effectively and keep their bees healthy and productive. They knew that technology solutions were possible and Hive Tracks was born, leveraging current software trends to create a web-based service that adds value to the beekeeping experience of users.

Hive Tracks is a free, web-based record keeping service for beekeepers to assist in efficient and effective management of their honeybee colonies. In its most basic function, Hive Tracks is a form of record keeping database, allowing users to store and access a wide variety of critical information about their hive inspections, hive health, relevant weather information, and hive components. Hive Tracks also includes integrated mapping tools that help users site their hives in appropriate locations. With constant input from the user community, Hive Tracks is continuously improved to meet the changing needs of beekeepers and to incorporate the latest improvements in hive management practice.

For beekeepers in the North Carolina Piedmont, July offers few nectar-rich blooms for our bees, but mountain beekeepers can expect their bees to visit two of our native trees: basswood (or linden, Tilia sp.) and sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), the latter of which is especially prized as a honey source. Both trees occur naturally in the piedmont, but neither are present in sufficient quantity and with adequate nectar to provide single-source honey. They do, however, make excellent landscape plants -- several species of lindens, most notably the European littleleaf linden (Tilia cordata), are often used as street trees. Sourwoods, with their showy blossoms and persistent seed pods, make a great addition to a sunny, well-drained location.

WCBA Newsletter / July 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 has been posted online - bees & honey is Department I. 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!

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 volunteers for the August meeting.

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.

Register online or onsite!

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.

BEE YARD INSPECTIONSThe State Bee Inspector for Wake County is Will Hicks (919-691-0022). The club encourages members to take advantage of the amazing learning and educational experience of an inspection. To get the most out of this wonderful free service, it helps to prepare a list of questions in advance. Will brings great experience and knowledge right to your doorstep.

WCBA Newsletter / July 2013 page 4

Calendar of Events

June meeting summary

JulyTuesday, July 9Club Meeting: Hive Tracks record management system with Dr. James Wilkes 7 - 9 p.m. at Raleigh Police Club

Wednesday, July 10Pollinator Garden Tour with Debbie Roos 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. at Chatham Mills, Pittsboro

Thursday-Saturday, July 11 - 13NCSBA Summer Meeting:Sandhills Community College, Southern Pines, NC

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

AugustTuesday, August 13Club Meeting: Planting for Pollinators (tv.)7 - 9 p.m. at the Raleigh Police ClubWednesday, August 14Pollinator Garden Tour with Debbie Roos 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. at Chatham Mills, Pittsboro Sunday, August 18Carya Drive hives workday12 noon, weather permitting

SeptemberTuesday, September 10Club Meeting: speaker, location

Sunday, September 15Carya Drive hives workday12 noon, weather permitting

For more information, visit the club website:

www.wakecountybeekeepers.org

Club president Sarah Myers opened the meeting, reminding the membership about the upcoming NCSBA summer meeting July 11-13 in Southern Pines. She encouraged members to attend if they are able. She also mentioned the June 22 honey extraction swarm out session hosted by Larry Williams.Program Chair Kim Underhill introduced speaker Rick Coor of Spring Bank Bee Farm in Goldsboro, NC, who spoke in depth about his experiences raising queens in North Carolina. He emphasized that there are five essential things needed for successful queen rearing: (1) crowded conditions in the hive; (2) enough nurse bees; (3) ample food resources; (4) perfect age larvae; and (5) a queenless condition in the hive. Rick explained each of these requirements in detail. Kim Underhill has additional handouts for those who are interested.Club member James Knox gave an overview of what activities need to happen in the bee yard in June and July. By June, the nectar flow is diminished or finished, so you can consider harvesting excess honey from strong hives. Before harvesting, keep in mind that the bees will need food - either honey or syrup - to carry them through the summer dearth. Watch for robbing, where strong colonies enter weaker ones and steal their stores. Keeping your hives strong is the best defense, but an entrance reducer can also be used to thwart entry of robbing bees.Rick Coor also donated two queens which were used as prizes for the club’s June raffle.Please give a special thank you to Scott Levy, Gordon Goeking and Kim Underhill for providing snacks for the meeting.