Happy New Year! January 2023 WCBA Newsletter
Please read the newsletter to the end. There is a lot of information contained in it.
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WCBA January 10, 2022 Meeting (Zoom will be available)
Workshop 7:00PM - Bee Sting Safety
January’s workshop will discuss ways to prevent stings, common reactions and first aid when you do get stung. Understanding how you might react to a sting is important so you know the symptoms to watch for and when to seek medical attention.
7:30PM - Honey Bee genetics
Most of us have heard about genes and how our mother and father each contributed to our genetic makeup. While a honey bee has fewer genes they use a much different approach to the passing of chromosomes than most of the rest of the animal kingdom.
This month we will talk about the basics of bee genetics including the sex-determination system called haplodiploidy, sub-families within a colony, dominant and recessive genes and breeding for traits. We will also review honey bee lineages mapped back to their origins in Europe, discuss the major influxes of bees into the US and touch on some of the latest genetic testing and research in bee science. |
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We will be meeting at Wake County Commons Building.
Address: 4011 Carya Drive Raleigh, NC 27610 Phone Number: 919-250-1000 There is plenty of parking in front of this building. There is a guard at the front desk when you walk into the building. If you put the address into your GPS it will direct you right to the building. |
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2022 WCBA Awards and Recognitions
We had a great year for the WCBA! In the December meeting the awards and recognition committee recognized several members of the WCBA for their work in 2022 in volunteering. |
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Beekeeper of the Year recognition went to Jim Blye who stepped up to serve as president when needed this year. |
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New beekeeper of 2022 went to Tony Gaddis for his work in several areas including leading the WCBA booth for the NC State Fair. |
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The Pioneer Award for extended long term volunteering and support of the WCBA went to Danny and Mary Jaynes. |
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There were 8 WCBA members recognized for Volunteers of 2022: Beth Harris, Susan Benton, Chris Hagwood, Ben Crawley, Greg Morrison, Keith Buchanan, Dana Stahlman and Gordon Goeking. |
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Outstanding Supplier: Bailey Bee Supply |
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Want to learn more about becoming a beekeeper?
The Wake County Beekeepers Association will be hosting a Beginner Bee School on Wednesday nights Dates: February 1 through March 22, 2023. Time: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Location: Wake County Commons Building at 4011 Carya Drive, just off Poole Dr near the Raleigh Beltline.
Proceeds from this class will benefit the NCSU Apiculture Program for the endowed professorship program through the NC State Beekeepers Association.
Cost for the Bee School: $75.00 Register for Bee School |
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January 2023 in the Bee Yard
Chris Hagwood
As I write this we’ve had our first deep blast of cold and it stuck around for awhile. It will be a bit before I can survey my bee yards to check that all survived. On a sunny, but still only 38 degree afternoon, some brave bees were taking flight from the hives in my driveway so I think all made it through OK. We are still in a wait and see spell, as there isn’t much you can do for bees yet. About the only thing you can intervene with is to supply emergency feed in the form of fondant or candy board or even dry sugar. I have erred on the side of caution in the past and fed most if not all with a sugar brick or dry sugar. But having reached more than 50 colonies, I focused on fall feeding and will only add dry sugar to any I find in trouble. With the cold air, if you do suffer losses it’s not as time sensitive to recover the comb and preserve it. Neither hive beetles nor moths are going to be able to develop in this cold so you can choose to leave the comb in the hive at least temporarily. I am making plans for 2023 and need to get more honey supers. I will be purchasing and assembling many in the next few weeks. We have about a month left before our first chances for maple blooms start, and then spring buildup begins! Time is now to get your equipment in order. Now is a good time to think about what went well for you and to adjust your plans for 2023 based on your experiences. If waiting for just the right conditions to do mite treatments allowed the population to grow too quickly you might want to find a treatment alternative that works under whatever conditions you are experiencing to get them under control earlier. Others may have had difficulty timing splits and avoiding swarms. It’s all about learning and adapting your own methods to your style of beekeeping. |
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Community Opportunities to speak and share about honey bees and beekeeping: We receive requests from different organizations for beekeepers to come and talk about honey bees and beekeeping. We also receive requests to provide exhibits and people to talk about honey bees and beekeeping at events around the county. If you are interested in being made aware of these opportunities, please contact Lori Harris: lor@charlesharris.com or call her at: 919-749-7129
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We will have WCBA T-Shirts and Hats for purchase at the December Meeting! T-Shirts are $15.00 and hats are $12.00. |
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It is time to renew your WCBA Membership for 2023 - You can renew your membership now and it will be good through
12/31/2023.
- You will need to go to the NC State Beekeepers Association website to
renew the NCSBA membership for 2023: https://www.ncbeekeepers.org/
- Membership renewal is “easy” on our new website
- First go to the WCBA home page: https://wakecountybeekeepers.org/
Detail instructions were reviewed in the November meeting and are in the meeting charts. These charts may be reviewed by logging into the WCBA website using your ID and password. Then under MEMBERSHIP tab click on Membership Meeting Minutes. Under year 2022 click on November and you will come to the charts used at the last meeting. Then scroll down until you come to WCCBA Membershp Renewal for 2023. The following charts give detailed instructions on how to renew your membership for 2023. If you have any questions, send an email to: webmaster@wakecountybeekeepers.org or secretary@wakecountybeekeepers.org |
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NC State University and the NC State Beekeepers Association sign the agreement for the endowed professorship in apiculture. |
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People in picture left to right. Back Row: Wayne Rose, Chairman
of Farm Bureau Honey Bee Advisory committee; Rick Coor First VP, NCSBA; Sonia Murphy, Assistant Dean of
CALS Advancement and the President of the NC Agricultural Foundation; Dr. Rich
Bonanno, Associate Dean of
CALS, Director of NC State Extension; Dr. David Tarpy, Professor and Extension Specialist. Front Row: Dr. Doug Vinson, NCSBA President; Dr.
John Dole, Interim Dean of CALS. CALS: NC State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences |
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WCBA Members Ken Cobb, Susan Benton and Gordon Goeking attended the signing meeting. Picture below also includes Rick Coor - NCSBA and David Tarpy - NC State University. |
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NCSBA beekeepers,
The secret is out that the NCSBA intends for NCSU to be a national leader in apiculture research and extension.
The success of our efforts to fund the new NCSU Apiculture field research lab is well known in the greater beekeeping community across the nation. In the fall of 2024, we will bear witness to the construction of a brand-new facility at the Lake Wheeler Research Complex in Raleigh. This will signal a new day for NC State Extension Apiculture. The new lab will offer a better equipped facility to restart formal extension training- advanced bee schools, field days and workshops. Local clubs will be able to tour the new facility and experience the apiculture program firsthand. There are other possibilities to be worked out depending upon facility resources such as virtual and hybrid events and opportunities for beekeepers to be involved with research projects.
Also making news is the initiative to fund an endowed professorship in apiculture. This endowment will be specifically for apiculture research; the only such endowment in the nation. Proceeds from investment of the endowment will be used to support the apiculture program and ensure that the program will never be phased out at NCSU. A Ten Dollar challenge has been initiated to urge everyone to please consider a $10 or more contribution upon renewal of their membership for 2023. A contribution of $10 or more from a significant portion of the 4700+ members of the NCSBA will make a huge difference for the endowment. Chapters that have three-fourths of their members to contribute will receive recognition in the NC Bee Buzz and at the NCSBA Spring Meeting.
The combination of the new apiculture lab and the endowed professorship will enable the NCSU Apiculture program to consistently attract top level research associates and visionary faculty. In addition, the program will be better positioned to be more competitive with other Universities for larger and more prestigious national research grants. Please join me and the beekeepers of the NCSBA as we make it happen.
Doug Vinson, NCSBA President |
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NC State Apiculture Program Latest Newsletter
Greetings from the NC State Apiculture Program! You can now access our program's newsletter, the Wolfpack's Waggle, which can also be found as usual through: Waggle_2022-3 (ncsu.edu)
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2/14/2023 - WCBA Meeting - 7:00 pm. Location TBA
3/14/2023 - WCBA Meeting - 7:00 pm. Location TBA
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