Never Stop Learning in 2013

In addition to learning about top bar hives at our February BCBC meeting on Monday, February 4, we will also discuss the following:

Master Beekeeper Program

Whatever happened to the stair-stepped program of beekeeping knowledge in our state... going from Beginner to Journeyman to Master Beekeeper and Master Craftsman?

Janet Peterson, Golden Achievement Committee Chair with NCSBA, will fill you in at the February meeting so you can get started.
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On February 6 we have the opportunity to go to Warren Wilson College to hear Aaron Birk, who wrote "The Pollinator Corridor" book.  He will be speaking at 7:00 pm.  Admission is free.  For more info click on http://warren-wilson.edu/blogs/blog/2012/09/07/the-pollinator%E2%80%99s-corridor-creator-to-speak-feb-6-at-warren-wilson/
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Then, in March, we will have Bee School!  The Center for Honey Bee Research will host a bee school at the Folk Art Center on March 23 and 24, 2013.  Click here to register:  http://centerforhoneybeeresearch.org/Happenings/2013BeeSchool.aspx

Bee Supplies Galore

Wild Mountain Bees (Supply Store) is moving to Asheville to accommodate growth and make access more convenient, which for me means less off-roading in my 1997 Geo Prizm! In addition to beekeeping classes and an even more complete selection of beekeeping supplies, they will be offering these additional items: local honey, beeswax candles, bee jewelry and art, mead making supplies, bee friendly plants/seeds, herbal products and soaps made using honey/beeswax, and more! If you produce bee products, art, beeswax, honey, pollen, or any locally produced good and are interested in marketing, give Jon Christie (pictured above) a holler at wildmountainbees@yahoo.com.

OPEN: March 1st 2013 through September 2013 (w/ special holiday hours in December)

            Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 10am to 5:30pm

Other bee supply sources (for those whose mamas told them to shop around) can be found here!

In other news, as a fun read you might want to check out Wolfgang Laib's pollen art installation featured at MoMA! "Since the 1970s, his trademark activity has been gathering pollen from trees and plants in the countryside near his home in southern Germany. He puts the pollen in bottles and flies to distant places around the world to create ephemeral installations of yellow dust on museum and gallery floors and inseminate the minds of viewers with thoughts of harmony between human civilization and nature." Watch a video interview with Mr. Laib here.

See you all at our February meeting at 7pm this Monday, Feb 4th at the Groce United Methodist Church (954 Tunnel Rd in Asheville, NC). Come early at 6:30 for informal mentoring, conversations, and an opportunity to talk to other beekeepers. BCBC is proud to host Tom Knaust, who will be speaking about top bar hives. Also, whatever happened to the stair-stepped program of beekeeping knowledge in our state, from Beginner to Journeyman to Master Beekeeper and Master Craftsman? Janet Peterson, Golden Achievement Committee Chair with NCSBA, will fill you in at the February meeting so you can get started.

February BCBC Meeting reminder

We are lucky to host Tom Knaust as a speaker at our February BCBC meeting! He will be discussing the best methods of populating a top bar hive, management techniques, and some pros and cons versus Langstroth hives.

See you at our next meeting!

7:00 pm on Monday, Feb. 4th at Groce United Methodist Church
at 954 Tunnel Rd in Asheville, NC.
Come early at 6:30 for informal mentoring, conversations about your bees, and an opportunity to talk to other beekeepers.

Save the Date! To learn even more about top bar hives, be sure to attend Les Crowder's lecture during the weekend of August 3rd and 4th. This event will be hosted by the Center for Honeybee Research, and you can find more information on Les Crowder's website www.fortheloveofbees.com.

Losing Hives to... ?

Many people have been reporting dead hives this winter, often at a loss as to what exactly went wrong. One club member discovered a dead hive with 30lbs of honey still in it. Another, who keeps two hives every year, also loses two every winter. She thinks her problem is location -- living in town might expose her bees to more pollutants than they can handle.

If you lose hives this winter and just can't figure out why but want to go beyond speculation, a great option is to send a sample of dead bees to:


Bee Disease Diagnosis
Bee Research Laboratory
Bldg. 476 Room 20
Beltsville Agricultural Research Center - East
Beltsville, MD 20705

To prepare the sample, collect about 100 of the sick bees in rubbing alcohol. Let them soak overnight. Drain off the alcohol, then put them in a ziplock bag. Put the bag in a small cardboard box so the samples won't get crushed. Mark the box with your NAME, ADDRESS, & BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM so they know where to send the results.

Best of luck!

Organic Growers School & February Meeting

Spring is coming, and bringing along with it tons of new opportunities for building on our beekeeping knowledge.

Diane, of Honey Bees and Heather Farm, will make her 30-minute Introduction to Pollinators presentation to the Asheville Tree Commission on Tuesday, January 22 around 12:30 at the Public Works Building (161 South Charlotte Street,  Asheville, NC 28801). (The meeting actually starts at 12:00.) If interested in attending, contact Phyllis Stiles (beecityUSA@gmail.com) for a parking pass.

In addition to many exciting topics, the Organic Growers School in Asheville (Sat & Sun, March 9th & 10th) is featuring two sessions on beekeeping, one of which is hosted by our own shining star Debra Roberts:

 

Natural Beekeeping for BEEginners 

Debra Roberts & Mary Beth Gwynn CLASS LIMIT= 25

Come explore natural beekeeping, honeybee basics, hive equipment and tools, start-up costs, what “organic” beekeeping really means, and good stewardship practices. Session tailored for BEEginners with very little to no experience. 

 

The Kenyan Top Bar Hive: Thinking Outside the Box

Tom Knaust

This class will cover best methods for populating a Kenyan top bar hive, managing bees in such a structure, the pros and cons versus a commercial Langstroth hive, and the basics of constructing one yourself.

But why wait until March? We are lucky to host Tom Knaust as a speaker at our February meeting! He will be discussing the best methods of populating a top bar hive, management techniques, and some pros and cons versus Langstroth hives.

Save the Date! To learn even more about top bar hives, be sure to attend Les Crowder's lecture during the weekend of August 3rd and 4th. This event will be hosted by the Center for Honeybee Research, and you can find more information on Les Crowder's website www.fortheloveofbees.com.

See you at our next meeting!

7:00 pm on Monday, Feb. 4th at Groce United Methodist Church
at 954 Tunnel Rd in Asheville, NC.
Come early at 6:30 for informal mentoring, conversations about your bees, and an opportunity to talk to other beekeepers.

2013 Beginner Bee School Opportunities

Henderson County Bee School begins this Monday, January 14.  

McDowell County Bee School begins February 2.

Stay posted for other bee school opportunities! 
Nothing is more fun than learning about beekeeping and honey bees!

BCBC Meeting January 7th

Join us at our January meeting for an open panel discussion on how to help our bees make it through the winter. With the recent warm days, will this winter be unseasonally warm like the last? What steps can we take to help our colonies survive?

7:00 pm on January 7th at Groce United Methodist Church
at 954 Tunnel Rd in Asheville, NC.
Come early at 6:30 for informal mentoring, conversations about your bees,
opportunity to talk to other beekeepers.