News & Events: Information on Meetings and other News & Events
ACBA Membership Roles
2019
- It is known that many ACBA members are no longer attending meetings, at least on a regular basis. Also, quite a few of you have lost bees, and as such, are either out of the bee business or trying to become better prepared before getting the next batch of bees.
- Another reason is that some of you who still have bees no longer drive at night, some attend bee meetings closer to home, some are working too hard, or some just don’t like meetings :)
- Whether you're interested in remaining on the ACBA mailing list for 2019 or NOT, please send an e-mail to Helen Baldwin to inform her as soon as possible so the necessary adjustments can be made.
- Emails pertain to meeting reminders, information sharing and ACBA/NCSBA announcements.
- Thank you!
Protective Measures of Beehives durring Hurricanes (Florence)
September 11, 2018
* With the track of hurricane Florence poised to make a significant impact on North Carolina, there are some important considerations for beekeepers who may be affected by the heavy rain and winds. Please further disseminate to your local network of beekeepers and share this link: https://entomology.ces.ncsu.edu/2017/09/protective-measures-of-beehives-during-hurricanes-2/
* First, make sure hive equipment is secured to resist strong winds. A simple brick on the top lid is likely to be insufficient to keep the lid from flying off in winds above 50 mph. A lidless hive can cause problems for the bees by introducing moisture and letting heat escape. Strapping the lid down with ratchet straps or securing with duct tape might be in order, particularly for outlying yards. The same is true for hive boxes, particularly if they are relatively new (i.e., the bees have not yet propolized them together sufficiently). Also consider removing unnecessary boxes (e.g., top-hive feeders) to minimize the wind profile.
* Second, be sure to have the hives on sturdy stands or level ground. Entire beehives can be blown over by strong winds, particularly when they are fairly tall with many honey supers or are otherwise top heavy. If the hives are on tall or insecure stands, you can move them onto (dry) level ground temporarily to lessen the chances that they topple. Importantly, if you’re using solid bottom boards, be sure to have your hives tilting forward so that rain water does not pool and collect on the floor of the hive.
* Third, beware of falling trees and tree limbs. These can be particularly problematic for beehives since they can completely crush all equipment and kill the entire colony. It is also hard to prevent with some sort of barrier or cover because of the sheer weight of many trees, so if you apiary is in a wooded location you may need to move the hives temporarily.
* Fourth, make sure the hives are not in low-lying areas or those prone to flooding. River banks can be useful apiary locations because of their proximity to fresh water, but in flooding conditions entire apiaries can be tragically swept away. Be sure to move any beehives in flood plains until the waters have subsided. Beehives on the ground but in recessed areas can cause water to flood the entrances and may even suffocate the bees if not given an upper entrance.
* Finally, following heavy rains like hurricanes, various local and state agencies have traditionally sprayed regions with stagnant water to control mosquito outbreaks. While important for public health, such insecticides can be extremely problematic for honey bees. If you are registered through the NCDA&CS, you will be contacted directly if your beehives are in an area schedule to be sprayed. If you are not registered, however, the state has no means to notify you and your bees may be at risk to insecticide exposure. Please consult the Agricultural Chemical manual for information and advice about how to mitigate exposure to pesticides.
ACBA Regular Meeting
August 9, 2018
* The regular meeting of the ACBA was held on August 9, 2018. The meeting outline, below, is avalable as a downloadable file.
* Jim Rash (shown right), one of our members, discussed winterizing. Before the meeting at 7:00, pizza and delicious snacks courtesy of Maggie McClelland were enjoyed by all!
* After the meeting, the following were door prizes awarded...
- Jim DeJuneas - liquid soap (donated by Tina Roberts, Orianna Naturals)
- Johnny Parsons - 2 bar soaps (donated by Tina Roberts, Orianna Naturals)
- ACBA cap - Deborah Baldridge
- ACBA t-shirt - Greg Lyons
How-To Festival
July 14, 2018
The How-To Festival will be held at the Ashe County Library on Saturday (July 14) from 11-3. ACBA will have a table under a tree; we had fun last year and are eager to share bee info again with some very thoughtful kids (and adults)! If you can help the entire time or even a part of the time, please let Helen Baldwin know - any and all help will be greatly appreciated! We could probably use another folding table if anyone who comes happens to have one.
AppState Starts Beekeeping Program
April 24, 2018
AppState professor of computer science and ACBA member, James Wilkes is featured in a post about the university starting a program to teach about the importance of bees...
Ashe County Beekeeping Association (ACBA)
April 12, 2018
* The regular meeting of the Ashe County Beekeeping Association was held on April 12, 2018 at the Agriculture Extension Office in Jefferson, NC.
* Jim Miles was the speaker who talked about hive splitting.
Open House Postponed!
April 7, 2018
* The 'hive open house' scheduled for this Saturday at Maggie McClelland’s house will not be held due to inclement weather!
* Stay tuned for information on a date and time if it will be rescheduled.