Greetings Beekeepers,

Did you know that Athens County has its own beekeeping association?  The Athens County Area Beekeepers Association (ACABA) started in January of 2007.  The purpose of the association is to educate and provide advice to area beekeepers, and the Athens area community.

2012 Meeting Notes

ACABA FEBRUARY 2012 MEETING NOTES

The February ACABA meeting was presided over by Eva Bear. Thirty-seven members and guests were present. Minutes of the last meeting were approved. Chuck Harrington reported a treasury balance of $2,464.10 which was approved by members.

Charlie Gassaway reminded members that he will be making the trip to pick up bee packages on April 6.

A scholarship subcommittee was established for the purpose of setting up guidelines for next year's scholarship program. Suzanne Borchard and Greg Bailey were selected for the committee. Members will be asked for input in the next few months.

Chuck Harrington donated a top bar hive to the association and it will be raffled at the next meeting. Tickets will be $3 each and the drawing will take place at the same meeting.

Greg Bailey presented the idea that honeybee information needs to be in the schools since there seems to be quite a bit of student interest in the subject. Essay contest forms also need to be distributed to the schools.

Eva Bear gave a demonstration on making lip balm from beeswax. Suzanne Borchard gave a demonstration on rolling beeswax candles. Several members made candles.

Greg Bailey reported on the Western Pennsylvania bee conference that he recently attended.

Jack Cantrell stated that members should treat hives with Nozevit for nosema although the mild winter has lessened the bees' digestive problems. Nozevit is a natural treatment derived from oak bark.

Discussion was held about the new idea of reducing cell size in order to control varroa mites. Studies are showing that it doesn't work.

Question & Answer items were:

§  corn dust has no food value to bees

§  it is important to feed bees right now

§  it is time to add pollen patties to hives because bees are already bringing in pollen

§  candy boards have been saving hives

§  do not feed sugar syrup too early because it contains too much water

§  entrance reducers should be left on until at least April

§  call your local extension agent if you wish to be placed on the swarm retrieval list

§  since the winter has been so mild, hives will swarm earlier; splitting hives will be made earlier; honey supers need to be added earlier

§  Fred Burdell, Rio Grande, Ohio, is selling nucs - 740-245-5203 - call early or late

The next ACABA meeting will be Thursday, March 15 at the Extension office on West Union. Cinda  Morosko will be giving a demonstration on top bar hives. New members from the recent beginner beekeeping class will be present.

Athens County Area Beekeepers Association  (ACABA) Newsletter 

Click on the link (pdf format)

ACABA Fall 2011

PAST MEETINGS:

ACABA OCTOBER 2011 MEETING NOTES

The October ACABA meeting was presided over by Eva Bear. Eighteen members and guests were present. Minutes of the last meeting were approved. The treasury had a balance of $2,424.46. Treasurer's report was approved.

Eva noted that members need to be thinking about election of officers next month. Michael MacAvoy volunteered to do the 2012 newsletters.

Charlie Gassaway will be ordering and picking up bee packages for members in the spring. Members should contact him if interested some time around the first of the new year.  cgassaway@gmail.com

Jack Cantrell spoke on things that need to be done for winterizing bees and a few of them are summarized below:

• §         he no longer feeds syrup at all but instead uses candy boards
• §         if members are using sugar syrup right now, the ratio should be 2 parts sugar to 1 part water
• §         bees won't take the syrup when it gets cold because they won't break their cluster
• §         bees will move up to feed, but will not move laterally in winter even when they're hungry
• §         he uses double-sided candy boards so that they can be flipped in January if empty on one side
• §         sugar can be poured on the top of the inner cover if bees are needing to be fed; fondant can also be fed
• §         candy boards increase the bees need for water
• §         combine a weak hive with a strong one; two weak hives combined probably won't survive; take losses in the fall & make splits in the spring
• §         entrance reducers should be put on now; mouse guards are also helpful because a mouse in a hive can cause lots of damage
• §         a hive should weigh about as much as 2 cement blocks; lifting a hive is much better than getting in the hive if the weather is cold; light hives need to be fed
• §         it is now too late to treat for mites
• §         the candy board recipe is in the newsletter that was sent last month
• §         a top entrance is needed for ventilation in winter; it is the moisture that kills the bees in winter, not the cold
• §         wrapping hives in winter is not necessary in our area
• §         Jack is wrapping his nucs this year since he isn't putting them in his shed
• §         carpet strips deter raccoons & skunks from bothering hives--they will bother even in winter
• §         extracted supers will develop wax moths unless treated or put in a freezer
• §         moth crystals can be put on a paper plate on top of honey supers to deter moths; they should contain  paradichlorobenzene--which has no naptha--naptha is toxic to bees; moth balls contain naptha, so don't use them
• §         supers must be closed up for the crystals to be effective; moth crystals need to be replaced every 6 to 8 weeks

A member donated 2 frame feeders & these were sold to 2 members. Packing peanuts can be added to a frame feeder to prevent bees drowning.

Greg Bailey reported that "tanging" was used to collect a swarm & that it really did work.

CCD does not seem to be as much of a problem as it was in previous years. The problem now is that honey production has decreased.

The beginner's beekeeping class will be conducted on March 5 at the Extension Office.

Motion was made for dues to be paid in March after the class has finished to save bookkeeping hassle. Dues are $12 per family. Motion was approved.

Motion was made to extend the scholarship deadline to December 1. Selection will be made in January and the winner's name will be announced in the Athens Messenger. Motion was approved.

The next meeting will be Thursday, November 17 at the Extension Office on West Union. Hope to see you there.

ACABA SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTES

The September ACABA meeting was presided over by Suzanne Borchard. Nineteen members and guests were present. Minutes of the last meeting were approved. Chuck Harrington, treasurer, reported a $2,424.46 balance in the association account. Treasurer's report was approved.

Volunteers for working at the Pawpaw Festival were announced. Bradley Meek is doing a beer/mead presentation, and Diana Stafford will be doing the basic beekeeping presentation. It was also noted that September is National Honey Month.

Suzanne reminded members that November is when officers for 2012 will be elected and that we definitely need presidential candidates.

Eva Bear presented two 8-minute segments from "Silence of the Bees" and then graciously donated it to our library.

Jack Cantrell announced that the beginner's beekeeping class will be held March 3, 2012 at the extension office rather than in January or February as in the past.

Members were warned to keep watch on their hives for foulbrood because Morgan County has reported several cases of it. If foulbrood is found, hives need to be completely destroyed since spores will remain for years.

Members brought in samples of what is blooming at present and were asked to identify them. Some of them were: joe pie, ironweed, Japanese knotweed, goldenrod, clover, chicory, wing stem.

Several members attended the Parkersburg and Lithopolis Honey Festivals.

Discussion was held on bee package and equipment orders for next spring. A volunteer is needed to organize it & if anyone is interested, please let a club officer know.

Items from the question/answer session were:

•   Two relatively new mite treatments on the market are Hop Guard and Mite Away Quik Strips

    Beekeepers need to be checking for mites and treating if necessary since late summer/early autumn is when mites multiply rapidly

    Powdered sugar is still a fairly effective treatment for those who do not want to use chemicals in the hive

     Beekeepers should be checking the weight of hives and if light, sugar syrup or candy boards should be used to feed the bees--syrup for winter feeding is 2 parts sugar to 1 part water.

      3 basics for going into winter are: plenty of bees, plenty of food, no disease

     Candy boards are proving to be  effective for feeding & can be made by combining 5 lb. sugar + 1 pt. water + 1 pt. pollen supplement (optional) and cooked to 250°, then cooled to 200° before pouring onto boards that are placed over the brood nest.

     Jack Cantrell explained how to construct candy boards and how to put them on the hives

    Wax moths will overtake weak hives and are impossible to keep out--weak hives should be combined with stronger hives at this time of year

The next ACABA meeting will be held on Thursday, October 20 at the Athens Co. Extension Office on West Union. Hope to see you there

ACABA JULY 2011 MEETING MINUTES

The July ACABA meeting was presided over by Eva Bear. Twenty-four people were present. Minutes of the last meeting were approved. Chuck Harrington, treasurer, reported that the association has $2,957.55 in the account but that the t-shirt bill has not been paid.  A motion was made and accepted to pay for the shirts. Treasurer's report was approved.

Discussion was held on whether the general fund and the scholarship fund need to be separate.  Motion was made to consolidate the 2 accounts with the note that there will still be a scholarship each year. Motion was approved.

Eva discussed with members the need for an additional signatory on the bank account besides Chuck Harrington. The motion was made for Jocelyn Bailey to be the additional signatory. Motion was seconded and approved by members.

The last 3 t-shirts were sold to members present at the meeting who had not ordered before since shirts had not been picked up.

More volunteers are needed at the Athens Co. Fair booth.  This year the association is going to have two 2-hour slots instead of having just one 2-hour slot as in the past.  A general e-mail request for volunteers will again be sent out. Jack Cantrell will handle the scholarship rule handouts. The association will again hand out honey sticks, have the observation hive, and have posters at the booth this year. August 7 will be the setup date for the fair.

Jack Cantrell brought jars for members to use for honey entries at the fair. Entries should be taken to the extension office with no names on them. The 2 classes of honey will be light honey and dark honey.

A few of the plants that are blooming at present are: basswood, joe pie, smooth sumac, early goldenrod, milkweed, queen Anne's lace, buckwheat, and wing stem.

The association has been asked to give a Beekeeping 101 demonstration at the Pawpaw Festival on Friday, September 16. A mead making demonstration will also be given that night.

Discussion was held about officers for next year since the bylaws state that offices are for one year only. Elections will be held in December, so be thinking of who you would like to lead the club.

Finalization of plans for Ag Day will be discussed at next month's meeting.

Eva Bear reported that she was asked to check out a hive that was reported to be aggressive. The hive seemed to be in an undesirable location. As for aggressiveness, suggestions were made to check for predators, requeen the hive, or even check with the Athens mediation service as to helping solve the problem since neighbors are complaining.

Greg Bailey gave a talk about the Heartland Apicultural Society (HAS) conference that he and Jocelyn attended recently at Vincennes, Indiana.

Mites are increasing in the hives at this time of year. An alcohol shake can be done to check for them. You can take ¼ cup of bees from the brood nest, place them in a jar with alcohol, shake them out, and if you find 5 or more mites, treatment should be done. There are several methods of treatment such as powdered sugar sprinkled in the hive, drone frames, and mite treatment strips purchased from beekeeping suppliers.

A few items from the question/answer session are:

§         honey needs to be 75 to 80% capped when removing it from the hive for extraction or it will spoil

§         you can shake a frame and if nectar falls from it, it is not ready and will ferment

§         a swarm hive absconded after 2 months and no one could give any good reason why

§         do not keep a hive open any longer than necessary

§         do not feed bees if you have honey supers on the hive

§         plastic frames tend to stick to the frames above and below them; pry them apart before removing the super to save yourself the agony of angry bees charging you

The next ACABA meeting will be held Friday, August 19, 7 pm at the extension office. Please note that it is on Friday this month. A guest speaker will be there, so please mark your calendar & try to attend.

ACABA JUNE 2011 MEETING SUMMARY

The June ACABA meeting was presided over by Larry Marshall. Twenty-seven people were present, and several new members joined. Minutes of the last meeting were accepted. The treasurer was on vacation, and so no report was given.

Roger Varner, OU Credit Union representative, spoke briefly on services offered by the credit union & let members know that they were eligible to open accounts there. Handouts about the credit union's services were given out, and several are remaining for anyone interested.

The Athens Co. Fair signup sheet needing workers to help with the association's booth will again be passed around at the July meeting. Anyone interested in volunteering before then could contact Larry Marshall, Eva Bear or Jocelyn Bailey.

Jack Cantrell will bring jars to the July meeting for those members interested in entering the honey judging contest at the fair. The fee for entering is $20, which also gives you a fair pass.  The club would be willing to help on the cost if anyone has a problem with the entry fee.

Since several members did not pick up t-shirts that were ordered, several of the shirts were sold to people on the waiting list. Thank you, Burt & Denise for the extra effort.

Doyle Melick donated several beekeeping items that he didn't need and these were auctioned off to members.  Jack Cantrell brought pictures from last month's picnic for members to take home. Geri Lipschultz donated $25 to the association for removing a swarm from her premises.  Thanks go to all of these people.

An extractor owned by the association was auctioned & bought by Larry Marshall for $135. Burt Harter did a great job of auctioneering.

The association owns 2 extractors that can be rented by members. The cost is $15 for 3 days plus a small, returnable deposit. The extractors are at Jack Cantrell's home. Please contact him at 740-696-1877 if you would like to rent an extractor.

The following are some of the items from the question/answer session:

§         people have already begun extracting honey

§         beekeepers should make sure the queen has plenty of room to lay

§         queenless hives are often noisy

§         supercedure vs. swarm cells were discussed

§         a super of brood is lighter than a super of honey

§         honey should be taken off the hive after a honey flow or the bees will eat it

§         be sure to feed during the summer if there is a dearth

§         you should check your drone brood, or do an alcohol or powdered sugar shake to get a mite count

§         Mite Away Quik Strips are now on the market and are safe for use with honey supers

§         common materials that can be used in smokers are pine needles, burlap (untreated), pet bedding (untreated), and wood pellets

§         for thicker frames of honey, you should put 9 frames in a 10-frame hive and 7 in an 8-frame hive

§         queen excluders are still controversial among beekeepers

§         the 2011 honey season got off to a rough start but later had a good honey flow

§         cheesecloth and a colander work fine for collecting honey for the smaller beekeeper who doesn't want to bother with an extractor

Larry Marshall read a list of what is blooming right now. His information came from: http://floraofohio.blogspot.com/2011/04/spring-wildflower-quiz.html

The next meeting will be July 21 at 7 pm at the Extension Office. Hope to see you there.

Don't forget that we will be having a guest speaker in August & these people will bring their products if there is interest. 

EXTRACTING TIPS FOR NEWBEES

1. Try to extract when the honey is warm--air-conditioning really slows it down.

2. A large colander works well for draining cappings.

3. Let the bees clean out the extractor, empty bowls, buckets, etc., but be sure to place this equipment well away from the hives because of robbing.

4. Wet supers can be placed back on the hives to be cleaned out, or can be put out--far away from the hives--to be cleaned up. However, don't leave out longer than necessary because the bees will chew on the wax.

5. A hair dryer helps heat the containers when trying to remove the last of the honey.

6. Extract as soon as possible because the ants are horrible this year.

7. Any honey left outside for the bees cannot be in a "puddle" or they will drown.-- their appetite overrides their sense of safety!

8. The high humidity will cause the moisture content of extracted honey to go up quickly, so close it up soon as you can unless it's in air-conditioning. 

9. A food-grade bucket with a honey gate is almost indispensible when trying to bottle honey because of the mess. Try pouring it into containers & you'll see what I mean.

10. At this time of year the bees seem to be able to smell the honey very quickly, so you need to get the honey supers you take off inside as quickly as possible. Put a cover on them as you are taking them off or you'll have bees everywhere trying to rob it. Try leaving a full super outside with a small opening somewhere on it & you'll find they will empty it in no time at all. I've made this mistake.

11. After the wax cappings have drained, get some kind of plastic bucket and make some small holes in the bottom. Place the cappings in it & use a water hose to clean them--much easier than dirtying up your kitchen. Clean cappings make beautiful, clean wax when melted.

Hope this helps.  Jocelyn

Resource People

 Bee Keepers Willing to Capture Bee Swarms:

Chuck Harrington  740 593-6012

Charlie Gassaway   740 591-7966     cgassaway@gmail.com

                                  740-593-6050

Peter Kachinko                 740 249-5738

Scott Meeds            740 416-2863  

Colony Collaspe Disorder in Honey Bees: