Orange County Beekeepers Association

Bees on Earth, Goodwill to All !

OCBA’s December Membership Meeting will be our annual holiday social gathering. This is an opportunity for members, former members and anyone who is interested in beekeeping to celebrate your 2018 beekeeping efforts with fellow beekeepers (both successes and ‘other learning experiences’). It is a great way to get to know fellow beekeepers and to talk about bees and beekeeping with friends and colleagues.

We will meet at our regular 7:00 o’clock meeting time on Thursday, December 13 at our usual meeting site – the Unitarian Universalist Church at 1710 Old NC 10 Highway. OCBA will provide paper products and beverages, including wine and non-alcoholic beverages. Everyone is asked to bring a finger food, hors d’oeuvre, appetizer, or dessert to share. Items with honey as an ingredient are special treat!

Who:                 Orange County Beekeepers and anyone interested in beekeeping
What:                Annual Christmas/Holiday gathering
When:               December 13th at 7:00 p.m. 
Where:              1710 Old NC Highway 10 at the Unitarian Universalist Church 

Mark Powers will present “Bee Sting Allergy, What You Need to Know.” Learn how to evaluate the sever­ity of your bee sting symptoms and what to do if your venom response is excessive. Mark will also discuss heat exhaustion and its danger for summer beekeeping.

Designs for the new OCBA tee shirts will also be revealed. Come to the meeting and learn how to stay safe and look stylish while beekeeping.

Varroa mite (phoretic stage)

Randall Austin, will present “Some Honey Bee Pests and Treatments.” This is a timely discussion of varroa mite and small hive beetle management. We are entering critical months for these problems. All beekeepers need to be vigilant with testing and effective treatment to assure the health and viability of their colonies throughout the summer and as the colonies move into the fall build-up stage. Strong, healthy colonies full of bees are essential to successfully overwintering your hives.

Next Saturday, June 16th, at 1:00 o’clock, Randall will demonstrate the practical hands-on skills of varroa monitoring and treatment at his apiary. Plan to attend the Varroa Assessment Field Day. Contact Randall via email to get directions to his apiary. All OCBA members are welcome and encouraged to attend.

The cleaning behavior of hygienic bees help reduce the varroa load in our hives. This month Nancy Ruppert, NC State Bee Inspector for the Sandhills Region, will help us understand “The Value of Having/Raising Hygienic Queens in Your Apiary.” She will provide an overview of hygienic bee stocks and teach us how to identify hygienic behavior in our hives. She will also discuss the basics of raising hygienic queens.