the honeycomb 1 President s Buzz Bee School 2016 January s Meeting

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1 the honeycomb THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE MECKLENBURG COUNTY BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION January, 2016 President s Buzz Welcome to the very cold weather of January and the start of a new year at the Mecklenburg County Beekeepers Association. Personally, I wish I had planned better three months ahead and made some warm winter scarfs for all my bees back in September. However, it is difficult to find a yarn color that will go with black and yellow stripes. Moving beyond honeybee attire, a huge thanks to Gerry Mack (President 2014 & 15), Don Rierson (Membership Secretary 2015 & Chaplain 2016), Diana Smith (Treasurer 2015 & 16), Jimmy Odom (Chaplain 2015). Not to mention Jodie Rierson (Bee School), along with all the other folks, who run our amazing Bee School. You all make the difference. Together we continue to build an amazing group of beekeepers with hundreds of hives in the Mecklenburg County area. We are graphic designers, teachers, stay at home moms and retired bankers. Our combined years of beekeeping and knowledge base make for a pretty fantastic group. I encourage all of you, veteran and newbee alike to come to our meetings and be a part of Meck Bees. Our monthly meetings are on the third Thursday of the month at Mouzon United Methodist Church. We start the meeting at 7pm, but feel free to come early if you have any beekeeping questions. Just be prepared to get lots of different answers and maybe help set up chairs. As for me, you all may know what I am a Journeyman beekeeper and have been keeping bees since 2013 when I attended Bee School. Since then I have also attended Bee School in Cabarrus County and been to the Intermediate Bee School in Iredell County. I have lived in Charlotte since 1974 with some stops along the way including the northeast and even Europe for a while. My careers have ranged from non-profit work, to banking, to photography. I have two teenagers, one corgi, four cats and the most patient husband in the world. He still loves to tell the story about how suddenly one day we had two honeybee hives in the yard with a swarm less than a week later. That swarm was caught with the help of my mentors and good friends the Moyers. As good fortune would have it, Ed Moyer has graciously agreed to be Vice President this year. I cannot say enough about the superior level and diversity of beekeeping knowledge we have within our community. Come to one or our meetings and see for yourself. Maybe we can even work on knitting some honeybee scarfs for next year. Please feel free to me with suggestions, comments or life philosophies at meckbeespres@gmail.com. Kris Daniels Bee School 2016 January 19th, 7PM Providence Baptist Church 4921 Randolph Road Charlotte, NC Pre-Registration is Required! Cost is $80 and includes all classes, text book & dues to county and state organizations. Registration is open and is filling up fast! (See Flyer on Page 3.) January s Meeting January 21st, 7PM Mouzon United Methodist Church 3100 Selwyn Avenue Charlotte, NC Hive Product s Beyond Raw Honey presented in a workshop format. Creamed Honey by Greg Clements Beeswax by Kris Daniels Propolis by Gerry Mack Bees do have a smell, you know, and if they don't they should, for their feet are dusted with spices from a million flowers. - Ray Bradbury the honeycomb 1

2 It s That Time by Libby Mack So the bees are all tucked up snug in their hives. And the beekeeper can relax and forget about them, right? Not! During January, check the honey stores by lifting the back of the hive just an inch off the stand. If you can lift it easily, the hive may be too light. Make plans to feed them some fondant candy. A warmer-than-average winter means they will eat more honey, not less! Late January is also a good time to feed a small pollen patty. Not too much because the small hive beetles try to raise their young with it. The candy and the pollen can be made and fed separately, or you might try a new product which is a patty containing both sugar and pollen supplement available from multiple bee supply companies. Have these ready and watch the weather. Store pollen products in the freezer until you are ready to use them (thaw before putting in the hive, of course). On a nice sunny 60 degree day when the bees are flying, you can do a quick inspection and install the candy and/or pollen patties if needed. They should still have several frames of honey left, and the honey should be positioned close to the cluster. If you put candy or pollen patties on, put them right on top of the bars above the cluster. Don t keep the hive open very long, and if you find brood don t keep it out of the hive for more than a few moments. Chilled brood will die and cause more work for the bees to clean it up. A new varroa treatment is available Oxalic Acid. If you are going to use this substance with a vaporizer, the treatment should be done this month. Use caution as the vapors are toxic to humans, and follow all the directions exactly. The red maples will probably blossom in late January, or early February at the latest. This is the kick-off to the honeybee new year! So January is your last chance to take stock, build and repair equipment, and plan for the upcoming season. Finally, make a resolution to attend some meetings and read a new bee book this year. the honeycomb 2

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4 Gil s Honeybee Crossword Puzzle Across 2. The name of the road where Bee School is held. 4. What is the subject of the third class in Bee School? 6. An experienced beekeeper assigned to each student. 8. Who is the original author of "First Lessons in Beekeeping"? 10. The topic in Bee School that has two parts (two classes). Down 1. address to send any questions about Bee School to. 3. The Bee School certification test is. 5. What is the night of the week that Bee School is held? 7. Day in February that there is no class. 9. Who updated the original version of "First Lessons in Beekeeping"? Send answers to ed@2219meck.com (subject line puzzle) by Wednesday, January 20th. You must be present at the meeting to win. the honeycomb 4

5 Remember To Renew Your Membership Now! the honeycomb 5

6 Cooking with Honey Curried Butternut Squash Bisque (Reprinted from Bon Appétit February 2007) Ingredients 2 2-pound butternut squash, halved lengthwise, seeded 2 teaspoons olive oil 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped carrots 1/2 cup chopped peeled apple 2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste* 2 14-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth 2 bay leaves 1/4 cup whipping cream 2 tablespoons honey 6 tablespoons sour cream, stirred to loosen Chopped fresh cilantro Preparation Curried Butternut Squash Bisque with honey 1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Brush cut side of squash with oil; place squash, cut side down, on large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 1 hour. Cool slightly. Scoop squash out into large bowl. Measure 3 cups squash (reserve any remaining squash for another use). 2. Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and apple; sauté 5 minutes. Add curry paste; stir 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, bay leaves, and 3 cups squash. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered 1 hour. Discard bay leaves. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return to same pot. Stir in cream and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Rewarm over medium-high heat. 3. Divide soup among bowls. Drizzle with sour cream; sprinkle with cilantro. 6 the honeycomb

7 December Potluck Holiday Dinner the honeycomb 7

8 2016 MCBA OFFICERS President: Kris Daniels Vice President: Ed Moyers Treasurer: Diana Smith Membership Secretary: Melinda Mitchell Chaplain: Don Rierson Webmaster: Kevin Freeman Contact Us us with questions at Pictures & Article Submissions are always needed and are greatly appreciated. any submissions to: Subject: HoneyComb THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE MECKLENBURG COUNTY BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION January, 2016 MCBA Newsletter 121 Hermitage Road Charlotte, NC PLACE STAMP HERE