FORTY-EIGHT MEMBERS & GUESTS attended the meeting and good fellowship was had by all. Minutes & Treasurer’s Report were approved. Several members renewed their dues: Fr. Joseph, Frances Wriston, Dale Porter, Kolten Thompson, Terry Cremeans, Edna & Otis Baker, Eric Caldwell, John Copley, Willis & Eileen McComas, Ralph & Betty Midkiff, Gary Strickland [Gary paid dues for TWO YEARS & donated $2 — THANKS, GARY!!!], Mike Stickler, Mike & Kathy Taylor, N.F. Kitts, Wade Stiltner, Gabe & Rhonna Blatt and Dan O’Hanlon. We also had several new members join: Dale Porter, Kolten Thompson, Terry Cremeans, Janice Miller, Vern & Jolee McNeer, Cammie Nelson, William Chapman. WECOME TO THE CLUB, DALE, KOLTEN, TERRY, JANICE, VERN, JOLEE, CAMMIE & WILLIAM! And THANKS to all you renewing members!
Ralph Midkiff has captured 13 swarms so far — several others have hived numerous swarms. Wade says this is the Year of the Swarm!
HAS is coming up July 10-12 at Marshall University. BEE SURE to make plans to attend. The WV Honey Festival will be in Parkersburg August 23-24. Margaret Reid highly recommends attending this wonderful event.
Wade Discussed Summer Treatments. He said Apistan is not working as well as it once did. Apiguard varroa mite treatments will soon be provided FREE to all registered WV beekeepers. You can put on honey supers after treatment, but Wade recommends letting the hive air out for a little while first. So early July looks like a good time to treat this year AFTER the honey flow.
Dr. Jeff Pettis recommends using a sugar/water/fumagilin spray in July. Wade recommends getting your medication like fumagilin early since it might run out. Reid Apiaries & the vendors at HAS will have it, so you can order & save on shipping. Wade says, ‘Don’t forget to treat with menthol for tracheal mites!’ Powdered sugar and sucrocide both work well for varroa mites, but both take time.
In response to a question about bee magazines, Wade said the American Bee Journal is more scientific and technical. Bee Culture is aimed more towards the small hobby beekeeper. He said the latest figures from the US Department of Agriculture indicates that bees are responsible for $75 billion of economic activities.
Dan O’Hanlon is President and Gabe Blatt is Vice President of the newly-formed WV Queen Producers Association. Dan said their goal is to train WV beekeepers to raise their own queens for sale. This will let us keep more money in WV. It will also let us develop queens that do well here.
Wade and Gabe reported that commercial beekeepers, especially those involved in pollination work, have been hit hard by Colony Collapse Disorder [CCD] this year. The best information is that it is caused by Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus [IAPV], stress from moving the bees and other causes, poor nutrition, nosema ceranea, and mites.
The next meeting will be Monday, July 14th at 7 pm at the Lavalette United Methodist Church. This is right after HAS and Gabe will be talking about that event. BEE SURE to make plans to attend.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
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