Author: mark Traub

Hello, Buncombe County Bee Club members, I hope that your girls are healthy, doing well and your hives are expanding. We will be having an interesting presenter for our May meeting. Dr. James Wilkes, who is, among other things, a professor of computer science at Appalachian State in Boone, is also the co-founder of the software company behind Hive Tracks. James is also a beekeeper with about 100 hives.  Dr. Wilkes is also the Information Technology Lead for the Bee Informed Partnership. Topics of discussion will be Hive Tracks and the Bee Informed project.  I have attached links for both so you have time to check them out: https://hivetracks.com/ https://beeinformed.org/ I found them both really interesting and I think in the long run they willRead More

Hello Buncombe County Bee Keepers, Hope all is well in your bee yards and if you are getting nucs you are getting ready. Packages have started to arrive and it is very exciting to see bee yards coming to life after winter. It was an great day at Wild Mountain Bees as I picked my packages and will be installing them tomorrow Hope that you are looking forward to Aprils meeting.We will have Megan Baker from the Buncombe County NC Extension Center come and talk to us. Her topics will be an introduction to the Cooperative Extension Service and the programs and opportunities of interest to the beekeeping community. Also beneficial plants for pollinators, including honeybees and native bees. Bring your questions and hope toRead More

  Good evening, Buncombe County Beekeepers, Hope that you’re getting out in this weirdly warm February we are having, and your girls are getting along fine. We are going to have a great and informative meeting on March 6th.  Fourth generation, 13-year, and NCSBA Master beekeeper Bryan Fisher, from Cabarrus County, is coming to speak to us on queen castles (what are those?) and making splits. Also, don’t forget our monthly mini workshop from 6:30 to 7:00.  It’s going to center on integrated pest management techniques, or IPM. If you’re going to bee attending the CHBR bee school on March 4th and 5th, we hope that you will learn a lot and not be too overwhelmed to come to the meeting! Hope to see you all March 6th. Groce United MethodistRead More

February is here already???!!! really?? wow! We will be having Assistant Manager Daniel Roath from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm come down and talk and educate us on Oxalic Acid and the treatment of Varroa Mites. For those of us that may not know what Oxalic Acid is, it is the latest treatment now legally available in the USA for the Varroa Mite. It should be a really informative meeting. We hope to see a lot of members new and old ! In continuing to expand our commitment to continuing education for all our members, this month will is the first of our many monthly mini workshops that occur before the regular monthly meeting. This months Mini-workshop is:  Smoker Management- Use/management/cleaning/care of smokers Bring your new orRead More

Hello Buncombe County Beekeepers, Hope that everyone had a good Thanksgiving, and your bee are doing well. We are planning some really exciting and informative meetings, as well as workshops for 2017. We will be starting the year off with our very own Gregg Rogers imparting his wisdom on QUEEN REARING. It promises to be very interesting as well as packed full of information. Remember, mentoring time is from 6:30pm to 7:00pm. Program starts at 7:00pm. Please have your dues paid for next year or bring them with you to the meeting. You can pay on-line or mail them in to: Buncombe County Beekeepers P.O. Box 785 Asheville, NC 28802 Make check to:  BCBC We hope to see you there. Have a really safe andRead More

Hello, Buncombe County Beekeepers! Remember to set your clocks back Sunday and come early on Monday. 6:30 PM November “Holiday” Potluck for our last meeting of the year BRING: a dish to share (Hopefully you’ll put honey in it…no contest, though) BCBC will have drinks and paper products. Black Jar Honey Competition for a Club’s Winner- based on taste alone! BRING: any size jar to compete (no label, your name on bottom)   Nominations and Election for 4 board positions Bee-Centric Games will end the evening Hope that your girls are doing well and finding the last drops of nectar from flowers that continue to bloom in this crazy, weird warm weather, and you are looking forward to November’s meeting and potluck.  We’re going toRead More

Hello, Buncombe County Beekeepers! We hope that you and “your girls” are having a great end of summer and start of the fall season. We have a great meeting coming up in October and do hope to see you all.   There will be some open discussion on pesticides and their effects on bees.  Also, Dave Cowart will lead in a discussion on how equipment should be stored during the winter, and what we all should be doing on those cold days.   Plus, NCSBA director Freddy Proni will be in attendance to celebrate our newest Journeymen Beekeepers, and we also expect a recap of the NCSBA meeting that was held in Hickory in July. Have a great day, and we’ll see you on October 3rd at 6:30!  

Its September! Fair, Fall Feedings, winter preparations are well under way! First and foremost, this month’s normal meeting date falls on Labor Day. Because it is a holiday, we will not have a meeting in September. It’s also Western North’s State Fair time! Many of us will be busy with setting up the Honey and Beekeeping display at the fair, as well as staffing the booth to help educate the public on Bees, pollinators and beekeeping in general. It’s also a great way to introduce your products for sale to the public as well. Its almost (officially) fall!  Everyone should have their mite assessments done, feeding as needed should be underway. It’s a wonderful time of year to start slowing down and enjoying the seasonalRead More