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The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced they have joined with 13 other states to partner with FieldWatch, an online mapping service to help prevent crop damage and bee deaths due to pesticide drift. For more information and free access to the program, click here and select DRIFTWATCH at the top of the page. |
Miss Laylah Hunt recently completed our annual bee school, and successfully passed the NC State Beekeepers Association Test to receive her Certified Beekeepers certificate. She is the youngest certified beekeeper in Gaston County. Click here to see an article and video on the Gaston Gazette’s webpage.
GCBA members participated in the Earth Day celebration at the Schiele Museum of Natural History on Saturday, April 23, 2016. Approximately 500 people came out for the festivities, and stopped by the GCBA booth to learn about honey bees and pollinators. Check out photos from the event at the Association’s Earth Day album on flickr
Free Workshop – Sponsored by the NC Cooperative Extension
May 17, 2016
10:00 – 11:30 AM
or
6:00 – 7:30 PM
This workshop highlights the
wonders of local honey. Along with
nutrition information and cooking
tips, you will gain insight on the
amazing world of honey bees and
local beekeeping. Sample a variety of local and commercial honeys.
There is no charge for the workshop, but preregistration is required. Call the Extension office at (704) 922-2111 for more information.
Due to unforeseen delays at our supplier’s operation, the nucs ordered through the Association will now be available on Friday, May 13, 2016, at approximately 7:30 PM. They will be delivered to Allen Thompson’s shop at 111 Robinson Park Dr., Bessemer City. This is the same location where we held the woodenware workshops. Keep in mind that traffic conditions and weather may impact driving time, so the arrival time is our best estimate.
The GCBA Bee School held the first of two field days this month on Saturday, April 16, 2016, at Bridges Bee Supply. It was a perfect day for working with the bees. Approximately 25 students attended and had the opportunity to work with experienced beekeepers Dean Bridges, Allen Thompson, Burton Beasley and Danny McMillan. Students learned how to properly light and safely use thier bee smokers. Students learned how to properly inspect hives to identify the different castes of bees, check for worker and drone brood, check for eggs and brood pattern, and observe pollen stores and capped honey. Students also got the chance to install supers, watched a requeening demonstration and learned how to transfer an established nuc to a full-size hive. To see photographs from the field day go to the Associations Field Day Album on flickr.
The Gaston County Beekeepers Association would like to thank Mr. Dean Bridges for hosting our first field day at his apiary, and for giving our students the opportunity to get valuable hands-on experience working with his bees. Bridges Bee Supply offers beekeeping supplies, including hive bodies, supers, frames, bee suits and smokers, and is located at 121 Parkdale Circle in
Kings Mountain, NC. You can contact Bridges Bee Supply at
(704) 739-6435.
Our next field day, which includes a picnic is scheduled for Saturday, April 30, 2016, at 9 AM, at Alternative Beverage, 1500 River Dr., Belmont, NC. Hope to see you there!!
The Swarm Removal List for 2016 has been posted. Please click here to access a list of beekeepers who will come out to your home, business, church or school to remove honey bee swarms. Please keep in mind this service is for honey bees only. Beekeepers do not remove yellow jackets, hornets, wasps or other types of bees. If you have questions about these types of insects, contact the NC Cooperative Extension Office at (704) 922-2119 or contact a professional exterminator for removal.
GCBA is sponsoring another queen rearing workshop. The classroom portion of the workshop will be held at our May 31st monthly meeting. The hands-on portion will be held onSaturday, June 4th at 10 AM, and will include grafting young larvae into cell cups.This portion of the workshop will be held at 36824 Melton Road, Albemarle, NC 28001. The cost for the workshop is $35 per person, and all attendees will receive a certificate for completion of Basic Queen Rearing by a licensed queen breeder. Please contact Jada Runkle or Jill Tipton to register and pay for the workshop.
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