Hello Fellow Beekeepers,

What a year!!! We can only hope for better. However, despite all of the turmoil, beekeeping has remained unchanged and offers a refuge for us to escape this confusion. Not that there is no confusion in my bee yard. However…

First, we remain unable to meet as a group, but will resume as soon as reasonable. In the meantime, we will have a Zoom meeting on January 21, the third Thursday, just to make contact with each other. I will announce the event address as it approaches. We will not be collecting dues until we can actually meet. Memberships from 2020 will continue to be recognized.

In the same way, we are unable to schedule a novice program this spring. In lieu of that, I am encouraging all that are interested in beekeeping to consider joining the Tri-State Beekeepers Association when we are able to meet. We will begin our lecture series with a few Beekeeping 101 presentations for the new beekeepers, and then move to Beekeeping 201 in the fall. We also hope to add some open hive days for the new beekeepers and hope that all presentations will act as a refresher course for those with more experience.

We are again obtaining nucs and packages from Mark Bedillion this year. If you were a member of Tri-State last year, you may take advantage of the offer this year. If you are a first-time beekeeper and wish to eventually join the club, please contact me to make arrangements for obtaining your bees. 3-pound packages are $139 with $5 more for a marked queen. 5 frame nucs are $175. As before, the packages arrive in late March and the nucs came in late May to early June. You can order by email to me at sroth29201@comcast.net. Orders must be in by January 31.

I hope that very soon we can again gather, to learn more about beekeeping, to again greet each other with a hearty handshake or a hug, and to enjoy all of the sweet treats that follow the meetings. Please stay well and safe…

Steve

Hello to All,

We are back!  We are back!!  Kinda…  With the help of the Ohio State Beekeepers Association, of which we are an affiliate member, we are able to provide a virtual meeting and presentation on Thursday, September 17 at the usual 6:30 pm time.  We will begin with a few brief comments regarding club items, and then receive a real time presentation from our longtime friend Bob Hooker.  Bob is always very entertaining and will be speaking on the very timely topic of over wintering colonies.  Once OSBA has the program codes I will forward them to you so that you can actively participate.  If the program goes well, we will try to arrange subsequent Zoom presentations on our own.

While not meeting in person, I see this as a start that will lead to the eventual resumption of monthly meetings at the Good Zoo.  Please plan to attend and to participate as we return our club to normal life.  Once I have more information I will be in touch.

Steve

APIARY REGISTRATION FORMS

Ohio Form:
http://www.agri.ohio.gov/public_docs/forms/plant/Plnt_4201-002.pdf

Pennsylvania Form:

http://www.pastatebeekeepers.org/pdf/registration.pdf

West Virginia Form:
http://www.wvagriculture.org/images/Marketing/ApplicationforApiaryRegistration2-08.pdf

BEEKEEPING BOOKS

Hive and The Honey Bee

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=the+hive+and+honey+bee&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=3996257785&ref=pd_sl_1zoho63857_b

ABC and XYZ of Beekeeping:

Hive Management

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_15?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=hive+management&sprefix=hive+management&ih=12_2_0_0_0_0_1_0_0_1.141_357&fsc=6

Beekeepers Handbook

How to keep Bees and Sell Honey

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_31?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=how+to+keep+bees+and+sell+honey&sprefix=how+to+keep+bees+and+sell+honey&ih=30_1_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_1.94_1757&fsc=12

BEEKEEPING MAGAZINES

American Bee Journal

http://www.americanbeejournal.com/

Bee Culture

http://www.beeculture.com

BEEKEEPING SUPPLIERS

Bee-commerce.com                             www.bee-commerce.com

Betterbee, Inc                                      www.betterbee.com

Brushy Mountain Bee Farm                www.brushymountainbeefarm.com

Dadant & Sons, Inc                            www.dadant.com

Draper’s Super Bee Apiaries               www.draperbee.com

Glorybee Foods, Inc                           www.glorybee.com

The Honey Bee Container                  www.thehoneybeecontainer.com

Mann Lake Ltd                                   www.mannlakeltd.com

Miller Bee Supply                               www.millerbeesupply.com

Plastics Packaging Concept                www.ppc3.com

Ross Rounds                                       www.rossrounds.com

Rossman Apiaries                               www.gabees.com

Simpsons Bee Supplies                       http://www.simpsonsbeesupply.com

Walter T. Kelley                                 www.kelleybees.com

HONEY BEE SUPPLIERS

Steve Conlon of Thistledew Farm      info@thistledewfarm.com            1-800-85-HONEY

Bedillion Honey Farm https://www.bedillionhoneyfarm.com/ (724) 356-7713

Joe Kovaleski                                      josephkovaleski@sbcglobal.net  

Paul Poling / Mountain State Honey  www.mtnstatehoney.com             1-304-478-4004

EDUCATIONAL SITES

 American Bee Journal – http://www.americanbeejournal.com/

Archives of Bee Culture – Gleanings http://www.archive.org/details/novicesgleanings12medi

Bush Farms – http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm

Bee Behavior –   http://www.beebehavior.com/

Bee Culture –  http://www.beeculture.com/

Bee Hive Journal –  http://beehivejournal.blogspot.com/

Bee Source –  http://www.beesource.com

Earth Observatory –  http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Bees/bees4.php

Jamie Ellis, University of Florida –  http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/  

University of Florida  http://www.extension.org/pages/University_of_Florida_Bee_Disease_Videos

ABUZZ About Bees – http://exhibits.mannlib.cornell.edu/beekeeping/atlantic/page4.html

GeoChemBio Home Page –  http://www.geochembio.com/biology/organisms/honeybee/

National Honey Board – Honey –  http://www.honey.com/nhb/home/

Texas A & M University –  http://honeybee.tamu.edu/

Mid-Atlantic Apiculture – http://maarec.cas.psu.edu/index.html

Pollination Home Site –  http://www.pollinator.com/

Randy Oliver Scientific Beekeeping – http://www.scientificbeekeeping.com/

Walter Kelley Company –  http://www.kelleybees.com/

 GENERAL INFORMATION

Randy Oliver’s website – http://www.scientificbeekeeping.com

Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium – www.maarec.cas.psu.edu

Walter A. Kelly Company – www.welleybees.com

Jamie Ellis, University of Flordia – www.edis.ifas.ufl.edu

Bee Informed Partnership- surveys of most effective management –www.beeinformed.org

Pollination home page – http://www.pollinator.com/

The Beekeeper’s Home Pages – http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Beekeeping
World’s First Virtual Beekeeping Gallery.  All information, products and services for beekeeping, bees & honey. 45 hosted companies, journals & associations. Trilingual site: English, French and Spanish – http://www.beekeeping.com 

Go Beekeeping.  A web site for the hobby beekeeper interested in all things related to beekeeping. – http://www.gobeekeeping.com

Texas A&M University’s honey bee information site – http://honeybee.tamu.edu/
American Beekeeping Federation – http://www.abfnet.org/

HIVE CONSTRUCTION

Langstroth Hives

https://beesource.com/build-it-yourself/

http://www.myoldtools.com/Bees/bottomboard/bottomboard.htm

http://woodworking.about.com/od/joinery/p/BoxJoints.

Top Bar Hives

http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm

http://www.beginningbeekeeping.com/TopBarHiveBeekeeping.html

http://www.beethinking.com/topbarhives

http://www.backyardhive.com/

Warre Hives

http://warre.biobees.com/

http://warre.biobees.com

http://www.beethinking.com/warrehives

INDUSTRY DIRECTORY

Who’s Who in North American Beekeeping: List of and links to University Contacts, Apiary Inspectors, Beekeeping Associations, other organizations in the beekeeping industry in the United States and Canada  http://www.beeculture.com/content/whoswho

American Beekeeping Federation
P.O. Box 1337, Jessup, GA 31598
Phone: 912-427-4233
Fax: 912-427-8447
Email: info@ABFnet,org
Web: http://www.abfnet.org

American Apitherapy Society
5535 Balboa Blvd., Suite 225, Encino, CA 91316
Phone: 818.501.0446
Fax: 818.995.9334
email: info@apitherapy.org
web: http://www.apitherapy.org/

National Honey Board
390 Lashley St., Longmont, CO 80501-6045
Phone: (303) 776-2337
Fax: (303) 776-1177
http://www.nhb.org and http://www.honey.com

International Bee Research Association
16 North Road, Cardiff CF10 3DY, UK
Phone: (+44) (0) 29 2037 2409
Fax: (+44) (0) 5601 135640
Email: mail@ibra.org.uk
http://www.ibra.org.uk/

LOCAL WEBSITES

ThistleDew Farm

RR1 BOX 122

Proctor, WV  26055

Phone:  1-800-85-HONEY (1-800-854-6639)

Fax:  304-455-1740

info@thistledewfarm.com

STATE BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATIONS

West Virginia Beekeepers Association – www.wvbeekeepers.org

Ohio Beekeepers Association – www.ohiostatebeekeepers.org

Pennsylvania Beekeepers Association – www.pastatebeekeepers.org

USDA BEEKEEPING RESEARCH

USDA ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Research Unit – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm

USDA Bee Research Lab – Weslaco, Texas
http://www.ars.usda.gov/PandP/locations/people.htm

USDA Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory (Maryland, USA)
http://sun.ars-grin.gov/ars/Beltsville/barc/psi/brl/brl-page.html

Carl Hayden Bee Research Center – Tucson, Arizona
http://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov

USDA Agricultural Research Service
http://www.ars.usda.gov

TRI-STATE BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION MINUTES

The meeting was called to order in the classroom of the Good Zoo with 32 members attending. There were no new attendees to welcome.

Members were reminded that dues for 2020 will be collected at the February 20 meeting, remaining the same at $15/year for a regular membership, but increasing to $90 for a lifetime membership.

Details regarding the December 10 visit to the Belmont Correctional Facility were outlined.  We will be meeting in the main lobby of the facility at 9:00 am with the program starting at 9:15 and lasting until 10:30.  Anyone interested in attending must contact Steve by Friday, November 29 to be included.

Information for the novice program was given and registration will open on the website on January 1.  Dates will be finalized once arrangements for the delivery of bees have been confirmed.

We will again be obtaining bees from Bedillion Farms.  Packages will be $135 plus $4 if you want the queen marked.  They will be available on March 31.  Nucs will be $165 and available between mid-May and early June, depending on the weather.  Orders must be placed with Steve by January 31. 

Member Wayne Shook showcased sample hive bodies that were painted by inmates at the prison.  As voted on at the October meeting, as a club we will purchase equipment to construct and decorate one hive for the Wilson Lodge courtyard and two for the Good Zoo display in appreciation for the use of the meeting room at the Zoo.

Upcoming seminars were described with members informed of the Honey Bee Expo in Parkersburg on January 25, 2020 and the WVBA Spring Conference in Elkins on March 20-21.  Details were be forwarded when available.

Member Mary Mowrer has assumed responsibility for refreshments at the monthly meetings and circulated a sign-up sheet for members to volunteer to bring items to specific meetings.  Many thanks to Mary and Ed for taking on this role.

Upcoming speakers for the 2020 meetings were revealed.  Our own Bob Hooker will be speaking on Nutrition of the Colony at the February 20 meeting and Wade Stiltner will present at the March 19 meeting, speaking on the Identification and Management of Diseases and Parasites.  Members were reminded of our policy in case of inclement weather.  If Wheeling Park High School is cancelled or has early dismissal, we will cancel the meeting.  Members were advised to watch the website and their email if in doubt.

The speaker for the evening was Mark Bedillion outlining his management practices, suggestions for successful survival of the colony and giving us some insight to the pollination business.  Members were able to walk away with much valuable information.

Following a short social the program was concluded at 9:00 pm.

TRI-STATE BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION MINUTES

The meeting was called to order in the classroom of the Good Zoo with 35 members attending. New attendees were recognized and welcomed.

Members were informed that President Steve Roth would like to delegate some of the roles that he had assumed over the years.  A request was made for someone to be responsible for setting up the room for the meetings and Chris Druschel volunteered to take on the role.  In a similar way, Mary and Ed Mowrer agreed to be responsible for refreshments at the meetings.  A request was made for someone to arrange the open hive demonstration in May, to manage the extractor loan system, or to assist in developing topics for meetings.  No one stepped up to volunteer.

However, several more topics were suggested for future meetings including short videos submitted by members on how to light a smoker, how to examine a hive, feeding techniques, and a description of any homemade devices.  Members requested programs  to cover basic management topics such as disease and parasite identification and treatment.  Also it was requested that a suggestion box be placed in the meeting room for additional topics to be identified.

A letter was read from the WV Extension Service detailing the 4-H Youth Development program and a request for assistance.  Members voted to send a $100 contribution to the program and Treasurer John Welty was directed to issue the check. 

Members were informed of the generosity being extended to us by Oglebay Park through the Good Zoo.  We are given monthly access to the meeting room at no charge.  To rent the room it would cost $200 per night.  We have used the site for the past 10 years on an average of 8-10 times per year and have never been charged.  In recognition of the friendship extended to us, it was suggested that the Tri-State Beekeepers fund and maintain two hives in the newly developed natural plantings area of the Good Zoo and also to place a garden hive in the courtyard of the Wilson Lodge.  Members agreed to fund the project and the President was directed to approach the inmates of the Belmont Correctional Facility to assist in fabricating formal hives.  The project is now slated to begin early in 2020.

An invitation has been extended to club members to attend a recognition event at the Belmont Correctional Facility on December 10 at 9:15.  We have been approved for 10-12 guests and more details will be available at the November meeting.

The program for the evening was presented by Attorney Paul McKay on the liability of beekeepers in a variety of situations.  Members were surprised by the details in liability and appropriate beekeeping techniques to minimize exposure to litigation.  A social followed his presentation and the program was adjourned at 9:00 pm.