Queen's Castle Beekeepers Assoc.

 4th Minutes for the Queen’s Castle Beekeepers Assoc.

                   April 26, 2014

                              21980 U. S. Hwy 29, Andalusia, AL  36420, 334-222-0751/376-9824

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Mr. OJ opened the meeting by telling everyone that he had decided to have only top bar hives.

In these hives, the bees make their own honeycomb in the brood box.

You start with a 10 frame brood box, with the top bar starter strips being dipped in beeswax.

You then put a 10 frame super on top of the top bar brood box.

You put the bees into the 10 frame super, which gives the bees a place to stand,

while they make honeycomb below on the top bar frames, in the brood box.

When ready, you put a queen excluder on  top of the super, and then add a 10 frame honey super.

After the first year of honey extracting, you put just 9 frames in the honey super,

which allows the honeybees to draw the comb out further, which makes uncapping easier.

The club members then went into Mr OJ's workshop, where he showed them how he makes the 10 frame top bar brood box.

He puts 3/8 inch wooden spacers between the top bar frames, while he nails the frames in  lace, then takes the spacers out.

Mr. OJ says he already has 30 of these top bar hives with honeybees in them.

Then the members went outside and checked the lime trays in Mr. OJ's beehives.

After everyone came inside, Mrs. Lucy said the blessing, and everyone enjoyed a
delicious meal.

Those present were: OJ and Lucy Blount, Donna Blair, Jason Piland, Randy Shaffer, John Kilmer,
Don Helton, Jimmie and Sarah Winters, Kathleen and Jim Daugherty, Cyndi Caldwell, J.R. Finch,
Jimmy Palmer, Douglas Castleberry, Gary and Vicky Barrow, and Sharon Campbell (who came by
and left some yummy desserts).

Our next meeting will be on May 31, 2014.

Kathleen Daugherty, Donna Blair, Jim Daugherty, Don Helton, Jimmy Palmer, Cyndi Caldwell, OJ Blount

Donna Blair, Jason Piland, Kathleen & Jim Daugherty

Don Helton, Jimmy Palmer, Cyndi Caldwell, JR Finch, Sarah Winters (Nice smile)

John Kilmer, Gary Barrows, Jimmie Winters, Douglas Castleberry