QUEEN’S CASTLE BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION MEETING

February 27, 2016

Lucy opened the meeting with prayer.

Karen Brock read last month’s minutes.

Treasurer’s report: $793.60

Gary Barrow said that we did not vote on officers last month.  It was approved that officers remain the same as last year.

We are looking for ideas to generate interest in the club.

OJ said that once the new building is done we will have hives to inspect nearby.

When a hive is split:

1.       Put 6 frames from the old hive in a new box

2.       Put the old queen in the new box.

3.       Fill both boxes with additional frames – the foraging bees will return to the old hive.

4.       The new hive can be set by the old hive or moved to a new location.

5.       The old hive will make a new queen.

Our guest speaker, Paul Watson, was announced.

The topic was Pollen, Pollination and Pollinators (PPP).

Some points of interest are:

1.       Oleander and its honey are toxic.

2.       1 acre of clover can support 1 beehive; 1 of various flowering trees can support a beehive – approx. 140 lbs. of honey.

3.       If a flower’s nectar has a sugar content of less than 15%, the bees will ignore.

4.       Plant mustard in late September for winter forage.

5.       Create a nectar schedule by month indicating plant types and flowering period; Grass-g, Fruit-f, flower-fl, vegetable-v, tree-t, shrub-s.

6.       Nectar takes a month to cure.

Here is a list of pollinator plants with blooming season noted:

 We then had a meal of fried fish and chicken with all of the fixins’. 

Our next meeting will be 3/26 @ Lucy’s and OJ’s.