February 2021

Happy Valentine's Day!

St. Valentine is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travellers, and young people. He is represented in pictures with birds and roses and his feast day is celebrated on February 14.

Meetings:

Due to the continued increase in Covid19 cases, we can not have face to face meetings. I predict that this will go on for sometime.

FBC will continue to conduct Zoom and or Facebook live meetings every month.  Each Month you will receive an email with a link or instructions for the upcoming meeting.

FBC February Zoom Meeting

Mr. Dan Long, Master Beekeeper

will discus Beginning Beekeeping

Dan Long started keeping honey bees in 1996 in Pennsylvania. After a hiatus and a move to sunny Athens, Georgia, he has gotten back into the “game” with gusto. A Certified Master Beekeeper, he stays up to date with the latest information and techniques for tending his hives.

He also contributes regularly to the community by speaking on beekeeping topics and tending to several public hives; including the observation hive at Sandy Creek Nature Center.

Tallassee Highlands Apiary is licensed and inspected by the Department of Agriculture.

Dues for 2021:

We are in the process of transitioning over to a web based membership app called Wild Apricot.  You will be able to pay your dues through this website. 

We will send several emails using Wild Apricot. Please be patient as we build the website.

You may also use the cash app Zelle. Most banks have the app attached to your online banking. The email address to use is

FBCtreasurer1@yahoo.com

Family Membership- $20 dues, cash / check payable to FBC

We welcome visitors.  After two visits, we kindly ask that you pay membership dues to help us with the costs of our meeting location, speaker fees, materials, equipment, and other costs associated with running one of the best beekeeping clubs around. Membership form is available on our Wild Apricot website. Please see Teri or Kelley to pay dues.  Dues renew in January.  Annual dues are $20 for the full year ($10 July-Dec).

Mentoring

Mentors will be assigned based on your high school district. When you fill out your membership form on our Wild Apricot Website, please fill in what district you reside in.

We will also host mentor zoom meetings on a variety of topics.  These will be announced on our Facebook page.

The private mentoring page(club membership form and paid dues required) ensures advice is sound, from experienced local keepers, and can be found here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1037121333000214/  Once we have in-person meetings again, monthly mentor dinners will resume.

Volunteer Opportunities and Thank Yous!

Our group is entirely run by volunteers.  We appreciate each and every phone call, e-mail, and words of advice.  Without you, there’s no way we would have the support group that we all enjoy.  While we await the opening up of venues, day camps, schools, etc. we haven’t had many requests for speakers...but please stay tuned!  

Links & Sign Ups

Club Minutes

Mentoring Page 

Library

Mentor Map

Shirts

Swarm Map

Club Resources

(Available to paid members)

The Club Library includes books, magazines, DVDs, journals, and teaching hives.  

Librarian:Lilly Turpinlillian1@mindspring.com

Extractors are available for borrowing to paid members.  Lilly hosts the extractor and equipment.  Please email Lilly Turpin lillian1@mindspring.com to reserve the extractor.$20 cash deposit, returned to borrower upon cleaned extractor returned within 4 days.

Club members who have a bee related product or service to offer  may list their items or service here.
Blue Ridge Honey Compa ny Raw & Natural Honey Bees & Beekeeping Supplies Bob Binnie 706-782-6722	Eve’s Garden HEaling Salve for Bee Stings and More, 2 ounces Please message  Kathy Oliver  (she’s offered to donate $1 per sale to the club!)	Flippin’ Bee Company Queens, nucs, packages, and woodenware James Shepherd 678-509-4164
B & A Bees Honey and Hive products 770-366-3622	Hardware & Woodenware Hoyt Rogers 770-479-1731	Honey & Hive Products Bill Dunn 770-630-2742

2021 Club Officers

President Nedal Shawkatnedalshawkat@gmail.com 

Vice President Ray Suppleraysupple@bellsouth.net 

Treasurer Teri Meyer FBCtreasurer1@yahoo.com

770-235-5985

Librarian Lilly Turpinlillian1@mindspring.com   

Secretary Kelley Campbellkelleygirl53@hotmail.com

February Hive Happenings:

This is a month that can make or break a hive.  The hive is building up (queen is starting to lay) and on pretty days, the workers are out foraging without much success.  They are bringing in minimum pollen and nectar.  

FEED YOUR BEES!  

You can take a quick peek in your hives this time of year on pretty days (above 55 degrees) I would not do a full inspection just yet.  As you break down the hive, the propolis is dislodged and will not seal back up tight. This is a lot of work and energy for the girls that are running low on resources. In addition to disrupting the seals, you risk chilling the brood as the colony count is low and clusters are small.

Finish putting together your equipment and painting your boxes and cleaning up your apiary area.

Remember “oops” paint is cheap and easy.  Do not paint the inside of your boxes or your frames.

Continue to read, join bee club meetings.

Mentors

On January 31, 2021, an email was sent to 34 Certified Beekeepers who are eligible to become mentors in our club. 26 of the emails were opened.  I have 11 confirmed mentors at this time.  Please let me know if you wish to be or to continue to be a mentor.

I also ask the mentors in our club to host a Zoom/Facebook Live meeting. The topic can be of your choice or choose from:

A Year in the Bee Yard

Life Cycle of the Honey Bee

Feeding

Bee Biology

Disease and Pest

Products of the Hive

I (Teri) have a Zoom account. Zoom also offers a free membership for meetings less than 40 minutes or less.