TAMPA BAY BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION 

Tampa Bay Beekeepers Association
12 April 2012

(Approved)

Call to Order: 7:35 pm

Welcome - David Smith

Prayer and Pledge of Allegiance

Introductions

Announce Officers -

         David Smith - President

         Miles Carter - Vice President

         Becky Weliczko (well-itch-ko) - Secretary

         Steven Woolheater - Treasurer

Welcome Guests: 17 Guests and total of 87 in attendees.

$20 includes state and local membership

Pot Luck Dinner

Speaker:  The Art of Requeening DVD by E. E. (Ed) Mabesooone

OLD BUSINESS:

Treasurers Report:    Steven Woolheater stated, as of March 8, 2012 Association account has a starting balance $7669.08. Also have over $1078.40 in undeposited checks leaving $6590.68.  CD: $1,000 in honor of Lotte Tedman.  Read, Seconded, Passed.

Secretaries Report:     Previous Meeting Minutes read aloud - Read, Seconded, Passed.

Bee yard Maintenance: November:  Once bees are out of the yard and road is dry we will place the fill shell. February:  Probably within month or two, before 54 hives are returned to the park, the shell will be placed. March Update:

Bee Yard: Work day: This will be weather permitting.  We will attempt to move the workday out one week if weather becomes an issue. 

This month: Johnny to work at the Upper Tampa Bay Park (main nectar here is - Mangrove, Cabbage Palm, Pepper).  Meet at 10 am

Dave will not be going into the TBBA hives on pollination because we just requeened. Last month we used all 25 queens in the splits.  We made up hives for the two dead ones.  We lost 22 hive overall this winter.  Lost them to robbing.  Probably because pepper was such a short flow. We lost about 7 hives due to bull ants.

Bylaws: March Update:  Bylaw discussions are ongoing.

State meeting minutes were discussed:

January:  Gary Ranker stated the State needs a host for end of October 2012 (beginning of November) annual convention event.  TBBA has not sponsored event for about 10 years.  This takes a budget of about $6k. Tabled discussion. 

February:  Who pays for cost? State does.  Host will organize venue and organize the speakers.     Attendance is typically 150-200.  Typically starts on a Thursday with a cookout.  Friday would be speaker and learning program.  Motioned for this discussion to be tabled - seconded and passed.

March update: Saturday is a day in the bee yard. Similar to our April Seminar. Bert Kelley, Pat Yacso, Jill McEver is willing to be on the committee. Gary Ranker was volunteered by the TBBA members to be the Chair.  Motion to sponsor the event.  Seconded and Passed.

State information:  Alert eyes -  the Bee College dates in State post was incorrect.  Should be March 9-10, 2012.  Again, see details at the Honey Bee Research and Extension web site.

www.UFhoneybee.com

Public Speaking Events: None.

Website update:

Rick Crites, Web Master

November:  Every year we need to renew the TBBA website name.  We pay for the domain name.  This year, the domain name is going up by a few dollars.  Suggested to re-register for three or five years.  Rick will investigate.  Motion for the renewal of the website name to be paid for - seconded and passed.

November:  Officers requested to bring the website current and a presentation of pricing to add templates to the TBBA website. For example: to be able to add pictures of flowers in bloom.

February:  Jacob presented the new website template he built and volunteer his time on.  Richard will still host site.  Motioned the site be launched so officers have direct access to the website for updates - seconded, passed.

March Update:  Rick gave an update - Frame work is up. Rick stated this is in Jacob’s court to have the site go live and work out kinks.

April Seminar:  February: Rebecca willing to help and has last year’s information and paperwork.  Steve is willing to do the food.  Tom Troiani ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , 727.249.3621 cell) volunteered to lead this event. Renee will book date with Park. 

March Update: Date set for April 28th.  Tom needs someone to take photos. Steve needs a volunteer for breakfast (pick up bagels and coffee). Just west of the park is a Dunkin Donuts. We will use free marketing because we have been hitting top head counts with no problem.

NEW BUSINESS:

State Membership:  If you received a notice from the State regarding your membership, and you know you paid, there was a disconnect in communication between TBBA and the State.  This issue has been fixed.  Check with Steve if you have a concern or question.

Open Discussion:

The following are suggestions:

Dave likes to keep 10 frames in the Brood Box.  He places ten frames in the honey box until the first extraction.  After he like either 8 or nine frames, so he gets more honey.  Warning - the honey box will be heavier.

When starting a honey box above a brood box, do not immediately place a queen excluder, until some wax is pulled.  This will get the honey box going.  But do not leave this too long.  Watch and then make sure the queen is not above the brood box and add your queen excluder.

If you have a double brood box move the empty box to the top to force the queen up. 

Dave doesn’t like to ever pull the queen excluders in the winter.  He leave a full super of honey for the bees over winter.  Whenever he has puller the honey and feed the bees, the colony size decreases and it takes a bit for the colony to grow again.

Queen is laying heavy right now.  In winter, the numbers decrease.  If we get good spring rain, willow and maple brings in early honey.   This year we did not get enough rain and the bees are balling up on orange honey.  Palmetto is blooming early this year.  If Palmetto doesn’t get some rain on it - we will not have palmetto honey.  Right now pollination (blueberry, strawberry, eggplant, squash) is the money maker and honey is the bonus.  This should not have been for another month.  WE NEED SOME RAIN! It does not matter how much the farmer waters the orange tree, they are in full bloom and a natural rain adds nutrient stability to the honey.  Cold weather helps extend the orange honey season.  Depending on where you live and the weather, you will get different honey pulls. 

Pollination: If the farmer is spraying anything hard they spray at night or they hurt the plant.

Fungicide:  The chemicals are interacting with the hive treatments.  Blueberries get sprayed three time (beginning, middle, end). Some beekeepers are pulling off blueberries. The wetting agent is “soap”.  This is what kills bees.

Use less Apigard but replace cardboard every 7 days.

House Bill passed for State - this will override the local ordinances. We will be able to have bees in the city. This is on the Governors desk.  Awaiting rules (passed but no complete).  Bees will no longer be called a “nuisance”.

New bee group was bigger than the room could seat.  IF growth continues, we will reopen the wall and those who are not sitting, will need to remain outside.

Raffle

Meeting Adjourned: 9:32 PM, motioned, seconded, passed.