The Florida State Beekeepers Association will host their Winter Conference on Amelia Island, FL.  For more information visit: http://www.floridabeekeepersconference.com/

Highlights Include:  Seminars and Panels; Live Hive Demos; Honey Judging & Tasting; Beekeeping 101; Tradeshow; Awards Dinner; Live Auction; & Networking Opportunities.

Hi everyone,

Just a reminder that our next beekeeping webinar is tonight starting at 7:00 pm EST (logon details below). Please disseminate and share this invitation to everyone and anyone who might be interested!   The fall webinar has traditionally focused on some of the research projects that the NC State Apiculture Program has been involved in over the last year. This year, rather than giving a brief overview of all of our ongoing research, I thought we might pick just one and go into a bit more depth. As such, the topic for the session is Feral and managed bees in rural and urban habitats. This will cover some of the research that some grad students, postdocs, and undergrads in the lab have been conducting for a number of years, and it addresses some insights about bee biology and backyard beekeeping.   Many thanks to the Surry County Beekeepers for hosting. A full list of our beekeeping webinars can be found on our website at:   http://entomology.ces.ncsu.edu/apiculture/beekeeping-webinars/

If this is the first time you will be using Collaborate, you may be prompted to download some software which may take anywhere from 2 to 20 minutes depending upon your Internet connection speed. You can pre-configure your system with the required software by going to the support page located at: http://support.blackboardcollaborate.com/

Please make sure your computer has a microphone and speakers (or preferably ear buds if you are an individual attendee) to be able to talk and hear while you are in the Collaborate session.

Once installed, or if you’re a returning user, you should be able to simply click on the link (up to 30 minutes prior to the starting time), log on (as a ‘Guest’ user), and the system will download a (non-permanent) Java cookie to your computer and automatically start. If you have any initial problems, here are a couple of tips that have helped others successfully log on in the past:

1. If you have your browser security settings set at high, it might block any automatic downloads to your computer. You might wish to lower these settings just until the system is up and running, it will not harm your computer.
2. Be sure to log on as a ‘Guest’, not a system user (unless you already have an account with Collaborate, e.g. county field faculty).

As for user etiquette, please keep your microphone icon OFF unless you wish to ask a question. This will keep any audio feedback to a minimum for everyone. If you do wish to ask a question, please raise your virtual hand using the RAISE HAND icon on the top left of the window. You can also type your question in the ‘Chat’ window, which I will be able to see (but not might be able to get to, depending on how many questions come in at once!).

I’m looking forward to another successful webinar on apiculture. We’ll see you tonight!

Dr. David Tarpy

The next NCSU beekeeping webinar is Monday, September 14th starting at 7:00 pm EST (logon details below). The fall webinar has traditionally focused on some of the research projects that the NC State Apiculture Program has been involved in over the last year. This year, rather than giving a brief overview of all of our ongoing research, I thought we might pick just one and go into a bit more depth. As such, the topic for the session is Feral and managed bees in rural and urban habitats. This will cover some of the research that some grad students, postdocs, and undergrads in the lab have been conducting for a number of years, and it addresses some insights about bee biology and backyard beekeeping.   Many thanks to the Surry County Beekeepers for hosting. A full list of our beekeeping webinars can be found on our website at:

http://entomology.ces.ncsu.edu/apiculture/beekeeping-webinars/  

Many of you have already expressed your interest in attending the webinar, so please use this information from the Collaborate system to log on and join. So far, we several clubs who will be joining, but let me know if you or your chapter would like to take part!   I look forward to this next webinar, but in the meantime let me know if you have any questions and happy new year!

Sincerely, David Tarpy

There’s a new advocate for honeybees and beekeeping in these parts and his name is “B” Townes.  Read more at:

http://www.journalpatriot.com/news/townes-beekeepers-need-analysis-standards-to-capitalize-on-quality/article_cbcdf7aa-3f84-11e5-801b-5f26d294379b.html

Link below to a recent newspaper article about a Johnston County Beekeeper.  The next time you see May, ask her for her autograph…

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/johnstoncounty/article30595977.html

The Johnston County Beekeeper’s Association meets the Third Monday of each Month at the Johnston County Agricultural Center, 2736 NC 210 Hwy, Smithfield, NC. We hope that you will visit and become a part of a growing and friendly association of beekeepers.

The “Save the Honey Bee” license tag bill was consolidated with Senate Bill 313 along with several other license tag bills so that they could all get consideration at the same time. SB313 is currently in the House Rules Committee after making it through the Transportation Committee. If approved by the full House, it will go back to the full Senate because of the consolidation of tags under the bill. The Senate and House are still discussing the budget, and not a lot of other bills are getting through at this time. This is a normal process for this time of year.

Greetings from the NC State Apiculture Program, and I trust everyone’s summer has been going well. You can now access our latest issue of the our program’s newsletter, the Wolfpack’s Waggle, which can also be found as usual through:

http://entomology.ces.ncsu.edu/apiculture/wolfpacks-waggle-newsletter/

 

This summer is as busy as it has ever been, and with the most colonies (~200) that we’ve ever had. James’ project on the collective decision-making process during queen rearing has been going well, and he will stay busy this fall and winter analyzing his many samples in the genetics lab. Mike’s projects using in vitro rearing continue to excel, although we’ve once again had some set backs with the instrumental insemination component of the breeding program. Margarita has been busy sampling native bees from all over the Triangle and making tremendous progress on her projects, and Hongmei continues to keep multiple balls in the air with the migratory stress project and others. It’s also been a busy time with travel, with David going to several beekeeper meetings, Hongmei going to Germany to learn microinjections, and Mike presently in Seattle for a bioinformatics workshop. We’re also fortunate to have two guest researchers in the lab, Igor de Mattos Medici from Brazil (see profile in April) and Danica Fine from the University of Pennsylvania. Danica has been doing her own undergraduate independent study on micronutrients in artificial diet and has been working hard since May.

I hope everyone else has been having a great bee season! Sincerely, David

There’s buzz in Durham at Bee Downtown, a nonprofit that seeks to increase public awareness of the importance of honeybees through urban beekeeping.  See what’s new in North Carolina’s “Our State” magazine.  https://www.ourstate.com/urban-beekeeping/

The NCSBA is gearing up for the Honey for Disabled American Veterans (HDAV) program.  We are accepting monetary donations and donated honey will be collected at the NCSBA Summer Conference.   Chapters will be recognized at the Summer Meeting for their contributions to this program.

100% of all honey sales and 100% of all monetary donations will go directly to the DAV