Transylvania County Beekeepers Association

Oxalic Acid

March 17, 2026, fourteen people were in attendance. Parker made a motion to accept the February 17, 2026 minutes as emailed out February 27, 2026. Randy seconded the motion. All were in favor.

Randy stated we had $945 in the association’s fund. $450 of the fund are liabilities for the website and PO Box. 

Rosemary brought some Killian’s Irish beer and pretzels for a St. Patrick’s door prize. Question was, what do snakes and honey bees have in common? The lucky winner, Mark Habel stated that people are afraid of both. Thank you Rosemary for bringing some fun to the meeting.

Randy spoke of a new product that was approved September 2024 by the EPA, VarroxSan Oxalic Extended Release Strips. They cost around $30 for 20 strips. They can be used during a honey flow. Varroxsan is intended to be used in a hive with an already low mite count to keep them low. Long sleeves, gloves, eye protection and a Niosh approved respirator with a N, R or P filter are required. Treatment lasts 42-56 days. It is recommended to use one strip for every 2.5 frames of bees. No more than 4 strips per hive. However, testing shows 6-8 strips per 10 frame hive is more effective. Each strip is bent into a U shape and put in the brood area. It is a contact treatment, not vaporization.  Argentina has been utilizing strips similar to VarroxSan for years. Oxalic acid is a naturally occurring substance. For example, rhubarb leaves have oxalic acid in them.

David spoke about oxalic acid vaporization and drip treatments.  For vaporization, he treats with 1 gram per hive box using a “Mite-E-Vape” vaporizer. David drilled a 1/4 inch hole in the back of the bottom board to distribute the acid vapor. You need to add the bottom board if you have a screened bottom hive. Must use a respirator, just as the one Randy mentioned. The respirator needs to have filters for organic acid, paint solvents. Also needed are strong gloves that can take the heat. It only takes a minute to treat each hive. It only impacts the mites on the bees, not the capped brood. If you have capped brood, it is not a good mite treatment. It is a good treatment to use in the winter months. You also need a loose cluster of bees. Therefore, it is not a good idea to treat them on a freezing cold day. You can also do a dribble method which involves putting sugar water that has oxalic acid in it on the bees that are in between the frames. David uses a 60 cc syringe to add the acid. It is also a good method to use on a swarm of bees, or a new package of bees that you get before there is sealed brood. https://entomologytoday.org/2026/03/20/honey-bee-swarms-spread-invasive-mite-tropilaelaps-mercedesae/

The Honey Bee Health Coalition https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org/resources/hive-health-best-management-practices/ is a good website to discover what treatment is best for you to use on your bees in controlling their mite population. 

Another good recommendation is to take your cup of bees that you intend to test for mites and put them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. Once they are dead, then do an alcohol wash. 

We had the raffle drawing at the end of the meeting for everything except the Nuc. The drawing for the Nuc will be at the end of the April meeting. The Nuclear will need to be picked up on May 9th. Mark Habel won the Zion as donated and made by Randy Austin. Caroline Thompson won the bee suit. Ken Adamson won the uncapping knife. 

Hope to see you at our next meeting on April 21, 2026, 6:30 pm to socialize. The official meeting begins at 7 pm: 106 E. Morgan St. Brevard, NC. 

There were seventeen people in attendance. We had three new attendees, welcome! Ken made the motion to accept the 1/20/26 minutes as emailed out on 2/1/26. Randy seconded the motion. All were in favor. We have $738.77 in the association’s fund with more coming in from the ongoing raffles. Parker Browne was elected as the new Vice President. 

We have several items up for raffle. All raffle item tickets, with the exception of the nuc, are $5 each (Russian Scion, xl bee suit, hot uncapping knife). You may purchase as many tickets for as many items as you would like, to increase your odds of winning. The raffles will end at our March meeting, except for the nuc. The nuc raffle tickets are $10 each. The raffle for the nuc will end at the April meeting. The pickup date for the nuc is May 9th. If you would like to donate an item to be raffled off for the bee association, or purchase a raffle ticket, please contact Randy Austin: flenviro@gmail.com

If you have not already paid your annual dues, the dues are $10 per member, $15 per family and $5 for junior members (ages 14-17). If you can’t make the meetings, you may mail and make your dues payable to the Transylvania County Beekeepers Association, PO Box 92 Brevard, NC 28712, Thank you!

Our President, Devin Gentry spoke about beekeeping. “Is beekeeping right for you?” “What does a new beekeeper need to know?” Devin has 19 years of beekeeping experience. It took him three years before he could make it through the winter without losing a hive. A good mentor helps tremendously when it comes to starting out beekeeping. Covid hit. In 2020 Devin lost his job with the Cradle of Forestry, so he turned his hobby into a full-time career. Devin sells 30-50 nucs a year, does talks and tours to various groups. His business is: Bee Honey and Hive. There are several motives for beekeeping. Many get into beekeeping to help save the bees. Honey bees are not native to America. They originated in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. They were introduced from Europe in the early 1600s by colonists for honey and wax. A pollinator habitat is the number one way to save our honey bees. Have diverse resources of plants, trees and flowers. Reduce, or eliminate the use of pesticides. This site is an excellent resource: 

https://www.pollinator.org/ Others get into beekeeping to make honey and/or wax to make products like lip balm, candles, etc. Some get into beekeeping as a business to make money. Beekeeping is a farming/agriculture business that is a hard and hot business to get established. 

If you want to get into beekeeping, the best start is education. There are several resources available such as local bee clubs, bee schools and universities. NC State has an apiculture program that is very good: https://www.ncbeekeepers.org/programs/certified-honey-producer. YouTube is also a good resource. However, consider where the u-tube speakers are raising their bees. There is a lot of vocabulary to learn when getting into beekeeping (supers, frames, excluders, etc.). Honeybee biology is very important to learn. You need to understand the queen’s life cycle. 

There are a lot of things to consider when starting a bee yard. Full morning sun with afternoon shade is the best. Flat ground with easy access is important. You will have to carry equipment in and out of the bee yard. If you can get a vehicle close by to unload hives and equipment, that is best. A beekeeper needs a good hive stand. The stand needs to be off the ground, about knee height. It is good to have it far away from other houses in case someone is allergic to bees, etc. A good electric fence is a must to keep out bears. There are solar fences available, if you do not have electricity available to plug one in. It is best to start with two bee hives and room to expand. Two hives give the beekeeper something to compare. 

There are several tools a new beekeeper will need to invest in. The most important tool is a good smoker. The smoker will mask the bee pheromones and hopefully prevent the beekeeper from getting stung. However, too much smoke will irritate bees. It is important to make sure the smoker has a good protective cage around it. A good bee veil is also very important. If you want a whole suit, it is best to get a ventilated one. Some prefer to work without gloves. Others prefer to have gloves to avoid stings, especially if working fast and hard. Lighter color gloves are best. Darker colors are associated with predators of the honey bees. Hive tools are also a must bee tool. You will need the tool to pry the hive boxes and frames loose from where the bees propolis them together. 

Hive boxes come in various sizes. There are deeps, mediums and shallows, 8 or 10 frames. Weight is something to consider when you select your hive box formation. The less frames, smaller boxes, the lighter they will be when full of honey and/or brood. Bottom boards come solid, or with a screen. Devin prefers the solid bottom board. He has had more luck with his bees surviving the winter. You may also want a queen excluder to prevent the queen from moving up into your honey supers. Also, if you have any brood or pollen in the frames, it attracts wax moths when you are storing the frames. The frames with just honey are not susceptible to getting wax moths. There are two types of top covers. If you are moving your hives around a lot, you may want a migratory top with an inner cover. There is also a telescoping top that comes down over the top box to keep out water, etc. The book Honeybee Democracy by Thomas D. Seeley is a good resource for the beekeeper. 

There are a lot of pests you will have to manage in beekeeping. Mites are the most difficult to manage and detrimental to the hive. Bees travel and interact with other bees, spreading the mites. There are also hive beetles, wax moths, skunks and bears. 

A beekeeper needs a plan for harvesting, storing and bottling extra honey. A five frame nuc with a queen usually cost around $200. A package of bees is less expensive, but you are behind on raising your bees and getting started. A new beekeeper will probably spend around $1,500 for a two hive set up and equipment to begin their new hobby. 

Hope to see everyone at our next bee meeting, March 17th! Same place and same times. 

February 17, 2026 Meeting

Please join us for our next bee meeting, Tuesday, February 17th at 6:30 pm to socialize. 7:00 pm our formal meeting will begin. We will be meeting at the same location, the Community Services Building (106 E. Morgan St. Brevard, NC). 

Our President, Devin Gentry will be speaking about beekeeping. “Is beekeeping right for you? What does a new beekeeper need to know?”

We will also have three items for a TCBA raffle at the meeting. Members can purchase tickets for any or all of the items at the meeting. The raffle tickets for the bee suit and scion are $5 each. Tickets for the nuc are $10 each. You may purchase as many tickets as you wish for one or all items. 

Item 1 – Humble Bee Ultravent Beekeeping Suit, size XL (retail value $230) Donated by Barbara Grimm.

Item 2 – Russian Scion with bucket trap. When a swarm is caught, the scion is simply lowered into the bucket that is pre-drilled with air holes. Randy Austin donated and built the scion.

Item 3 – Nucleus colony. To be donated by Devin Gentry.

Randy will bring the Humble Bee suit and the Russian Scion to the meeting so members can see and feel them.

If a member cannot attend and wants to enter the raffle, they can contact Randy via email with their pledge, and he will issue them a ticket. 

Randy Austin

flenviro@gmail.com

Please remember to pay your annual dues, if you have not already done so at the last meeting. The dues are $10 per member, $15 per family, and $5 for junior members (ages 14-17). If you can’t make the meetings, you may mail and make your dues payable to the Transylvania County Beekeepers Association, PO Box 92 Brevard, NC 28712.

On January 20, 2026 there were 13 in attendance. Rosemary made a motion to accept the December 16th minutes, as emailed out on December 28, 2025. Randy seconded it. All were in favor. Randy stated we had $591.77 in our association’s checking account, plus the dues that were collected at this meeting. 

Please remember to pay your annual dues now. The dues are $10 per member, $15 per family, and $5 for junior members (ages 14-17). If you can’t make the meetings, you may mail and make your dues payable to the Transylvania County Beekeepers Association, PO Box 92 Brevard, NC 28712,

Randy Austin has some raffle tickets the association can use for raffles. If you would like to donate an item to be raffled off for the bee association, please contact Randy Austin. Devin has a nuc he will donate. 

Scott Davis, the Mountain Regional Director for the NC State Beekeepers Association, and Lewis Cauble, the NC Department of Agriculture’s Apiary Inspector, were the speakers for the evening. 

Mr. Davis stated our region’s beekeeping association is the largest in the country with over 5,000 members. There is almost one club in each of the NC Counties (https://www.ncbeekeepers.org/). He encouraged beekeepers to join the state association and participate in some of the certification programs for beekeeping. 

The Master Beekeeper Program (https://www.ncbeekeepers.org/programs/mbp) has four certification levels. The certification programs are a good way to spread the word about beekeeping as well as learn more about it. 

The Born and Bred Queen Rearing class is also a good class to learn about queen bees and raising them (https://www.ncsuapiculture.net/bees-academy-home). 

There is also a program to register your honey as local/real honey. You can also utilize the site to locate real honey to buy (https://www.ncbeekeepers.org/programs/real-nc-honey)

The state also sponsors the Golden Achievement Program (GAP) to recognize local clubs that have gone above and beyond in community outreach, bee schools, etc. (https://www.ncbeekeepers.org/?s=GAP). There is grant money available for local bee clubs. 

The NC State also has a bee lab (https://www.ncbeekeepers.org/ncsu-bee-lab/updates-on-the-new-ncsu-honey-bee-lab). The project started in May 2022 and was able to secure funds from the NC Legislature to help build the new laboratory. The new lab will be ready to utilize and move in this April 2026. 

Dr. Tarpy is one of the best queen researchers in the state. He leads the NCSU outstanding apiculture research program. The apiculture program is the first and only with a one million dollar endowment. $670,000 was raised and NC State added the remaining funds. This is a separate program from the Cooperative Extension program. 

Mr. Cauble spoke to the group about the Yellow Legged Hornet (YLH). The hornet arrived in the US from Asia via a cargo ship in Savannah, Georgia. The hornet has a yellow face, white eyes, a dark thorax. The ends of its legs are yellow. The YLH likes to hang out in front of the honey bee hives and take the honey bees out, one by one. https://www.ncagr.gov/YLH

In the fall the YLH drones and queens are raised. In the winter the queens will over winter, while the rest of the colony dies off. In March the queen wakes up and makes an embryonic nest that is the size of a ping pong or tennis ball. The nest is usually under porches and eaves. You need to make sure to catch the queen while she is in the nest. If you just get the nest, the queen will make a new one elsewhere. 

In May/June the queen has a few workers and makes a primary nest up high about 20 feet in trees that are in the open/unprotected area. 

In July there is a nice workforce of YLH’s. 

States are now working on making traps to catch the YLH. The traps are placed high up in trees and contain Georgia juice (a mixture of dark brown sugar and grape juice) to lure the hornets in. NC State is working with the USDA on a grant for eradicating and trapping the YLH. Some other insects will also be attracted to the traps, but honey bees are not likely to be found in the YLH traps. 

Most of the hornets we now see attacking our NC hives are the European Hornets. They have been around since the 1840’s and will not kill out a healthy honey bee hive. We have been lucky and not found any YLH’s in NC. However, in September of 2025 there were some YLH’s found in York County, SC, about 40 miles from Charlotte, NC. 

Please join us for the February 17th meeting, 6:30 pm to socialize. The official meeting begins at 7 pm: 106 E. Morgan St. Brevard, NC. Our President, Devin Gentry will be speaking about beekeeping. “Is beekeeping right for you?” “What does a new beekeeper need to know?”

Enrollment is now open for Henderson County’s Bee School. The classes begin on January 26, 2026, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, for seven consecutive Monday meetings. You can check out their website (https://hcbeekeepers.org/education/2021-beginner-beekeeper-education-enrollment-2-2-2-2/) for more information. It is a great class if you are new to beekeeping, or interested in learning more about honey bees and keeping bees.

There were ten people in attendance. Randy made the motion to accept the 11/18/25 minutes as emailed out on 12/4/25. Sheila seconded the motion. All were in favor. 

We have $515.77 in the bee association’s bank account. The bee association also has a grant that is being managed by the Cooperative Extension Office. We have been utilizing the grant to pay for the website. Holly Votaw has been helping with the website and making sure it gets renewed every January. We appreciate her help with the website very much! Randy and Devin will find out how much we have available in the grant. 

New membership is due in January and not prorated. It is best to join the association in January. Please try to make the January 20, 2026 meeting to join. The dues are $10 per member, $15 per family and $5 for junior members (ages 14-17). 

Devin agreed to continue serving as president. All were in favor. Priscilla was willing to serve as secretary for another year.. All were in favor. Sheila is stepping down as treasurer. Sheila has been the treasurer since the beginning of the association. Sheila and Eddie started the association based on the state’s regulations and bi-laws. We appreciate all their years of support! Randy agreed to step in as treasurer. All were in favor. Dean (vice president) was not present at the meeting. No one was willing to take on the office as VP. The only role of the VP is to make sure the door is open for the meetings and oversee the meetings in the absence of the president. Usually the VP steps up to the president when the president resigns, but it is not necessary. Devin will check with Dean and some others to see if they are interested in the VP office. We will need to elect the VP at the January meeting. 

Enrollment is now open for Henderson County’s Bee School. The classes begin on January 26, 2026, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, for seven consecutive Monday meetings. You can check out their website (https://hcbeekeepers.org/education/2021-beginner-beekeeper-education-enrollment-2-2-2-2/) for more information. 

Rosemary will check into getting a speaker from the state chapter to talk about the association’s role in beekeeping. She also asked for others to let her know who we would like to hear from at our monthly meetings. This month’s meeting was a great “show and tell” idea that Rosemary had. We hope to do it again. 

Randy was the first to show and tell about his Russian Scion. Randy made it from scrap wood that is covered in screen and painted with beeswax, with a little swarm attractor added to the wax. It hangs from a tree with an eye bolt onto the end of the scion to make it easier to raise and lower to place the bee swarm into an empty bucket or hive body, as soon as he sees the swarm on the scion. He has it about 150 feet from his hives, 8-9 feet off the ground. Randy has caught two swarms with it so far. 

David was next to share his Mite E vape for oxalic acid (https://www.mite-e-vape.com/) bee treatment. It is good to use for a winter mite treatment option since it won’t affect any mites that are under capped brood and you don’t necessarily need to go into the hive to use it. However, you don’t want to use it on really cold days. David drilled a 1/4 inch hole in the back of each hive that he puts the vape over to treat the hive. You can also put it at the entrance of the hive. It is very important to follow all directions and wear safety gear (eye protection, respirator made for organic acids and heavy leather gloves). It is very deadly to the mites, but not the bees. David has 8 hives he treats. It is a good mite treatment method to use on new swarms and splits once they are established. Keep baking soda water handy to use as a neutralizer in case you get some on you. 

Dave Ellis brought in comb honey that he made using a product called Simplkomb (https://simplkomb.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorkIO4ZFHiz7NO5TFlvEcEJO7d-oreQwXa8DAX1feN6D1kVYScE). He brought in a few to sell and donate the money to the association. They go in a regular frame. It is important to freeze them for a couple of days to kill any hive beetle larva and eggs that may be in the comb. If you don’t spin off your honey right away, you also need to freeze it for a few days to kill the beetle larva and eggs. When you spin and strain your honey, it gets rid of the beetle stuff. Honey will taste bad if you don’t get out the beetle extracts.

Rosemary is making some fun stuff. She is making body lotion as Christmas presents (body butter). She also sold some and donated the money to the association. The body butter was in little jars with beeswax, coconut oil, cocoa butter that was melted in with lavender and eucalyptus. When making it if it is too sticky, just add more beeswax. 

Rosemary also made some fire starters from little pine cones that she coated with slum gum (the old, dark looking beeswax). 

Rosemary also had some bee earrings that her brother in law made with a laser thing he has. 

Devin brought in his iridescent light bulb invention he uses to decrystallize honey. If you get honey too hot it looses beneficial enzymes and nutrients. He had an extension chord light with a dimmer switch, so he can control the heat of the honey. Certain kinds of honey will crystalize if it is stored at 55 degrees or below (cold garages, concrete floors). If honey has a lot of pollen grains in it, or high sucrose count, it will crystalize easier than other honey. Devin uses a bee super with the light bulb inside, then a metal honey excluder on top that he sits the jars of crystalized honey on, covered with a blanket or something to keep the heat in. He uses a cheap thermometer to try and keep the temperature between 90-95 degrees until it de-crystalizes.

Devin also brought in some silicone molds that he uses to make wax candles from his bee’s capping wax and some candles. You only get about 1% of wax per pound of honey. It takes a lot of honey making to get just a little wax. The pure wax candles burn for a really long time. 

Randy also brought in a home made swarm box he made from a cardboard box he had that was just the right size. He painted it with rubberized/polymer paint and bought the door for it. 

David has a scale on one of his hives. He keeps track of the weight over the year and the temperature (in green). He can tell when the first honey flow is occurring by the weight of the hive. When the weight starts increasing, he puts on his honey supers. When the weight drops off, he knows the honey flow is done. 

He can also tell by the weight of the hive during the day when the bees are coming and going. If the weight doesn’t change, he has a dead out. It is kind of an expensive set up that he purchased from a company based out of Raleigh (https://solutionbee.com/). 

Hope to see you at our next meeting, January 20, 2026. 

There were 13 people in attendance. Rosemary made the motion to accept the October 21, 2025 minutes as emailed out on November 1, 2025. Buddy seconded the motion. All were in favor.

Our guest speaker was Alan Madewell, Director of Environmental Field Support for the Carolinas at Duke Energy Corporation in Charlotte.  Alan asked how Duke Energy could know where our bee hives were located. Some have registered their bee hives at https://nc.beecheck.org/ to help business, etc. know where our bees are located to prevent spraying, etc. near their hives. Duke Energy operates in the midwest, Florida and the Carolinas, providing natural gas and electric power. Duke Energy is governed by the state utilities commission. The Commission sets the rates and is appointed by the governor. Duke Energy has more customers than any other regulated utility industry in the country. About 35% of their energy comes from nuclear. The biggest portion of their energy comes from coal and natural gas, but they are trying to scale down. Duke Energy has 23 hydro facilities across NC. They have some unregulated solar, wind and battery storage sites. The state of NC has asked Duke Energy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. 

Duke Energy has a natural resource commission to oversee their different programs: Catawba-Wateree Habitat Enhancement Program, Keowee-Toxaway Habitat Enhancement Program, Aquatic Plant Management, Wildlife and Industry Together (WAIT), and Pollinators Program. The WAIT programs includes twenty sites that NC Duke Energy uses property to make habitats for deer, wild turkey, and other wildlife. They have grants available for building fish habitats. 

The WAIT Program includes about twenty sites in North Carolina where Duke Energy manages habitat for deer, wild turkey, and other wildlife. The Commission administers approximately $2.3 million in grant funding. Current projects include rebuilding native aquatic species in NC waterways, restoring nesting habitats for aquatic and bird wildlife, installing fishing line receptacles to keep unusable line out of the waterways.

Alan encouraged our beekeeping association to consider applying for some of these funds. He noted that strong, successful proposals often include projects that also offer a public-relations benefit to Duke Energy.

Duke Energy has right aways and needs to keep woody vegetation down to prevent power outages. Duke Energy uses LiDar (Light Detection and Ranging) mapping application to spot problem vegetation areas. They prefer native plants and pollinator-friendly species on right away sites. Duke Energy is working on a review process to identify problem areas and areas of concern, such as spray sites. There is a community and government relations committee at Duke Energy that oversees areas of concern for spraying. Alan will try and find out who the contact is for our area. 

Alan plans to share the information we provided during the meeting with others at Duke Energy to help improve their understanding of local needs and concerns.

Please join us for our next meeting on December 16, 2025, 6:30 pm to socialize, 7 pm for the official meeting at the Community Services Building (106 E. Morgan St. Brevard, NC). We will have the elections for the 2026 board and a “Show and Tell” meeting. Please bring an item to share such as: homemade bee products, favorite tool/item, beekeeping suit modification, honey/equipment storage solutions, etc. If you don’t have anything to share, that’s ok. Please come to see what all the buzz is about. 

Please join us Tuesday, November 18th at 6:30 pm to socialize. 7:00 pm our formal meeting will begin with our guest speaker, Alan Madewell, Director of Environmental Field Support for the Carolinas at Duke Energy Corporation in Charlotte, North Carolina. We will be meeting at the same location, the Community Services Building (106 E. Morgan St. Brevard, NC). 

Alan will share information about Duke Energy’s pollinator programs and how the company works to manage environmental impacts when planning projects. He’ll also discuss how they use geo-spatial data to review various environmental “layers,” such as wetlands, federal lands, and areas with threatened or endangered species.

At this time, Duke Energy doesn’t have specific data on domestic beekeepers or apiary locations. Alan is eager to hear from our group — to learn about your concerns, experiences, and resources, and to consider how this information might help guide future projects.

We’re looking forward to a great discussion! Hope to see you next Tuesday evening!

Time: Meeting opened at 7:00 p.m.
Opened by: Devin Gentry, about 15 in attendance

Minutes from the previous meeting were approved by Randy and Parker. All others were in agreement.

Upcoming Meetings
Devin reminded everyone of the upcoming meeting dates:

November 18
December 16

The December 16 meeting will be a “Show and Tell” event. Members are encouraged to bring an item to share, such as:
A handcrafted item or favorite baked good made with honey
Homemade products such as lip balms, lotions
Beekeeping or handiwork items like swarm traps, wax frame installations, woodworking tools, or honey/equipment storage solutions
Favorite tool, item, beekeeping suit modifications
Each participant will have the opportunity to talk briefly about their item and how it relates to their skills or interests.
The goal is to help members get to know one another and discover skills they can share within the group.

Following the December “Show and Tell” meeting, elections for the 2025 board will be held.
Current nominations:
President: Devin Gentry
Vice President: Dean Klingensmith
Treasurer: Randy Austin
Secretary: Priscilla Tinsley

Guest Speaker Presentation:

The evening’s speaker was Bart Renner, Transylvania County Agricultural Extension Agent and beekeeper. 

His presentation, “Pollinators in Your Backyard,” covered a wide range of important topics, including:
How to attract pollinators by incorporating native plants into landscaping.
The fact that 80% of all flowering plants rely on wildlife (such as birds, deer, and bears) to continue flourishing.
Recognition that insects — including honey bees, bumble bees, butterflies, beetles, flies, and wasps — are the most abundant pollinators.
The serious impact pollinator loss has on both the quality and quantity of food production.
The effects of managed honey bees on native bee communities due to competition for floral resources.

Current 2024–2025 overwintering losses:
Average loss: approximately 40%
Commercial operators reporting up to 62%
Possible contributing factors to pollinator decline:
Reduced availability of native, nutrient-rich flowers
Environmental pesticides
Viruses, in-hive pesticides, and Nosema
Varroa mites, noted as the chief menace
The toxic effects (immediate, residual and extended residual) of glyphosate (Round-Up) on honey bees and other pollinators

Introduction to NC State Extension’s Plant Toolbox website: plants.ces.ncsu.edu allows users to explore plants by category and learn which best support pollinators

Members discussed several topics, including:
The dilemma of using pesticides and herbicides to eliminate non-native plants and their residual effects on nearby vegetation and visiting pollinators.
The importance of avoiding placement of hives near cornfields (except sweet corn), or turf sod areas due to potential chemical treatments.
Awareness of spraying under or around powerlines by contractors employed through Duke Energy.

Beekeeping Reminders:
As temperatures cool, hobby beekeepers should monitor how quickly bees are consuming sugar water.
When temperatures drop, it’s best to switch from syrup to a layer of granulated sugar placed on newspaper at the top of the hive.

See you all at the November 18th meeting. 

Please join us a week from today, October 21, 2025 for our next meeting. Please come at 6:30 pm to socialize. 7:00 pm our formal meeting will begin with our guest speaker, Bart Renner, our local Cooperative Extension Agriculture Agent. 

Bart has been working with Cooperative Extension now for over 13 years. He will be sharing about landscaping and challenges facing beekeepers like local  forage, water sources and threats from pesticides and climate. 

We will be meeting at the same location, the Community Services Building (106 E. Morgan St. Brevard, NC). See you at the meeting!