4/15/25 Meeting Minutes
There were 13 people in attendance. Randy made a motion to approve the 3/18/25 minutes as emailed out on 3/26/25. Ellis seconded the motion. All were in favor. There was no treasurer report this month.
Dave Ellis caught three swarms in one day. All were at different locations. Be on the lookout for swarms. Dave uses swarm commander to help attract the bees. The location of the swarm boxes are not very high. One was even on the ground. Wait 2-3 days once the bees move into the swarm trap before removing them. Some have found if you put honey in the swarm trap, the bees will more than likely rob the trap and not stay in it.
One member built a Russian Scion to catch swarms. It is an easy method. However, you have to be able to get the swarm right away before they leave. There are a lot of sites on the internet about making one and how they work.
Hive beetles and ants are worse in FL than in our area. Some members use diatomaceous earth and cinnamon to keep ants out, but the rain washes it away, so you have to reapply it.
Rosemary Ennis has a 10 frame shallow box and three supers for sale. It is just the boxes, no frames for around $60-$70. You may email her if you are interested: brdjen4@yahoo.com.
Randy is catching swarms. He doesn’t want anymore bees to take care of. You can email him if you would like one of his swarms: flenviro@gmail.com. If you have too many bees and catch some swarms, please reply to this email with your name and contact information. We can let others know if they are interested and need more bees.
Everyone mentioned how many hives they were managing. Some were just getting back into keeping bees. Most were in agreement that if you were beekeeping for a hobby, 6-8 hives is about the right number. Any more requires a lot of work and time.
Our next meeting will be the third Thursday, May 20th at 6:30 pm to socialize, with the meeting beginning at 7:00 pm. Same place: 106 E. Morgan St. Brevard, NC, The Community Services Building. Hope to see you all in May!
