Category Archives: Education Opportunities

Howdy, Everyone!

Please join us for an uncommon December Meeting with a homegrown speaker, our very own longtime member, hailing from Corolla – Heidi Leo – who will present a sort of Four-Season Review about her experiences, experiments, trials, & triumphs in a coastal apiary. 

You don’t want to miss the last meeting of 2022… This will be a great meeting packed with insight and info for EVERYONE – whether you’re an established beekeeper, a new-bee member, or newly interested in beekeeping/ joining the OBBG!

DATE: This Wednesday, December 14th, 2022

WHERE: Kill Devil Hills Library, 400 Mustian St, KDH 27948.

WHEN: 7:00 PM – Arrive at 6:30 p.m. to socialize/help set up chairs, meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. Library locks the front door at 5:00, so follow the sidewalk around the left of the building to the back door.

Raffle ($1 donation each ticket) will be held at the end of the meeting if we have contributions!  Feel free to bring anything bee-related or not!  Regifting is not frowned upon! 

ATTN  – Fundraising Campaign for NCSU Professorship!!

If you haven’t heard or were at the last meeting and heard from Rick Coor about the NCSBA’s fundraising to help endow an NCSU Professorship, please follow the link below to learn more and chip in… or if planning to renew your NCSBA Membership, you will be given the chance to donate then as well.

https://www.ncbeekeepers.org/ncsu-endowed-professorship 

If you are a new-bee to the scene and have not joined our NC State Beekeepers Association, the largest in the Nation, feel free to check this link out…

https://www.ncbeekeepers.org/membership/join-or-renew-now 


PS: Don’t forget to check your hives stores/ resources and feed them if low or light! 

I would suggest fondant, sugar boards, or sugar patties at this time…
2:1 Sugar syrup is usually recommended but I’ve read that once nighttime temps drop below 50 degrees it is more difficult for them to process, along with acting as a heat sink and introducing moisture into your hive. 

-Dalton Hyde
OBBG President 

Apologies for the late update…
October Meeting is Canceled for tomorrow October 12th, 2022.

We will aim to reschedule this meeting in the coming month.

Unfortunately, our scheduled speaker could not make it this month, additionally I am out of town for a family member’s surgery.

Luckily – we have recently come across an NCSBA list of speakers covering a wide range of topics that we’ve reached out to and look forward to scheduling some fresh faces and insight in the coming year. Some are even available via Zoom.

There have also been suggestions of a Bee School or Class to be held in the spring that we hope would/will be a worthwhile event. More to come on this.

I will get much more information to everyone as soon as possible.

Don’t Forget – Check your Hives & Resources!!

FEED THOSE HiVES 2:1!!

Thanks,
Dalton Hyde
OBBG President 

Sweet Summertime!

Our next meeting is THIS Wednesday, June 8, and will feature a number of fabulous speakers… all of us!

DATE: This Wednesday, June 8th, 2022

WHERE: Kill Devil Hills Library, 400 Mustian St, KDH 27948.

WHEN: 7:00 PM – Arrive at 6:30 p.m. to socialize/help set up chairs, meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. Library locks the front door at 5:00, so follow the sidewalk around the left of the building to the back door.
 
Raffle –  ($1 donation each ticket) will be held at end of the meeting if we have contributions!  Feel free to bring anything bee-related or not!  Regifting is not frowned upon!  🙂

Join us for our round-table discussions where we ask that everyone bring a vocal contribution, whether it be to give details about an interesting article you’ve recently read, something you learned from your bees this year, your secret for catching swarms, a new piece of equipment you are trying, etc.; and we’ll go around the room learning from each other!  

(Feel free to bring visuals/equipment… also we have AV capability with a lightning adapter in order to broadcast photos or videos on the wall if needed.)
 
Advance Notice for July Meeting…
Several have requested mosquito control information, and Mac Gray and his assistant from Dare County will be joining us for the July 13 meeting as guest speakers!


Interested in an online Beekeeping 101 Class?

Well, check this link out… https://extension.psu.edu/beekeeping-101
This $160 class is 9 hours in length and allows access for up to a year.
Thank you to Treasurer – Drew Owens for sharing.

 
See yall there!
 
-Dalton Hyde
OBBG President

Thank You… for an AMAZING turnout at our first meeting in 2 years – it was great to see all of the familiar faces & many new ones!

Below is a quick recap of the info we covered:

KDH LIBRARY MEETING ROOM IS AGAIN OPEN!!
Mark your calendars on… second Wednesdays of every month!

Beginning on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, regular meetings of the OBX Beekeepers Guild will be once again be held.

Arrive at 6:30 to socialize, meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. The front door of the Library will be locked because they now close at 5:00 p.m. on Wed., so follow the sidewalk around the left side of the building to the back door where the meeting room is located. Speaker & topic suggestions are ALWAYS welcome.

If you would like to participate in the raffle, bring a little cash for ticket donation and/or any items to be raffled (do not have to be bee-related – regifting welcome! :). The raffle is usually held at the end of most meetings.

NUCS (being picked up):

Bailey Bee Supply, Hillsborough, NC, end of April, $200:

Guild members Steve & Jeanne Brooks will be picking up their nuc from Bailey Bee sometime near the end of April, no definite date as yet.

Check their website for info if you’d like to order and let Bailey Bee know you’ll be picked up by the Brooks’, then contact Jeanne at 252-202-1442 to let her know.

Nadeau Farms, Elizabeth City, is now sold-out for their April order, BUT will have more nucs available in May!

These are local nucs with local queens produced by Etienne. $185 for 5-frame deeps, $170 for 5 frame mediums.

Call Etienne at 252-619-7308 to get on his list for May!

MEMBERSHIP DUES:

We will forego our Guild dues this year once again, but please do consider joining the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association (https://www.ncbeekeepers.org/membership/join-or-renew-now).

The Coastal Garden Festival is being held once again this spring on May 14th. 2022!

In the past we have held a booth where members volunteer to help set up, engage/educate/interact, breakdown/clean up… it’s always a great time! This has really become quite the event.

My concerns are the lack of fundraising materials that we usually have to sell to help benefit the OBBG and being unable to obtain them in time due to the disrupted supply chain. That being said, if anyone is up for volunteering and feels it’s worth our time attending this year, please let me know… I will do my best to join anyone else doing so. 

Thanks,
Dalton Hyde
OBBG President
919-260-3265

Jan/Feb New Year Catch Up! – Meetings, Hive Checks, & Packages!

Hello & Happy New Year!

I know we have been thrown off for a while due to Covid, but we are working to get some ideas flowing and hopefully some solutions for some of our logistical issues.

At this time we have not determined another location for hosting our monthly meetings. I only received a handful of replies (Thank you to those that did!) from last September regarding these issues, so I await further feedback.

First on the Docket – Early Spring Hive Checks & Feeding!

As spring creeps in and brings us warmer days, take the time to check your hives!! It’s common for hives to make it through winter only to starve before plants bud out… So get in there on any day above 50 degrees, see what resources they may have, & if they are depleted, get some feed on them asap!

While sugar syrup 1:1 works well above 50 degree nights, sometimes fondant/dry sugar that’s made wet is better for nights cooler than 50. Regardless, ANY kind or amount of feed is going to be helpful to them coming out of winter. 

Next up – Packages!

ORDER ASAP!
Yet keep in mind – Swarm Season is around the corner and its always a great chance for some literal “FREE BEE’s”!!!

Below is info regarding some of the different suppliers members have used in the past, although we all have predominantly used Sapony Creek. That’s historically been the supplier we worked out group pick up with, which I expect to attempt again this year. 

I have heard from one person – Myia Thompson, who has volunteered to pick up additional orders for others. 

IF YOU NEED HELP Picking up your package/Nuc/order, YOU MUST inform not only Sapony Creek but also Myself (Dalton), and I will confirm with Myia/Driver about their pick up list.

Please remember… At pickup time, a donation toward the driver’s gas & time is always welcome! 
(If you have purchased through other suppliers yourself and can pick up orders for others, please let Dalton know as soon as possible to spread the word.)

NOTE! DIFFERENT SUPPLIERS HAVE THEIR OWN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS & PICKUP DATES!  Also, please remember suppliers pre-order a limited number of packages, so if you plan to get bees, the sooner you order, the better, lest they run out.

PACKAGE & NUC OFFERINGS:

Sapony Creek Apiaries, Dave Bradley, 6154 West Mount Drive, Rocky Mount, NC 27803  

Phone: 252-904-1446

Pickup dates are currently scheduled for Tuesday, March 30th & Tuesday, April 20th. Please note that these dates are subject to change based on weather conditions at the supplier level.

If you call Dave to place an order, be sure to let him know you are with the “Outer Banks/OBX Order,” then also contact Dalton to let the Group Driver know you are on the pickup list. 

We will strive to identify a rendezvous spot where you can collect your packages that is convenient, it will be determined as time draws closer.

Also, Dave has a store there with bee supplies at the ready: http://www.saponycreekapiaries.com 

Packages:
Unmarked Packages $125.00
Marked Packages $130.00

Nucs:
Unmarked 5-Frame $188.00
Marked 5-Frame $193.00

Queens:
Unmarked Mated Queens: $30.00
Marked Mated Queens: $35.00

They will start taking orders until our dates sell out!
 
Bailey Bee Supply, 147 Boone Square Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278

Email: info@baileybeesupply.com

Phone: 919-241-4236

Offering Italian Packages & Nucs this season!

Package Pickup in Hillsborough- April 1/2 & April 22/ 23.
Nuc’s pickup set for early May.

https://shop.baileybeesupply.com/  

Packages:
$135.00 Packages with a Marked Queen

Nucs:
$190 Unmarked Nuc
$195 Marked Nuc

**Bailey’s also offers equipment for any last-minute needs, in addition to offering Queens through the season!

8 Veteran Farms, James Wierman, Maple, NC 

Email: 8veteransfarms@gmail.com 

Phone: 757-354-1421 

https://www.facebook.com/8veteransfarms  

Offering Packages & Nucs this season!

Packages:
$125 Marked Package 

Nucs:
$175 5-Frame Nuc

**If ordering online; Please include Full Name, Email, & Phone #!

NUC’s (NUCLEUS) HIVES ONLY:

Birdneck Bees – http://ncvabeenucs.com/  

Email – info@ncvabeenucs.com

Phone: Sharon Tanner (757)-718-3581 OR Ann Baker (757)-641-4433

Overwintered Nucs available for the price of $230 for 5 deep frame Nucs. Pickup will be April 16th/17th at Greenbrier Farms in Chesapeake (near the state line).  If you place an order with them and would offer to pick up for others, please let Dalton know.


The following links are regarding bee suppliers from our state or nearby chapters…

This link is VERY useful from the NC Dept. of Ag regarding all things apiary in our state: http://www.ncagr.gov/plantindustry/Plant/apiary/index.htm 

On that page you will also find a “List of Dealers Authorized to Sell Bees in NC,” and you are welcome to contact any of those suppliers to order and pick up your own bees. Out-of-state suppliers are shown at the bottom of that list.

The Beekeepers Guild of Southeastern Virginia lists several suppliers of nucs on their website:
https://beekeepersguild.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=89&Itemid=131

Denise & I will be helping put on a Zoom Event for the Dare County Library on April 14th, 2021. More details to come!

Any Questions/Concerns, please feel free to reach out… Dalton Hyde (President) 919-260-3265 or Denise Deacon (Past President) 252-722-3118.

-Dalton Hyde
OBBG President

Beecheck By FieldWatch

The following content is via Program Director/OBBG Officer, Julie Moye, regarding registering your Hives for Free on BeeCheck (https://nc.beecheck.org/) so we can determine the best locations for our own Queen Yard!

Hi All,

I’m starting to plan for a Beekeepers’ Roster with pictures and with hive locations so we can see who is near to who else. Guess what? I don’t have to reinvent the wheel, although I do so enjoy reinventing the wheel, and have done it countless times. 

I’m older now, so I’d like to request each of you to drop everything you’re doing and run to your computer/tablet/phone and log yourself into BeeCheck which will locate your entered hives in a registry for purposes of keeping your hives safe from agricultural over-spray, drift, etc. 

If you’re driving a car, you can wait until you are able to safely pull off the road- say 10 minutes, would that be sufficient?
 
Well, as it turns out it will also locate you to us so that we can come to rob your hives at night…wait, I mean so that we can start thinking about the Born & Bred program and look at our bee yard overlaps (an actual queen would say “apiary” and since I’m a queen myself, I will use that royal term from now on).

Here’s a screenshot of those of us who have done so already and by tomorrow at noon, I expect to see the rest of you! Kidding of course, well maybe… It’s for your own good too.


Thanks for letting me entertain myself at your expense for a few minutes. After all, it’s all about my enjoyment, isn’t it?
I hope everyone reads emails regularly. 
You’re the best!  
 
PS: I’m a queen of a certain age so screenshots are not my thing, but just in case you’re of a certain age too, this does not have live links. You’ll have to look at that tiny print in the URL and actually type it in and register yourself, it’s free! A URL is an address of a website… a website is a place in a virtual land where you can look at pretty stuff and cats…if you need more info call me. I can’t do everything can I?
 
Peace Out!
 
-Julie Moye 
OBBG Program Director


What is BeeCheck?

BeeCheck™ is operated by FieldWatch, Inc, a non-profit company created by Purdue in collaboration with interested agricultural stakeholder groups. For more information, visit https://fieldwatch.com/.

This mapping tool is meant to help pesticide applicators and beekeepers communicate more effectively to promote awareness and stewardship activities to help prevent and manage drift effects.

This site features a powerful map interface that clearly shows applicators the locations of registered sites so they can use the information in their ongoing stewardship activities before they spray.

Use this link to Sign Up/Create an Account & then add your Apiary/Hive Locations!
https://nc.beecheck.org/signup#beekeeper

Meeting Reminder for this Wednesday March 11th

The (Early) Arrival of Spring & Our Swarm Season!!


March Meeting = THIS WEDNESDAY 3/11/20 @ Library

Have YOU ever caught a Swarm?! Do you KNOW anyone who has?! How about WHAT causes a hive to Swarm?! 
Would you like to not only learn the types/ behavior of “Swarms” but also what’s needed to catch one, along with the best tips/advice/methods in doing so??

Well, that’s what we hope to decipher at our upcoming meeting!

When:     Wednesday, March 11th, 2020 
Where:     KDH Library – 400 Mustian Street, Kill Devil Hills 27948
Time:      Starts @ 7:00 pm – Arrive anytime after 6:30 to chat each other up! 

DETAILS

Our next meeting will be held Wednesday, March 11th, 2020, at the Kill Devil Hills Library meeting room.  Arrive at 6:30 pm to socialize prior, and the meeting begins at 7:00 pm. If you arrive after 7:00 when the Library has locked their front door, follow the sidewalk around the left of the building to the back door. (Please remember, the Library requests no food or drinks!).

I will bring in the Swarm Trap made a couple of years ago at the workshop we held, that I’ve been lucky enough to employ in catching a swarm successfully (still have), as an example. We will aim to detail the many kinds of traps used, recommended wood/paint, best bait tactics, & suggested placement/retrieval methods.

Anyone who has one they’ve successfully used, are encouraged to bring theirs in as well, along with the stories (or Tales) of how you managed to catch a swarm – a sort of Show & Tell! 

Swarm Season officially starts with Spring, yet swarms are cast anywhere from March through July; Sometimes there are even cases of swarms during Fall. 

A swarm in May is worth a load of hay.
A swarm in June is worth a silver spoon.
A swarm in July ain’t worth a fly. [or …Let it fly.]

For those of you interested in possibly making your own – I have been working on finding a woodshop to utilize in order to host a “Swarm Trap Workshop”. The goal is to have the OBBG purchase the wood/materials, have it all pre-cut/drilled, with those in attendance applying glue/screws to construct it. Anyone unable to make it could simply buy any of the extra traps. The cost should be approx $25.
 

I’ve been following the National Phenology Network, which y’all may find helpful/interesting, so check out the following links…

Spring Overview
https://www.usanpn.org/news/spring

Spring Leaf Index
https://www.usanpn.org/files/npn/maps/six-leaf-index-anomaly.png 

Spring Bloom Index
https://www.usanpn.org/files/npn/maps/six-bloom-index-anomaly.png 


REMINDER: 
Please see the previous email regarding the Volunteer Opportunities in need of YOU! Volunteering directly benefits our OBBG, our Community, & Ourselves!

Catch me with any Questions, Comments, or Concerns via email @ outerbanksbeekeepers@gmail.com

See y’all soon.

-Dalton Hyde
2020 OBBG President

2020 NCSBA Spring Conference & BEES Academy Notice

NCSBA Spring Conference in New Bern is THIS WEEK – March 5th, 6th, & 7th!

This is a great opportunity to mingle with fellow Beekeepers, attend seminars to expand your knowledge/skills, or purchase equipment from the many vendors! 

I know of some that are planning to attend… It would be great to see y’all there. 

The Onsite Registration rates are:

NCSBA Member Individual: $70
NCSBA Member Family: $105
NCSBA Non-Member Individual: $85
NCSBA Non-Member Family: $120

Below is the link to the Meeting Information…
https://www.ncbeekeepers.org/calendar/state-meetings  
 

BEES Academy Info
This spring, the NCSU Apiculture Program will be holding TWO different beekeeping trainings, one for beginners and one for intermediate beekeepers. Please forward to anyone who you think might be interested.

‘Beginner’ online BEES school
Perfect for wanna-be beekeepers who couldn’t make their local bee school!

WHEN: March 4-25th

WHERE: Online Beekeeper Education & Engagement System (BEES)

HOW: Students will enroll in the ‘Beginner’ level BEES courses and learn the online content on their own time and at their own pace. Each Wednesday evening, we will hold virtual “office hours” with Dr. David Tarpy to discuss what you have learned and answer any lingering questions. An optional in-hive field day will be offered at the NCSU Lake Wheeler Honey Bee Research Facility in Raleigh on March 28th (rain date April 4). 

INFO: https://www.ncsuapiculture.net/online-beginner-bees-school  
 ………………………………………………………………………………….

‘Intermediate’ BEES Academy
Great way to prepare for the MBP Journeyman exam!

WHEN: March 3-4th

WHERE: Craven County Extension Center, 300 Industrial Dr, New Bern, NC 28562

HOW: Two full days to immerse yourself in the theoretical and practical aspects of beekeeping. Mixture of both live and pre-taped videos from the Beekeeper Education & Engagement System (BEES) as well as hands-on activities. Numerous members of the NC State Apiculture Program will help you build upon your current knowledge of beekeeping by exploring a wide variety of topics. 

INFO: https://www.ncsuapiculture.net/bees-academy-home


For anyone that is not an NCSBA Member – I mentioned Bee Culture Magazine at our last meeting because they have some great articles and information, so I thought I’d include this offer they sent out.

NOTE: NCSBA Membership includes a complimentary subscription! 

Spring Subscription Special – 1 Year to Bee Culture for $12.50
Online Order ONLY!
http://www.beeculture.com
Promo Code: Spring2020 

https://www.beeculture.com/catch-the-buzz-amazing-subscription-deal/ 

-Dalton Hyde
2020 OBBG President