Meeting Minutes

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

August 20, 2024

HOGBA club meeting met promptly at 7:00 p.m. at the Argene Claxton canning plant on August 20th.  20 people attended.  Stand-in host, Emily Heath, introduced the presenter for the evening, Wayne Hughes, who has in the past presented to us.  His topic of discourse was Thermodynamics in Beekeeping and Hive management.

Thermodynamics is the science or relation between heat, work, temperature and energy.  Wayne’s in-depth talk highlighted how the energy system of the beehive works to be a successful, viable, entity.  An example of this is in washboarding, this is not just a random act on the part of the bees, but rather, the bees are actually propolising the hive.  Other important insights he mentioned on the subject matter included the hive’s temperature and humidity impacts on brood rearing, queen viability, foraging distance, honey yields, bacterial diseases, micro-climate regulation, food store consumption, just to name a few.

In contrast, hive design was also mentioned, considering there has not been any changes to the way hives are constructed in over 150 years.  Little has been done to improve colonies from losing heat in the winter versus overheating in the summer, thereby losing colonies because of poor heating and cooling systems within the hive.  Wayne stressed that efficient thermally operated hives extended distance and variety for honeybee foragers.  He also stated that in the long run while it may be costly to design and build a thermodynamic hive, the benefit will be great and long lasting.  

We thanked Mr. Hughes for his presentation with a round of applause.  The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p,m.  

_____________________________________

Submitted by Juliet Catlin

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

July 16, 2024

HOGBA club meeting was a dinner social and no meeting minutes were taken and no business was discussed the dinner was enjoyed by all.

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

May 21, 2024

HOGBA meeting began promptly at 7:00 p.m. online using Google Meet.  13 people attended.  After preliminary introductions by Doug Romans, our guest speaker, Wayne Hughes, dove right into the subject matter “Managing Small Hive Beetles.” 

Wayne’s presentation gave a brief description of the origin and introduction of the Small Hive beetle to the USA. He talked about the life span and their ability to fly a distance as much as 32 miles.  Mr. Hughes outlined how bees defend themselves against this pesky intruder, by chasing and sealing them off with propolis.  He advised beekeepers to check hive equipment for gaps where the beetles tend to hide.  He also informed us that these nuisance critters sometimes stick their mandibles up, tricking the bees into feeding them.  

Small hive beetles can impact a colony in three ways: cost, labor, and time.  The vigilant beekeeper can quickly tell if their colony has become the perfect storm for an invasion of small hive beetle to overrun:

 Check soil conditions around the hive

Assess if colony is strong or weak

When using pollen patties, consider that it can be a breeding ground for the beetles to hide in 

Note the condition of the hive, is there a smell like fermenting fruit exuding from the hive

Wayne did not leave the hour-long presentation without giving us, simple, low-cost, useful tips on how to protect and treat our colonies against the unwanted intruder, such as, placing the hives in full sunlight, the use of pool salt, diatomaceous earth, swiffer sheets, beetle barn oil traps, chickens, nematodes, and even some questionable remedies like peppermint candy and powdered sugar.  The in-depth presentation came to an end, and Doug deferred club preliminaries due to online time constraints to be addressed at the next club meeting.  The meeting ended promptly at 8:00 pm. 

_____________________________________

Submitted by Juliet Catlin

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

May 21, 2024

HOGBA club meeting began promptly at 7:00 p.m at the canning plant in Perry after a half hour session of mentoring among peers.  33 members came out to the meeting.  President Doug Romans took the helm and reminded everyone what beekeeping is all about:  He gave 4 succinct points.

1. Beekeeping is not bee having

2. Beekeeping requires time

3. Beekeeping requires patient

4. Beekeeping requires money (yours)

After receiving permission from club members to extend the discussion time to 15 minutes past 8 o’clock, the floor was open for the roundtable discussion. Pertinent questions regarding beekeeping were asked, varying in scope and relevance, but no question was regarded as foolish or unimportant. The caliber of questions included how to maintain and manage hive equipment.  Other need-to-know questions were about how to control the hive beetle population, how to  split a colony, and when to add the various hive boxes.  Answering the question on how to keep the smoker going affirmed that some of us are still having difficulty lighting a smoker.  All in all, the discussion was lively, interesting and informative.  

Juliet Catlin read the secretary’s report which was voted and seconded by John Keys and Jonathan Hayes, respectively.  Emily Heath reported that the beginning financial balance was $4046.21, liability insurance expense totaled $418, dues received was $15.53 and the club’s ending balance was $3543.74.  The report was voted and seconded by Jay Hedge and Frank Grove, respectively.

Old business

Again we looked at topics under consideration for upcoming months such as:  

How not to keep bees, and

Honey extraction

_____________________________________

Submitted by Juliet Catlin

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

April 16, 2024

HOGBA meeting minutes for April 16, 2024.  The meeting began at 7:00 p.m at the canning plant.  29 people attended.  Doug Romans welcomed everyone. Right away he reminded everyone to make frequent checks of their hives.  Without further ado, he introduced the speaker, our very own, Emily Heath.

Emily is a certified beekeeper and master gardener.  She is a retired science and physics teacher.  Emily loves beekeeping, is experienced and has a wealth of information on bees as she shared on the topic of the evening, “How Bees Make Honey.”

Emily talked about the anatomy of the bee using words like proboscis and honey stomach. Do you know it takes the bee 100 visits to a plant to get its stomach full?  She explained how the collection of nectar and water are used to process honey.  She was in her element explaining the process of how bees turn their collections of nectar into glucose and fructose, by vomiting what is in their stomach to another worker bee for about 20 minutes.  We heard her use other terms like glucose oxidase, crystallization and supersaturation.  When crystallization occurs, it can be seen in the color, taste, aroma, and texture of the honey, depending on the type of flowers the bees visit.  The honey is considered supersaturated when it has a darker hue, and there are more trace minerals present.  Bees may travel up to 55K miles to make one pound of honey, visit 100 flowers to fill their stomachs, and bring 100 flower nectars to make 1 pound of honey.  Emily finished her discourse about this liquid gold we all love and enjoy so much, to a hearty round of applause.

Doug continued the meeting with a raffle of books and beekeeping paraphernalia to four winners.  Next, I read the minutes.  A correction of an additional 73 cents to the receipts amount of $303 was stated by Emily, then the minutes were voted and accepted by John Keys and Jay Hedge, respectively.

Next, Emily gave her financial report.  Beginning balance was $4010.75.  Total expenses were $165.74 which included Olivia Menard’s honorarium of $100 and $65 for food for 101 bee class.  Receipts were $201.20.  Ending balance was $4046.21.  The report was voted by Jay and John, respectively.

Old Business

May’s topic to be a Q & A session.  Members will ask and answer questions around the table.

New Business

Topics for future consideration: 

How not to keep bees

Manage Bees and swarms

_____________________________________

Submitted by Juliet Catlin

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

March 19, 2024

HOGBA club meeting began at 7:00 p.m. to a full house of 36 persons at the canning plant.  The meeting was hosted by Frank Grove who filled in for President Doug Romans.  After a warm welcome, Frank gave way to Emily Heath who introduced the guest speaker for the night, Olivia Menard.  Ms. Menard, an aerospace engineer by trade, is an experienced bee enthusiast.  An UGA Master beekeeper, who loves the outdoors and has been managing her own apiary for a few years.  Olivia’s topic for the evening was, “A year in the Bee Yard”

Olivia’s discourse centered around three pillars:  Safe Structure, Monitoring Hives, and Pest Management.  She maintains that every beekeeper should be able to answer the following question, “why do you keep bees?” and should have a corresponding business plan to match the answer.  Also, Ms. Menard strongly advocates that beekeepers should know what results they want to get from their hives according to the business plan they adopt.  

Olivia took us through a month by month cycle, from January to December, of what to expect and what to do in our hives according to the management plan.  One aspect of concern was how and when to manage the varroa pest.  A suggestion she gave was culling the drone brood to lessen the mite population.  She recommends using this strategy in April.  She also suggested using the varroa decision tool to help beekeepers decide which treatment is best to use for their hives.  After some questions, she finished to a hearty round of applause.

Frank continued the meeting with the reading of the secretary’s minutes for February, which were voted by John Keys and Mike McDowell, respectively.  The treasurer’s report was next.  Emily outlined the financials with the opening balance of $4160.02, expenses were $453 which included the $100 honorarium to Linda Tillman, receipts totaled $303.73, and the ending balance for the month was $4010.75.  The report was voted by Jay and Mike respectively.  

Old Business

Reviews of ‘The 101 Beekeeping class’ were given by attendees.  Some class members commented that it was well planned, organized and enlightening.  The visit to Doug’s apiary was interesting and informative.

New Business

A reminder for interesting topics or speakers to be scheduled are still needed.

The HOGBA club meeting concluded at 8:30 p.m. sharp.

_____________________________________

Submitted by Juliet Catlin

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

February 20, 2024

HOGBA’s February meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. at the canning plant.  20 people attended.  The special guest speaker, Linda Tillman is a master beekeeper, a past president of the GA Beekeeper’s Association, and the 2020 Beekeeper of the year award recipient.  She spoke via zoom on the topic “Every Hive Tells a Story.”  

Linda began her discourse with a reminder that next year, the GBA will host a community event in the Middle GA area, the first of its kind.  She then launched into her topic of the night comparing beekeeping to reading an adventure book where one will discover things along the way. 

Linda’s talk outlined from soup to nuts what to look for in every colony, bee stress, entrance activity, and various tips and tricks like hive draping, the use of robber screens and reading the colors of the pollen outside of the hive to tell where the queen is.  She also gave interesting stats on how often the hives should be checked, as frequent as every two weeks to as least as once every three months.  Linda ended by recommending helpful resources club members could use for more information:  Extension.uga.edu and www.thebeemd.com plus her own beekeeping blog and Youtube channel.  The talk was interesting and enlightening and ended to an appreciative round of applause .

Doug Romans continued the meeting with the reading of the secretary minutes which was voted and accepted by Jonathan Hayes and Jay Hedge, respectively.  Emily Heath reported a $100 expense, a beginning balance of $3816.34 and an ending balance of $3716.34.  Her financial report was voted and seconded by Jonathan and Jay, respectively.

Old Business

FYI, Emily had GBA swag for sale and is still collecting dues for this year’s membership.

Interested persons wanting to purchase Nucs may contact local apiarists Joe Money or Jared Gibson

The club is looking for recommendations of speakers/topics for upcoming months.  In April, Emily will speak on, “How bees make honey.”  

New Business

Doug highlighted a new threat to bees all club members should be aware of and be on the lookout for around their hives.  The yellow-legged Hornet has been spotted in a few areas in GA.  It is recommended if you see hornets, to call the GA department of Agriculture immediately.  The hornet is a menace to bees and can destroy a colony in no time.  It is advised not to tackle the problem yourself but to report their presence instead.

The meeting adjourned promptly at 8:30 p.m.

_____________________________________

Submitted by Juliet Catlin

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

January 16, 2024

Minutes for HOGBA meeting held 1/16/24 at the Perry United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall.  The meeting began at 7:00 p.m. and 31 members attended.

President Doug Romans called to order the first meeting of 2024 with a warm welcome and a brief introduction of our guest speaker Jared Gibson who spoke about how to successfully split a hive.  

In his discourse, Jared spoke of what takes place in the hive that creates a swarm environment.  If you are vigilant, and can recognize the signs of a hive you can possibly prevent swarming by splitting the hive.  To split a hive, Jared recommended using queen cells or virgin queens, the presence of drone bees, and at least three frames of capped brood to make a healthy viable Nuc or new colony.  All this should be done before the nectar flow starts in early spring and definitely before swarming season. All in all, it is about observation, timing and knowing what to do when inspecting the hives.  Jared entertained a few questions from the listeners and concluded his discourse to a round of applause.  

Old Business

The meeting continued with the reading of the minutes by secretary, Juliet Catlin; voted by Jonathan Hayes and seconded by Jay Hedge.  Next, treasurer, Emily Heath gave the financial report.  The club’s beginning balance was $4,401.56, expenses $938.46, disbursements included speaker fees, holiday party food, plaque cost, and rounded out with an ending balance of $3,816.34.  Jonathan Hayes voted to accept, Jay Hedge seconded.  The 2023 financial records were reconciled.  A reminder that the $5 membership dues are now due and an update on the Argene Plant usage for future meetings was mentioned.  Persons interested in receiving HOGBA notices were encouraged to add their names to the email list.

New Business

Doug highlighted the club will not be facilitating Nuc sales this year.  Rather, interested members are advised to purchase nucs from other local beekeepers/apiaries.

Another point of interest was the 2024 GA beekeepers Association Conference in Macon, at the Middle GA State University.  Cost to GA Members is $60.  The Conference would be February 16 and 17.

This year our club will facilitate the Beekeeping 101 class, beginning March 16 at 9 a.m. with a cover charge of $35 per person.  First 30 persons to sign-up will be accommodated.

Doug promoted a list of activities all members should be paying special attention to for January:

Feeding the bees (if necessary)

Treat for pest (varroa, hive beetles, ants, etc)

Seasonal preparations (hive equipment, tools, etc are in good repair)

Prepare for swarm season

Lastly, Doug wrapped up his agenda presentation with a few projected meeting topics and potential presenters for February and March, respectively.  The meeting was adjourned at 8:18 p.m.

_____________________________________

Submitted by Juliet Catlin

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

December 19, 2023

The meeting was held at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant, Houston Lake Road, Perry, GA and was called to order at  7:00 pm by Anita Curry.

Anita welcomed members and visitors. (25 in attendance)

The November  2023 minutes were read by Emily Heath, accepted by Jonathan and seconded by Jay.

Old Business:

• Emily shared the current balance is $ 4401.56. It was accepted by Jay and seconded by Jonathan.   

New Business: 

• Beekeeper of the year:  The award of Beekeeper of the Year was given in memory of Jesse McCurdy. Hazel McCurdy accepted the beekeeper of the year award in memory of Jesse.

• Linda Tillman made a donation of $75 in memory of Jesse McCurdy.

• January meeting will be about creating splits.  The speaker will be Jarod Gibson.  

• Jarod Gibson will also be providing nucs for the 2024 season (mid April).  They are a $50 deposit and he will be here in January to take orders.

Program:  

Smoke South catered BBQ and sides.  A silent auction was held to help raise money for the club.  $173 was raised through the auction.  

The meeting was adjourned for dinner at  7:13pm.

_____________________________________

Amanda Hayes, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

November 28, 2023

The meeting was held at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant, Houston Lake Road, Perry, GA and was called to order at  7:00pm by Doug Romans, President.

Doug welcomed members and visitors. (28 in attendance)

The October  2023 minutes were read by Emily Heath, accepted by Jonathan  and seconded by Jay.

Old Business:

• Emily shared the current balance is $ 4430.27.  There was one expenditure for the speaker last month and no deposits.  It was accepted by Jay and seconded by Jonathan.   

New Business: 

• Beekeeper of the year: Several people were nominated, but they have already received the award.  The award of Beekeeper of the Year was given in memory of Jesse McCurdy. 

• Board positions were voted on: President: Doug Romans, Vice President: Frank Groves Secretary: Juliet Catlin, Treasurer: Emily Heath Directors: Kathy Sellers & Jay ?, Past President: Jonathan Hayes

• Nucs for 2024, the club sold about 50 nucs last year so we will not be ordering nucs through the club this year.

• 2024 Membership Fees decreased to $5 

• The December Meeting will be our annual Christmas Meeting catered by Smoke South. Bring a dessert. 

• Help planning for 2024, Let Doug know if you have presentation ideas. 

• Black Honey Jar winners were announced.  First place: Kathy Sellers, Second place: Michael McDowell, Third Place: Tammy Norton of eight entries

Program:  

Joe and Kristen Money presented about creamed honey and his story about getting into beekeeping.  The best honey to use for creamed honey is honey that crystals faster than others such as cotton and canola.  The machine uses crystalized honey to help the other honey form their fine crystals. Whipped honey and creamed honey are two different things.  Whipped honey is mixed quickly and air is added.  Creamed honey is done slowly and forms crystals.   

The meeting was adjourned at  8:03 pm.

_____________________________________

Amanda Hayes, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

October 17, 2023

The meeting was held at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant, Houston Lake Road, Perry, GA and was called to order by Doug Romans, President.

Doug welcomed members and visitors. ( in attendance)

The September 2023 minutes were read by Emily Heath, accepted by  Jay  and seconded by John.

Old Business:

• Emily shared the current balance is $ 4630.27.  There was zero expenditures or deposits.  It was accepted by Jay and seconded by Steve.   

• Beekeeper of the year nominations were collected.  Beekeeper must be a member of the club. 

New Business: 

• Nominations for Boar

• Doug recognized Anita for being a Welsh Honey Judge

• Jonathan Hayes recognized as Georgia Beekeeper of the Year

• The December meeting will have a silent auction and proceeds will go to the club.

• Doug shared that the November Meeting would be Joe Money talking about creamed honey.

Program:  

The program was presented through zoom by Landi Simone.  She shared about how to read the frames.  She showed frames and then we discussed what we saw.  Washboarding was genetic.  Evaluate these four things each time we inspect the frame, strength, health, food storage, and queen 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:37: pm.

_____________________________________

Emily Heath

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

September 19, 2023

The meeting was held at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant, Houston Lake Road, Perry, GA and was called to order at  6:57pm by Doug Romans, President.

Doug welcomed members and visitors. (21 in attendance)

The August  2023 minutes were read by Amanda Hayes, accepted by  Jay  and seconded by John.

Old Business:

• Emily shared the current balance is $ 4630.27.  There was zero expenditures or deposits.  It was accepted by Jay and seconded by Steve.   

• Beekeeper of the year nominations were collected.  Beekeeper must be a member of the club. 

New Business: 

• Beekeeper of the year nominations were collected.  Beekeepers must be a member of the club. 

• Board positions are open.  We need to currently fill the Vice President and members at large positions.

• Doug shared that the October meeting will be Landi Simone (Reading the Frames).  November will be Board Officer Elections, Beekeeper of the Year Vote, Dues set, black jar honey show and honey extraction.  December will be our Christmas social, announcement of Beekeeper of the Year and announce the 2024 Officers.

Program:  

Doug Romans and Jonathan Hayes shared about bees wax and wax rendering.  Doug shared where the term, “mind your own beeswax,” comes from.  He went through some interesting beeswax facts.  He also shared his steps to rendering wax and methods he uses to get most of the debris out of the wax. Jonathan Hayes then shared his pound of wax from the honey show years ago.  He also passed around various molds and bars of wax in different stages.  Both Doug and Jonathan answered questions from those in attendance. 

The meeting was adjourned at 7:55: pm.

_____________________________________

Amanda Hayes, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

August 15, 2023

The meeting was held at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant, Houston Lake Road, Perry, GA and was called to order at 6:58 pm by Doug Romans, President.

Doug welcomed members and visitors. (16 in attendance)

Doug shared some photos 

Program:   

Anita Curry, Presented “The Value of a Honey Show” 

Anita is currently working through her certification to be a Welsh Honey Judge.   Purpose of a Honey Show teaches beekeepers to produce a better project. The American Honey Judge Training Council (AHJTC) system is part of the Welsh program that began in the US in the early 2000’s.  What a Judge looks for Cleanliness, Consistency, Conformation. Always read the rules! Allow plenty of preparation time. Research techniques from trusted sources.  Have Fun!

Old Business:

• Doug shared the July balance was $4,585.03.  Expenditures $0 deposited $45.24 Ending balance of $4,630.27

  • Accepted by Jay and seconded by Juliet

• The May 2023 minutes were read by Emily Heath, accepted by Anita and seconded by Jay 

  • Accepted by Jay and seconded by Juliet

New Business: 

• Doug talked about what it looks and smells like when you spray bees in a cutout in a home. And Shared pictures!

• Please let Doug know if you have a request for a meeting topic. 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:24 pm.

_____________________________________

Jonathan Hayes

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

July 18, 2023

The meeting was held at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant, Houston Lake Road, Perry, GA and was called to order at 6:59 pm by Doug Romans, President.

Doug welcomed members and visitors. (24 in attendance)

Program:   

Emily Heath, Beekeeping Gadgets for the Hobbyist.  The Ventilation Box helps keep the bees cool in the summer. She went over the directions on how to make one as well.  The Hive Sun/Rain Visor gives cover for the front entrance and can reduce the temperature at the entrance by 20 degrees. Moats for Ants are simple stainless steel pet bowls filled with water and keep the ants out.  Record keeping as a brick simply paint one side green and one side red.  Red means problem and needs more work and green means that the hive is good.  Recording your inspection on a phone audio to pay back at a later time.  Russian Scion is a swarm magnet.

Doug shared his Bee Vacuum Platform to mount on a ladder. His 3D printed items that help with anything.

Jonathan Hayes shared his homemade wax melter made out of a turkey fryer and wallpaper steamer. 

The May 2023 minutes were read by Emily Heath, accepted by Anita and seconded by Jay .

Old Business:

• Emily shared the May balance was $4652.17.  Expenditures $50 (Speaker Fees) deposited $15.24

  • Accepted by Anita and seconded by Jay

• Emily shared the June balance is $4585.03.  Expenditures $97.38 (cookout items) deposited $30.24 (online dues)

  • Accepted by Jay and seconded by Anita

New Business: 

• Doug talked about what it looks and smells like when you spray bees in a cutout in a home.

• Please let Doug know if you have a request for a meeting topic. 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:08 pm.

_____________________________________

Amanda Hayes, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

June 20, 2023

The meeting was held at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant, Houston Lake Road, Perry, GA and was called to order at 6:54 pm by Doug Romans, President.

Doug welcomed members and visitors. (29 in attendance)

Program:   

Hamburgers and Hot dogs!  Fun, Food, and Fellowship.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 pm.

_____________________________________

Amanda Hayes, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

May 16, 2023

The meeting was held at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant, Houston Lake Road, Perry, GA and was called to order at 6:54 pm by Doug Romans, President.

Doug welcomed members and visitors. (29 in attendance)

Program:   

Jesse Robinson, from Blue Ridge Honey Company, delivered a presentation about queen rearing via zoom.  Jesse shared each step of the queen rearing process and the importance of controlling humidity and temperature.  He explained the timing of drones and grafting the queen cell.  He suggested starting queen rearing the second week of March in our area, but to watch the drone activity. He encouraged anyone interested in queen rearing to visit Blue Ridge Honey to learn.

The April 2023 minutes were read by Amanda Hayes, accepted by Anita and seconded by Steve McCrary .

Old Business:

• Emily shared the current balance is $4686.93.  Expenditures $481.01 (State Farm Insurance ) deposited $151.02

• Accepted by John and seconded by Anita

New Business: 

• Emily gave an update on Jesse McCurdy’s health.  She encouraged members to write or send a card to him.

• There is a Bee Removal Certification class in Macon on June 8th.  

• Doug shared January-February Beekeeping activities

• June (Cookout Meeting),  July- Doug and Emily (Beekeeping Gadgets) Aug - Anita Curry (Honey Show)

• Please let Doug know if you have a request for a meeting topic.

• Doug shared about those Crazy Candadians. Doug’s former city of Red Deer are trying to shut down the honey bees within city limits. 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:28 pm.

_____________________________________

Amanda Hayes, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

April 18, 2023

The Heart of Georgia Beekeepers met April 18 for their regular monthly meeting

at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant. President Doug Romans called the meeting to

order at 7:00 PM. 

The speaker for the meeting was Jonathan Nixon, a commercial beekeeper and the honey bee inspector for the Department of Agriculture. Jonathan discussed how he sends between 500 – 600 colonies to California for almond pollination. He sends them in January and they return in March. The colonies are then transported to South Georgia for the Tupelo flow. Savannah Bee Company buys his Tupelo honey. His next honey is wildflower which he sells and finally he places his colonies on cotton and sells this honey for bakery items. Last year Jonathan reported that he made approximately 48 55-gallon drums on all 3 crops. Jonathan stated that if you are selling bees you need to have a license from the Dept. of Ag. Finally, he discussed his regime for treating the varroa mite.

March meeting minutes were read by Emily Heath and Jay Hedge made a motion to accept the minutes as presented and John Keys seconded. 

The Treasurers update was given by Emily Heath and Jay made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report with Jonathan Hayes seconded. 

Doug reported that 54 nucs had been sold and that delivery would be on April 22. He then discussed what to do with the nuc once you got it to your apiary. 

Our next meeting will be May 16 th and the program will be on queen rearing.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:14 PM.

_____________________________________

Emily Heath, Acting Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

March 21, 2023

The meeting was held at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant, Houston Lake Road, Perry, GA and was called to order at 6:58 pm by Doug Romans, President.

Doug welcomed members and visitors. (30 in attendance)

The February  2023 minutes were read by Amanda Hayes, accepted by  Jonathan Hayes and seconded by Jay.

Old Business:

• Emily shared the current balance is $4637.40.  We had the beekeeping 101 class as well as money going out Accepted by Jonathan and seconded by Jay

• Nucs are for sale with Jonathan Hayes, 43 requested and 18 paid, we need to sell 50 to get free shipping. Delivery Mid April 

• 33 Current paid members

• Beekeeping 101 Class was successful with 24 in attendance. 

New Business: 

• Doug distributed articles on the first vaccine for bees and Swarm Management

• Doug shared January-February Beekeeping activities

• April - Jonathan Nixon (Commercial Beekeeping)  May - Jesse Robinson via Zoom (Queen Rearing) June (Cookout Meeting) July- Doug and Emily (Beekeeping Gadgets)

• Please let Doug know if you have a request for a meeting topic.

• Emily shared her swarm story in the rain.

Program:   

Karen Palmer, SE Director for GBA, shared about beekeeping in Nicaragua, South America.  She also runs the apiary, Bees Please and Savannah Bee Removal.  She went through some basic Spanish words for beekeeping.  She noted the differences in beekeeping methods as well as the type of bee found in South America.  She showed several videos so we could see first hand how active the bees are. Most bees in Nicaragua are Africanized bees. Karen Palmer answered any questions from those in attendance. 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:22 pm.

_____________________________________

Amanda Hayes, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

February 21, 2023

The meeting was held at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant, Houston Lake Road, Perry, GA and was called to order at 7:01 pm by Doug Romans, President.

Doug welcomed members and visitors.

The January 2023 minutes were read by Doug, accepted by Jay Hedge and seconded by Bill Gragg. 

Old Business:

• The Treasurer’s report stated a balance of $4,130.29. Jay Hedge made a motion to accept the report and Kari McDowell seconded. 

• Nucs are for sale with Jonathan Hayes

New Business: 

• Beekeeping 101, March 18th - 30 student max

• Doug shared February-March Beekeeping activities

• Doug stated that Karen Palmer, SW Director for GBA, will be our program on March 21. She will talk about beekeeping in South America.

Program:   

Keith Delaplane, from the UGA Bee Lab, entitled “Mutiny and Other Things That

Can Go Wrong (Besides Mites)”. In his discussion Dr. Delaplane said that a colony

of honey bees is considered a superorganism and discussed its characteristics.

Honey bees have 32 pairs of chromosomes except for the drones who only have 16

pairs. He also discussed royal families and explained that supersedure cells are

chosen by the workers but swarm cells are chosen by the queen. Dr. Delaplane

answered questions from those in attendance. 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:12 pm.

Meeting Minutes were taken by Emily Heath and provided to Amanda Hayes.  Thank you Emily for filling in.

_____________________________________

Amanda Hayes, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

January 17, 2023

The meeting was held at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant, Houston Lake Road, Perry, GA and was called to order at 7:01 pm by Doug Romans, President.

Doug welcomed members and visitors. (31 in attendance)

The December 2022 minutes were read by Jonathan Hayes, seconded and approved. 

Old Business:

• Emily shared the current balance is $3254.35 with one outstanding check.

• Nucs are for sale with Jonathan Hayes

• Spring Conference February 17-18th - Macon, GA

New Business: 

• Beekeeping 101, March 18th - 30 student max

• Doug distributed articles on the first vaccine for bees and Swarm Management

• Doug shared January-February Beekeeping activities

• February - Dr. Delaplane via Zoom (Social Immunity) March - Karen Palmer (Beekeeping in South America)

Program:   

Doug Romans gave a presentation on Bee Removals.  He covered Swarm Season as well as locating the colony in a cutout.  He shared his favorite tools that he uses for removing bees.  He covered safety hazards and ways to prevent re-infestations.  The Georgia Department of Agriculture has created regulations to monitor beekeepers removing bees on structural property.    

The meeting was adjourned at 8:21 pm.

_____________________________________

Amanda Hayes, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

December 20, 2022

The meeting was held at the   Argene Claxton Canning Plant, 1701 Houston Lake Road, Perry and was called to order at 7:00 pm.

President Jonathan Hayes welcome members and visitors.

Treasurer’s Report was read by Emily Heath Treasurer.  A motion was made by John Keys to approve the minutes. The vote was unanimous in favor.

*April 2023, Robins Financial Credit Union will be the new bank for the club, a new account number will be issue. 

* A Square credit card reader account has been opened for credit card payment. 

Announcements:

*Beekeeper of the Year: The Jesse McCurdy Award for Beekeeper for the year 2022 was John Keys.

*Officers for year 2023: Doug Romans has volunteered to lead the club as President, Amanda Hayes as Secretary.   The club is still seeking a Vice-President and 2 board members. Those interested or having questions please contact Jonathan Hayes or Emily Heath.

*Dues:  HOGBA club dues are $15 for the year, however if payment is made as per the square card reader there will be a $1 charge.  So, starting December cash or check payments will be $15, credit card payment will be $15 +$1 processing fee = $16. 

*Nucs Sale:  2023 nuc sales are open and the price of a nuc is $165.00 each.

December Meeting: Christmas Pot Luck Dinner.  The club provide BBQ sandwiches, members brought side dishes and desserts. A silent auction was held as a fund raiser for the club. 

Speaker:  No speaker for this meeting but Doug Romans did a great job at introducing himself to the club.  

The next meeting will be January 17, 2023 at 7pm @ the Augene Claxton Canning Plant, 1701 Houston Lake Rd Perry GA. 

Meeting was adjourned at 8:15pm.

Jonathan Hayes, Fill in-Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

November 15, 2022

The meeting was held at the   Argene Claxton Canning Plant, 1701 Houston Lake Road, Perry and was called to order at 7:00 pm.

President Jonathan Hayes welcome members and visitors, there were 26 in attendance.

Treasurer’s Report was read by Emily Heath Treasurer. The current balance is $3097.25.  She gave details of receipts and expenditure.  A motion was made by John Keys to approve the minutes. The vote was unanimous in favor.

*April 2023, Robins Financial Credit Union will be the new bank for the club, a new account number will be issue. 

* A Square credit card reader account has been opened for credit card payment. 

Announcements:

*Beekeeper of the Year: Nominations were made for The Jesse McCurdy Award for Beekeeper for the year 2022.  John Keys and Steven McCrary were the nominees. Voting was completed and the winner will be announced at the December meeting.

*Officers for year 2023: Doug Romans has volunteered to lead the club as President, Amanda Hayes as Secretary.   The club is still seeking a Vice-President and 2 board members. Those interested or having questions please contact Jonathan Hayes or Emily Heath.

*Dues:  HOGBA club dues are $15 for the year, however if payment is made as per the square card reader there will be a $1 charge.  So, starting December cash or check payments will be $15, credit card payment will be $15 +$1 processing fee = $16. 

*Nucs Sale:  The club struggled to meet the 2022 nuc sale required to receive the discounted price. No information is yet available for the 2023 price for the nucs. John Keys will be looking into the possibility of getting local nucs and will report this information at the December meeting.

*December Meeting: Christmas Pot Luck Dinner.  The club will provide BBQ sandwiches, please bring a side dish or a dessert. A silent auction will serve as a fund raiser for the club. Please donate items for the auction. 

Speaker:  George Andi - Probiotic for Honey Bees. Mr. Andi spoke in depth about what probiotic where and how they would benefit today honey bees. He explained the different types of probiotics. He talked about his experience with Super DFM and the important of sprinkling about 10 grams of a probiotic on the top bar was stressed.  Mr. Andi explained that like people, bees need good gut heath to improve their immune response. By doing so the bees will be better equipped to handle the stressors within the hive.  Question /answer session followed.  

Contact Information: GEORGEANDI@yahoo, hllps//beesurpised.blogspoy.com

The next meeting will be December 20, 2022 at 7pm @ the Augene Claxton Canning Plant, 1701 Houston Lake Rd Perry GA. 

Meeting was adjourned at 7:55pm.

Marie Moore, Co-Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

October 18, 2022

Sorry for the delay but meeting minutes are coming soon.

The next meeting date will be November 15, 2022 at 7:00 pm at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant , 1701 Houston Lake Rd, Perry  GA.  There will be a mentoring session to ask and answer question 30 minutes prior to the meeting at 6:30pm. Member and non-member are encouraged to attend.

Marie Moore ,  Co-Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

September 20, 2022

Sorry for the delay but meeting minutes are coming soon.

The next meeting date will be October 18, 2022 at 7:00 pm at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant , 1701 Houston Lake Rd, Perry  GA.  There will be a mentoring session to ask and answer question 30 minutes prior to the meeting at 6:30pm. Member and non-member are encouraged to attend.

Marie Moore ,  Co-Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

August 16, 2022

Sorry for the delay but meeting minutes are coming soon.

The next meeting date will be September 20, 2022 at 7:00 pm at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant , 1701 Houston Lake Rd, Perry  GA.  There will be a mentoring session to ask and answer question 30 minutes prior to the meeting at 6:30pm. Member and non-member are encouraged to attend.

Marie Moore ,  Co-Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

July 19, 2022

The meeting was held at the   Argene Claxton Canning Plant, 1701 Houston Lake Road, Perry and was called to order at 7:00 pm.

President Jonathan Hayes welcome members and visitors, there were 26 in attendance.

The meeting was replaced with a Swap Meet and club meal provided by the club.  Thank you to all those that worked hard to arrange this event. The club members has a great opportunity to build friendships and share the beekeeping experiences.

The next meeting date will be August 16, 2022 at 7:00 pm at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant , 1701 Houston Lake Rd, Perry  GA.  There will be a mentoring session to ask and answer question 30 minutes prior to the meeting at 6:30pm. Member and non-member are encouraged to attend.

Marie Moore ,  Co-Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Minutes

June 21, 2022

Argene Claxton Canning Plant

Perry, GA  

President Jonathan Hayes called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM.  He welcomed the members as well as guests and recognized the new beekeepers.  Emily Heath, treasurer, stated that as of June 1, 2022, the balance was $3,575.80.  

Announcements:  Jonathan informed those present that our July 19th meeting will be our annual Swap Meet and cook out.  Bring any extra or unneeded bee related items to sell or swap with others.  HOGBA will provide grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, chips and drinks (water and tea).  Members are asked to bring a dessert to share.

Jonathan also reminded the members that he was not going to be president next year.  He discussed the president’s duties and asked members to consider stepping up to lead the club next year.  

There was no new business.

Program:  Honey Harvest and Extraction by Jonathan Hayes.  Jonathan presented a PowerPoint and discussion covering items such as when to take frames of honey, how much to take, how to transport the honey frames to the extraction location, the decapping process, and finally extraction.  He had the equipment and as he discussed a process, he demonstrated with the equipment.  This was very helpful to those attending.  Those in attendance were able to examine the equipment and ask questions.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:25 PM.

Respectfully submitted by Emily Heath in the absence of Marie Moore.  

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

May 17, 2022

The meeting was held at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant, 1701 Houston Lake Road, Perry and was called to order at 7:00 pm.

President Jonathan Hayes welcome members and visitors, there were 39 in attendance.

Treasurer’s Report was read by Emily Heath Treasurer. The current balance is $3495.80. She gave details of receipts and expenditure. A motion was made by Steven McCrary to approve the report, seconded by Nick Jett. The vote was unanimous in favor.

Announcements:

There will be a Last Chance Beekeeping 101 class held here at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant location on June 14, 2022 from 8:30am till 4pm. This class will be instructed by Anita Curry and Emily Heath. See Emily Heath for

details. 

There will be a Swap Meet during the July monthly meeting. This could be a great opportunity the show and sell your bee products as well as any extra equipment you might have. Whether you are a buyer or a seller, this will be fun time for all.

Jonathan Hayes spoke briefly about the leadership in the HOGBA club for the 2023 coming year. He will be unavailable to hold the position. We need to be thinking and preparing NOW. See Jonathan Hayes, Anita Curry or Emily Heath if you are interested or have any question.

Activity: Jonathan Hayes lead a very informative discussion on Varroa Mites. He explained what they are, how quickly they can increase in population, and how they can destroy a Honey Bee colony if not addressed. He explained in detail the 3 methods commonly used to text for Varroa Mites (alcohol wash, sugar shake and sticky board/sugar), the importance of locating the queen (to protect her) and the need to testing the bees found in the brood chamber. Determining mite load and possible treatment available concluded the session. Jonathan took

question from the membership.

Speaker: A video demonstration Varroa Mite testing was played as a follow up to

the material presented my Jonathan Hayes.

Next meeting date will be June 21, 2022 at 7pm @ the Argene Claxton Canning

Plant, 1701 Houston Lake Road, Perry

Meeting was adjourned at 8:00 pm.

Marie Moore , Co-Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

April 19, 2022

The meeting was held at the   Argene Claxton Canning Plant, 1701 Houston Lake Road, Perry and was called to order at 7:02 pm.

President Jonathan Hayes welcome members and visitors, there were 43 in attendance.

Treasurer’s Report was read by Emily Heath Treasurer. The current balance is $3694.35.  She gave details of receipts and expenditure.  Emily stated that the Beekeeping 101 class brought in $320.

Announcements:

The Beekeeping 101 class held on March 19, 2022 was a great success thanks to all the member volunteers.

Nuc sales: 58 nucs have been sold which will make the shipping free.   More nucs are available for purchase. Delivery will be April 24, 2022 at Jonathan Haye’s house. Emails have already been sent out with pick up instructions. Nucs must be paid for at pick up, of payment was not already make. 

Activity:

Anita Curry gave an instructional talk on how to install a caged queen into a queen less colony.    Those in attendance asked questions and gained a better understanding of the procedure, the importance of positioning the cage correctly, as well as feeding the colony during the queen acceptance period.

Video: Hive Inspection by Bobby Chaisson (Georgia Bee Removal). Material cover during the video:  equipment needed, how to light a smoker, duration between inspection, pest (varroa, small hive beetles) and picking your hive location.  This video was very informative.  Bobby Chaisson demonstrated a complete hive inspection. He talked about what to look for and how to solve common problem. This information was especially help as Nucs will be delivered in a few days.

Next meeting date will be May 17, 2022 at 7pm @ the Argene Claxton Canning Plant, 1701 Houston Lake Road, Perry

Meeting was adjourned at 8:30 pm. 

Marie Moore ,  Co-Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

March 15, 2022

The meeting was held at the   Argene Claxton Canning Plant, 1701 Houston Lake Road, Perry and was called to order at 7:00 pm.

President Jonathan Hayes welcome members and visitors, there were 41 in attendance.

Treasurer’s Report was read by Emily Heath Treasurer. The current balance is $3614.09.  She gave details of receipts and expenditure.  Emily stated that 34 people signed up for the Beekeeping 101 class and the class is full.

Announcements:

Beekeeping 101 workshop will be held on March 19, 2022 from 9am to 3:30pm, the cost will be $20 per person which must be pain in advance to hold each spot.  The workshop (will be held at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant with hive inspection to take place at the Golden Bee Apiary (Hawkinsville Ga). 

Nuc orders are currently being taken.  Stan’s Pure Honey will provide the Nuc’s. A club ticket must be purchased for $5 before the nuc can be ordered which will be $150.  Delivery and pick up information will be sent out in an email.

Activity:

Jonathan Hayes spoke about marking queens with the uses of a paint pen.   The color of the paint indicates the year the queen hatched.

Jonathan also demonstrated how to install a nuc of bees, and what you can expect to find with in the nucs and on the frames.   Many questions where ask in preparation for nucs delivery in April.   Very helpful and informative.

Kathy Shelton and Emily Heath gave a great presentation on bee friendly plants. They touched on what bees are looking for when foraging,  how to pick native plant and the importance of planting in clusters.  Kathy stressed the importance of understanding the dangers of the insecticide (neonicotinoid) on the honey bee population.  Many questions were asked and answered by those in attendance. Informational handouts were available.

Next meeting date will be April 19, 2022 at 7pm @ the Argene Claxton Canning Plant, 1701 Houston Lake Road, Perry

Meeting was adjourned at 8:02 pm. 

Marie Moore ,  Co-Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

February 15, 2022

The meeting was held at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant, Houston Lake Road, Perry, GA and was called to order at 7:01 pm by Jonathan Hayes, president.

Jonathan welcomed members and visitors and reviewed the announcements.

Old Business: 

• We have currently sold 31 nucs, we need to sell 19 more to get free delivery.

• Beekeeping 101 is March 19th, only 14 spots left.

• Spring Conference February 19th - Macon, GA

New Business: 

• Emily shared that you can pay your dues through GBA online.

Program:   Jonathan Hayes began the program with a smoker demonstration and shared ways to use the smoker including safety.  Participants went outside for a hands-on experience. Jonathan Hayes conducted a smoker competition.  Rick Moore judged and named Colby first place and Bill second place.  Jonathan Hayes gave a presentation about the winter cluster and answered questions from those in attendance. 

Jonathan Hayes recognized Jesse McCurdy’s 90th birthday this Thursday.   Mr. Jesse’s words of wisdom were to create a saving for all you will spend on bees.  

Jonathan announced the next meeting will be March 15, 2022.

The meeting was adjourned at 8: 05 pm.

_____________________________________

Amanda Hayes, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

January 18, 2022

The meeting was held at the   Argene Claxton Canning Plant, 1701 Houston Lake Road, Perry and was called to order at 7:04 pm.

President Jonathan Hayes welcome members and visitors, there were 20 in attendance.

Treasurer’s Report was read by Emily Heath Treasurer. The current balance is $2996.46.  She gave details of receipts and expenditure.  There was a motion made by Marie Moore to approve the report, seconded by Anita Curry. The vote was unanimous in favor.

Announcements:

Beekeeping 101 workshop will be held on March 19, 2022 from 9am to 3:30pm, the cost will be $20 per person which must be pain in advance to hold each spot.  The workshop (will be held at the Argene Claxton Canning Plant with hive inspection to take place at the Golden Bee Apiary (Hawkinsville Ga). There will be a limit of 40 participants.  Fliers were handed out.  Club member are encouraged to volunteer to ensure a successful workshop.  

Nuc orders are currently being taken.  Stan’s Pure Honey will provide the Nuc’s. A club ticket must be purchased for $5 before the nuc can be ordered. All Nuc’s must be paid for by March 1st.  Stan’s Pure Honey provides good quality bees in a five frame nuc box for $150 per nuc.  

GBA Spring Meeting will be held February 18-19 in Macon Ga.  Now is the time register and plan your day at the meeting.  Great speakers and vendors will be present.

New Business - President Jonathan Hayes made a proposal to change by-law 4.4 regarding how the monthly meeting would be followed.  He suggested that the Monthly Meeting Minutes and Treasures Report be read quarterly which would allow more time during the meeting to cover educational materials and answer questions. Monthly Meeting Minutes will be available in-line for review.  Concern about not reading the Treasure Report monthly was stated. Continuing the monthly practice is being considered, Anita Curry will review the By-law 4.4. 

Activity: Jonathan Hayes spoke about the life cycle of the honey bee, the 3 types of honey bee (queen, drone, worker) and the four stages each go though. He also spoke about feeding with a sugar-boards and gave instruction on how to DIY one.   A sugar-board was made during the meeting and raffled off. Nik Jett won the board.

Jonathan Hayes open discussion concerning the future of the club and how to grow membership.

Parades-float, fliers, bee costume, going to neighboring town 

Volunteers going to organization

Improving Web Page, Google search possibilities

Yard signs, business cards and banner for the fence at new meeting location

Jonathan Hayes presented Hazel McCurdy with a plaque and a cake for her many years of service to the club as Secretary. 

• Next meeting date will be February 15, 2022 at 7pm @ the Argene Claxton Canning Plant, 1701 Houston Lake Road, Perry

• Meeting was adjourned at 8:16pm. 

Marie Moore, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

December 21, 2021

The meeting was held at the Fairbridge Inn Express, 200 Valley Rd and was called to order at 7:00 pm.

 The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all present.

President Anita Curry welcomed all members and visitors, there were 20 guests in attendance.

 The December meeting minutes were read by Marie Moore (Secretary). A motion was made by Jonathan Hayes to approve the minutes as read, seconded by Nick Jet. The vote was unanimous in favor.

Treasurer Emily Heath read the Treasurer’s Report.  The current balance is $3049.73.  She reviewed the receipts and expenditures for the month.  Treasurer spoked about the 2021 audit completed by Amanda Hayes.  The report stated that the audit for 2021 looked good and matched the financials.

An announcement was made to order your nucs for this coming spring. They will be purchased from Stan’s Pure Honey.  The price per nuc will be $155, ($150.00 covers the price of the nuc and $5.00 as a fund raiser for the club).

New Business was discussed:

1. Announcement of the 2022 Officers/Directors

President: Jonathan Hayes

Vice President: Jonathan Brown

Treasurer: Emily Heath

Secretary: Marie Moore

Members at Large: Joe Santiago, John Keys

Anita Curry will serve as a past president

2. A Beekeeping 101 class was discussed by Jonathan Hayes.  He spoke about the need to help and education potential beekeepers. This class will be a club event and needs members to participate.   No date set.

3. The 2022 HOGBA President Jonathan Hayes spoke about his ideas to increase membership in the upcoming year, a possible honey house and general store at the new meeting location.  All membership ideas are welcome.

4. Anita Curry was presented a plaque for the Jesse McCurdy Beekeeper of the Year 2021.

5. Anita Curry was presented a plaque for HOGBA President 2021, the plaque was made by Jonathan Hayes.

Jesse McCurdy spoke about mentoring the new beekeepers.  He stated that first and second year beekeepers have enough knowledge to help new beekeepers.   He also commented about checking the weights of your hives weekly and feed if needed.

Last, Jesse stressed getting your equipment ready for the new season. 

 Anita announced the next meeting date of January 18, 2022 @ the Argene Claxton Canning Plant, 1701 Houston Lake Road, Perry.

A motion was made to adjourn the meeting by Cory Leinberger, and seconded by Doug Romans. The vote was unanimous in favor.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:36pm.  Christmas social to follow.

Marie Moore, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

November 16, 2021

The meeting was held at the Fairbridge Inn Express, Valley Rd Perry and was called to order at 7:03 pm by Anita Curry president.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all present.

Anita welcomed members and visitors

The October meeting minutes were read by Glen Christopher

A motion to approve the minutes as read was made by Jonathan Hayes and was seconded by Shannon Wagner.  The vote was unanimous in favor.

Treasurer, Emily Heath, read the Treasurer’s Report.

The current balance is $3154.62.  She gave details of receipts and expenditures.   John Keys made a motion to approve the report

seconded by Doug Romans.   The vote was unanimous in favor.

* Emily then announced that an audit of the Treasure account has just been completed, a written report will be presented at the next meeting. 

Anita then reviewed the announcements.

Old Business: Anita mentioned the need to remove by-law Section 5.3 completely.

This by-law once removed will allow a member to serve as president indefinitely.  After discussing the matter, a motion was made by Anita Curry to remove the by-law,  seconded by John Keys. Vote was unanimous in favor.

* Former president Jonathan Hayes has agreed to hold the position of president in 2022.

New Business: There was no new business to discuss.

Program:   Jonathan Hayes gave a very informative presentation on “Wax Rendering”.   He discussed how Honey Bees product wax and how he (using a turkey fryer) renders his wax cleanly and ready for use. Jonathan answered question asked by the membership.

Jesse’s McCurdy spoke about the importance of mentoring new beekeepers.  He gave an update on Hazel and thanked those who offered a helping hand.

Anita announced the next meeting will be December 21, 7pm at The Fairbridge Inn Express.

There was a motion to adjourn the meeting by Doug Romans, seconded by  Sharron Wagner

The meeting was adjourned at 8:21 pm.

_____________________________________

Marie Moore (acting Secretary)

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

October 19, 2021

The meeting was held at the Fairbridge Inn Express, 200 Valley Road, Perry, and was called to order at 7:00 pm by Club President, Anita Curry.  The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all present.

Anita welcomed members and visitors

Rick Moore then read the minutes from the September meeting. A motion

was made by Cory Leinberger to approve the minutes as read; seconded by

John Keys. Vote was unanimous in favor.

Treasurer, Emily Heath, read her Treasurer’s Report. Emily reported that

the current checking account balance is $2,783.12. She gave details of

receipts and expenditures. Nik Jett made a motion to approve the report;

seconded by Jonathan Hayes. Vote was unanimous in favor.

Anita then reviewed the announcements.

There was no Old Business to discuss.

In New Business, Anita mentioned that there was a need to change Bylaw

Section 5.3. She said that this section requires a member who serves as

president vacate the position for the number of years served in the

position. She explained that since we were having problems getting

someone to volunteer for President for 2022, that we amend the By-Laws

by removing Section 5.3 completely. This would allow a member to serve

as president indefinitely. Anita also said that Bylaw change proposal would

have to be announced to the membership 10 days prior to the meeting in

which the vote will occur and that she would be sending an email

accordingly.

Emily Heath then gave a talk about her “Hive Gadgets” and highlighted a

host of helpful hive parts and additions. She discussed measurements for

several requiring cutting and assembly and shared photos of her gadgets

installed on her personal hives and how each is beneficial. She then took

questions and other suggestions from the members.

The annual Silent Auction then commenced with members being given 15

minutes to review the items and jot down last-minute bids. Emily Heath

collected the bid sheets and announced winners.

Anita announced the next meeting date will be November 16 @ 7pm at

Fairbridge Express with Jonathan Hayes as the speaker, talking about his

wax rendering method.

There was then a motion to adjourn by Jonathan Hayes; seconded by Nik

Jett. The meeting was adjourned at 8:10pm.

______________________________

Anita Curry, President

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes 

September 21, 2021

The meeting was held the Fairbridge Inn Express on Valley Drive in Perry.  It was called to order at 7pm by Anita Curry, President.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all present.

Anita welcomed members and visitors in attendance.

The August meeting minutes were read by Secretary Hazel McCurdy.  A motion was made by Jonathan Hayes to approve the minutes as read; seconded by Steve McCrary.  Vote was unanimous in favor.

The Treasurer’s Report was given by Emily Heath.  She reported that the current checking account balance is $3,401.47.  She reviewed receipts and expenditures.  A motion was made by Corey Leinberger to accept the report, seconded by Jonathan Hayes.  Vote was unanimous in favor. 

Anita then reviewed the announcements.

There was no old or new business to discuss. 

The members then enjoyed the annual Swap Meet!

Jesse McCurdy then reminded everyone to check their colonies for honey stores and if the hive felt light, feed the bees some sugar syrup. 

Anita announced the next meeting date will be October 19, 2021, 7pm at the Fairbridge Inn.  Emily Heath will be talking about her “Hive Gadgets” plus we will have a fundraising silent auction.

A motion was then made by Jesse McCurdy to adjourn; seconded by Steve Moore.  The vote was unanimous in favor.  The meeting was adjourned at 8:10pm.

Hazel McCurdy, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

August 17, 2021

The meeting was held at the Fairbridge Inn Express in Perry and on Zoom.

It was called to order at 7:00 pm by Anita Curry, President.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all members.

Anita welcomed members and visitors.

Secretary Hazel McCurdy read the July meeting minutes. A motion to accept the minutes as read was made by Doug Romans; seconded by Steve McCrary. Vote was unanimous in favor.

Emily Heath gave her Treasurer’s Report. She said the ending July checking account balance is $3,835.47. A motion was made by Jonathan Hayes to accept the report; seconded by Doug Romans. Vote was unanimous in favor.

Anita then reviewed the announcements, specifically reminding everyone about the upcoming Georgia Beekeepers Association Conference in Gainesville.

There was no old business or new business to discuss

The program featured Dr. Jamie Ellis, via Zoom, who spoke about “Abiotic Stressors”. He reviewed a number of stressors that we need to be aware of some resources that are available to learn more about management of those stressors. He then took questions from the membership. He also shared his contact information as well as demonstrated how to navigate the University of Florida Bee Lab website to access a wealth of information.

Anita then announced that the next meeting date is September 21, 2021, at 7pm, which will be our Annual Swap Meet.

A motion by Jonathan Hayes was made to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Emily Heath. The meeting was adjourned at 8:20pm.

Hazel McCurdy, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

July 20, 2021

The meeting was held at the Fairbridge Express Inn in Perry and was called to order at 7:02pm by Anita Curry, president

 The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all present.

Anita welcomed members and visitors in attendance.

Secretary Hazel McCurdy read the June meeting minutes.  A motion was made by Marie Moore to approve the minutes as read; seconded by Jonathan Hayes.  Vote was unanimous in favor to approve.

Emily Heath gave her Treasurer’s Report.  She said that the current balance of the Club’s checking account is $4,287.30.  Jonathan Hayes made a motion to approve the report as read; seconded by Steve McCrary.  Vote was unanimous in favor to approve.

Anita reviewed the announcements, particularly pointing out that the membership should begin thinking about who the next president will be.  Anita said for any member willing to assume that position or other Board availabilities to contact her or another current director.  

There was no old business to discuss.

There was no new business to discuss.

The program speaker, Bob Binnie, then gave his presentation on “A Year In the Apiary Beginning Now”.  He discussed the tasks that we should be doing to prepare our bees for winter, what to expect in next spring and summer.  He also discussed the various treatments for varroa and emphasized the importance of treatment and feeding the bees.  

Jesse McCurdy then spoke briefly on some past experiences that he and Bob Binnie had.

Anita then announced the next meeting date of August 17 at 7pm, when Dr. Jamie Ellis would be speaking on “Abiotic Stressors in the Hive”.  She also reminded everyone about the Mentoring Team providing an opportunity for new beekeepers to get needed answers to their beekeeping problems.  This will begin at 6:30pm on the 17th.

A motion to adjourn was then made by Emily Heath; seconded by Jonathan Hayes.  The meeting was adjourned at 8:20pm.  

_______________________________           

    Hazel McCurdy, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association

June 15, 2021 Meeting Minutes

The meeting was held at the Fairbridge Inn Express in Perry and was calledto order by Anita Curry, president, at 7:02pm

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all members

Anita welcomed members and asked for recognition of any visitors

The May meeting minutes were read by Vice-President, Glen Christopher.  A motion was made by Marcus Wagner to approve the minutes as read; seconded by John Keys. Vote was unanimous in favor.

Emily Heath, Treasurer, gave her report.  She said that the Club’s current balance is $4832.30.  She detailed income & expenditures. 

Anita then reviewed the announcements.

There was no old business to discuss

In new business, Anita said that Brutz English, the chairperson for the Honey Show at the Georgia National Fair, had contacted her regarding sponsorship for that event.  Anita said the Board agreed to contribute $300 for the sponsorship fund.  

The program was then presented by Nik Jett in which he talked about the "The Comb Assistant”.  The “Comb Assistant” is a sectioned hive frame insertion designed to encourage the bees to draw comb in the sections and fill it with honey so as to provide the beekeeper with individual cuts of capped honeycomb.  Nik’s partner, Jonathan Brown, could not attend the meeting but was certainly instrumental in the design.  Nik answered questions from the members

Jesse McCurdy then addressed the group and answered questions.

Anita announced the next meeting date of July 20 in which Bob Binnie, owner of Blue Ridge Honey Co., would be speaking.

Anita called for a motion to adjourn which was made by Emily Heath; seconded by Jonathan Hayes. Vote was unanimous in favor.  Adjourned at 

8:08 pm

____________________________________

Hazel McCurdy, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association Meeting Minutes

May 18, 2021

The meeting was held at the Fairbridge Inn Express in Perry.  President Anita Curry called to order at 7:02 pm.

Everyone recited the Pledge of Allegiance

Anita welcomed members and visitors

The April meeting minutes were read by Glen Christopher.  A motion was made by  Doug Romans to approve the minutes as read; seconded by Jonathan Hayes. Vote was unanimous in favor.

Treasurer Emily Heath read the Treasurer’s Report.   She reported that the Club’s account balance is currently $4969.30.  She detailed all income and expenditures.  A motion was made by Cory Leinberger to accept the report as read; seconded by Glen Christopher.  Vote was unanimous in favor.

Anita then reviewed the announcements, specifically that Zoom meeting participation would be suspended until such time that it may be necessary to reinstate it.  Any guest speakers currently scheduled for Zoom talks would continue.  

There was no Old Business

There was no New Business

The Program speakers were Registered Nurse, Steven Heath and Attorney, Ryan English.  Steven Heath spoke about Apiary Safety, specifically how to respond and treat bee stings, spider bites, & snake bites.  He offered some very helpful information so that we can understand reactions to these issues in our apiaries.  He answered questions from the members.  

Ryan English then talked about apiary liability issues that we face as beekeepers.  He basically said that Georgia does not have any laws that would indicate liability for us keeping bees.  He elaborated on several situations that may arise, however, we still could not be held liable for others’ reactions to stings.   Ryan also answered questions from the members.  

Anita the announced that the next meeting date is June 15 @ 7pm when Nik Jett and Jonathan Brown would talk about and demonstrate their “Comb Assistant” creation.  

A motion was made by Emily Heath to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Jonathan Hayes.  Vote was unanimous in favor.  The meeting was adjourned at 8:17 pm.

_______________________________

Hazel McCurdy, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association

Monthly Meeting Minutes

April 20, 2021

The meeting was held at the Life Church in Perry and was called to order at 7:02 pm by Anita Curry, President.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all members.

Anita then welcomed members and visitors, in person and on Zoom.

Secretary Hazel McCurdy read the March meeting minutes.  A motion was made by Glen Christopher to approve the minutes as read; seconded by Steve McCrary; vote was unanimous in favor.

Emily Heath gave Treasurer’s Report in which she said that the Club’s checking account balance is currently $3,834.30.  A motion was made by Jonathan Hayes to approve the report; seconded by Marie Moore; vote was unanimous in favor.  

Anita reviewed some announcements, in particular, the Young Harris/UGA Beekeeping Institute is offering a Beekeeping Certification class on May 13 & 14.  She provided the website info for all interested.  

There was no old business

There was no new business

Peter Helfrich-Chairperson of Bee City USA-Decatur, GA was the guest speaker.  He talked about Mason Bees.  His talk was very informative on the different varieties of mason bees and how to identify them.  He gave comparisons between mason bees & honey bees.  He welcomed all questions and gave very detailed answers.  

Jesse McCurdy then commented on checking our hives for varroa and how much honey should be left in the hives for winter.  

Anita then announced the next meeting date of May 18, when we will talk about Apiary Safety/Liability with a local nurse and a local attorney.

A motion was made by Rick Moore to adjourn; seconded by Steve McCrary; vote was unanimous in favor.  The meeting was adjourned at 8:30pm.  

______________________________                _________________

Hazel McCurdy, Secretary​​                                            Date

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association

Monthly Meeting Minutes

March 16, 2021

The meeting was held at the Fairbridge Express Inn in Perry and on Zoom.  It was called to order by Anita Curry, President, at 7:02 p.m.

The Pledge of Allegiance was then recited by all in attendance.

Anita welcomed all members, in person and on Zoom, and visitors.

The February meeting minutes were ready by Emily Heath.  A motion was made by Jonathan Hayes to accept the minutes as read; seconded by Joe Santiago.  Vote was unanimous in favor.

The Treasure’s report was then given by Emily Heath.  She reported that the Club account has $3,886.30.  A motion was made by Cory Leinberger to accept the report; seconded by Jonathan Hayes.  Vote was unanimous in favor. 

Anita read the Club’s mission statement and discussed the announcements, focusing on the nuc pickup date of April 17 at 11:00am.  Also announced is the new meeting place beginning in April.  The Life Church, 100 Todd Rd. in Perry,has agreed to allow the Club meetings to be held in the Youth Center of the Church free of charge.  

There was no Old Business to discuss.

There was no New Business to discuss.

Anita then introduced the meeting speaker, Rick Moore, who talked about building a bee vacuum.  Rick demonstrated how the vacuum was built and the various materials used then answered questions from the members.

Anita asked Jesse McCurdy for any last comments.  

Anita announced the next meeting date of April 20 at 7:00 at Life Church with speaker Peter Helfrich speaking about Native Bees/Mason Bees.

There was a motion made by Emily Heath to adjourn; seconded by Jonathan Hayes.  Vote was unanimous in favor.  The meeting was adjourned at 7:56 p.m.

___________________________________________

Hazel McCurdy, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Meeting Minutes

February 16, 2021

The meeting was called to order at 8:02pm by Anita Curry, president.  

The Pledge of Allegiance was then recited by everyone

Anita welcomed all members and visitors who attended in person and on Zoom.

Anita announced that we are celebrating Jesse McCurdy’s 89th birthday tonight by enjoying singing the birthday song, eating cupcakes, and drinks.

The January meeting minutes were read by Hazel McCurdy.  Jonathan Hayes made a motion to accept the minutes as read; seconded by Emily Heath.  Vote was unanimous in favor.

The Treasurer’s report was given by Emily Heath.  She reported that the January ending balance was $4,410.93.

Anita read the Club’s Mission Statement then reviewed the announcement board.

There was no old business to discuss

In New Business Anita asked if everyone was familiar with Dr. Samuel Ramsey and the research that he has done and is doing on varroa.  She then showed a short video which gave everyone a brief overview his remarkable discovery that has changed the way other researchers tackle fighting the mite.  Anita then said that the Board had met and agreed that the Club should make a monetary contribution to Dr. Ramsey’s research foundation.  The Board is asking the members to help determine a suitable amount.  After some discussion, Jonathan Hayes made a motion to contribute $500 to Dr. Ramsey’s foundation; Kathy Shelton seconded.  The vote was unanimous in favor of the contribution amount.  

Jonathan Nixon, Lead Apiary Inspector, for the Georgia Department of Agriculture then spoke about the responsibilities that his office has.  He explained the differences in a few diseases that may be present in honey bee hives and how inspectors handle abatement of those diseases.  He also talked about the different crops that honey bees pollinate in Georgia.  He answered quite a few questions from the members.

Anita announced that the next meeting date is March 16 and Rick Moore would be our guest speaker discussing how to build a very simple bee vacuum.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:10pm

___________________________________________

Hazel McCurdy, Secretary

Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Mtg. Minutes

January 19, 2021

The meeting was called to order by Anita Curry, President, at 7:00pm.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all members present.

Anita welcomed everyone in attendance, both in person and on Zoom.  She introduced herself and all of the Board of Directors.

Glen Christopher, Vice President, then read the minutes of the December, 2020 meeting.  Anita called for any discussion or amendments to the minutes, which there were none.  Steve McCrary made a motion to approve the minutes as read, seconded by Marie Moore.  Vote by the membership was unanimous in favor.  

Emily Heath gave the Treasurer’s Report.  She reported that the December beginning balance was $4,971.60; expenditures were $691.67; receipts totaled $30; December ending balance $4,324.93.  Anita called for a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report; motion made by Glen Christopher; seconded by Cory Leinberger; vote was unanimous in favor.  

Anita reviewed the announcements and commented that we would have a book or article highlighted each month. She reminded everyone about nuc sales.  Also, she mentioned the formation of 2 committees; Programs and Community Outreach, explaining each, and asked for volunteers to chair each and 2 additional members on each.  Marie Moore volunteered to chair the Programs Committee.  

There was no old business or new business to discuss

The planned program was “Swarm Management & Splits” presented by Jesse McCurdy and Anita.  Jesse demonstrated his horizontal hive versatility and discussed how it can be used to manage a growing colony or for splitting one.  He then had a question and answer time.  

Anita announced the next meeting date will be February 16 with Jonathan Nixon, the Lead Apiary Inspector for the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture, speaking.

A motion was then made to adjourn; seconded by everyone.  The meeting was adjourned at 8:10pm.

______________________________

Hazel McCurdy, Secretary