Robertson County Beekeepers Association

12/03/2024

Thank you HoNeYbees for pollinating crops!

As we reflect on yesterday's Thanksgiving celebration, let's remember our meals started on a farm.

12/03/2024

Join us for a heartwarming Holiday Meal at Torino's Greek & Italian Restaurant on Tuesday, December 10, at 6:00 pm. The address is 1701 Memorial Blvd, Springfield, TN. Feel free to bring guests who will add to the joy of the season, and everyone will be responsible for their own check. Please RSVP by texting Kathy at 615-642-9306 with your name and how many will be attending by Dec 5.

11/25/2024

Robertson County Beekeepers WILL NOT MEET in November or December while the extension office is undergoing renovations.

We will gather for a Holiday Meal at Torino's Greek & Italian Restaurant on Tuesday, December 10, at 6:00 pm. The address is 1701 Memorial Blvd, Springfield, TN. You are welcome to bring guests, everyone will be responsible for their own check. Please RSVP by texting Kathy at 615-642-9306 with your name and how many will be attending by Dec 5.

11/06/2024

Always check the Latin name when purchasing a Beautyberry plant. The photo on the left is the Callicarpa japonica - Japanese beautyberry, non-native. You can tell the difference by the way the native Callicarpa Americana berries are attached to the stem, not dangling. Also notice the size of the leaves, the native Beautyberry are much larger and are a different shape than the non-native.

Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is a deciduous shrub found naturally in the southeastern United States. It grows between 3 and 6 feet tall and wide on average, though it's been known to reach 9 feet tall. It has a moderate to fast growth rate, gaining around 1 to 2 feet per year until it is mature. Beautyberry’s native habitat is open meadows, thickets, or woodlands. In the spring, green leaves emerge on upright arching stems.

The shrub's clusters of berries are a food source for many songbirds, including the American Robin, Brown Thrasher, Purple Finch, and Eastern Towhee. The berries are also consumed by armadillos, foxes, opossum, raccoons, and squirrels.
Photo credits -- Margaret Hindman and Scott Keimig

10/10/2024

Posting this link in case anyone ever needs it.
Our thoughts go out to those affected by the flooding in East Tennessee.

https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/emergency-assist-for-livestock-honey-bees-fish/index?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2nSmt33YKIzjpOLDhTPiGnEYK8RjulwS6skkgwsJtgbUs2WB2YNwIDhDU_aem_DIjzEh1C49jvOD1srpR55w

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09/12/2024

From:

Dear Local Association Members,

The Board of Directors is the governing body of the TN Beekeepers Association (TBA). As many of you know, TBA holds a Board of Directors meeting Thursday night prior to the fall conference. This year’s meeting will take place in the Parliamentary Room of the Student Union building at Middle TN State University (MTSU) at 7:00 pm (CST) 10 October 2024.

As such, local associations are asked to appoint your respective Director & Alternate to TBA. This appointment is for one year. Qualifications as a Director or Alternate are:

Membership with TBA must be in good standing.
Persons must be willing & able to attend the 2024 fall meeting at MTSU.
Persons must be willing & able to attend the 2025 spring meeting at a location to be announced.
Supportive & loyal to the mission of TBA.
Presidents of local associations are encouraged to solicit a volunteer from your association for the appointment. Presidents or secretaries shall communicate the name of your respective appointee back to TBA. Please do not reply to this e-mail. Instead draft a new e-mail & send it to [email protected] & [email protected] with your association name in the subject line. This communication must be received by 25 September so TBA membership can be verified.

Either the Director(s) or Alternate(s) should make every effort to attend the Board of Directors meeting. It isn’t necessary for both persons to attend. However, if both choose to attend, voting will be conducted by the appointed Director(s). Attendance at these meetings ensures quorum is established & therefore, we as a governing body can conduct the business of the organization.

Unfortunately, the following associations do not have enough TBA membership for an appointment to the Board of Directors. The TBA Executive Board would truly love to see these numbers come up & welcome your participation. Please reach out to us if you need any assistance growing the TBA membership within your association.

Cheatham County
Jefferson County
Johnson County Beekeepers
Mountain Valley Beekeepers
Ocoee Region Beekeepers Association
Savannah Area Beekeepers
Scott County Beekeepers
South Central Beekeepers

The following associations need to appoint one Director & one Alternate.

Anderson County
Appalachian Beekeepers Club
Battle of Athens
Beekeepers of Middle Tennessee
Cherokee Area
Clinch Valley Beekeepers
Columbia Area Beekeepers
Cookeville Beekeepers
Cumberland County
Davy Crockett
Dickson Bee Club
Duck River
Giles County
Heritage Beekeepers Club
Hickman
Highland Rim Beekeepers
Jackson Area
Kentucky Lake Beekeepers Association
Lawrence/Wayne Beekeepers
Lincoln County Beekeepers
Marshall County
Monroe County Beekeepers
Montgomery County
Mountain City Beekeepers Association
North TN Beekeepers
Northwest Tennessee Beekeepers
Overton County
Reelfoot Beekeepers
Rhea County
Roane/Morgan
Robertson County
Sevier County

The following associations need to appoint two Directors & two Alternates.

Blount County
Elk Valley
Knox County
Memphis Area
Nashville Area Beekeepers
Rutherford County Beekeepers
Tennessee Valley Beekeepers

The following association needs to appoint three Directors & three Alternates.

Wilson County

As always, the TBA Executive Committee looks forward to seeing everyone at this year’s conference & everyone’s participation in the Board of Directors meeting on Thursday. Conference registration can be found at https://tba46.wildapricot.org/events

Best Regards,

Greg Gentry
TN Beekeepers Association
Upper East TN Regional VP

09/09/2024

https://tba46.wildapricot.org/events
Vendors and Attendees click link to register

08/13/2024

HAS 2024 CANCELED
Thank you so much for your interest and support of the HAS conference in Ohio. Unfortunately, we have decided to cancel the conference due to low registration. As much as we would have loved to hold the conference for the dedicated beekeepers and vendors who registered, it would not be responsible to put on anything less than a high-quality conference that truly benefits attendees, speakers, and vendors.

We also want to thank the awesome vendors who were planning on attending and sharing their latest and greatest products. Please make sure to visit their websites and check out the upcoming posts on our website and page.

Thank you, again. We are sorry about needing to cancel and really value our beekeeping community.

08/08/2024

Looking for LOCAL HONEY?
Our members have been harvesting and bottling the good stuff!
Check out our interactive
RobCoBeeks Members group.

07/03/2024

https://www.facebook.com/100063714692979/posts/986028640197617/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

*** HAS 2024 has been CANCELED. Visit heartlandbees.org for details.
______________________

SAVE THE DATE! HAS returns August 23-24 at Ohio State University in Wooster, OH. Registration will be available very soon so spread the word!

05/20/2024

Happy World Bee Day!
While we love Honeybees a lot, we also support native bees!

Home | World Bee Day 2024 | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

04/20/2024

Poor fella is going to enjoy this!

circa. 1879 ~ Bees with Lofty Notions
How to Bring Them Down

' Oh ! dear me ! after all my care and watching you have got quite above me.' So thought Miss T___ as she stood with tongs and shovel in hand, viewing, with no little anxiety, a beautiful swarm, which had issued from a straw hive, and was now suspended to an overhanging branch of a lofty tree in the garden. A wishful look at the darling pets, evidently enjoying their outing, then a deep sigh, next a thought as to how best to proceed to secure them.

Via. Historical Honeybee Articles - Beekeeping History

A happy thought flashes across her mind. ' I will send for Mrs. W___,' exclaims Miss T___. ' She will know.' In a few moments down comes Mrs. W___, who, taking a rapid survey of the position, at once conceives a plan of capturing the errant bees.

A twenty-foot ladder is quickly reared against the side of the tree; up she ascends, rake in hand, having first fixed Joe, the gardener, with a straw skep at the end of a pitchfork in his hand. One shake, and in drop the bees, which are lowered, quickly turned over, and placed upon their new stand, to the great delight of Miss T___, who has now a higher opinion than ever of the ability of Mrs. W___.

The accompanying sketch will more plainly show the novel performance, if you think it deserving of a place in your next issue. — R. R. Godfrey.

Source:
The British Bee Journal, August 1, 1879 Page 81
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/83082 /86/mode/2up

04/15/2024

Swarm season is here!

#129 - Last Straw