Letter from the President: About the Vice-President

The Stinger, Newsletter of the Alabama Beekeepers Association—Page 1
April 2012
Inside This Issue
Letter from the President
1
Letter from the Vice-President
1
Letter from the Secretary/Treasurer
2
A Word from Dr. James E. Tew
2
For Both the New & Newish Beekeeper
3
Letter from the Editor
7
really think I’ve met myself a time or two. It’s a very
busy time of the year in Nancy’s and my world. We’re
getting ready for baby chickens or selling, splitting bee
hives or supering, mowing grass or cutting hay, spraying fences or pastures, planting a garden or going to
meetings or to Church. That is to mention just a few
things. I hope everyone is planning to come to the Picnic on May 19th at the Cullman County Fair Grounds
for another great ABA meeting of fellowship and good
food. We are going to have some GREAT DOOR
Letter from the President:
PRIZES. Remember to order supplies if you need anyI have felt like a Worker Bee for the last month
thing from Fred Rossman and The Walter T. Kelley
or so. I’m going in so many directions that sometimes I
Co. Both of these suppliers will be at the picnic.
I’m still working on the Nominating Committee. Please be patient. Phillip Garrison, President
About the Vice-President
As the editor is assembling this issue of the
Stinger, your vice-president is in Haiti. Haiti is the
western end of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. The flight from Miami to the capital, Port-AuPrince, is shorter than the flight from Birmingham to
Miami. Haiti experienced a severe earthquake a couple of years ago. The country was not in great shape
before the earthquake. Damon Wallace is in Haiti to
teach beekeeping.
Damon will
certainly have
a complete
report when
he returns.
The Stinger, Newsletter of the Alabama Beekeepers Association—Page 2
April 2012
Dooley is bringing
the grill so that we
can cook some
grilled chicken. I
I am excited about our picnic. I think that we have asked John
Mynard to help
will have our largest crowd ever. Be sure to make
him. There may be
your plans to come to the Cullman Fairgrounds on
th
May 19 . If you went to the picnic at Sportsman Lake others helping also.
Be sure to thank
Park a few years ago, you drove through the fairthese guys that go
grounds to get to Sportsman Lake Park. I will get
to a lot of trouble
Lonnie to give specific directions. This year Alton
for us.
Pitzing from Cullman is frying catfish. Also, Nolan
Letter from the Secretary/
Treasurer
The Alabama Beekeepers Association
will provide the meat, drinks, and paper products.
Planned meats are grilled chicken and fried catfish.
The only price of admission is a covered dish
to go with the meat we are having. We like
to get an idea of about how many people are going to
be there; so I would like to ask you to call me at 205625-3464 or e-mail me at funder@otelco.net to let me
know you are coming.
I try to maintain a list of the dishes each person is
bringing so we have a variety. I usually do not get
every specific dish: but I try to get as many as I can.
We will usually have more food than we can consume
if everyone brings something. We can use salads,
vegetables, desserts, and breads or whatever you like
to make. Be sure to keep hot foods hot and cold foods
cold until serving time. We do not want anyone to get
Blount County Beekeepers
Association
sick. I would like to give a very special thank you to
Tyson Foods of Blountsville, Alabama for donating
the chicken and to the Madison County Beekeepers
Association for donating $100 for soft drinks for our
picnic this year.
Also remember to place any orders for supplies you need with The Walter T. Kelley Co. and
Rossman Apiaries as they will deliver your orders to
the picnic.
Bonnie Funderburg, Secretary/Treasurer
Alabama Master Beekeeper Program
You can e-mail me to get on the list at
drkswire@hotmail.com . Or call me at 256-523-4767.
David Kelton Chairman
on the front row during my presentation. Almost immediately after the Workshop, I began international
travel and then back to the US for travel to various
The newest association had its fourth meeting
state beekeeping meetings. Finally, I have a moment
on March 22nd at the Blount County Resources Cen- to reflect and say thank you.
ter. The main topic was a presentation by Jeff Moss
I suppose the "thank you" should be bolded, in
and Ken Swann on swarm retrieval with demonstracolor, and maybe with some animation attached, but
even that would not adequately say what I am trying
tion of Jeff’s beevac and Ken’s swarm catcher. The
to say. Each of you did a sterling job. Not a single
next meeting is Thursday, April 26th.
speaker bombed or got blasted in the evaluations. It
would not have been a meeting without you. To the
A Word from Dr. Tew
Alabama Beekeepers' Association - you are heWhat an experience the 2012 Alabama Workroes. The lunch, the open hive demo, providing
shop was! As I freely told anyone who would listen,
speakers and the Alabama Cooperative Extension Systhis was pivotal year for me, for Auburn and for the
tem - consummate professionals you are when it
beekeepers who attended. There were several major
comes to events such as this (and with all that ACES
changes that were being implemented for the first time
administration there). A sincere thank you. While I
- not to mention new administrators who were sitting
The Stinger, Newsletter of the Alabama Beekeepers Association—Page 3
April 2012
have no extra money to adequately pay you the true
value of your time, if any of you paid registration,
please let me know. As a general policy, ACES does
not charge presenters registration costs.
I can take credit for beginning this event many
years ago, but after this past meeting, I readily admit
that it has far outgrown anything I could do without
lots of qualified help. The event now belongs to all of
us. Could I ask you to think about next
year? Themes? Speakers? Changes? I will be starting to prepare/draft the 2013 event within the next
couple of months. I would value your opinions and
suggestions.
I know what it takes to do these events. I
know how much time the drive requires from all over
Alabama. I know how early the departure time is and
I know how tired you are on the way home. I know
you did all of this for the greater Alabama beekeeping
good. I hope you know how much I appreciate your
contribution. Thank you. Jim Tew.
-James E. Tew, PhD, Honey Bee Specialist, Alabama
Cooperative Extension System, Auburn University,
tewbee2@gmail.com , www.onetew.com ,
www.facebook.com/onetewbee
For Both the New and Newish
Beekeeper
And a quick review for more established beekeepers. By James E. Tew
Every beekeeper has a beginning story.
So what's your bee story? Every beekeeper has at least
one. Each of you, by now, has had similar events and
happenings in your bee operation. At this point, some
of you have kept bees for several years while others of
you only started this past season. Having had some experience under your belt, how do you feel about keeping bees at this very minute?
The Stinger, Newsletter of the Alabama Beekeepers Association—Page 4
For whatever reason you started, I expect most of you felt similar emotions at first probably confusion, mixed with a small amount
of fear all topped with an abundant amount of
enthusiasm for the new venture. If, per chance,
you have had good luck with your bee project,
the confusion should have begun to subside and
the fearfulness of the craft should have mostly
passed. You can find your queens reasonably
well and you know what a super is. Your inner
cover is in the "winter position" and your "bee
space" is correct. You know that a few dead
bees out front are not a bad thing. In short, you
are growing to think and speak like a seasoned
beekeeper. But you are going to have some ups
and downs. Everyone does. If this is enjoyable
and we are having so much fun, why do some of
us feel a sense of "let down" at times?
You will never again be a new beekeeper. I can only
guess why we occasionally go “flat” a bit, but I do have
some guesses. Essentially, the first phase of your beekeeping venture is passing. Even if you quit right now,
but start again some time in the future, you will always
have kept bees before. You will never again be a new
beekeeper. From the initiation of your colonies from
packages in a hectic spring to the first signs of a waning
Figure 1. A single colony can be difficult to manage - especially for a new
beekeeper. (South Alabama location)
one of the ones having feelings that I am describing,
just stand by. Your feelings are normal. The next season is not that far away. Our bee lives wax and wane.
It's all part of maturing in beekeeping.
The Fearful Person Syndrome: After all my
years of bee keeping, I still love the craft as a whole,
but there are several aspects of beekeeping that I could
really do without. I don’t like the smell of smoke on
my clothes and in my truck, and I don’t like taking an
unreasonable number of stings. Plus, all that good, nutritious honey is real heavy for me to lug around. I deal
with all these things, but one odd thing that is still as
difficult as ever for me to address – even though I have
April 2012
summer, there is simply not as much expected of
you during fall and winter months. The season’s
spring/summer bee-push has long ended. Then
the cold season arrived. There’s just not a lot to
do. You can read and go to meetings, maybe assemble some equipment, but we are all forced to
take a break. In spite of all you can do, you may
find yourself cooling a bit. It was more enjoyable
last spring. In reality, that cooling process is
healthy for your future beekeeping venture. At
least for a while, it's good to come back down to a
more normal level of interest. I don't think society
could stand us if we all lived our lives in a constant state of beekeeping high- passion. If you are
had to do it many times - is dealing with fearful people
who are not beekeepers. Could I call it the Fearful
Person Syndrome? Innumerable times, I and others,
have written copiously about concerned persons, usually neighbors or friends, who are "severely allergic to
bee stings". Increasingly, beekeepers have close
neighbors. New beekeepers, you are instructed to educate that person, explaining all the reasons bees are
good for them and their gardens. Offering locally produced honey and working your bees only when the
fearful person is not around are common recommendations that are made to a beekeeper who is faced with
community criticism. But....until you have looked such
The Stinger, Newsletter of the Alabama Beekeepers Association—Page 5
April 2012
a fearful person in the eye and tried to implement these
recommendations, you don't know the full ramifications
of such advice. It's just not an easy task, in a short
while, to change another person’s entire outlook on a
long-held belief and fears.
I’m the odd fellow: As I have described in these
articles before, I live in a pleasant, plastic neighborhood. The homes are mid-America average homes that
are neat and nicely maintained. For many more reasons
than bees, I am clearly the one who's not in step. I don't
spray every weed that has the nerve to germinate within
my lawn (I have written about this). I don't obsessively
cut grass simply because I should (and I have written
about this, too.) and I instinctively plant bee-friendly
flowering plants. None of these characteristics make
me correct, but it does make me different.
A case history: Last fall, while mowing our respective lawns on our respective riding mowers, my
neighbor flagged me down and asked if I had put bees
back in the hives at the rear of my property, which adjoins a soybean field. For a number of years, I had kept
two to three hives there, but the mites and my procrastination finally got them. There the dead-outs sat - beacons to poor management and unfulfilled good intentions. I assured her that there were no bees there
(though I was careful not to say that I did plan to put
them there again). She said that she was seeing more
bees around her flowers and her bird waterer. When
asked what was causing the bee increase, I explained
how the shortage of rain was forcing the bees to forage
more widely. Once rain showers were common, the
bees would find more readily available water sources
and all would be well again in the thirsty bird community. But, to myself, I did wonder why she would have
such an observation. My answers were weak. There
were no other managed hives in the area and wild
honey bees are rare. I really was surprised that so
many bees would turn up on her property. No matter.
At the time, there was grass to mow and time was passing. Later that week, I received a phone call from an
Ohio State bee lab co-worker who told me that, a few
days ago, he had put two strong hives back in my apiary behind my house for a short observational study we
were doing. In sad fact, there were bees in my backyard. Without knowing, I had told a beekeeping falsehood. (But if I didn’t know, is it still a falsehood?)
vice? Do I go to her and confess that those were, in
fact, probably my bees trespassing on her property? Do
I explain the benefits of pollination to a person whose
opinion has long since been turned against bees? Do I
offer to supply her with a lifetime of free honey? Do I
really believe I can change her mind? I have found that
telling someone, such as you, what to do with a beekeeping problem and actually performing that recommended solution myself are two quite different things.
The honest answer to this situation is not in any book.
Winter progressed rapidly, and I didn’t see my
neighbor again until Christmas when I helped her with
holiday decorations. She didn’t bring it up. Neither did
I. I will just worry about it next season – if the colonies
survive the winter. Dealing with fearful people is always dicey but it is frequently something both new and
experienced beekeepers must address (again and
again).
Sooner or later, your bees are going to die:
The modern brutal fact of beekeeping life is, ironically, that your bees are going to die. Maybe not
right away and maybe not all at once, but the chances
are excellent that your colonies will die within a few
years. This is not an event that is limited to new and
She is a nice lady: My neighbor is a nice lady
and we co-exist very well. So where is all this going?
She's working diligently to maintain her home with the
practical knowledge she has. She has told me she has a
fear of insect stings and "reacts badly every time she is
stung." She had specifically asked me if I had put bees
back in the hives and I specifically said no. Unknowingly, I had not told the truth. Do I follow my own ad-
The Stinger, Newsletter of the Alabama Beekeepers Association—Page 6
April 2012
newish beekeepers, but rather an event that will happen to beekeepers of all ages and experience ranges. It
wasn’t always that way, but a walk down memory
lane serves no great purpose here. Experienced beekeepers have been through this event more than new
beekeepers. Most experienced beekeepers will repopulate and try again.
If precedent holds, the exact reason for your
colony’s death will be unclear. If it adds closure for
one to label the death reason as Colony Collapse Disorder, so be it. The unsettling fact of bee life is that
today’s bee population is not as vibrant as it was thirty
years ago. Old beekeepers remember how it was.
New beekeepers hear those old stories and feel that is
how it should be. It is frustrating beyond words to do
everything as right as possible, and still have a
(seemingly) perfectly healthy colony decline to the
point of death. All bee things are not as they once
were.
It’s a disappointing conversation: A few lines
ago, I made reference to looking into a fearful persons
eyes. It is also disconcerting to look into the hurting
eyes of a new beekeeper – one who went to meetings,
read books, ordered woodenware, assembled it,
bought a package, installed it, fed it, loved it but had
to watch it die. What did I do wrong? Probably noth-
ing. What should I do differently? If you followed the
basics, there is little to do differently. None of this
conversation is very fulfilling. One has invested all
this money and time and is now embarrassed before
family and beekeeping friends to have lost it all – and
then be told that not many changes can normally be
recommended that would prevent it from happening
again. This situation comes close to being senseless.
The truth - Our bees were always going to die: I have
never kept specific records nor do I have literature
references to support my conjecture, but in my experiences, I sense that a premier colony was only premier about 2-3 years or about the life of the productive queen at that time. Today, queens only seem to
be productive for about a year so present-day premier
status is much shorter.
In my happy, but inaccurate memory, colonies
were always strong and lived forever. No, they didn’t. Who reading this piece has had their best colony
be their best colony for more than two – three years?
I know, you can requeen, but is that then still the
same colony? It’s the same hive, but requeening genetically changes the colony. No matter. There’s no
guarantee that requeening will maintain the premier
status of the colony anyway. Over time, all colonies
are going to fade – some to the point of death. Splitting, combining, adding brood, swarm management,
disease control, and requeening are management
Figure 2. Common bee colonies, such as these in Dothan, have always
had a fairly short lifespan.
schemes that may mask the passing of the parent
colony, but pass it does. It always does.
It’s not really about individual colonies: When
my neighbor asked if, “If I had bees back there
again?” she unknowingly touched on the answer
of what a new beekeeper should do when colonies die. If the bees die, get more bees. The
thing that works so badly for new beekeepers is a
combined lack of experience and very small colony numbers. If you have one colony and it dies,
it’s devastating. You are out of the bee business.
If you have ten colonies and two dies, it’s annoy-
The Stinger, Newsletter of the Alabama Beekeepers Association—Page 7
ing but recoverable. But rare is the new beekeeper
who begins with more than one or two colonies – and
that is correct. Don’t start with too many.
So new and newish beekeepers, if your colonies die, please try again. Continue to interact with
experienced beekeepers and give bees another chance.
Accumulate confidence and experience. It’s like flying a kite – kinda hard to get it up there, but once it’s
up high, it flies itself.
So, in my home apiary, that my neighbor
watches – at any given time – I will have 0-3 colonies.
I will combine, split, hive swarms, install packages,
add brood, watch for common diseases and for a
http://www.facebook.com/tewbee2
@onetewbee
onetewbee
Letter from the Editor
This will probably sound rambling because I need
to just mention several unrelated matters. I hope all of you
are planning to come to the picnic on May 19th. Here’s
how to get there. If you live in Cullman County, I won’t
insult your intelligence. The picnic will be at the Cullman
County Fairgrounds. For many who will be coming north
on I-65, take Exit 310 onto AL Hwy 157. Turn right. If
you are coming south on I-65, take Exit 310 onto AL Hwy
157 and turn left. Go about a mile until you reach 2nd Avenue NW (U.S. Hwy 31) and turn right. Go about 0.9 mile
to Sportsman Lake Road and turn right. Go about 0.2 mile.
Beekeepers Association on October 31, 1947. He was also
president of the Southern Beekeepers Association…”
There is another Past President of the Association that can
be added to the annual program.
Henry C. Rollins in Huntsville, Alabama has several strong, spring bee swarms for sale. Contact him at 256
-859-1747.
Wil Montgomery has this timely tip: “I caught a
much needed large swarm this afternoon from a yard about
three miles from home. It was in a Dogwood tree. Many
times over the years since coming to Alabama I find
swarms in Dogwood trees. I wonder what the attraction is.
For some unknown reason, I find fresh swarms not all that
friendly as in past years. I always wear a veil and lately
I’m beginning to wear gloves to retrieve them. I still can
get a sting or two. Time was when you could show off by
April 2012
while, I will be successful with one or some of the
colonies. For a while, they will be strong and then
they will weaken – probably not all at once. If I can, I
will help the needful colony until it can no longer be
helped (usually during winter). Then it will die. Next
spring, I will feel saddened but I will get a few packages or I will split the survivors. Maybe I will get a
swarm-call. Who knows? Maybe none will die. One
way or the other, I will keep 1-3 colonies there and
when necessary – as best I can – I will placate my
neighbor. Individual hives come and go, but beekeeping always stays. (330)345-8336 Tewbee2@gmail.com Blog: http://www.onetew.com
Look for our Alabama Beekeepers Association sign and a
bunch of suspicious vehicles. If you come from the east on
U.S. Highway 278, take AL Hwy 157 around the north
side of Cullman to 2nd Avenue NW (U.S. Hwy 31) and
follow directions above.
Mark your calendar for Saturday, August 4th for
the Chilton Research and Extension’s Farm Home and
Wildlife Expo. There will be a different honey contest at
this year’s Expo. The Expo has many varieties of fruit for
everyone to sample. The beekeepers will have several varieties of honey for everyone to taste. Everyone who tastes
the honey will be a judge. So, I am looking for several different varieties of honey in squeezable containers.
A note from Mr. Wiley Cutts: “According to an
article in the Montgomery Advertiser, my father, Eugene
Debs Cutts, was re-elected as president of the Alabama
walking up to a swarm and cut the branch it is on without
wearing any protective gear. Ah! The whims of Mother
Nature. She has a mind of her own and it’s hard to predict
what will happen next.”
Past president and long-time supporter of the Jefferson County Beekeepers Association, Frank Rodriquez,
passed away on March 15, 2012. He will be missed.
Bob Fanning has a really cool Excel workbook to use as a club roster. The workbook maintains
club membership AND prints an attendance record.
The Blount County Beekeepers Association is using
this workbook. It works great.
See you at the picnic on May 19th. Lonnie
W. Funderburg, Alabama Apprentice Beekeeper/
Editor
The Stinger, Newsletter of the Alabama Beekeepers Association—Page 8
Membership
Report:
+
-
2012 Officers and Board of Directors
April 2012
570 Members as of Feb. 10, 2012
32 New Members
134 Archived Members
468 Members as of April 23, 2012
Webmaster—Bob Fanning, k4vb@knology.net
Editor—Lonnie W. Funderburg, 1260 Easley Bridge Rd., Oneonta,
AL 35121-4110
President Phillip Garrison, 178 County Road 1327, Vinemont, AL Director - 2013 Mike Stoops, PO Box 35, Excel, AL 3643935179-6871
0035
Vice-President Damon Wallace, 2003 Highpoint Drive, Opelika, Director - 2013 David Kelton, 1590 Tabor Cutoff, Gadsden,
AL 36801-2005
AL 35904-9755
Sect/Treas Bonnie Funderburg, 1260 Easley Bridge Rd, Oneonta, Director - 2014 Bill Hewett, 12751 Bear Creek Rd, DuncanAL 35121-4110
ville, AL 35456-2532
Director - 2012 Jeff Lee, 102 Whitfield Rd. Athens, AL 35613- Director - 2014 Barry Banks, 577 Blackwell Loop, Jasper, AL
2716
35501-7016
Director - 2012 Bill Miller, 2991 Eddins Rd. Dothan, AL
36301-7478
Regional Clubs/Associations
Baldwin County: Eugene Fernandes, Pres. P.O. Box 553; Robertsdale,
AL 36567; Eugenefernandes@hotmail.com. Meet 7:00 P.M. 1st Monday
at Robertsdale Fire Dept, St. Paul & Racine Streets, across from water
tower. (Updated 07-11-2011)
Blount County Beekeepers Association: Contact Dr. Stoney Beavers,
(205) 625-4102, sbeavers@blountboe.net, Meet 4th Thursday at 6:30
PM at Blount County Resource Center, 62561 US Hwy 231,
Cleveland, AL (Updated 4-23-2012)
03-10-2010)
Limestone County Beekeepers Association: Jeff Lee, Pres.
leej@pclnet.net 256-874-6067. Meets 2nd Thu of even months at 6:00
PM in ALFA building, 524 Hwy 72 West, Athens, Al 35611 (Updated
03-18-2010)
Madison County: Laura Cambron, Pres.1012 New Hope-Cedar
Point Rd. New Hope, AL 35760-9656, 256-723-2608
honeybee.lady@yahoo.com . Meet 6:30 P.M. 2nd Thu in odd-
numbered months at Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave, Huntsville, AL (Updated 08-25-2011)
Central Alabama Beekeepers Association: Allyson Andrews, Pres.
Mobile County Beekeepers Association--John Haaseth, pres. 601-916jandrews1@elmore.rr.com; (334) 799-2254. Meet 6:00 PM 1st Thursday 0019. Meet at 10:00 AM on second Saturday of each month at Wilmer
of every month. Call for meeting place. (Updated 03-12-2010)
Hall on Springhill College campus, 3811 Old Shell Rd. Mobile, AL
Choctaw County: No current information available. Please update.
36608-1317 (Updated 02-21-2012)
Monroe County: Contact Toria Sims at 4349 Turkey Hollow Rd. Frisco
Cullman County: Phillip Garrison, Pres. 178 County Rd 1327, VineCity, AL 36445-5154; 251-267-3520; toriasims@frontiernet.net, meet
mont, AL 35179-6871, Tel (256) 734-5963, Meet 2nd Tue at 6:30 P.M.
nd
every odd month at Main Alfa Building, 307 Main Ave N.W., Cullman, 7:00 P.M. 2 Thu of third month (Mar. Jun. Sep. Dec.) at Southern Pine
Building. (Updated 1-14-2009)
AL 35055 (Updated 11-12-2002)
North-West Alabama Bee Club: No current information on this club.
East Alabama Beekeepers: Tom Harris, Pres. 270 Oak Hills Dr. Wedowee, AL 36278, (256) 363-2181, elainepaceehh@yahoo.com. Meet at (12-19-2011)
North-East Alabama (Calhoun County & surrounding area): Joe Aber6:30 P.M. at Clay Co. Extension Office in Ashland. (Updated 08-25nathy, Pres. 256-835-1214, abernathyjoe@mac.com. Meet 6:30 P.M. 2nd
2011)
Thu 17th & Noble Sts, Auburn Extension Administration Building, AnEscambia County: Clyde Bruley says that this club is no longer meetniston, AL (Updated 12-10-2009)
ing. (Updated 8-26-2009)
Etowah County: Guy Ross, 201 Quarry Rd, Glencoe, AL 35905-7262, Queen’s Castle Beekeepers Association Lucy Evans, Pres.
guyross2@gmail.com; Tinsley H. Gregg, Auburn Ext Ofc Agent, 3299- lucyojb@gmail.com Contact O.J. Blount, 334-222-0751. Meet the last
A West Meighan Blvd, Gadsden, AL 35094. Tel (256) 547-7936. Meet Saturday of every month from 10:00-12:00. Also contact at
1st Thu at 6:30 P.M. at Carnes Recreation Center, 103 Case Avenue,
rangerlkr@hotmail.com. (Updated 12-19-2011)
Attalla, AL 256-570-0202 Updated (2-04-2010)
Sand Mountain Beekeepers (Blount, DeKalb, Jackson, Marshall & NE
Jackson County Beekeepers Association: Contact Ray Latham, 256AL): Lyle Greenwood, Pres, Tel (256)586-2206, lgwood@otelco.net.
574-5234, raylatham@scottsboro.org. Meet 6:30 PM the first Thursday Meet 6:30 P.M. on 3rd Tue of even numbered months at Guntersville
of even numbered months at ALFA Insurance office, 23625 John T.
Public Library, 1240 O’Brig Ave. (Updated 01-09-2011)
Reid Parkway, Scottsboro, AL (Updated 04-02-2011)
SAUGAHATCHEE BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION (Lee Co.) RaJefferson County: Paul Mancill, Pres. Meet 7:00 P.M. 3rd Thu Birleigh Jones, Pres, Contact Angela George, 334-524-0879, queenbeeinmingham Botanical Gardens, 2612 Lane Park Rd. Birmingham, AL
thekitchen@gmail.com. Meet 1st Tuesday of even numbered months
35223-1802 County agent, Sallie Lee (205) 879-6964 Ext 11 (Updated
6:00 P.M. at Lee County Extension Office, 600 S. 7th St., Opelika, AL.
Renewal _______
Alabama Beekeepers Association
c/o Bonnie L. Funderburg, Sect/Treasurer
1260 Easley Bridge Rd.
Oneonta, AL 35121-4110
April 2012
Membership Application Form
New Member ______
2012 Annual dues $10 (per person) should be mailed to above address.
Please Print All Information Clearly. Make check payable to Alabama
Beekeepers Association
________
Receipt Issued_____________
Name:____________________________________________
Adress:___________________________________________
City:_______________________State:________
ZIP:__ __ __ __ __ + __ __ __ __
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(Please provide your e-mail address even if you wish to receive the newsletter on paper)
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(For Treasurer’s Use.) ___________________________________
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Posted__________________
The Stinger, Newsletter of the Alabama Beekeepers Association—Page 9
--------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------(Updated 8-27-2011)
1st Thu every month at Houston County Extension Office, Ross Clark
Shelby County Beekeepers Association: George Baldwin, pres. 205Circle #4; Dothan, AL. (Updated 8-30-2011)
672-7012 geesbees43@gmail.com , Meet 1st Sat. at 7 PM at Pleasant
Site Baptist Church, Hwy 43 (Updated 10-8-2011)
South Alabama (Mobile County): This local association has ceased
Bob Fanning—His Contributions Recognized
meeting and disbanded. (Updated 10-26-2007)
On March 8, 2012, primarily due to the efforts
Southeast Alabama Beekeepers Association: Al Liepins, pres. 260
County Road 7700, Troy, AL 36081-4424, (334) 566-7340,
and contacts of Madison County Vice-President Franalsbees48@troycable.net, Meet 7:00 P.M. 1st Thu of each month at the
ces Akridge, our Webmaster and past President of
Coffee County Farm Center in New Brockton, AL (Updated 01-05both the Alabama Beekeepers Association and the
2008)
Tallapoosa River: There has been no communication from this organi- Madison County Beekeepers Association, Bob Fanzation.
ning, was recognized by the Honorable Tommy BatTennessee Valley Beekeepers Association: Jerry Claborn, pres. 256tle, Mayor of Huntsville, for twenty-five years of
355-0403 jclaborn@charter.net . Meet 2nd Thu of even months at
teaching beekeeping,
7:00 P.M. at the Moulton City Hall, 720 Seminary St, Moulton, AL
(Updated 09-17-2010)
enriching the lives of
Walker County: Lonnie Funderburg, 1260 Easley Bridge Rd, Oneonta,
thousands, mentoring
AL 35121-4110 Tel (205) 625-3464. Meet 6:30 P.M. 4th Mon at Ext
Svc Bldg, 1501 N. Airport Road, Jasper, AL except July and December, beekeepers, and keeppicnic in July. (Updated 01-23-12)
ing bees. Thank you,
West Alabama Beekeepers Association (Bibb, Tuscaloosa, Hale, &
Bob. This is a most
Pickens Cos.) Bill Hewett, Pres BillHewett3824@Yahoo.com Meet 6:00
rd
well-deserved recogniP.M. 3 Thu monthly at County Extension Service Auditorium,
714 Greensboro Ave.,Tuscaloosa, Al 35401. Current website
tion.
http://www.HewettsHoney.com. (Updated 01-09-2011)
Wiregrass (Houston County): Roslyn Horton, Pres., 334-795-6201
home 334-790-2087 cell, roshorton@gmail.com. Meet 7:00 P.M.
The Stinger, Newsletter of the Alabama Beekeepers Association—Page 10
The Stinger
1260 Easley Bridge Rd.
Oneonta, AL 35121-4110
Place
Stamp
April 2012
Here
April 2012
NEWSLETTER OF THE ALABAMA BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION
March/April
2012
Vol. 25 No. 2
Inside This Issue Page 1
2012 Picnic
May 19
Cullman
County
Fairgrounds
Nolan Dooley with assistant at the grill at 2011 picnic
at Cooter’s Pond in Prattville, Alabama