MeckBee HoneyComb · 2019-11-23 · MeckBee HoneyComb The monthly newsletter of the Mecklenburg County Beekeeper’s Association y 2014 Upcoming Events: January 13 7 pm First night

President’s Buzz by Gerry Mack Bonnie Jones, Diana Smith, Sam Bomar and Jimmy Odom deserve all our thanks for their service as Officers of the Mecklenburg County Beekeepers Association. And more thanks to Kris Daniels and Don Rierson for becoming our newest Officers and to Diana and Jimmy for sticking around through 2015.

In addition to our Officers, there are many other volunteers keeping MeckBees buzzing: Kevin Freeman is our webmaster; Erika Bowen will take on our monthly newsletter from Marianne and Ed Moyers; Jodie Rierson will run our 2015 Bee School; Greg Clements will herd mentors and mentees at Bee School; and there are dozens of others who make presentations at meetings, write articles for the newsletter, bring monthly meeting refreshments, teach classes, mentor new students and coordinate handouts, door prizes and registration for Bee School, organize picnics, barbecues, and field days.

Our activities list is generally longer than the volunteer list and I have probably left out a few items (thanks George McAllister for wrangling the club extractor!).

So, why do we volunteer? I believe that our reasons combine paying forward the beekeeping help we receive, improving our beekeeping knowledge by teaching others, and enjoying the involved company of other beekeepers.

MeckBees needs volunteer help in almost all areas but especially to provide articles, content and organization for the newsletter (go see Erika), mentor new beekeepers (go see Greg), speak at monthly meetings (go see Kris) and organize club activities (come see me).

Libby and I were nervous Newbees in 2002; we now keep dozens of happy hives. We learned by helping experienced beekeepers, attending meetings, listening to old beekeeper stories and most importantly by getting personally involved with MeckBees and volunteering to help others. I look forward to seeing a lot of new and old volunteers in 2015 to help keep MeckBees buzzing strong.

HoneyComb 1 January 2014

MeckBee HoneyCombThe monthly newsletter of the Mecklenburg County Beekeeper’s Association

January 2014

Upcoming Events: January 13 7 pm First night of Bee School at Providence Baptist Church (new location!) January 15 7 pm Honey swap and Webinar (Muzon UMC). January 20 7pm Bee School week 2 January 27 7pm Bee School week 3 February 5-7 Spring NC/SC States Beekeeper’s Conference

January Preview: This month’s meeting will include a Honey Swap and a beekeeping webinar led by Dr. David Tarpe. If you would like to participate in the honey swap, please bring a pint or pound jar of honey to swap with another fellow beekeeper. The webinar, What aspiring beekeepers really need to know: discussion among beekeepers, will include beekeepers and clubs from across North Carolina. This should prove to be a lively conversation and wealth of information.

Researchers Look at Using Propolis for Baldness Treatment

Article Review: The Honey Hunters  The most lucrative of all the forest’s products, and the most dangerous to gather. By Michael Snyder Summer 2014   This past week, I had the pleasure of meeting a friend of my daughter’s, Jeff Abbot.  As is natural for any beekeeper to do, I shared my passion for beekeeping with Jeff.  That lead to Jeff sharing “The Honey Hunters” by Michael Snyder with me.  Let me tell you, I will never again complain about being chased by an angry bee for 20 to 40 feet through my neatly pruned back yard.  Even at its worst my back yard is comparatively pristine to the jungles in Bangladesh.  This is a great reminder to the many blessings we have here in America, today, 2014, 2015 and for the foreseeable future.

This article tells the tale of a relatively brave (arguably foolish) outsider, Michael Snyder, who enters the world the Bangladeshi fishermen that in the off season augment their income by entering the jungle in search of liquid gold.  We call it honey.  In south east Asia, Apis Dorsata, giant 1 inch long honeybees build their nests open air off cliff overhangs, concrete structures and in the jungle, off branches of giant trees.

This short story exposes the many dangers and horrible conditions that the honey hunters of Bangladesh face each year in quest of liquid gold. There is folk lore, true stories of tiger attacks, pirates, corruption and some interestingly familiar aspects of their honey production, season and varietal differences as we have in the beekeeping world outside of south east Asia.

One thing for sure, read this article and your heart strings will be pulled for these brave, impoverished people.  Then, toward the end of March, lift a prayer for the honey hunters in Bangladesh. Thank God we live in the USA where we have our neat rows of nicely painted Langstroth hives from which we gather our liquid gold.   

article submitted by Rod Caverly

HoneyComb 2 January 2014

Could it be that propolis, that sticky substance that bees use to glue together their hive parts, patch holes, and fight microbial invasions by coating the hive’s interior, might one day be used in the fight against baldness?  Researchers from Japan think so.  Recent testing with mice indicates that a propolis compound applied to the skin stimulates the

proliferation of keratinocytes, causing hair to grow much faster.  The scientists caution that while this will help grow hair lost to inflammation, it is unlikely to do much to help with classic male-pattern baldness.  Click here to find out more on this research.

Article submitted by Ed Moyer.

Local Bees do Better! “Bees born in the local area manage better than bees imported from elsewhere, a study has shown. "Many beekeepers believe that it is best to buy queens from outside instead of using the queens they have in their own beehives. However, there is increasing evidence that the global honey bee trade has detrimental effects, including the spread of new diseases and pests," says one expert.”

Read more at Science Daily

HoneyComb 3 January 2014

Charlotte, NC

*Call or email for current

availability*

All Trees and Shrubbery are field grown and B&B, and are ready to

be transplanted into your landscape or Business jobsite!

*We also offer Shrubbery Care and Lawn Maintenance Services*

Hollies: From 3ft. to 18ft. in height ranges available

|Dwarf Bufordi|Needle Point|

|Wert L Winn| Nellie Stevens|

|Foster|Savannah|

Red Hollies: from 3ft. to 12ft. height ranges available

|Festive| Robyn| Patriot|

|Oakleaf|

Crape Myrtles: From 6-24 ft in height ranges

available

|Natchez (white)| Biloxi (lt. pink)|

|Tuscarora (med red)|

|Carolina Beauty (med red)|

|Tonto (dark red)|

|Muskogee (lt. lavender)|

|Catawba (med purple)|

Plus: numerous other Shrubs and Shade- tree selections are available!

704-763-1646 | [email protected]

Recipe Corner: Cream of Butternut Squash with Caramelized Apples and Honey

“Build your flavors” is a mantra for culinary students. In order to create a complex, sweet hot flavor profile for all of our butternut squash coming out of our garden this year, I use a “cream of anything” ratio guideline that I teach my students. It’s a way to look at what’s available on the market (at the right price) or in your refrigerators (scrap, underutilized pieces, or leftovers) to make a flavorful and marketable soup.

Think of a recipe as a listing where a “star,” the main ingredient of the recipe, is surrounded by supporting actors, while “flavoring agents” are those items which change the overall flavor of the dish, but do not become so dominate as to become the star. Last is the “seasonings,” items added to enhance the overall flavor of the dish. Mirepoix is a blend of vegetables used as a flavoring. In this recipe it is the combination of onions apples and celery.

Yields 3 quarts; Time 2.5 hours

1 large (3 – 4 lbs) butternut squash Spray oil ½ c. oil ½ large onion, diced 1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced 1 stalk celery, diced 1 clove garlic, mashed 2 t. Garam Masala ½ t. cayenne pepper 2 t. fenugreek ground ½ c. all purpose flour 2 T honey 2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock 1 pt. heavy cream 1 T. salt 1 t. white pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375O F. Split the butternut squash lengthwise to expose the flesh. Scoop out the seeds. Spray the skin side of the squash with a quick burst of spray oil. Prick the skin the length of the squash and place flesh side down on a cookie sheet (line with

Photos below from our December club potluck!

HoneyComb 4 January 2014

Matthews becomes Bee City USA!

“By a recent vote of the Matthews Town Board, the town is only the fourth community in the U.S. to claim the Bee City USA designation.”

Martha Krauss, a member of Habitat and Wildlife Keepers, was the driving force behind the Bee City effort in Matthews. Krauss and her husband, Will, own 803 Elizabeth Bed and Breakfast in Matthews, where they have several hives and serve local honey to guests.”

Read more at the Charlotte Observer.

parchment paper or foil for easy cleaning). Place into your oven for 45 minutes, then flip the squash so the flesh side is up and cook for another 30 – 45 minutes, or until the flesh is caramelized. 2. Using a heavy bottomed soup pot, heat the oil. Add the onions, stirring frequently until the they become translucent. Add the apple, stirring frequently until they become browned from the released sugars. Add the celery and cook for another 3 – 4 minutes until the celery softens. Add the garlic and spices, and cook until the spice aroma wafts up from the pot. This will happen fairly quickly, within 30 seconds to a minute. 3. Now add your flour to make a roux. Stir the roux, mirepoix and flavoring mixture for 3 to 4 minutes to cook the flour. If it starts to brown or stick on the bottom of your soup pot, reduce the temperature to low. 4. Add the honey, followed by ¼ of your stock (or water), off the heat. Begin beating with a spoon to beat out any lumps. As soon as it is smooth, add an additional ¼ of your liquid, and repeat until smooth and you’ve incorporated all of your liquid. 5. Return to medium heat medium, stirring frequently to prevent scorching or lumps from forming. Once it has reached a boil, reduce the temperature to low. The squash should be about ready to remove from the oven! 6. Allow the squash to cool enough to handle. Remove the flesh from the skin using a large spoon and add the cooked flesh to the pot with any caramelized liquid. Allow the soup to simmer with the squash for 20 to 30 minutes. 7. Puree the soup using either a blender or immersion stick. 8. Return to your pot and add cream and final seasonings, salt and white pepper. If you are using a store purchased stock, or bouillon cubes, you may need less salt, but a homemade stock may require more.

Recipe submitted by Chef Jim Bowen

recipe con’t from page 3

HoneyComb 5 January 2014

We use only “Select Quality” Hive Wood ware and accessories

Available for you assembled and or painted your choice!

*Complete hive : 10 Frames full of bees, all stages of brood, Queen, honey and pollen. *Italian Nucs: Available Mid – Late April, 2014 *Italian Packages and Queens: Available week of March 25, 2014 *Russian Nucs: Available Late May- Early June, 2014

*Russian Queens: Available May 18, 2014 (Email for current price list and availability! )

Email: [email protected]

*Be sure to visit us:

Carolina Blonde: The first honey flow of the New Year. Light color, mild in taste withnotes of cool mint.

Queen City Gold: Mid season flow. A bit more refined honey flavor and slightly sweeter.

South End: An early summer flow. Much darker color and the old fashion honey flavorand taste.

Herb’s Pride: This is a later summer honeyflow. Bronze in color, with a fantastic robust honey flavor and aroma.

Tryon House Restaurant

215 E. Exmore St. & Old Pineville Rd.Charlotte, NC 28209

Barnyard Flea Mkt.

3856 Dallas-High Shoals Hwy.Dallas, NC 28034Sundays from 8:00a till 1:00p

Charlotte Supplements

4004 South BlvdCharlotte, NC 28209

Renfrow Hardware

188 North Trade St.Matthews, NC 28105

Faulk Bros Hardware

5744 North Tryon StreetCharlotte, NC 28213

Town Hardware

and General Store

103 W. State StreetBlack Mountain, NC 28711

Mecklenburg County

Farmers Mkt.

1801 Yorkmont Road Building A #36Charlotte, NC 28209Saturdays from 8:00a till 2:00p

Reids Fine Foods

2823 Selwyn Ave.Charlotte, NC 28209

Reids Fine Foods (Ft. Mill)

9748 Charlotte Hwy.Indian Land, SC 29707

Any Witch Way

6011 Kluttz Rd.Concord, NC 28209

Our Honey is available at these fine locations:

HoneyComb 6 January 2014

MCBA Newsletter 1400 Morningside Dr. Charlotte, NC 28205

A Note from the Editor

Please email me with recipes, questions, pictures, article submissions, and anything else you’d like to share with the club in the monthly newsletter.

Email your submissions to: [email protected]

2015 MCBA Officers

President: Gerry Mack [email protected] Vice President: Kris Daniels Treasurer: Diana Smith

Membership Secretary: Don Rierson Chaplain: Jimmy Odom [email protected] Webmaster: Kevin Freeman [email protected]