December 2004 - January 2005 Next Membership Meeting is Tuesday, January 25, 2005 7:00 p.m.

President Pat Haskell Vice President Tom Merz Secretary Kathy Heslep Treasurer Bennie Liles http://www.beekeepersnova.org WebSite In This Issue BANV Meetings and News BANV Minutes last meeting Annual membership form Future BANV Meetings Meetings at Falls Church High School. We are frequently moved without notice, so check announcements at entrance. January 25, 2005 Pot Luck Dinner March 22, 2005 Program TBA May 24, 2005 Cafeteria Terri & Tom Merz Marketing Other Meetings of Interest February 19, 2005 Howard Co. FG Maryland State Assoc. Meeting Marion Ellis, Dewey Caron July 8-9, 2005 August 1-5, 2005 November 5, 2005 Norfolk, VA Kent State University Weyers Cave, VA VSBA Summer Meeting Eastern Apiculture Society 50th meeting VSBA Winter Meeting Cafeteria Cafeteria 1 2 3 Cafeteria, Falls Church High School 7521 Jaguar Trail Falls Church, VA 22042

Winter Pot-Luck Dinner The next membership meeting is Tuesday, January 25, in the cafeteria at Falls Church High School. Setup begins at 6:30, dinner at 7. There is no formal program planned. If you want to coordinate your contribution, suggest a game activity, or get further information, call Pat Haskell at 703-560-3484. The BANV will provide utensils and soft drinks. There is no snow date reservation at this writing. Dues Are Due! Attached is the form for new or renewal dues and subscriptions. Please turn it in at the meeting or send it to Bennie Liles ASAP. Remember that we only send in subscriptions once a year, in March. If you belong to more than one association, pay state dues only through one. Announcements A printed copy of the BANV membership directory is available to members only. Ask Don MacIntyre if you need one. All the packages reserved by Dane have been spoken for. Coordinated beginning beekeeping classes will be taught weekly through seven associations, spread M-F, starting last week of February and going for six weeks. Mentors are needed! Contact Pat Haskell to volunteer or for further details. The seven groups are in BANV, Loudoun, Prince William, Stafford, Culpeper, Winchester, Luray. We also need volunteers for the seven open houses to be held on the Saturday preceding classes.

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Minutes of the BANV meeting Nov. 23, 2004 President Pat Haskell called the meeting to order in the cafeteria of Falls Church High School at 7:30 p.m. The minutes of the previous meeting as printed in the newsletter were approved unanimously on a motion by John Ferree. Treasurer Bennie Liles reported that we have $1289 in the treasury. Old Business. Sylvia Hall is chair of a committee looking into events that provide a market for BANV to sell honey. She is working on this. The January meeting will be a pot luck dinner with no set program. Merz and Ferree volunteered to help set up. Pat will invite the new president of the Montgomery County group, Dave Bernard, and his wife to attend. We hope to have another extension workshop next fall, led by Tignor and Fell, on products of the hive. In order to prepare a budget, the Executive Committee needs input on programs that require financial support. A tentative schedule was passed out on the beekeeping classes to be conducted in the spring. The fee will be $75 per family group. The BANV class will be in Room 106, starting February 28 at 7 p.m. In all there will be six classes spread through the five nights of the week for six weeks. We need mentors, and help with the open house to be conducted on the Saturday before classes start. New Business. Lucia King, a new beekeeper in the Page County group, and also a potter, has designed a bee-themed platter to be sold for $15, with a portion to go to the club. Alan Fiala reviewed the theme and program of the VSBA winter meeting earlier in November, plus plans for future meetings. The winter meeting will be at Blue Ridge CC in Weyers Cave through 2006. After the July 2005 summer meeting, the dates will probably move earlier into the spring. Brenda Kiessling reported on the Maryland State meeting earlier in November. The

featured speakers were Charlie Harper, from Louisiana, on development of the Russian bee; and David Tarpy, NC State, on bee genetics and anatomy. Ted Pratt was on local TV and interviewed for the Prince William section of the Post because bears invaded the hives in his back yard in Manassas. Southwestern Virginia beekeepers have submitted a request to the USDA for a feasibility study of a statewide coop for beekeepers, following the material presented by Jim Haskell at the winter meeting of VSBA. We were reminded that Dane has reserved a large number of packages from Willbanks, and to let him know ASAP if we wanted to order any. John Ferree announced that he has purchased a honey stick machine and will provide processing services. Details TBA later in the spring. Program. A panel of experienced beekeepers, consisting of Tom Merz, Bennie Liles, Alan Fiala, Brenda Kiessling, and Pat Haskell fielded questions from the audience. The topics were: When to requeen a package hive Fall requeening and how to find the old queen. Marking the queen does it last? Winter feeders Screen bottoms and screened inner covers Pam for controlling ants (they wont cross it) Bee candy for winter feed State inspection of home facilities for processing and storing honey requirements, cleanliness, safety, weights, and measures.

The meeting adjourned at approximately 9:30 p.m.

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