September 2021 President's Message
Dear Fellow Beekeepers,
It may still be HOT, but not for much longer! Georgia typically has a small fall flow of Goldenrod; however, it is not for sure and not a lot. Your bees must store food that they will consume between November and March. Since they haven't had much to gather since mid-June, it's important to inspect your hives now. If your hives don't have enough honey stored away, feed sugar water to your bees (2 parts sugar to 1 part water). In Georgia, bees need about 30 pounds of honey to survive our short winter, which equates to about a full medium super of honey. It's essential to start early. Once the temperature gets below 50 degrees, the bees won't eat sugar water. Not enough food in the fall will give you a hive that has starved in March.
The Georgia Beekeepers Association's Fall Conference is on September 23 - 25, 2021 in Gainesville, GA IN PERSON. For more information, visit the Georgia Beekeepers Association website.
During our October Membership Meeting is our annual Honey Show. Remember that the Honey Show is NOT just honey. Besides honey, there are many categories you can enter such as Beeswax (block and candles), Beverages (meads, beer, and honey beverages), Foods (cake, confections, condiments), and Artisan (artwork, crafts, notions, photography, poetry, gadgets and label). Winners will receive cash prizes. Start working on your entries! The rules for the Honey Show will be available on the Coweta Beekeepers Association website.
The September Coweta Beekeeper Association Membership Meeting is on September 13, 2021, Monday, 7:00 pm at the Coweta Extension Office Meeting Room (255 Pine Road; Newnan, GA) IN PERSON! The presenter is Kara Bassett, a fellow CBA member and Welsh Honey Judge, on "Preparing Honey for Show." This is a must-see presentation if you are entering a Honey Show! See you Monday!
Debbie King
President
Newnan/Coweta Tornado
Assistance with Displaced Bees
In addition to beekeepers in the area who had hives destroyed by the storm, honey bees naturally live in tree cavities and in structures such as homes and outbuildings.
If you or your cleanup crew find a swarm of bees or a bee hive in a damaged structure, we are here to help.
Please click on Member Services to access our swarm and cutout lists for those able to come in and remove bees.
- Swarm - bees hanging out on a branch or wall or other area which is open to access and does not have honeycomb built.
- Cutout - bees who have made comb inside a wall or tree or other structure which require physical cutting away to remove.
Alternatively, you may also reach us by contacting Kara Bassett via text at 770.668.6625. Please provide the following:
- Your name or name of contact person for accessing the property
- Address where bees are located
- A photo of the AREA where the bees are located
- A CLOSE UP photo of the bees in question (Get as close as possibe, THEN zoom in camera. Don't be fearful; bees have no interest in stinging you unless you threaten them by swatting at them or disturbing their nest.)
**This information will be distributed to our Facebook group for quick response from our members.**
Response times will vary based on availibility of beekeepers and their work schedules.
Swarms are typically removed for free but removing bees from homes and structures which require carpentry skills may incur a cost. Cutouts require skill, experience, and complete removal of all honeycomb and honey to prevent infestations of pests or reoccurance of bees in the future.
Please stay safe and we are all praying for quick recovery for every family impacted by the storm.
Kara Bassett
CBA Webmaster
Georgia Honey Bee License Plate Is Here!
How do you purchase a Save the Honey Bee license plate now???
Apply for a Specialty license plate at your County Tag Office through the same process you use to apply for a standard plate.
Find your nearest local tag office here ... https://mvd.dor.ga.gov/motor/tagoffices/SelectTagOffice.aspx.
We will no longer be accepting payments on the GBA website.
