Rockwood Park Backyard Beekeepers

Are you interested in spending 4 fun-filled days in our Beginning Beekeeping class to be held in February 2019?

Here are the details:

Four day beginning beekeeper class
Feb 16-17 & 23-24

9am – 4pm each day
Cost: $100

To register, please go to https://goo.gl/forms/mCkPygF0fvaMhMRC3 (you may need to copy and paste the URL) and complete the online registration form. Once completed, we will send you an invoice from PayPal for $100 to cover the costs of the class. You will have 48 hours to pay the invoice.

We look forward to having you in class!

If you have any questions or problems completing the form, please let us know.

Again, the form is at: https://goo.gl/forms/mCkPygF0fvaMhMRC3

The Rockwood Park Backyard Beekeepers Association meeting, originally scheduled for January 14 and that was cancelled due to inclement weather, will not be rescheduled. The next scheduled meeting will be February 11, 2019.
At the January 14 meeting, John Davis (Master Beekeeper) would have presented information on how to do an autopsy of a dead-out. Since this is an important and timely subject, it will be presented instead at the Master Beekeeper Class on January 21, at 7 PM. Any members who are interested in this subject are encouraged to attend.

Note:
RPBBA holds two Master Beekeeper classes a month. The class, on the 1st Monday, is for folks interested in taking the Apprentice level exam at the VSBA meeting in June. The second one is on the 3rd Monday and is for folks interested in the Journeyman level exam.

The Association general meetings are scheduled on the 2nd Monday of each month.

All Association meetings and classes are held at the Rockwood Park Nature Center Classroom and start at 7:00 PM.

I hope to see you there.

-Steve-

If you’re interested in supporting the honey bee as the state insect, here is a canned letter addressed to all the delegates doing just that. You’re welcome to do the same thing with it, with just a little cutting, copying and pasting.

Here is a list of the delegates and their emails, cut & paste

Barry Knight <DelBKnight@house.virginia.gov>,
Betsy Carr <DelBCarr@house.virginia.gov>,
Buddy Fowler <DelBFowler@house.virginia.gov>,
"C. Todd Gilbert" <DelTGilbert@house.virginia.gov>,
Christopher Peace <DelCPeace@house.virginia.gov>,
David Bulova <DelDBulova@house.virginia.gov>,
Delores McQuinn <DelDMcQuinn@house.virginia.gov>,
Glenn Davis <DelGDavis@house.virginia.gov>,
Gordon Helsel <DelGHelsel@house.virginia.gov>,
James Morefield <DelJMorefield@house.virginia.gov>,
Jason Miyares <DelJMiyares@house.virginia.gov>,
Jay Jones <DelJJones@house.virginia.gov>,
Jay Leftwich <DelJLeftwich@house.virginia.gov>,
Jeion Ward <DelJWard@house.virginia.gov>,
Kathleen Murphy <delkmurphy@house.virginia.gov>,
Lashrecse Aird <DelLAird@house.virginia.gov>,
Luke Torian <DelLTorian@house.virginia.gov>,
"M. Keith Hodges" <DelKHodges@house.virginia.gov>,
Marcia Price <DelMPrice@house.virginia.gov>,
Patrick Hope <DelPHope@house.virginia.gov>,
Richard Bell <DelDBell@house.virginia.gov>,

Dear Delegates,
I am writing to ask that you support the addition of pollinator — European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) to the HB 1896 Official emblems and designation. The honey bee is the most important asset to the pollination of agricultural crops. According to VDACS, agriculture is the largest private industry in Virginia, thus the link to the importance the honey bee plays in the vital role in the economy of Virginia should be clear. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 80 percent of insect crop pollination is accomplished by honey bees. In the U.S, honey bees pollinate more than $20 billion worth of crops annually. VDACS states that honey bees are essential pollinators for about one-third of the state’s fruit and vegetable crops. Without adequate pollination services, Virginia could experience a significant reduction in its harvest of apples, alfalfa, berries, cucumbers, melons, peaches, squash, tomatoes and pumpkins.

Yes I have heard a very few voice concerns that the honey bee is not native to Virginia, and all I can say to that is most of us are not native to Virginia or the Americas either. The honey bee came along around the same time most of us Virginians did- along with some of the earliest American settlers who entered at Jamestown, Virginia in the early 1600’s. Native pollinators while critical to our ecosystem, are not efficient or effective pollinators for managed crops and are not used in the pollination of agricultural crops in any meaningful way. Honey bees are the most important pollinators in agriculture because they are manageable, moveable, adaptable and will not harm the plants in the pollination process.

Designating the honey bee Virginia’s “Official State Pollinator” will encourage a greater public awareness and education about the importance of pollination and the honey bee and the role in agriculture in our great State. There is a very significant presence of agriculture in the State and bee farmers in nearly every county. I hope that I can count on you to support HB 1896 the addition of pollinator — European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) to the HB 1896 Official emblems and designation.

Dear Beeks
Due to the weather, the Rockwood Park Nature Center is closed today, January 14, so we will postpone our normal monthly meeting. We are hoping to reschedule for January 21, but will send another notice when everything is confirmed.

Again – no meeting tonight of the Rockwood Park Backyard Beekeepers.

David Brown
Communications, RPBBA

Happy New Year!

The first Master Beekeeping Study Group of 2019 will be Monday Jan 21 at the Nature Center (No meeting on Monday the 7th ). The Study Group is open to all members.

Beginning in February we will split up the Study Group between Apprentice and Journeyman Classes. We will send more information on this as we get closer.

Also remember our normal monthly meeting will be on Monday Jan 14.

Hope to see you there.