KBA Field Day
Please note this is the third Sunday of the month due to Mother’s day which falls on the second Sunday.
Please note this is the third Sunday of the month due to Mother’s day which falls on the second Sunday.
Get your entries ready! Reminder this is also a pot-luck style event, so bring a dish with you to share. The club will be providing meat/veggie sandwiches.
2024 Volunteer of the Year - pre-selected by leadership.
Best Edible Honey Product - Any kind of edible food product made with honey. This includes savory dishes like honey bbq wings or honey cornbread cakes, spiced honey butter, honey bread as well as drinks like mead and honey tea. Creamed honey flavored or unflavored is also included in this category. Will be judged by the crowd. Everyone will get a ticket to vote. Unlimited entries per person.
Best Honey Dessert - Speaks for itself, bring your baklava, honey cakes, honey tarts, honey nut bars, honey cookies, honey pies and more! Will be judged by the crowd. Everyone will get a ticket to vote. Unlimited entries per person.
Best Black Jar Honey - Bring in your different honey varieties, we will pour a little in a small cup for judges and return the bottle to you. Unlimited entries per person. We will have a panel of judges who will vote on the honey by FLAVOR alone.
A spring hive inspection involves carefully examining the condition of bee colonies as winter transitions into spring. This inspection typically focuses on assessing the health and strength of the colony, checking for signs of disease or pests, evaluating the queen's performance and egg-laying activity, and ensuring that the hive has an adequate food supply. Beekeepers may also use this opportunity to perform any necessary hive maintenance or adjustments to support the colony's growth and productivity during the upcoming season. Overall, a spring hive inspection plays a crucial role in maintaining the well-being and productivity of bee colonies as they prepare for the warmer months ahead.
Show and Tell ...bring your favorite most used or even new tool or beekeeping find. We want to give newbees and oldbees great ideas for getting started or getting better! Please note the time change to 7 p.m. for this meeting alone.
Troy Simpson will be discussing swarm catching. Troy Simpson was past president around 2010 and has 25 years experience in beekeeping.
Sunday we will have our annual BEEKEEPING 101 event! This is your time to begin, you have plenty of time to learn in between now and the Spring to get your bees and your equipment ready to go. First, you need some knowledge and who better to share knowledge of bees than one of our area's Master Beekeepers, Dr Leonard Davis! He will give you the run-down on what you need to know about bees to get started and become a beekeeper in 2024! Veteran beekeepers, please attend to welcome our newbees and pass along knowledge you have for them too. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Get your entries ready! Reminder this is also a pot-luck style event, so bring a dish with you to share. The club will be providing meat/veggie sandwiches.
Best Edible Honey Product - Any kind of edible food product made with honey. This includes savory dishes like honey bbq wings or honey cornbread cakes, spiced honey butter, honey bread as well as drinks like mead and honey tea. Creamed honey flavored or unflavored is also included in this category. Will be judged by the crowd. Everyone will get a ticket to vote. Unlimited entries per person.
Best Honey Dessert - Speaks for itself, bring your baklava, honey cakes, honey tarts, honey nut bars, honey cookies, honey pies and more! Will be judged by the crowd. Everyone will get a ticket to vote. Unlimited entries per person.
Best Black Jar Honey - Bring in your different honey varieties, we will pour a little in a small cup for judges and return the bottle to you. Unlimited entries per person. We will have a panel of judges who will vote on the honey by FLAVOR alone.
We will discuss Winter Survival and hold officer elections. Please volunteer for a position!
Master Beekeeper L. Augustine will review Winter Prep for your bees.
For our last field day of the year, we will meet at Dave Handsbury’s honey house where he will show us equipment he uses in processing honey and beeswax. Dave has all the tools and this will give you a good look at what potential a beekeeper has for a honey business.
We are needing volunteers to work the bees and honey booth at the Kentucky State Fair for the Kentuckiana Beekeepers Association and the Kentucky State Beekeepers Association. We are looking for 5 people per shift, 3 shifts of 4 hours. You will receive one pass for entry and parking to the State Fair to use that day to get in. Please help us represent the KBA! Signup at the link below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044CA5A62AA5F58-kbavolunteer
Please join us at the Kentucky State Fair with State Apiarist, Tammy Potter. She will talk about how to be successful entering in the State Fair competition for bees and honey. We will meet at the Bees & Honey exhibit at the fair.
Zachary will go over how to check for mites, which is an extremely important process to do over the Summer months, especially in July when mites begin to outproduce the queen’s laying. He will also complete a hive inspection.
Please park at the church on Whips Mill as there is limited parking.
We will be meeting at Master Beekeeper L Augustine’s apiary in Fairdale. We will discuss what you need to be doing this time of year with your hives, what to look for, how to inspect, when and how to pull honey (it’s that time of year for Spring harvest). Here’s your chance to get inside a hive and see what is going on! New and old members please join us! A beesuit is required for this event.
Please park on the gravel road leading up to the hives. The grass on either side gets damp and you may get your vehicle stuck in it if you park there.
Please join Beth Wagner and Tim Hollins at their apiary at the La Minga Farm, a community farm located in Prospect. Bring your bee suit and join the fun! Look for the KBA signs! Hope to see you there.
We are back for our first field day of the year! We will be meeting at Master Beekeeper L Augustine’s apiary in Fairdale. We will discuss what you need to be doing this time of year with your hives, what to look for, how to inspect, what to be prepared for upcoming. Here’s your chance to get inside a hive and see what is going on! New and old members please join us! A bee suit is required for this event. Please park in a straight line on the gravel road leading to the hives, do not park in the grass or you may not get back out!
The last session will be free and will take place at the South Central Regional Library in Jefferson County. If you have not attended any sessions, you still can as this is an independent topic. Would also be helpful for experienced beekeepers as we will review Integrated Pest Management, diseases and products of the hive. We hope to see some of our KBA members at the event!
@ 7300 Jefferson Blvd, Louisville, KY 40219
Products of the Hive, Introduction to Integrated Pest Management, and Disease.
Lara Augustine, U of Florida Certified Advanced Beekeeper, Past President KBA.
https://www.eventcreate.com/e/beekeepersurvival
You must register at the link above to reserve your spot! Back for its second year, the Beginner Beekeeper Survival School packages the bare essentials you need to have a successful first year of beekeeping. This 16 hour program was created to meet a recurring need, to prepare beginners for their first year of beekeeping!
Remaining sessions, join at any time for all or some of the sessions:
Session 4 with Oldham County Beekeepers Association, Saturday 3/11, 9A-1P.
@ Oldham Extension Office. 207 Parker Dr. La Grange KY 40031.
Pests, Varroa, Beekeeper Interventions, and Course Conclusion.
Jake Barker, EAS & Cornell Master Beekeeper, OCBA Educational Coordinator.
https://www.eventcreate.com/e/beekeepersurvival
You must register at the link above to reserve your spot! Back for its second year, the Beginner Beekeeper Survival School packages the bare essentials you need to have a successful first year of beekeeping. This 16 hour program was created to meet a recurring need, to prepare beginners for their first year of beekeeping!
Remaining sessions, join at any time for all or some of the sessions:
Session 2 with Bullitt County Beekeepers Association, Sunday 2/26 1P-5P.
@ Bullitt Extension Office. 384 Halls LN. Shepherdsville KY 40165.
Hive Inspections, Annual Schedule, and Basic Management.
Leonard Davis, EAS Master Beekeeper, President BCBA.
FREE! Session 3 with Kentuckiana Beekeepers Association (Jefferson), Saturday 3/4, 9A-1P.
@ 7300 Jefferson Blvd, Louisville, KY 40219.
Products of the Hive, Introduction to Integrated Pest Management, and Disease.
Lara Augustine, UofF Certified Advanced Beekeeper, Past President KBA.
Session 4 with Oldham County Beekeepers Association, Saturday 3/11, 9A-1P.
@ Oldham Extension Office. 207 Parker Dr. La Grange KY 40031.
Pests, Varroa, Beekeeper Interventions, and Course Conclusion.
Jake Barker, EAS & Cornell Master Beekeeper, OCBA Educational Coordinator.
https://www.eventcreate.com/e/beekeepersurvival
You must register at the link above to reserve your spot! Back for its second year, the Beginner Beekeeper Survival School packages the bare essentials you need to have a successful first year of beekeeping. This 16 hour program was created to meet a recurring need, to prepare beginners for their first year of beekeeping! Session dates and descriptions follow. Join any or all of the sessions:
Session 1 with Spencer County Beekeepers Association, Sunday 2/19 1P-5P.
@ Nosey Bee Place. 2980 Briar Ridge RD. Mt. Eden KY 40046 (N of Taylorsville Lake)
Introduction to Beekeeping, Basic Bee Biology, and Beekeeping Equipment.
Amanda Snider, President SCBA.
Session 2 with Bullitt County Beekeepers Association, Sunday 2/26 1P-5P.
@ Bullitt Extension Office. 384 Halls LN. Shepherdsville KY 40165.
Hive Inspections, Annual Schedule, and Basic Management.
Leonard Davis, EAS Master Beekeeper, President BCBA.
FREE! Session 3 with Kentuckiana Beekeepers Association (Jefferson), Saturday 3/4, 9A-1P.
@ 7300 Jefferson Blvd, Louisville, KY 40219.
Products of the Hive, Introduction to Integrated Pest Management, and Disease.
Lara Augustine, UofF Certified Advanced Beekeeper, Past President KBA.
Session 4 with Oldham County Beekeepers Association, Saturday 3/11, 9A-1P.
@ Oldham Extension Office. 207 Parker Dr. La Grange KY 40031.
Pests, Varroa, Beekeeper Interventions, and Course Conclusion.
Jake Barker, EAS & Cornell Master Beekeeper, OCBA Educational Coordinator.
Get your entries ready! Reminder this is also a pot-luck style event, so bring a dish with you to share. The club will be providing meat/veggie sandwiches.
2022 Volunteer of the Year - pre-selected by leadership.
Best Edible Honey Product - Any kind of edible food product made with honey. This includes savory dishes like honey bbq wings or honey cornbread cakes, spiced honey butter, honey bread as well as drinks like mead and honey tea. Creamed honey flavored or unflavored is also included in this category. Will be judged by the crowd. Everyone will get a ticket to vote. Unlimited entries per person.
Best Honey Dessert - Speaks for itself, bring your baklava, honey cakes, honey tarts, honey nut bars, honey cookies, honey pies and more! Will be judged by the crowd. Everyone will get a ticket to vote. Unlimited entries per person.
Best Black Jar Honey - Bring in your different honey varieties, we will pour a little in a small cup for judges and return the bottle to you. Unlimited entries per person. We will have a panel of judges who will vote on the honey by FLAVOR alone.
The KBA will host Tammy Horn Potter, our Kentucky State Apiarist, on the ste of beekeeping in Kentucky and the industry, in general.
We will then hold elections for the 2023 year. Please consider volunteering for a position as the club needs the help!
Doug Potter will share his practices on Small Hive Beetle Management.
Advanced Beekeeper Lara Augustine will present on Winter Bee Biology, Prep & Care to get your bees ready for Winter survival!
1)Importance of Healthy Winter Bees
1)Biology
1)Prep for Winter: Colony Life Cycle in Kentucky
2)Preparations for Success
3)Reasons for Failures
4)Mite Prevention
5)Feeding
6)Moisture Control
1)Wicking
2)Dripping
3)Condensation Reduction
The KBA will be working the Kentucky State Fair this day at the KSBA bee and honey booth. Please consider volunteering your time to help promote bees and Kentucky honey and raise funds for both the KBA and KSBA! An email will go out with volunteer opportunities.
Join us at the State Fair for a tour of the Kentucky State Beekeepers Association exhibit. This is not our usual meeting, but we will have a chance to support the KSBA and our own Beth Wagner and (hoping) our State Apiarist, Tammy Potter and the American Honey Queen. Topics include how to submit honey products, judging and general beekeeping topics. Admission to the Fair is required, but we promise an informative and fun evening!
Zachery, will check for varroa mites and discuss treatment options. Bring your bee suit and let’s learn!
Zachery, will check for varroa mites and discuss treatment options. Bring your bee suit and let’s learn!
Don is an engineer at GE by day and manages 90+ hives in his free time. Don will share his thoughts on Apiary Management and Sustainability and will open up a couple of hives.
Address: 5000 S. Highway 53, Crestwood, KY 40014. The apiary is about 1000 yards past his house. He will have signs up to guide us there.
Bring your bee suit and join us on Sunday, May 1st at 5 pm, for our second 2022 Field Day at Cave Hill Cemetery and Arboretum. This will provide an up-close look at their extraction house, pollinator garden, and the apiaries in the cemetery and arboretum. This is a unique opportunity to visit this beautiful, historic property that was chartered by the legislature in 1848 as a rural cemetery.
Bring your bee suit and join us on Sunday, May 1st at 5 pm, for our second 2022 Field Day at Cave Hill Cemetery and Arboretum. This will provide an up-close look at their extraction house, pollinator garden, and the apiaries in the cemetery and arboretum. This is a unique opportunity to visit this beautiful, historic property that was chartered by the legislature in 1848 as a rural cemetery.
Please join Beth Wagner and Tim Hollins at their apiary at the La Minga Farm, a community farm located in Prospect, on April 3, 2022, at 5pm. Tim and Beth will discuss spring management, hive inspections and demonstrate a split or two.