Blog
Resources • Past Events • Recipes • Beekeeping Information • And More!
NHCBA Volunteers Shed Clean-Out
5th Annual Halyburton Hive Honey Harvest Thank you to our great group of Volunteers who cleaned and organized our equipment shed at Halyburton Park. Everything is now organized and neatly arranged. Remember, NHCBA members can check out equipment on our equipment...
July Meeting Recap: Potluck, Q&A, and Celebrating Our Beekeepers
Potluck, Q&A, and Celebrating Our Beekeepers Our July meeting brought everyone together for a potluck filled with good food, conversation, and plenty of beekeeping knowledge! We were excited to recognize William Bost, President, and Barb Ledoux, Secretary, for...
June Meeting Recap: The Art of Queen Rearing
The Art of Queen Rearing Our June guest speaker was Ken Edgar, Master Beekeeper and owner of White Heron Retreat and The Honey Bee Farm in Delco, NC. Ken shared his unique and effective approach to queen rearing, including how he makes much of his own equipment—from...
May Meeting Recap: Staying Safe in the Beeyard
Staying Safe in the Beeyard Our May guest speaker was our own Mary Cahill-Roberts, Master Beekeeper, who shared an important presentation on Safety in the Beeyard. Mary reminded us that staying safe starts with being aware of our surroundings—from spiders and tripping...
April Meeting Recap: Forage & Flow
Forage and Flow At our April meeting, we welcomed Dr. Anthony Snider, who introduced the concept of beekeeping as open range agriculture. His presentation highlighted 21 different plants and trees that support our bees’ nutritional needs throughout the year. From...
The Road Toward Nonprofit Status
Pursuing 501(c)(3) Status! At our March meeting, we welcomed Eric Talley, Master Craftsman The New Hanover County Beekeepers Association is exploring the possibility of becoming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit—an exciting step that would open the door for expanded outreach,...
March 2026 Meeting Recap: Swarms and Looking Ahead
Swarms and Looking Ahead At our March meeting, we welcomed Eric Talley, Master Craftsman Beekeeper and coordinator for the NCSBA Master Beekeeper Program. Eric shared his expertise on honeybee swarm behavior and swarm catching, offering valuable insights for both new...
February 2026 Meeting Recap: Bees, Splits, and a Taste of Honey
Bees, Splits, and a Taste of Honey Our February guest speaker, Dana Stahlman, kept everyone engaged with a wide range of bee-related topics. From the idea of $1,000 queens to the impact of reduced foraging areas on our hives, his presentation was packed with insights...
January 2026 Meeting Recap: Herbs, Honey, and Healthy Living
Herbs, honey, and Healthy Living We kicked off the year with a great presentation from Bobbi Kolonay of Bobbee’s Apothecary. Bobbi, a retired geriatric nurse practitioner, shared her experience using herbal preparations to support the health of her patients. Her talk...
First Annual New Hanover County Beekeepers’ Honey Show
2025 Honey Show We are so excited to announce the first annual New Hanover County Beekeepers' Honey Show! This will be a great opportunity for our local beekeepers to show off their beekeeping skills! The event will be held on Friday, November 14th and Saturday,...
Did You Know...
Queens that are bred and sold commercially are marked with a dot of paint to make them more visible in the hive. The paint color is different each year so you know which year the queen was bred. This color marking protocol was developed years ago and is recognized internationally. Since a queen only lives 2-3 years, 5 colors are more than enough to uniquely identify how many years old a queen is.
This spring (2020) commercially bred queens will be marked with blue paint.
White – Yellow – Red – Green – Blue
A catchy phrase to help you remember the color sequence:
Where’s Your Red Golf Ball
Year Ending
1 or 6 – White
2 or 7 – Yellow
3 or 8 – Red
4 or 9 – Green
5 or 0 – Blue