Rockingham County Beekeepers Association

09/01/2026

Come by this Saturday and support all of our vendors!

08/31/2026

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-bee-shack-nc-presents-an-evening-with-bob-binnie-tickets-1992016115826

Join us for a BBQ dinner and an inspiring evening with the one and only, Bob Binnie!

08/31/2026

https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-bee-shack-rockingham-county-beekeepers-121445844431

R CBA is a thriving association of over 100 beekeepers. We encourage visitors to our monthly meetings to learn the basics of beekeeping and ask questions and learn about honey bees and pollinating native plants. RCBA is active in our community in teaching children and adults with classes and demons....

08/31/2026

The beekeeping world is bracing for an invasive parasitic mite that reproduces twice as fast as Varroa and moves across the comb like lightning.

The parasite is Tropilaelaps, an elongated Asian brood mite that has jumped from wild giant honeybees to European bee colonies and is currently expanding westward across Eurasia.

Does this sound familiar? :) This is exactly how Varroa started.

Let's look at the biological why behind this parasite's explosive reproduction so you can recognize why it represents an unprecedented threat to all apiaries.

While a female Varroa mite takes approximately 12 days to develop inside capped worker brood, Tropilaelaps completes its entire life cycle from egg to mature adult in just 6 to 7 days.

This lightning fast generation turnover allows Tropilaelaps populations to multiply at more than double the speed of Varroa inside active brood nests.

That's quite scary.

Peer reviewed research shows that Tropilaelaps feeds aggressively on developing larvae and pupae, causing severe physical damage and transmitting heavy loads of Deformed Wing Virus.

Naturally, European bees have not evolved natural grooming behaviors against these rapid mites, which leads to sudden brood mortality and colony absconding if left unmanaged.

There's a little bit of hope though because this aggressive parasite possesses a major Achilles heel in its feeding biology that beekeepers can exploit.

Because Tropilaelaps has tiny, flexible mouthparts, it can't pierce the hardened outer cuticle of adult bees and must rely exclusively on soft, developing brood for food.

This structural limitation means that adult Tropilaelaps mites will completely starve to death within just 1 to 3 days if they are separated from open or capped brood.

Understanding this biological flaw means that queen caging or inducing artificial broodless periods will serve as our most powerful organic defense against this parasite.

Know your enemy first and then devise ways to beat it :).

If you enjoyed this article, I invite you to read the first chapter of my book (You can find it in my bio 🙏)

Happy beekeeping and full barrels 🐝🍯

08/31/2026

Here's a snippet from an article in our most recent edition of Bee Culture Magazine. Like what you read? Subscribe today! Just go to www.BeeCulture.com (outside of the U.S. - head to www.Store.BeeCulture.com).

Varroa: A Persistent Threat to Honey Bees
Roman Bondarenko, Beekeeper and Apitherapy Specialist

Varroa destructor is an external parasitic mite that feeds on both brood and adult honey bees and is one of the most destructive pests of U.S. bee colonies. Infestations weaken colony viability, reduce worker lifespan, and promote the spread of viruses, often leading to colony loss within a single season if left unmanaged ( Figure 1).

Varroa mites are now widespread across North America, and any infested colony can spread mites to nearby hives through drifting, robbing, or swarming. As a result, Varroa control is a core responsibility of modern beekeeping and requires regular monitoring, informed decisions, and an integrated pest management (IPM) approach rather than reliance on a single treatment.

One of the most frequent mistakes in Varroa control is delayed or inconsistent monitoring. In colonies with active brood rearing, mite populations can double approximately every month. Effective management therefore requires regular sampling, typically several times per year, including Spring, early Summer, late Summer, and before Winter.

To read on, go to: https://beeculture.com/varroa-a-persistent-threat-to-honey-bees/

Photo Caption: Figure 1. Varroa on a pupa. Photo: Roman Bondarenko.

08/31/2026

What’s in your honey?! 🍯 🐝🐝🐝♥️

08/31/2026

Originally scheduled for July, this Mini Conference with renowned honey bee researcher and beekeeper Dr. Thomas D. Seeley has been rescheduled for September 10 at 7:00 PM MDT. Dr. Thomas D. Seeley’s presentation will be: Bait Hives: How to Get High-Quality Bees for Free

Capturing honey bee swarms can be surprisingly simple. Learn how to use bait hives to attract swarms by choosing the right hive design, location, and timing. If you're looking to grow your apiary with locally adapted bees, this practical session will show you an efficient and rewarding approach. Q&A to follow.

Dr. Thomas D. Seeley is Professor Emeritus at Cornell University and has spent more than 40 years researching honey bee behavior, social life, and ecology. He is the author of Honeybee Democracy, Following the Wild Bees, The Lives of Bees, and Piping-Hot Bees and Boisterous Buzz-Runners.

How to Join the Event

If you have previously registered for one of VFairs' conferences, there is no need to reregister for other VFairs conferences. You are automatically registered for any subsequent VFairs conferences hosted by WAS. Registering first and then using the same link to log in ensures access to the event, with virtual doors opening 1 hour before each scheduled start time. Read more about the registration and login process on the wasevents.vfairs.com webpage.

08/31/2026

We had a few people asked if we could share larger mixing volumes too… so here you go. 🐝

The chart goes from a 25-lb bag in a 5-gallon bucket then 50-lb bags for 55-gallon drum and 275-gallon tote.

These are approximate. We use around a 1:1 year round and hardly ever mix a 2:1. Simple and easy to use.

Yes you can weigh everything out and yes you can make thinner or thicker.

I'm not baking gourmet cakes and desserts and honestly the bees do not care if it's exactly the ratio. It gets the mixture close.

We get our hives that need food up to weight for our winters by mid September. Which is plenty of time for our area.

From our hive to yours
Sweet Stingers Honey 🐝 💛
Y’all BEEKEEPING It Real

06/03/2026

Explore the vibrant world of the Rockingham County Beekeepers Association! Your website is your portal to everything beekeeping – from educational resources and sustainable practices to joining our welcoming community. Whether you're deeply experienced or just beginning to explore, our website offers valuable information and connection opportunities. Click through to learn more about our mission and how you can get involved today.