Toe Cane Beekeepers Assoc. - Mitchell, Avery & Yancey NC

Toe Cane Beekeepers Assoc. - Mitchell, Avery & Yancey NC Check this page for announcements. Visit our Website ToeCaneBeekeepers.net for more information

Beekeepers in WNC focused on education and promotion of keeping honey bees.

Another reason to keep Bees.  As is if they’re fascinating nature and the yummy honey isn’t enough!https://www.facebook....
09/05/2026

Another reason to keep Bees. As is if they’re fascinating nature and the yummy honey isn’t enough!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DpPKnpmT9/?mibextid=wwXIfr

A groundbreaking study examining the relationship between beekeeping and longevity has revealed that apiarists (beekeepers) may possess a distinct biological advantage that allows them to age more slowly than the general population. Published in the journal PMC, the research focused on telomeres—the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that serve as a crucial indicator of cellular aging. Scientists discovered that beekeepers had significantly longer telomeres than non-beekeepers of the same age. Because telomeres naturally shorten as cells replicate and degrade over time, the maintenance of greater telomeres length among beekeepers provides direct, molecular evidence of a delayed biological clock and a reduced rate of cellular senescence (senescent cells are often called “zombie cells” because they refuse to die despite being heavily damaged, and they can “infect” surrounding healthy cells with dysfunction).

Researchers attribute this anti-aging phenomenon primarily to the regular, long-term consumption and handling of nutrient-dense bee products. The study demonstrated that both the duration of years spent consuming these products and the daily frequency of their intake directly correlated with longer telomeres. Hive elements such as raw honey, propolis, and royal jelly are densely packed with potent antioxidants and bioactive compounds that actively combat oxidative stress and promote cellular repair. Additionally, consistent exposure to the anti-inflammatory properties of bee venom—combined with the outdoor physical activity and mindfulness required to keep a colony calm—creates a unique environmental synergy that effectively acts as a natural defense against the traditional markers of aging.

SEE PMID: 26028466

Check out the comments section for the full benefits of beekeeping 🐝🍯🫶

08/31/2026

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MEETING REMINDER.  Learn about a new, spreading, destructive pest and what you can do to stop its spread at this Tuesday...
08/24/2026

MEETING REMINDER. Learn about a new, spreading, destructive pest and what you can do to stop its spread at this Tuesday's meeting.

The yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina), an invasive insect known to prey on bees and potentially wipe out beehives, has been confirmed in North Carolina for the first time. No one knows when it will reach the mountains, but the TCBA is happy to welcome Clemson University Apiculturist Benjamin Pow...

So important to know how to identify and handle robbing.
08/16/2026

So important to know how to identify and handle robbing.

Home & Garden Podcast · Updated Semimonthly · Talk, tips & how-to on sustainable beekeeping from the North Carolina mountains of Southern Appalachia.

More Yellow-Legged Hornet Information from NC State. Check out the links.  Please ask your non-beekeeping friends and fa...
08/12/2026

More Yellow-Legged Hornet Information from NC State. Check out the links. Please ask your non-beekeeping friends and family to be aware, too.

The yellow-legged hornet (YLH) has been in the news lately because it was recently detected in North Carolina. A homeowner in Matthews, NC reported to the NC Department of Agriculture about this…

08/09/2026

A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who helped make this year’s Mount Mitchell Arts & Crafts Fair a success for the Toe Cane Beekeepers Association.
We are deeply grateful to the local vendors and businesses that supported us, the volunteers who generously gave their time, and the TCBA members who donated goods, honey, and other items. We also thank everyone in the community who visited our booth, participated in our fundraiser, asked questions, and showed such wonderful interest in honey bees and local beekeeping.
Your support helps make TCBA’s educational programs possible. These programs strengthen area beekeepers and benefit our wider community by providing local beekeeping education, practical guidance, mentorship, and ongoing support.
Thank you for supporting the Toe Cane Beekeepers Association and helping us continue our educational mission here in our local community
COMMUNITY SUPPORTORS:
The NuWray Inn
Live Oak Gastropub
Garden Deli/Snap Dragon
Hog Hollow
Homeplace
Jukebox
Fill-More
Plot Hound Books
Burnsville Candle Company
Mountain Time on Main

Honey Donations
Ben & Brittany, Guffey, Brush Creek Honey
Susan Sprull, Chestnut Mountain
Camille Collins & Trista Hoffman, Elemental Hills Apiary
Jim & Ann Coomber, Happy Apple Bees
Rick & Alice Harty, Harty Farms
David Reeder, Hawk Mountain Honey
John Harrison, Three Peaks Apiary
Peggy Watson
Rich & Diane Byer



Volunteers:

Trista Hoffman, Elemental Hills
Emily Beckwith, Happy Apple Bees
Jim & Ann Coomber, Happy Apple Bees
Ben & Brittany, Guffey, Brush Creek Honey
John Harrison, Three Peaks Apiary
Debbie Griffith, Whippoorwill Hill Apiary
Susan Sprull, Chestnut Mountain
Peggy Watson
John Zimmerman
Trista Hoffman, Elemental Hills Apiary
Emma Martin

What a wonderful Community we live in.  Thank you to these participating businesses for providing us with a fantastic ra...
08/03/2026

What a wonderful Community we live in. Thank you to these participating businesses for providing us with a fantastic raffle basket for you to enjoy. Please stop by our booth at this weekend's Mt. Mitchell Craft Fair and support bees and beekeeping. Purchase wonderful local honey from our members and enter to win a basket of goodness worth $600!

Who uses escape boards?  Does anyone stack supers from different colonies on a bottom board, then use the escape as desc...
07/31/2026

Who uses escape boards? Does anyone stack supers from different colonies on a bottom board, then use the escape as described in the article? Fighting is usually limited because they leave the stacked super from inside rather than enter through a guarded entrance.

There's a report that the bees were on the knotweed and not quite so defensive yesterday. What are you seeing?

Separating bees from their honey can be tricky, but it can be done by either chemical or mechanical means, depending on beekeeper preference.

Address

Spruce Pine, NC
28714

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