Dear Subscribers,
Rain continues to be on everyone’s mind again here in
I have received a few nice remarks about the Global Beekeeping Calendar initiative at http://my.calendars.net/bee_culture. The Apis Newsletter in conjunction with Bee Culture magazine continues this ambitious project is an attempt to collect all the events in the beekeeping world at one place. I would be interested in your reflections on this effort and keep forwarding to me entries as they arise.
Here are some more pictures of the 2009 Florida Bee College in Marineland concluded in late March: Brendhan Horne of Palm Beach contributed videos of the event: http://www.vimeo.com/understudy/videos/sort:oldest. Claudia Cowart of Ft. Myers sent the following URL about the judging training: http://picasaweb.google.com/claudia.cowart/BeeCollegeJudgingClass?authkey=Gv1sRgCOGggJWOofOAlAE&feat=directlink#5317933419898143906. And here’s another site if you have yet to see the official IFAS photos of the College:
http://kingdom.ifas.ufl.edu/tylerljones/UFEVENTS/BeeCollege032009/Gallery/.
Changes are occurring at The Speedy Bee, the Southeast’s premier beekeeping newspaper. It is going quarterly and will also have a World Wide Web page. I have developed a lens for this publication, linking some articles that I published a few years ago http://www.squidoo.com/Speedy_Bee.
The Beekeepers Quarterly is also going digital. The latest issue is available at http://www.bkq.org.uk. The publisher is looking to electronic alternatives as are many in the printing business; the next two issues are going to be made available on a free basis. Bee Craft Magazine is also being published electronically http://content.yudu.com/A11n2u/BC0901/resources/19.htm. the January 2009 issue has a good article on nosema by Dr. I. Fries. Finally, I am putting issues of The Florida Beekeeper online as well http://www.yudu.com/item/details/28283/The-Florida-Beekeeper-January-2009.
Another survey by the Apiary Inspectors of America is being solicited by beekeepers. The results of this survey will be compiled and published so that everyone can see how bees are doing in the
My good friend Larry Connor continues to put out good information at Wicwas Press as well as hosting classes in
Two interesting sites have grabbed my attention this month. For those who Speak Spanish, check out http://apiculturasinfronteras. It has an interview with my friendo from Mexico Enrique Carrilo who comment s on honey production in his country and the effects of adulteration there and the rest of the market. The latest on Chinese honey dumping is found at http://home.ezezine.com/1636/1636-2009.04.08.08.36.archive.html “Five American food product producers file a $1-billion lawsuit seeking class-action status against a handful of major insurance companies and the U.S. government for alleged damages caused by dumped Chinese food products. The five producers are Sioux Honey Association, Adee Honey Farms, Monterey Mushrooms Inc., The Garlic
Another site is bees in the hood at http://www.urbanapis.com . This initiative seeks to accumulate all codes and regulations with respect to beekeeping in all states http://www.urbanapis.com/codes.php
Finally, take a look at my collection of articles for this month at http://www.publish2.com/newsgroups/april-2009/. These include topics such as scientists having second thoughts about CCD and how bees and humans are similar when challenged with cocaine (see the alcohol example in this issue of Bee Culture), how bees brains work, citrus psyllid control, Wyman’s of Maine gives to bee research, bees at the White House and more.
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Gleanings from the April 2009 Bee Culture:
In response to Ann Harman’s article on categorizing beekeepers, Dennis Durham,
Editor Flottum waxes about the need to keep to the basics and listen to what the bees hear. He also has some nice things to say about the joint
New items for the beekeeper’s kit include the book of the Soil Science of America, Response of Crops to Limited Water: Understanding and Modeling Water Stress Effects on Plant Growth Processes, a new hive tool and top feeder from the Walter T. Kelley Company, a Varroa brush for K & W Apiary and the new Apitrack Producer Module. http://www.apitrack.com/. Also included are new labels from Brushy Mtn, snap together hive bodies from Mother Lode Products and the IBRA’s Journal of ApiProduct and ApiMedical Science.
Read the honey report revealing how both production and prices for honey are up. See why it’s a mixed picture for
Clarence Collison takes a closer look at Alarm Pheromone. Read why it’s a releaser pheromone and the importance of minimizing it for small hive beetle infestation.
Tom Seeley discusses water collection in honey bee colonies. Read how bees decide to collect water and what this means for allied foraging of nectar.
Larry Connor rants about silly rules concerning selling local honey and using soap as an insecticide. Don’t get him started on yellow jacket bees and “crimes against nature.”
Ross Conrad takes on spring reversal. Read what he says about delaying (not stopping) swarming is a possibility and when it should be considered.
Steve McDaniel takes on an easy non-chemical control of Varroa. It’s simple, he contends, to manage drone brood and at the same time provide needed protein to wild birds. A real win-win situation.
Jim Tew, just off his surgery, writes about package bees. Read why he thinks some should look into becoming package bee producers in the future.
Walt Wright mentions that even the so-called “experts” don’t often take into consideration bee biology. Read where heat goes in a colony and how it is expelled. Then note that grease and feed patties get in the way and how the beekeeper might indeed help the bees avoid the problems this causes.
Peter Sieling talks about tanging. Read what it is and why even the old timers were not enamored of it. But then they didn’t have access to the Internet it seems: http://books.google.com/books?id=r7AZ4U2HA3UC&pg=PA40&lpg=PA40&dq=tanging+bees&source=bl&ots=wjSlKB7TSR&sig=6QvR5txAeQyxKNGrIjZCKeFcpy0&hl=en&ei=Iz3hSYLfD5HslQfhruDgDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9#PPA39,M1
Jennifer Berry visits the
Bob Darrell describes how to produce cut comb honey the easy way. It’s a good way to add value to honey. Read how one might get $6 to $9 a pound for the sweet.
Allen Hayes finds an idea in an old text book on producing a scale hive with a bathroom scale at its base. Read how the weight can be read directly using a periscope. This is just the ticket for the Nasa Project I reported on in the past http://honeybeenet.gsfc.nasa.gov/.
Fred Hembree believes every good beekeeper needs a notebook. Read why he says good records make good beekeepers.
Ann Harman attempts to determine where a picnic with the bees might go wrong. Read the ins and outs of having a gaggle of beekeepers over for an open-hive demonstration.
Michael R. Harvey analyses Kerkhoff Hives and the advantages of a two-queen set up. Read why there is a renaissance in this kind of hive and how they have been updated for Varroa mite control. http://rusticelementbees.com/.
Charles Abramson and colleagues from a number of academic organizations, including
In all the news that fits, see a listing of Californians honored at the latest convention and a report on Jerry Hayes winning the coveted AAPA Award of Excellence http://www.masterbeekeeper.org/aapa/index.htm. See also a listing for http://ruralbounty.com/, with which you can find all kinds of local produce including honey.
Alan Harman’s Global Wrap up lists the UK’s plan to protect bees, Brazil’s record honey year, Costa Rica’s forgotten pollinators, Fiji flooding, and bee thefts in Japan. Read what folks think of food safety in the
Ed Colby in the Bottom Board says beware of idle chatter and “never assume.” Read his explanations and examples.
Malcolm T. Sanford
Beeactor@apisenterprises.com
http://apis.shorturl.com
Bee sure to Catch The Buzz, Bee Culture's latest releases important to beekeepers at <http://www.beeculture.com/content/catch_buzz.cfm>. Also access the
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