Friday 30 April 2010

CATCH THE BUZZ - Chinese Honey STILL coming in illegally. What gives?


Got a NO BUZZ ZONE? Can’t keep bees where you live, or know someplace that beekeepers can’t be? Send me an email, with NO BUZZ in the subject line and tell me where, with your first and last name…Bee Culture Magazine, thedailygreen.com and Haagan Daz Ice Cream want to know. Send to Kim@BeeCulture.com today!

 

Six Weeks As A Beekeeper, and NOW WHAT???? See our next webinar in the series. Everything you need to know is at the bottom of this message.


 

CATCH THE BUZZ

Chinese Honey Still Coming In Illegally. Here’s How We Know

By Alan Harman

 

   A Texas A&M University scientist is continuing to find honey samples labeled as coming from other countries but originating on China.

   Vaughn Bryant, a palynologist and an anthropology professor, spends hours at a time peering at slides of pollen samples, comparing them to track down the origins of honey with questionable heritage.

   Changing the county of origin from China is designed to avoid tariffs of up to 500% imposed after exporters there were “dumping” it in the U.S. – selling it at a much lower price than its cost, which is about one-half what it costs U.S. honey producers.

   The practice has almost ruined the market for domestic honey, says Bryant, who is also director of the palynology laboratory at Texas A&M.

   Bryant, who examines more than 100 honey samples a year for importers, exporters, beekeepers and producers, says he believes he is the only person in the U.S. doing melissopalynology – the study of pollen in honey – on a routine basis.

   For the last five years, he has analyzed the pollen in honey samples from all over the world to determine the nectar sources and origin of the honey.

   He examines imported samples purported to come from Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and Laos, and usually discovers the samples are blends, with a little honey from those countries and a majority of the blend coming from Chinese sources.

   “Now there are lots of shenanigans going on to avoid having to pay those tariffs, and the investigators are way behind in following them,” Bryant says.

   “The beekeepers of the U.S. have been pleading with the FDA to enact stricter guidelines about accurate labeling for honey, but that is a long, slow process. Meanwhile, I'm trying to help out here and there, but it's almost impossible to keep up.”

   Some foreign exporters get around the tariff by mixing honey from different sources, while others infuse up to 50% high fructose corn syrup into the honey, he says.

   DNA studies of the pollen in honey is expensive and difficult, Bryant says. Isotopic studies can reveal the source, provided you have a database of isotope signatures, which for now are very limited.

   “We've never had ‘truth in labeling’ for selling honey, and we should,” he says. “And the U.S. needs to make it illegal to import honey that has been filtered to remove the pollen, which makes it almost impossible to detect where it came from.”

   John Thomas, who was an entomologist with the Texas A&M Extension Service from 1957 to 1992 and is a beekeeper and a major donor to the new Texas Honey Bee Facility at Texas A&M, says he is grateful for Bryant's work.

   “We have fought with the Chinese importers because honey is not a primary export there; it is just a byproduct they get from these other products they produce for medicinal purposes,” Thomas says. “This system the A&M anthropologists have devised is a mechanism to trace the origins of the honey through the pollens. Unfortunately, it doesn't solve the problem.”

Find out What’s New At Mann Lake right Here

Protein feeding pays off with better bee health, better survival, better production, and better wintering.  Learn More.

 Subscribe to Malcolm Sanford’s Apis Newsletter right here For a comprehensive listing of beekeeping events around the country and around the globe, check out Bee Culture’s Global Beekeeping Calendar

 This message brought to you by Bee Culture, The Magazine Of American Beekeeping, published by the A.I. Root Company.


 

Six Weeks As A Beekeeper – Now What?????

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/960734619

Now that you have your hive up and running, what's next? Kim Flottum (editor Bee Culture Magazine) will join us to discuss what you should be looking for and seeing in your colonies. We will discuss assessing queens, brood inspection, supering, and varroa monitoring.

Title:

 

6 weeks as a beekeeper...Now What?

Date:

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Time:

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM EDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

 

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP, 2003 Server or 2000

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer

 

 

 

Thursday 29 April 2010

CATCH THE BUZZ - Winter Losses Just Over 33%

Got a NO BUZZ ZONE? Can’t keep bees where you live, or know someplace that beekeepers can’t be? Send me an email, with NO BUZZ in the subject line and tell me where, with your first and last name…Bee Culture Magazine, thedailygreen.com and Haagan Daz Ice Cream want to know. Send to Kim@BeeCulture.com today!

CATCH THE BUZZ

 

AIA Reports Winter Losses Just Over 33%

April 22, 2010

 

Dennis vanEngelsdorp1, Jerry Hayes2, Dewey Caron3, and Jeff Pettis4.This is a preliminary analysis, and a more detailed final report is being

prepared for publication at a later date.

The Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA) and USDA-ARS Beltsville Honey Bee Labconducted a survey to estimate winter colony loses for 2009/2010. Over 22.4% of thecountry’s estimated 2.46 million colonies were surveyed.A total loss of 33.8% of managed honey bee colonies was recorded. This compares tototal losses of 29%, 35.8% and 31.8% recorded respectively in the winters of 2008/2009,2007/2008 and 2006/2007.

 

In all 4,207 beekeepers responded to the on-line survey and an additional 24 werecontacted by phone. This response rate is orders of magnitude greater than previous yearsefforts which relied on phone or email responses only (2008/2009 n=778, 2007/2008n=331, 2006/2007 n=384).

On average responding beekeepers lost 42.2% of their operation, this is an 8 point or 23%increases in the average operational loss experienced by beekeepers in the winter of2008/2009.

Average losses were nearly 3 times greater than the losses beekeepers reported that theyconsidered acceptable (14.4%). Sixty-one percent of beekeepers reported losses in excess of what they would consider acceptable.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is characterized, in part, by the complete absence ofbees in dead colonies and apiaries. This survey was not designed to differentiate betweendefinitive cases of CCD and colonies lost as the result of other causes that share the“absence of dead bees” symptom. Only 28% of operations reported that at least some oftheir dead colonies were found dead without dead bees. However this group lost a totalof 44% of their colonies, as compare d to the total loss of 25% experienced by beekeeperswho did not report losses indicative of CCD.

Responding beekeepers attributed their losses to starvation (32%), weather (29%), weakcolonies in the fall (14%), Mites (12%), and poor queens (10%). Only 5% of beekeepersattributed CCD as the major cause for their losses.

It is also important to note that this survey only reports on winter losses and does notcapture the colony losses that occurs throughout the summer as queens or entire coloniesfail and need to be replaced. Preliminary data from other survey efforts suggest that these“summer” losses can also be significant. All told the rate of loss experienced by theindustry is unsustainable.

1. Dennis vanEngelsdorp, The Pennsylvania State University/Apiary Inspectors ofAmerica (AIA), Past-President dennis.vanengelsdorp@gmail.com 717-884-21472. Jerry Hayes, Florida Department of Agriculture, AIA Past President,hayesg@doacs.state.fl.us 352 372-35053. Dewey Caron, Oregon State Univ., carond@hort.oregonstate.edu 302 353-99144. Jeff Pettis USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD,jeff.pettis@ars.usda.gov, 301 504-8205

Find out What’s New At Mann Lake right Here

Protein feeding pays off with better bee health, better survival, better production, and better wintering.  Learn More.

 Subscribe to Malcolm Sanford’s Apis Newsletter right here For a comprehensive listing of beekeeping events around the country and around the globe, check out Bee Culture’s Global Beekeeping Calendar

 This message brought to you by Bee Culture, The Magazine Of American Beekeeping, published by the A.I. Root Company.

 

Tuesday 27 April 2010

CATCH THE BUZZ - US Honey Only Producer Board Up Fo Vote

Got a NO BUZZ ZONE? Can’t keep bees where you live, or know someplace that beekeepers can’t be? Send me an email, with NO BUZZ in the subject line and tell me where, with your first and last name…Bee Culture Magazine, thedailygreen.com and Haagan Daz Ice Cream want to know. Send to Kim@BeeCulture.com today!


CATCH THE BUZZ

From the American Beekeeping Federation News

U.S. Honey Producer Board Election Being Held

Ballots have been mailed to eligible voters for the U.S Honey Producer Board. The official referendum period is May 17 to June 4, 2010.

The American Beekeeping Federation (ABF) urges the eligible voters to consider the issue carefully and to cast their ballots in time to be counted. Strong participation is necessary for the referendum to reflect the wishes of the producers.

The referendum is for eligible producers of U.S. honey to decide whether a new national U.S Honey Producer Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information Order should be established. If the referendum passes, what has been called the U.S Honey Producer Board will be established. It would be similar to the National Honey Board (NHB), except where the NHB is funded by assessments paid by importers and honey packers, the new board would be funded totally by assessments on U.S.-produced honey.

The program will be implemented if approved by a majority of producers voting who also represent a majority of the volume of U.S. honey produced during the representative period. To be eligible to vote in the referendum, producers must have produced 100,000 or more pounds of honey from Jan. 1, 2008, through Dec. 31, 2008.

If implemented, the program would be administered by a seven-member board and its alternates – from seven regions – who will be responsible for carrying out activities intended to strengthen the position of the U.S. honey industry in the marketplace. In addition, the board will work to develop, maintain and expand domestic markets for U.S. honey.

The national coordinated generic program would be financed by a mandatory assessment of two cents per pound paid by U.S. honey producers; a U.S. producer who produces less than 100,000 pounds would be exempt from paying assessments.

These links will take you to:

USDA-AMS has mailed the ballots, voting instructions and a summary of the proposed program to all known eligible producers of U.S. honey. The list of eligible voters was drawn from the records of the old National Honey Board, using 2008 assessments when producers had to report their production.

Producers who feel they are eligible, but did not receive a ballot, should contact Kimberly Coy, Research and Promotion Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, Stop 0244, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-0244; by calling 888.720.9917; faxing 202.205.2800; or e-mailing Kimberly.Coy@ams.usda.gov.

 

Find out What’s New At Mann Lake right Here

Protein feeding pays off with better bee health, better survival, better production, and better wintering.  Learn More.

 Subscribe to Malcolm Sanford’s Apis Newsletter right here For a comprehensive listing of beekeeping events around the country and around the globe, check out Bee Culture’s Global Beekeeping Calendar

 This message brought to you by Bee Culture, The Magazine Of American Beekeeping, published by the A.I. Root Company.

 

 

Thursday 22 April 2010

CATCH THE BUZZ - Farm Market Registration

CATCH THE BUZZ

REGISTER YOUR FARMERS MARKET WITH THE 2010 USDA NATIONAL FARMERS MARKET DIRECTORY

According to the 2009 USDA National Farmers Market Directory, the United States boasted an impressive 5,274 operational farmers markets. That is a stunning growth of over 300 percent in the past 15 years. Now it's time to count again for 2010.

The USDA National Farmers Market Directory is widely used by members of the general public, government officials and policymakers. Consumers use it to find farmers markets in their areas, while researchers, non-profits, and academics use it to analyze the farmers market industry. The USDA uses the Directory to chart growth, allocate resources and anchor part of the Know Your Farmer Know Your Food initiative, which is dedicated to building stronger local and regional food systems. Congress uses it when considering policy that impacts farmers markets. The press uses it when talking about the growth of farmers markets. The Directory is a major source of data for the innovative Food Environmental Atlas, a remarkable tool that charts the relationship between healthy food access and public health outcomes county by county.

To keep the USDA National Farmers Market Directory accurate for 2010, please register your market today!

State Departments of Agriculture or State Based Farmers Market Associations
If you represent a State Department of Agriculture, or a State based farmers market association, you may have already received an email with a dedicated password allowing you to review farmers markets in your State and make appropriate updates for the 2010 count. Using that password, you can review and update your State's listing here. No password? No problem. You can request one at farmmkt@msu.edu (be sure to include your state in your request if you are from a farmers market association or a state department of agriculture, or the name of one of your markets if you yourself manage several).

Market Managers (manage less than 5 markets) or New to the Directory
If you are a market manager who manages less than 5 markets, or new to the Directory, you won't need a password. Just click here, and you can easily and quickly add your market(s) to the 2010 count.

The 2010 USDA National Farmers Market Directory will be released in late summer/early fall 2010. Register your market by May 14, 2010 to make sure yours is included!

Questions? Contact us at: directoryupdates@ams.usda.gov.

 

CATCH THE BUZZ - Nothing To Do With Bees This Time...

Got a NO BUZZ ZONE? Can’t keep bees where you live, or know someplace that beekeepers can’t be? Send me an email, with NO BUZZ in the subject line and tell me where, with your first and last name…Bee Culture Magazine, thedailygreen.com and Haagan Daz Ice Cream want to know. Send to Kim@BeeCulture.com today!

CATCH THE BUZZ

I Know this has nothing to do with beekeeping, but can you imagine Juicy Fruit without that foil wrapping? Well, if this is too out of line, simply hit delete.

 

US based Wrigley is set to switch from aluminium foil wrappers to paper for the packaging of its five leading chewing-gum brands.

 

The company said the packaging initiative will save about 850 tonnes of aluminium foil, keeping the equivalent of 60 million cans a year out of landfills, according to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times.

The article claims the switch to aluminium will be seen across the Juicy Fruit, Doublemint, Wrigley's Spearmint, Winterfresh and Big Red ranges but that Wrigley will retain the traditional foil wrappers on its Extra brand gum and the coloured versions on its 5 brand.

Cost savings

The move is seen to be cost effective as Wrigley revealed that the paper packaging will result in an outlay 13 per cent less than foil procurement costs, and the company stressed that the migration from aluminium to paper will not affect the sensory for shelf life properties of the chewing gum.

However, industry analysts may be perplexed as to the clear cut environmental benefits of the swap from foil wraps to paper by Wrigley as aluminium is known to be one of the easiest and most commonly recycled packaging materials.

 According to findings of a North America based Mintel survey released last month, 19 per cent of respondents want gum and mints to have more environmentally sustainable packaging.

However, the participants also stated that they believe functionality is crucial in the gum packaging category, with nearly 50 per cent of people cited packaging that reseals better or is easier to open as being most important.

Bill Patterson, senior analyst at Mintel, said that while not entirely recession proof, products such as gum, mints and breath fresheners are faring well on the US market due to their low price points and the feeling that consumers are getting a small treat.


 

Find out What’s New At Mann Lake right Here

Protein feeding pays off with better bee health, better survival, better production, and better wintering.  Learn More.

 Subscribe to Malcolm Sanford’s Apis Newsletter right here For a comprehensive listing of beekeeping events around the country and around the globe, check out Bee Culture’s Global Beekeeping Calendar

 This message brought to you by Bee Culture, The Magazine Of American Beekeeping, published by the A.I. Root Company.

 

 

 

Tuesday 20 April 2010

CATCH THE BUZZ - HONEY PACKER FIRE

Got a NO BUZZ ZONE? Can’t keep bees where you live, or know someplace that beekeepers can’t be? Send me an email, with NO BUZZ in the subject line and tell me where, with your first and last name…Bee Culture Magazine, thedailygreen.com and Haagan Daz Ice Cream want to know. Send to Kim@BeeCulture.com today!

CATCH THE BUZZ

 

Honey Solutions honey packing company has  weekend fire

By Jane Howard Lee
Contributor, THE BAYTOWN SUN

The main metal building at Honey Solutions, a honey processing plant between Baytown and Mont Belvieu, Texas, may have survived Hurricane Ike, but it could not hold up against a fire that raged through the plant Sunday night, formerly known as Hoyt’s Honey Farm, about 7:40 p.m.

Located at 11711 Interstate 10 East, Honey Solutions processes bulk honey from American and overseas sources, and then distributes it to food manufacturers and honey distributors throughout the nation.

It is one of the largest dedicated industrial honey suppliers in the United States.

The plant suffered heavy damage from the blaze, but no injuries were reported.

Firefighters from some of the other agencies remained on the scene longer and arson investigators worked to determine the cause of the blaze. Initial reports indicated that 100% of the offices were destroyed, but this isn’t confirmed.

By Monday morning, workers with Phoenix Pollution Control and Environmental Services were at Honey Solutions to begin clean-up activities, while Honey Solutions workers awaited a representative from the insurance company.

According to a spokesman for the Chambers County Office of Emergency Management, 10 other fire departments responded to the fire.

Honey industry spokespeople commented that this is a significant event for the entire honey industry that will exacerbate the international shortage of honey.

 


Find out What’s New At Mann Lake right Here

Protein feeding pays off with better bee health, better survival, better production, and better wintering.  Learn More.

 

Subscribe to Malcolm Sanford’s Apis Newsletter right here For a comprehensive listing of beekeeping events around the country and around the globe, check out Bee Culture’s Global Beekeeping Calendar

 

This message brought to you by Bee Culture, The Magazine Of American Beekeeping, published by the A.I. Root Company.

 

  

 

 

Sunday 18 April 2010

Apis Newsletter April 19, 2010




Dear Subscribers,

There was precious little Spring in Gainesville, FL after the record cold snap that lasted way longer than it should, followed by a second flush of pollen from pines and oaks. The azaleas were spactacular after the cold weather.  We are rapidly inching upward into the 80s now.  The next concern is tornados and rainfall in an el niño year.    Tornados are typically stronger and rainfall in the summer can be reduced resulting in more wild fires. Bees are swarming and the orange flow is continuing although we have  little information on the final outcome of the season.

Lots of information coming out of Australia, now facing small hive beetle, while concerns about Apis cerana and Varroa continue.  The situation is forcing a re-evaluation of Australian Honey Bee Imports.  Comments are being collected until early May.

Mite treatments are also in flux.  Mite-Away Quick Strip Access in the United States - DELAYED   According to the MiteAway folks, "We have had a decision from California Department of Pesticide Regulation.  A Section 18 registration will not be pursued due to the Section 18 registration of Hivestan being in place, which is in effect until October of this year.  This decision took California two months to reach.  Also, due to the requirements of Section 18 emergency registrations and the Hivestan registrations currently in place in 15 states, EPA has determined that a Section 18 will not be allowed elsewhere.  I was told by my contact at EPA that there 'has to be a lack of viable alternatives', and there has to be the occurrence of a “non-routine event”, in order to allow a Section 18 registration.  The current varroa toolbox includes 2 thymol products, Apistan, Hivestan, Check-Mite+, and the EPA even talked about the illegal use of Amitraz.  Also, formic acid in the form of Mite-AwayII™ is registered.  The EPA does not see the need for another emergency registration."

Colony Collapse Disorder appears to have returned to California, "DAVIS, Calif.—After several mild years, colony collapse disorder has resurfaced in California leaving a substantial number of beekeepers reeling from the loss of bee colonies, according to Eric Mussen, apiculturist with the University of California at Davis. The California State Beekeepers Association estimates between 30 percent and 80 percent of the state’s bees have been lost so far, reported the Fresno Bee."  There continues to be disagreement about the cause of this malady.  Some novel ideas are being looked at.  Stay tuned.

Bee Loss Survey Concludes:  The Bee Loss survey conducted for the fourth year in a row by the Apiary Inspectors of America, the United States Department of Agriculture, and Penn State University concluded on April 16, but my guess is there will still be time to submit some data if interested.

Beekeeping legalized in New York City:  It was a long time coming, but finally reason prevailed:  "The New York City Board Of Health today ended the Giuliani-era ban on beekeeping in NYC! A very minimal level of regulation has been imposed, so we have good reasons to celebrate."

Pollinator Conference: Register Now for the International Conference on Pollinator Biology, Health and Policy Hosted by The Center for Pollinator Research at Penn State UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The first International Conference on Pollinator Biology, Heath and Policy is being hosted by the Penn State Center for Pollinator Research on July 24-28, 2010 at the University Park campus. The abstract submission deadline is May 15, 2010, and the early registration deadline is June 1, 2010. Registration is limited to 300 people.  See the Global Calendar for details

New Diesel Truck Regulations:   "On Dec. 12, 2008, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) approved a new regulation to significantly reduce emissions from existing on-road diesel vehicles operating in California. The regulation requires affected trucks and buses to meet performance requirements between 2011 and 2023. By Jan. 1, 2023, all vehicles must have a 2010 model year engine or equivalent.  At the board hearing held on Dec. 9, 2009, the ARB directed staff to propose amendments to the Truck and Bus Regulation that would provide additional flexibility for fleets adversely affected by the economy. For operators with fewer than three trucks, the requirements for retrofit is delayed until January 1, 2014. For those with more than three trucks, the regulations begin March 30, 2010. Besides retrofit requirements, there are requirements to file certain forms with the ARB. For complete information, all operators should visit the California Air Resources Web site at www.arb.ca.gov/dieseltruck."  Brought to you by the American Beekeeping Federation, which is rolling out an electronic newsletter to its membershttp://abfnet.org.

Impact of Pesticides on Bees:  "Conclusions/Significance: The 98 pesticides and metabolites detected in mixtures up to 214 ppm in bee pollen alone represents a remarkably high level for toxicants in the brood and adult food of this primary pollinator. This represents over half of the maximum individual pesticide incidences ever reported for apiaries. While exposure to many of these neurotoxicants elicits acute and sublethal reductions in honey bee fitness, the effects of these materials in combinations and their direct association with CCD or declining bee health remains to be determined." 

Social Media at Extension.org:  The Bee Health extension site  has adopted the following social media strategy: Develop a YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/BeeHealth (Dr. Jamie Ellis at the University of Florida http:ufhoneybee.com is the first contributor); Develop a Facebook, Twitter, and Second Life presence; Interaction/promotion of content on beekeeper web forums such as beesource.com; Inclusion of content on Wikipedia.org, with references back to eXtension.org   (Dr. Jamie Ellis at the University of Florida is the first contributor)

See April's selected links ; these and others are also linked to the blog.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gleanings from the April 2010 edition of Bee Culture:

Remember that Bee Culture is now available in a digital edition.

Alan Buckley, Portola Valley, CA writes that it's never too late to begin to prepare for almond pollination and suggests getting a written contract for2011 now.  This  might work for a few more years until the pollinationless  almond comes  on the market.  Oops!  Kent Williams "A Mid South Beekeeper" urges  beekeepers to consider developing regional queens.  So does Chris Baldwin whos advocates letting bees be bees and reconsiders keeping wild insects in a human-made box.  Abbas Edun says he will give anyone writing him (17 Samuel Teitel court, Scarborough, ONT M1X 1sL Canada) information on "curl leaf mountain mahogany"(Cercocarpus ledifolius).  John Straub, Winnetka, IL wonders whyno one seems to be looking at sodium diacetate (SDA)  for AFB and EFB control.  Chester Ferguson asks who will receive the most ELAP (emergency loan program funding) , suggesting bees from Australia is the only way.  Jim Cowan says long-term record keeping pays off; his tried and true beekeeping practices have returned, but he's not sure  why.  Jerry Ballman, Millersville, MD writes that use of scale hives goes a long way back and believes that bees and flora fall out of synch as postulated by Dr. Wayne Esaias.  Dean Stiglitz, Leominister, MA takes issue with Jennifer Berry's writings about "global warming," suggesting that "climate change" in a constantly-evolving phenomenon.  Donald Chandler, Virgilina,VA (e-mail: coss@pure.net) is trying to get in touch with Pat Wagner of apitherapy fame.  Stephen march is a fan of 1/2 inch hardware cloth, which he says prevents a multitude of sins.  Mary El len Kirkpatrick counsels looking for mice if snakes are found checking out a hive and Kees Kolff, Port Townsend, WA strongly suggests counting your blessings  and zippers when working bees.

It's worth checking the honey report this month, with a new chart showing production in state from 1909 to 2009.  Note too the differences in imported sweet entering the country.

Editor Flottum  in the Inner Cover publishes some surprising statistics on farm land loss in the last 10 years.  He also attended the latest Tri-County meeting at The Ohio State University Bee Lab in Wooster, OH.  A record turnout as noted in last month's Apis newsletter, including the Governor's wife.

New for beekeepers this month are two books, The Wisdom of the Bees and The Quest for the Perfect Hive.  Mellifera millinery creations of both veils and hats and beezerkbelts  and a beekeepers tool belt are listed as well.

Clarence Collison takes a look at brood pheromone and its affect on foraging.  Read the three major ones  and why they are important.  This is important information for anyone keeping bees.

Hazel Freeman examines in depth the  origin of the movie "Yulee's Gold," and its basis, the Ogeechee tree.  Read about her journeys along the banks of the Apalachicola winding up in "Wewa" for a chat with Don Smiley.

Mark Hoffman continues his appreciating Langstroth series from 1848 through 1853.  Read the signifance of the Eureka moment on the streets of philadelphia and the events leading up to publication of Langstroth on the Hive  and the Honey Bee.

Ross Conrad discusses the proven road to treatment-free bees.  Read about going from 2 to 1 and then 1 to zero treatments with proven technologies.

Jim Tew reflects on top bar hives.  Read what he considers disadvantages and advantages of this system.  More and more people are gravitating toward this system it seems and are asking thoughtful questions about it.
 
Dewey Caron describes the history and current status of GloryBee Foods http://glorybee.com.  Read about the firms educational efforts, including sponsoring the Western Apicultural Society (WAS) meeting in Salem Oregon August 30 through September 2.

Larry Connor poses three answers to the question of how to purchase bees;  read the difference between installing package bees, nuclei (nucs) and full-sized colonies.  He also provides some good advice about possibly free bees.

Ed Simon suggests making a "Cloake Board" and provides detailed sketches and advice on building this useful device.  It is designed to provide an alternative for "small-scale beekeepers wo want to raise queens but can't afford to dedicate one colony as a cell builder."

Al Avitable and Diana Sammataro provide readers with an alternative, indirect way to install a package.  Read about their modified "Hansen" method and also tips  on ensuring that drifting is minimal in an apiary.

Read an abstract of the mega American Beekeeping Federation meeting in Orlando; over 850 attended.  New officers were elected and the President's award was given to Liz Vaenoski of Clinton, WI.

Abbas Edun writes that Apricot, Avocado and Absinthe are excellent natural remedies.  Read her description of these important plants.

Ann Harman urges those talking to folks who aren't beekeepers to provide relevant, important information.  She says there are plenty of resources out there on this subject, including the extension bee health site.

Peter Seiling
provides plans for making the simplest hive. Read the many uses this hive can be used for, including swarm traps.

Janno Daniel Lewis and Dave Tarpy suggest those traveling this summer to EAS in Boone, NC, take in the North Carolina Zoological Park in Asheboro.  It seems the honey bee exhibit "The Honey Bee Garden" is a must see. 

Read the creative entries submitted for "swarm stories in only six words."  Among the notables, "Pulled branch hard, bees on head," and "Don't position ladder directly under swarm." Send yours in response to the following  statements: "That honey tastes like......," and "The weather last winter where I was, was so bad......"

In "All the News That Fits" read about how the honey market will pass 1.9 million tons by 2015, how bees warn hive mates of danger, and the award won by Eric Mussen, University of California, Davis' irrepressible extension beekeeping specialist.

Finally, Ed Colby in the Bottom Board provides a review of the December 2009 Colorado State Beekeepers Association meeting in Longmont. I was glad to personally meet him at that event.
 
Sincerely,


Malcolm T. Sanford
beeactor@apisenterprises.com
http://apis.shorturl.com

Bee sure to subscribe to Catch the Buzz, Bee Culture's latest releases of importance to beekeepers.  Also access the Apis Information Resource Center , which contains archived articles, listing of  posts on blogs, web sites, and links to related materials.  .

CATCH THE BUZZ - POLLINATOR & PESTICIDE SYMPOSIUM IN NY

CATCH THE BUZZ

Pesticide/Pollinator Symposium At Alfred State in Alfred, New York In July

A steady decline in pollinator species has been noted for decades. Additionally, the increasing loss of honey bee colonies suffered by the commercial beekeepers that provide pollination services to commercial growers indicates that many food supplies are imperiled. This symposium introduces attendees to some of the recent findings related to honey bee and pollinator losses.

Presenting from Penn. State University/Center for Pollinator Research:
Maryann Frazier, Pennsylvania state extension entomologist - A survey of recent research     findings regarding honey bee health.
Dr. James Frazier, Professor, Department of Entomology - Synergistic and sublethal effects of pesticides on honey bees.

Presenting from the USDA-ARS Honey Bee Pollination Lab in Tucson, Arizona:
Dr. Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman, Research Director - Do pesticide contaminants alter the microflora in healthy honey bee colonies?
Dr. Diana Sammataro - Beneficial lactic acid bacteria microflora of honey bees.
Dr. Kirk Anderson - Microbiota in the stored food sources of social insects.
Dr. Mark Carroll - Varroa mite attractants; potential solution for varroa mite/viral challenges to honey bees.

The Symposium will be July 22, 2010. 10 AM - 11:30, 1 PM - 4 PM. Alfred State SUNY College of Technology, 10 Upper College Drive, Alfred, NY.

There is no cost to attend; we do however require registration through the New York Sustainable Agriculture Working Group at the following e-mail - nysawg@gmail.com or at 716-316-5839. Include name, affiliation (eg. Grower, researcher/college , beekeeper/organization, etc), and phone # or e-mail address.Note: For those wishing to bring a picnic lunch, a designated area will be announced at the meeting.

This Symposium is Sponsored by Alfred State SUNY College of Technology/Institute for Sustainability; The Western New York Honey Producers Association; The New York Sustainable Agriculture Working Group; and Bee Culture - the Magazine of American Beekeeping.


Find out What’s New At Mann Lake right Here

Protein feeding pays off with better bee health, better survival, better production, and better wintering.  Learn More.

Subscribe to Malcolm Sanford’s Apis Newsletter right here For a comprehensive listing of beekeeping events around the country and around the globe, check out Bee Culture’s Global Beekeeping Calendar

This message brought to you by Bee Culture, The Magazine Of American Beekeeping, published by the A.I. Root Company.

 Got a NO BUZZ ZONE? Can’t keep bees where you live, or know someplace that beekeepers can’t be? Send me an email, with NO BUZZ in the subject line and tell me where, with your first and last name…Bee Culture Magazine, thedailygreen.com and Haagan Daz Ice Cream want to know. Send to Kim@BeeCulture.com today!

 

 

Thursday 15 April 2010

CATCH THE BUZZ - USDA ELAP Program Improves

CATCH THE BUZZ

USDA Assistance for beekeepers is easier, better and faster

by Alan Harman  

 

USDA announced today that it will accept applications for the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) for losses that took place in calendar years 2008 and 2009.

   ELAP sign-up ended on Dec.10, 2009, for 2008 losses and on Feb. 1, 2010, for 2009 losses. However, because of changes to program eligibility provisions, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting late-filed applications for 2008 and 2009 livestock, honeybees, and/or farm-raised fish losses through May 5, 2010.

   ELAP, authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill, provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of honeybees that have losses due to disease, adverse weather or other conditions, including losses due to blizzards and wildfires.

   ELAP assistance is for losses not covered under other Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance programs established by the 2008 Farm Bill, specifically the Livestock Forage Disaster Program, the Livestock Indemnity Program and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program. ELAP is being implemented to fill in the gap and provide assistance under other conditions determined to be appropriate.

   ELAP eligibility provisions have been amended for honeybee producers.

   The modifications include allowing honeybee producers who did not replace their honeybees or fish that were lost due to a natural disaster to be eligible for ELAP payments based on the fair market value of the honeybees that were lost.

   In addition, the requirements to document losses for honeybee producers who suffered losses due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) were modified to allow documentation by an independent third party for losses in 2010 through Sept. 31, 2011. Producers can self certify losses due to CCD for 2008 and 2009.

   For more information or to apply for ELAP and other USDA Farm Service Agency disaster assistance programs, please visit your FSA county office or www.fsa.usda.gov.

Protein feeding pays off with better bee health, better survival, better production, and better wintering.  Learn More.

 

Find out What’s New At Mann Lake right Here

Subscribe to Malcolm Sanford’s Apis Newsletter right here For a comprehensive listing of beekeeping events around the country and around the globe, check out Bee Culture’s Global Beekeeping Calendar

This message brought to you by Bee Culture, The Magazine Of American Beekeeping, published by the A.I. Root Company.

 

Got a NO BUZZ ZONE? Can’t keep bees where you live, or know someplace that beekeepers can’t be?

 

Send me an email, with NO BUZZ in the subject line and tell me where, with your first and last name…Bee Culture Magazine, thedailygreen.com and Haagan Daz Ice Cream want to know. Send to Kim@BeeCulture.com today!

 

 

Central Beekeepers Alliance : Central Beekeepers Meet 11 May 2010

Central Beekeepers Alliance : Central Beekeepers Meet 11 May 2010


Central Beekeepers Meet 11 May 2010

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 10:13 AM PDT

The next regular monthly meeting of the Central Beekeepers Alliance will be held on May 11th at the Agricultural Research Centre on the Lincoln Road.

Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Central Beekeepers Alliance Meeting
Agricultural Research Centre, Fredericton, NB
7:30 p.m.

New beekeepers and “interested others” are welcome to join us, to learn more about beekeeping, and maybe find out if keeping bees is right for you!

Central Beekeepers Meet 11 May 2010 was written and published by the Central Beekeepers Alliance - Honey Bees & Beekeeping in New Brunswick, Canada. For more information, please visit http://cba.stonehavenlife.com.

Friday 9 April 2010

Central Beekeepers Alliance : Are Honey Bees Hooked on Caffeine and Nicotine?

Central Beekeepers Alliance : Are Honey Bees Hooked on Caffeine and Nicotine?


Are Honey Bees Hooked on Caffeine and Nicotine?

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 04:00 PM PDT

Have you noticed your honeybees buzzing around the coffee grounds in your compost pile on a warm day in early spring? it turns out, there may be a reason for this common behaviour — the bees might be seeking a hit of caffeine!

Researchers at the University of Haifa-Oranim have learned that bees are attracted to nectar with microscopic amounts of caffeine or nicotine. Is this evolution’s way of getting bees addicted to certain plants that contain those substances?

Flowers produce nectar, a sweet substance composed of mostly sugars, as a way of attracting pollinators to the plant. But some species of plants produce nectar that contains very tiny amounts of substances known to be toxic. The garden perennial Nicotiana, also known as “flowering tobacco,” for example, has tiny amounts of nicotine in its nectar, and caffeine is present in small concentrations in the nectar of citrus flowers, especially grapefruit flowers.

Bees are attracted to nectar with microscopic amounts of caffeine or nicotine… Is this evolution’s way of getting bees addicted to certain plants?

The research team at the Department of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology and the Department of Science Education of the University of Haifa-Oranim, headed by Professor Ido Izhaki, have discovered that bees actively prefer the “addictive” nectar over “clean” nectar.

While it’s difficult to know for sure whether the addictive substances in nectar evolved as a way to make pollination more efficient, they say, the study does suggest that “the plants that survived natural selection are those that developed ‘correct’ levels of these addictive substances, enabling them to attract and not repel bees, thereby giving them a significant advantage over other plants.” Whether the bees actually become addicted to nicotine and caffeine, however, is still a matter for future study.

Photo credit: ‘Spring‘ by: David McLeish
Released under an Attribution-ShareAlike License

Are Honey Bees Hooked on Caffeine and Nicotine? was written and published by the Central Beekeepers Alliance - Honey Bees & Beekeeping in New Brunswick, Canada. For more information, please visit http://cba.stonehavenlife.com.

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