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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by FRED SYPHER
I was perusing the most recent issue of the American Bee Journal where I read an interesting comment in “The Classroom” column by Jerry Hayes. He says that beekeepers are, to some degree, entomologists, botanists, experts in honey bee pests, predators, and diseases, nutritionists, carpenters, painters, teachers, mentors, honey marketers, public relations specialists, and a whole lot more. I thought about this for a bit, then I had to agree. Honey bees are livestock, and those who keep honey bees assume the same responsibilities as those who keep cattle or chickens, just on a smaller scale.
Many years ago my sister talked our father into putting in a swimming pool. Our father was not a man who indulged in hobbies. One day, while he was testing the pool water I said “Looks like you’ve got yourself a hobby.” He replied “Hobby my butt, this thing’s a career.” Some days beekeeping can feel like a career, but unlike that pool, which was an indulgence, beekeeping contributes to our general welfare in many ways. We are all aware of the problems that beekeepers confront. We know what we have to do in spring, summer, fall, and winter in order to maintain healthy, productive bees. We also know that in spite of our best efforts, sometimes the magic does not work. That is why we have a
beekeepers association so we can gather together and talk about what we did and what happened and ask why it did not work or brag about how well it did work. Our meetings are an opportunity to share, exchange, agree, disagree, admit failure, brag about success, listen to the experts and the amateurs then go back to our bee hives and decide what to do next. Do I buy an oxalic acid vaporizer or put in more drone comb foundation? Do I harvest honey in July or let the bees have the honey for winter food? The choices and options are numerous, while failure and success look over our shoulders, chuckling to themselves. There is no patent formula for successful beekeeping today; it is all a new adventure.
With the spirit of adventure in mind I invite you to volunteer to staff the Maryland State Beekeeper’s booth at the State Fair on Thursday, August 28th. We need eighteen people, six people from noon to four, six people from four to seven, and six people from seven to ten pm. I am asking two months in advance so you can arrange your time to help out. I know you want to do it, but you think the timing is all wrong. You were planning to do a sugar roll on all your hives that very day! Postpone the sugar roll for a day and come to the Fair! You’ll have fun and you’ll learn something interesting, I guarantee it. The signup sheet will be available at the July 16th meeting. See you there!
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CARROLL COUNTY BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION
THE CARROLL BEE http://www.carrollcountybeekeepers.org/ July 2014
Carroll County Beekeepers Association meets at 7:30PM on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at Bear Branch Nature Center | 300 John Owings Rd | Westminster, Maryland 21158 | (410) 848-2517
To contact us or to become a member, e-Mail - [email protected]
Family membership is still only $15 per year. Lifetime membership is still only $150.
The following are two Maryland State Fair letters describing:
Volunteering to work in the Honey Sales Area on 28 August
CCBA display
How to sell your honey How to enter your honey
ROBBING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by ANNA POLADIAN-PRIOR
Robbing is just what it sounds like: bees either from your apiary or someone else’s are robbing the honey/sugar syrup from another hive. However, they can be robbed by other insects as well.
Robbing can be a problem when an apiary contains very strong hives and very weak hives; it can also be a problem when there is a nectar dearth, usually sometime in July-August in our area, until the goldenrod blooms to distract the bees and draw them to forage.
Robbing is hard to recognize in general but can be especially difficult to recognize when bees are coming from outside your apiary. It is easier to spot if your bees are robbing each other, you can pick out a bee and watch where she goes.
What can make you suspect robbing? If you know that your apiary contains a weak hive, seeing a lot of activity at the entrance can be a clue since you know the hive does not have a large population. You will hear of bees fighting at the entrance, but honestly, the times I’ve seen robbing I did not see any fighting. Generally the hives being robbed don’t have the “worker-power” to fend off the robbers. In fact, when I checked the hive I suspected was being robbed, the only tell-tale sign was the jagged edges of the honey cells that had been ripped open. Bees that live in the hive would open honey cells very neatly, robbers do not. Another clue would be to look at the hive you suspect is DOING the robbing, if it’s filling frames when everything around you tells you that there is a dearth, that’s a very big CLUE.
To foil the robbing you have a few options:
• you can close up either the hive being robbed or doing the robbing or both, keep them closed for 2-3 days
• you can move the weaker hive to another location but that still leaves them open to abuse from neighboring colonies, wasps or hornets
• boost the numbers of bees in the weak hive (strengthening it while weakening the robber hive) to help equalize the hive population
• use robber screens to prevent the robbers’ direct access to the entrance
• you can open the hive covers of the robber hives to trigger a defensive return to home
• or, the technique that proved most successful for me at least: feeding the strong hive
To prevent robbing:
• reduce all entrances before an anticipated nectar dearth
• combine weak hives to strengthen their numbers
• ensure you have queenright hives as queenless hives can be more prone to robbing
• avoid the use of entrance feeders, a.k.a. Boardman feeders, as food so close to the entrance can be a strong attractant for robbers
• if you notice honey frames are adhered together with cross-combing, don’t pull them apart as the resulting honey leakage can cause robbing. Move those frames together if you need to move them at all.
I’ve noticed robbing on 2 occasions in my apiary, I tried the following options in succession: closing first one then both hives, robber screens—caused much confusion for the simple-minded drones, finally feeding the strong hive. It was the last option that finally put an end to it; I figured “They want food? I’ll give them food.” Thankfully, it worked. Now as a matter of course, my entrances are always either on the smallest hole or the next one up, but the entrances are never fully open. I also make sure to keep hive populations equalized if needed.
CONNIE’S BEES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by CONNIE YOUNG
June turned out to be a busy month for my bees. Yes, they were working hard collecting nectar and pollen and raising their young, setting their sights towards winter even as I feverishly continued to garden. What kept them particularly busy was all of their traveling. There were elementary school talks, followed by scout camp talks and even some Sunday School talks. The girls were on the road with me a lot and they were mostly gracious about it. Surprisingly to me, I actually enjoy these bee talks and see them as a chance to speak for the bees as the Lorax speaks for the trees, but in a less grand manner, one small group of people at a time. But I have to say that after a few of these outings, I sometimes feel like I need something fresh. Well, thanks to the creative mind of Fred Sypher, I got it! Chris Gunner dropped off the new education frames to my house one day because I had the observation hive and they need to travel together. When he was there, he handed me a piece of paper that Fred composed with a simple heading called "the Challenge" and suggested I give it a try. The paper contains a challenge to build a robot and lists items that the robot must be able to do upon successful completion of this challenge. Interesting, I thought, but not sure where or how I'd use it initially. I was scheduled to do ten 30 minute talks for the boy scouts at camp later that week, reaching over 150 scouts plus adult volunteers and youth helpers. Hmm.... Bees are not always as big of a hook for young boys as I'd like to believe (my own son only feigning interest for my benefit when the topic turns to bees). So I thought I'd give this challenge a try and I'm so glad I did. I streamlined it a little for simplicity and time considerations. I have to say that it worked like a charm each time, grabbing the boy's attention and drawing them in to accomplish this task. "Before we talk about bees, we are going to build a robot," I began each session. This resulted in all manner of hooting and cheering, smiling and high fiving, "cool" and "awesome" exclamations. Once
they settled I explained that we would talk about how we'd build a particular robot that may be needed in the future and who we may need to call upon for professional assistance. I explained that there were specs for the job because this robot would be tasked with great things. The robot must be
self-sufficient walk up walls, across ceilings and on narrow
edges must be able to fly 2-5 miles from home base
and up to 10 miles if necessary to find food for other robots and return with a payload that is up to half its weight
able to communicate with other robots the exact location of the food sources it identified during flight
able to use its flight system as a cooling fan if the base becomes too hot and if the base is too cold, it must be able to generate heat to keep the base at proper temperature for the survival of the family
be able to protect itself and its home base with a weapons defense system. This system must also be able to alert other robots to help defend the home base from attack and/or theft
produced to the tune of about 2,000 per day if needed
Then I'd add, "And did I mention that these robots are challenged with supplying the humans with a third of the foods that they eat each year?" Despite the fact that all of my bee supplies were in full view, they rarely guessed I was talking about a bee. The ideas of supplies to use and which experts could be called upon was so much fun to listen to, especially since these kids foolishly thought that calling upon scientists from NASA and even NSA could build such a thing. But one thing was consistent: once I mentioned the need for the robot to provide the humans with a third of their food supply each year, they stopped. And that's when I told them that it couldn't be built and in fact, it didn't need to be built because they already exist; the description was that of the amazing honey bee.
Continued next page
Continued - CONNIE’S BEESI explained that they would need to remember this discussion because if we don't make some changes now as humans, we will be faced with a need to try to replicate this amazing insect in the future. Then it was off to the regularly scheduled bee talk. At the end, I tied it all back into the robot and how we need to make choices now that would save the bees. Choices like not spraying chemicals in our yards (challenging them to ask their moms and dads what they are spraying and how it affects honey bees and ourselves), not needing a perfect green, grass-only lawn, but a diverse yard that feeds pollinators. I suggested reading more about bees either online or from books from the library (I had several to share that were of interest), and planting flowers and vegetables. I did the same talk at church Sunday for two different services, reaching about 120 children (plus adults that were with them, either watching them or who heard
about the talk and stayed to listen). I gave out flower seeds compliments of the extension service and Botanical Interests to give them something to do next spring and remind them of the talk. Several parents told me they loved the way I started and that they didn't even know what I was getting at because they had no idea that honey bees do these things. A friend texted me Saturday night because she was at a boys' birthday party and talking to a dad who mentioned scout camp and the bee robot talk. Fred's list is more extensive and would work well as a handout also. So I extend a big thank you to our fearless leader Fred Sypher for taking the time to do this and hope you too get a chance to use his robot challenge. It made for such fun and it was a great way to share facts without listing them off. I have now used it 12 times and each time was met with great response from kids and adults alike.
APIS-M Request for Proposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BY FRED SYPHER
These requirements are for the design, development, and production of a multi-function micro-air vehicle which can collect, transport, and metabolize organic foodstuffs as well as autonomously constructing both living and storage facilities from natural materials. APIS-M must be no larger than the last segment of the little finger, operate individually, and be fully self-sufficient. APIS-M must be able to walk up walls and windows, across ceilings, and cling to narrow edges. APIS-M must be able to fly a minimum of three miles from its operating base and return with payloads equal to half its takeoff weight. While deployed, APIS-M must be able to locate, identify, and collect raw food and building materials and navigate back to within 24 inches of the exact departure point using only the sun and the earth’s magnetic field as navigational aids. While deployed, APIS-M must be able to continuously scan for resource locations using pheromone receptors and a visual system working only in near infra-red light. Upon returning to base APIS-M must be able to communicate to other APIS-M units both distance and direction to food and material sources identified while deployed. Maximum takeoff weight must be no greater than one-tenth of an M&M.
APIS-M must be able to process all food and materials it transports to base with no ancillary equipment – liquids into concentrated carbohydrates and solids into protein bread, then store these food stuffs in a hexagonal-celled warehouse APIS-M will construct within the base using wax which APIS-M must also manufacture. After processing, the concentrated carbohydrates must have a shelf life of 1,000 years. APIS-M must
also be able to process and manipulate the building materials it transports in order to seal the base from which APIS-M operates. APIS-M must be able to work in complete darkness when inside the base.
If the base overheats APIS-M must be able to locate, transport and deposit water into specialized storage tanks also constructed from wax. If necessary, APIS-M must be able to employ its flight system in a stationary position to circulate air throughout the base. If the base becomes too cold APIS-M must be able to uncouple its flight system and activate its power plant to create heat as high as 118° Fahrenheit. APIS-M shall use only carbohydrates as fuel for all operational activities.
APIS-M must be able to identify and respond to threats to the base and be equipped with a defensive weapon system which, when deployed, automatically summons all available APIS-M units to the defense of the base. APIS-M must be guaranteed to operate continuously for six weeks without field maintenance, require no auxiliary equipment, no rare earth metals, no petroleum based lubricants, and be 100 percent biodegradable when decommissioned.
When submitting a proposal, include a manufacturing capability plan demonstrating the ability to manufacture up to 1,500 APIS-M units a day on site, complete and ready for deployment with a cold start production cycle of no more than 21 days. Production capacity must be continuously variable between zero and 1,500 units per day with an annual production target of 200,000 units. The budgetary estimate for this program is three hundred dollars. Are there any questions?
Published on Tuesday, June 24, 2014 by Common Dreams
Global Report on 'Neonicotinoid Disaster' a 'Wake-Up Call' to Save the Bees, say Groups Neonicotinoids threaten "heart of a functioning ecosystem," says report co-author.
Reference: Reference: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/06/24-5
- Andrea Germanos, staff writer
A bee visits borage. (Photo: Sunchild57 Photography/cc/flickr)
A widely used class of insecticides poses a threat on par with that of DDT and is harming ecosystems worldwide, a global team of scientists finds.
Their damning analysis based on 800 peer-reviewed reports, the Worldwide Integrated Assessment of the Impact of Systemic Pesticides on Biodiversity and Ecosystems (WIA), puts a spotlight on neonicotinoids, or "neonics," whose use they say poses a threat to global biodiversity.
In addition to "clear evidence" that neonics pose threats to bees and other pollinators — a point many environmental groups have stressed — the WIA analysis found that the most affected group was terrestrial invertebrates like earthworms, which are exposed to varying levels of the systemic pesticides through multiple pathways, like the soil, the plant itself, and water.
The toxic reach of the neonics goes beyond the farmland, the study details, as the soil absorbs the pesticides, dust from the field where treated seeds were drilled can blow into neighboring areas, and polluted groundwater can reach downstream and affect other ecosystems. This multi-pronged exposure in turn affects vertebrate animals like birds and fish.
The analysis also found that the standard ways of measuring the toxicity of the neonics are inadequate as they fail to measure the chronic impacts of the pesticides, which can linger and sometimes build up over years. One of the findings is that long-term exposure at what are classified as low levels can be harmful. Yet acute impacts can be devastating as well, with the analysis noting that acute effects of some neonics can be up to 10,000 times more toxic to bees than DDT.
Continuing their use "is not sustainable," and would mean continued detriment to global biodiversity, the authors find.
“The evidence is very clear," stated Dr. Jean-Marc Bonmatin of The National Center for Scientific Research in France and one of the lead authors of the analysis.
"We are witnessing a threat to the productivity of our natural and farmed environment equivalent to that posed by organophosphates or DDT. Far from protecting food production the use of neonics is threatening the very infrastructure which enables it, imperiling the pollinators, habitat engineers and natural pest controllers at the heart of a
Continued next page
Continued - Global Report on 'Neonicotinoid Disaster' a 'Wake-Up Call' to Save the Bees, say Groups
functioning ecosystem," Bonmatin continued While the European Union last year put a temporary ban on three neonics, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has failed to take such precautionary steps — a point stressed by organizations that have long-cited the harmful effects of neonics, and who say the new analysis should serve as a wake-up call for decisive, regulatory action.
“This report should be a final wake up call for American regulators who have been slow to respond to the science,” stated Emily Marquez, PhD, staff scientist at Pesticide Action Network North America. “The weight of the evidence showing harm to bees and other pollinators should move EPA to restrict neonicotinoids sooner than later. And the same regulatory loopholes that allowed these
pesticides to be brought to the market in the first place — and remain on the shelf — need to be closed.”
“To save our invaluable pollinators," stated Doug Gurian-Sherman, PhD, senior scientist for Center for Food Safety. "EPA, USDA and all Federal agencies must read this report and immediately implement regulatory remedies against the ongoing neonicotinoid disaster.”
The findings of the study will be published in the coming weeks in the journal Environment Science and Pollution Research, and are being presented starting Monday in Manila and Brussels.
____________________________
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.
U.S. retailers look to limit pesticides to help honeybees
BY CAREY GILLAM
Wed Jun 25, 2014 2:36pm EDT
Reference: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/25/us-usa-agriculture-bees-idUSKBN0F02HR20140625
(Reuters) - Home Depot (HD.N) and other U.S.
companies are working to eliminate or limit use of a
type of pesticide suspected of helping cause
dramatic declines in honeybee populations needed
to pollinate key American crops, officials said on
Wednesday.
The moves include requiring suppliers to label any
plants treated with neonicotinoid, or neonic,
pesticides sold through home and garden stores.
Atlanta-based Home Depot, the world's largest
home improvement retailer, is requiring its
suppliers to start such labeling by the fourth
quarter of this year, said Ron Jarvis, the company's
vice president of merchandising/sustainability.
Home Depot is also running tests in several states to
see if suppliers can eliminate neonics in their plant
production without hurting plant health, he said.
"The Home Depot is deeply engaged in
understanding the relationship of the use of certain
insecticides on our live goods and the decline in the
honeybee population," Jarvis said in an email.
Also on Wednesday, BJ's Wholesale Club [BJ.UL], a
warehouse retailer with more than 200 locations
along the East Coast, said it was asking all of its
vendors to provide plants free of neonics by the
end of 2014 or to label such products as requiring
"caution around pollinators" like bees.
Continued next page
Continued - U.S. retailers look to limit pesticides to help honeybees
At least 10 other smaller retailers, with locations in
Minnesota, Colorado, Maryland and California, have
announced plans to limit or eliminate neonics from
plant products.
The class of pesticides known as neonics are sold by
agrichemical companies to boost yields of staple
crops such as corn, but are also used widely on
annual and perennial plants used in lawns and
gardens.
A report issued on Wednesday by the
environmental group Friends of the Earth said that
36 out of 71, or 51 percent, of garden plant samples
purchased at top garden retailers in 18 cities in the
United States and Canada contained neonic
pesticides.
Scientists, consumer groups, beekeepers and others
say bee deaths are linked to the neonic pesticides.
But Monsanto, (MON.N), Bayer (BAYGn.DE) and
other agrichemical companies say a mix of factors
such as mites are killing the bees.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates total
losses of managed honeybee colonies at 23 percent
over the winter of 2013-14, the latest in a series of
annual declines.
Last week, the White House announced a plan to
fund new honeybee habitats and to form a task
force to study how to reverse the honeybee
declines. The bee die-off is worrisome for
agriculture because honeybees pollinate plants that
produce about a fourth of the food consumed by
Americans.
An analysis of 800 peer-reviewed studies released
this week by the Task Force on Systemic Pesticides,
a group of scientists from several countries,
concluded that neonics were a key factor in bee
declines and had other harmful effects on the
environment.
(Reporting by Carey Gillam in Kansas City; Editing
by Jonathan Oatis)
Reference: “Smart on Pesticides Maryland”
Two Maryland nurseries, Behnkes Nurseries in Beltsville and Cavano's Perennials in Kingsville, have stopped using neonics on their plants. Behnke's has also discontinued sales of all neonicotinoid-containing products. Retailers need to follow the lead of these Maryland businesses! Until then, gardeners should consider organic plants to protect bees.
How can you help?
Buy organic whenever possible.
Support merchants, like Behnkes and Cavano's, who take a stand against neonics.
Ask the CEO of Lowe’s to stop selling plants pretreated with bee-killing pesticides:
Click Here to TAKE ACTION NOW!!
Protect Your Family from Genetically Modified Foods Reference: “Smart on Pesticides Maryland” Did you know that while 60 countries have banned Genetically Modified (GM) crops or Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), Maryland’s GM foods are not even labeled? That means we can’t make informed choices about what goes into our shopping cart. The biotech industries behind GMOs have been successful at keeping their “secrets” hidden from the public. We have a right to know what we are feeding our families and children. Check out our website to learn about why GMOs are a concern around the world and for tips on how you can avoid buying GM food. GMOs are plants or animals that have been changed genetically through engineering and do not occur naturally. GM foods were originally developed to withstand drought, large amounts of herbicides/pesticides, offer more yield, and other benefits. However, a growing body of evidence shows GM foods aren’t producing the yield they promise, and cost farmers more to produce. Not to mention the serious health risks associated with them and increased pesticide use for GM crops. Independent studies have linked GMOs to detrimental health effects including allergies, autism, birth defects, infertility, cancers and many other illnesses. of GMOs. Learn what produce is at higher risk for being an unlabeled GMO here. In this past 2014 legislative session, Maryland legislators attempted to pass a Labeling Requirement for Genetically Engineered Foods. However, industry pressure was overwhelming and the bill failed. We need to stand up to the manufacturers by demanding this be a requirement – not only as a RIGHT TO KNOW but also as a general public health concern. We can do this first by excluding GMO products from our shopping carts. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@PesticidesSmart) for updates on pesticide-related news and research and tips for healthy living.
Honey Bees in House Walls David Shetlar, Barbara Bloetscher, and Jennifer Andon Department of Entomology Ohio State University “Fact Sheet” An interesting article describing trapping honey bees from a building or tree without tearing out the wall or cutting down the tree. http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/pdf/2079.pdf
North American Butterfly Association “I am endeavoring to create a new chapter of the North American Butterfly Association (NABA). The mission of the NABA and the new chapter will be to educate the public on all things pertaining to butterfly and native pollinator preservation. The first meeting is to be held July 14, 2014, at the North Carroll Branch Public Library in Hampstead, from 7-9 PM. I am notifying different groups in the area of the meeting in case attendance at this new chapter would be of interest.” DEBORAH MAEDER phone = 410-239-7009 e-mail = [email protected]
Free Milkweed Seeds, Growing Instructions and Safety Precautions Reference: http://www.livemonarch.com/free-milkweed-seeds.htm
Free Butterfly Garden Seeds, quick Seed Purchases and Contributions for the Cause.
Provided through LiveMonarch.com
SEED GROWING INSTRUCTIONS CLICK HERE
NOTE – Milkweed is a major source of early to mid-summer nectar for honey bees !!
Bees: Death Superstitions Copied from http://www.thedeadbell.com/2013/06/bees-funerals-interrupted-and-death.html
“Looking for articles on bee-interrupted funerals I learned about an old but interesting superstition involving bees and their keepers, a practice referred to as "telling the bees." This folklore was practiced in America during the 19th century, but most likely had European roots.1 Its name is fairly self-explanatory: when a member of a beekeeping family dies, someone must inform the hive of the news. (Bees were also "told" of other significant events in the household-marriages, moving, etc.) The consequences of not observing the superstition were the deaths of all of the bees or the abandonment of the hive. Bees were a valuable
commodity to those who tended them, so naturally people wanted to protect their hives. In addition to someone verbally informing the bees of the death, the hive was draped with a mourning crepe and funeral cake or wine left out for the bees to enjoy. In some villages a handwritten "invitation" to the funeral was pinned to the hive as well. Another practice associated with telling the bees was to lift and turn the hive at the same time that the coffin was lifted to be removed from the house.”
Arizona Republican 21 Nov. 1907
Danville Bee 4 June 1956
The Poem –“Telling the Bees” BY JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER
Here is the place; right over the hill
Runs the path I took;
You can see the gap in the old wall still,
And the stepping-stones in the shallow brook.
There is the house, with the gate red-barred,
And the poplars tall;
And the barn’s brown length, and the cattle-yard,
And the white horns tossing above the wall.
There are the beehives ranged in the sun;
And down by the brink
Of the brook are her poor flowers, weed-o’errun,
Pansy and daffodil, rose and pink.
A year has gone, as the tortoise goes,
Heavy and slow;
And the same rose blows, and the same sun glows,
And the same brook sings of a year ago.
There ’s the same sweet clover-smell in the breeze;
And the June sun warm
Tangles his wings of fire in the trees,
Setting, as then, over Fernside farm.
I mind me how with a lover’s care
From my Sunday coat
I brushed off the burrs, and smoothed my hair,
And cooled at the brookside my brow and throat.
Since we parted, a month had passed,—
To love, a year;
Down through the beeches I looked at last
On the little red gate and the well-sweep near
I can see it all now,—the slantwise rain
Of light through the leaves,
The sundown’s blaze on her window-pane,
The bloom of her roses under the eaves.
Just the same as a month before,—
The house and the trees,
The barn’s brown gable, the vine by the door,—
Nothing changed but the hives of bees.
Before them, under the garden wall,
Forward and back,
Went drearily singing the chore-girl small,
Draping each hive with a shred of black.
Trembling, I listened: the summer sun
Had the chill of snow;
For I knew she was telling the bees of one
Gone on the journey we all must go!
Then I said to myself, “My Mary weeps
For the dead to-day:
Haply her blind old grandsire sleeps
The fret and the pain of his age away.”
But her dog whined low; on the doorway sill,
With his cane to his chin,
The old man sat; and the chore-girl still
Sung to the bees stealing out and in.
And the song she was singing ever since
In my ear sounds on:—
“Stay at home, pretty bees, fly not hence!
Mistress Mary is dead and gone!”
Walk-in observation hive in Spain at a bee museum
June Question of the Month – “What is a Taranov board, what is it used for, have you used it, if so, did it work?” Answer submitted by Anna "Poladian-Prior,
A Taranov board is a method of swarm control that simulates a swarm by moving the old queen with very young bees into a new hive. The old hive is left with the foragers and swarm cells. The premise is that the house bees have not oriented to the location of the hive and will not return to the hive once they have been removed. Shockingly, almost against all rationale, it actually works.
Here is what you do: build a ramp (a 2"x4" will do) that ends ~4" away from the hive's entrance. Attach a piece of cloth to the underside of the ramp (across from the entrance), staple a bedsheet over the top of the ramp to catch all of the bees and keep them from getting stuck in the grass when you shake them off the frames.
Go through the hive frame by frame shaking off the bees, making sure you get the queen; but frames with queen cells should be brushed, not shaken, to
avoid damaging the developing queens. The bees will crawl up the ramp, the foragers will look at the 4" gap, be miffed and then fly into the hive. BUT the house bees and queen (queen is unable to fly due to her weight and the house bees haven't oriented yet) will move up the ramp, and then move down to the underside where it's dark. Thus the cloth...the bees will use it as a way to cluster together.
The process of the bees sorting themselves can take some time, but no work from you is needed, just watch and be patient. Once the foragers have returned to the hive and the queen and young bees have collected together under the ramp, pick them up and dump them into a new hive, preferably with some drawn comb to allow the queen to continue to lay. Voila, swarm averted. Pictures are available when "Taranov swarm control" is typed into a search engine.
NATURE’S DYING MIGRANT WORKER Story by Josephine Marcotty Photos and videos by Renée Jones Schneider
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, CALIF. | First in an occasional series On a cool January day in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Steve Ellis culled his sick bees. The only sounds were their steady buzz and the chuffing of the smoker he used to keep them calm as he opened the hives, one by one, to see how many had survived. The painful chore has become an annual ritual for Ellis, and, hardened now like a medic on the front lines, he crowned another box with a big rock to mark it. “This one is G.A.D.,” he said. “Good as dead.”
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. This winter, Ellis lost about 1,200 of the 2,200 hives he had in the summer. Last winter, Anderson lost 65 percent of his 3,000 hives and didn’t have enough bees to supply all his almond growers. Read more: http://www.startribune.com/local/264929101.html
July Question of the Month What do you do for honey jar labels? For example, do you make your own, purchase them pre-printed, purchase them partially pre-printed, etc.? If you print them with an ink-jet or laser printer, does the ink run when the jar is wiped off with a damp cloth?
Send your response to: [email protected]
SAVE THE DATES
July 16 – CCBA Monthly Meeting
July 26 – August 1 – Carroll County 4-H & FFA Fair *
August 15 (2-4pm) – Farm to Fork Program at Finksburg Library
August 28 – CCBA staffs the MSBA booth @ the MD State Fair *
September 13 – Pollinator Fest at Bear Branch Nature Center *
September 28 – Westminster FallFest *
* - an opportunity for CCBA members to sell their honey and wax products
CCBA 2014 OFFICERS
President Fred Sypher [email protected]
Vice President Larry Fritz [email protected] Treasurer Jody King [email protected]
Secretary Stephanie Krome [email protected] Webmaster Trace Orf [email protected]
The Carroll Bee editor Larry Fritz [email protected]
Check out the CCBA Website
www.carrollcountybeekeepers.org/ To join the CCBA forum, please reply with your email address to [email protected]
