From MAILER-DAEMON Sat Feb 28 10:11:37 2009 Return-Path: <> X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.1.8 (2007-02-13) on industrial X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-87.0 required=2.4 tests=ADVANCE_FEE_1,AWL, MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR,SPF_HELO_PASS,USER_IN_WHITELIST autolearn=disabled version=3.1.8 X-Original-To: adamf@IBIBLIO.ORG Delivered-To: adamf@IBIBLIO.ORG Received: from listserv.albany.edu (unknown [169.226.1.24]) by metalab.unc.edu (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0AD9A49053 for ; Sat, 28 Feb 2009 10:11:35 -0500 (EST) Received: from listserv.albany.edu (listserv.albany.edu [169.226.1.24]) by listserv.albany.edu (8.13.8/8.13.8) with ESMTP id n1SF1ML4014128 for ; Sat, 28 Feb 2009 10:11:35 -0500 (EST) Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2009 10:11:35 -0500 From: "University at Albany LISTSERV Server (14.5)" Subject: File: "BEE-L LOG0504A" To: adamf@IBIBLIO.ORG Message-ID: Content-Length: 101154 Lines: 2335 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 08:23:40 EST Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Tim Morris Subject: Re: BEE-L Digest - 30 Mar 2005 to 31 Mar 2005 (#2005-90) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 3/31/2005 11:28:31 PM Central Standard Time, LISTSERV@listserv.albany.edu writes: > Thanks to all who helped with information in the past! I need help once > again... > > Looking for supplier for semiochemicals for honeybee pheromone studies. > > Especially the difficult to find, nerolic acid and geranic acid. > I would suggest SigmaAldrich.com They have always had everything I needed. They have the Geranic Acid, I would think they have all the others you may want. Tim Morris Leoma, Tn :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2005 08:45:31 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Wayne Chesley Subject: Spring Cleaning I'm new to beekeeping and have a question about cleaning out dead hives. Two of my hives did not make it through the winter. The outer frames still have honey. There are dead bees throughout the hive, and even in on hive, mold. How do I clean out my frames, remove the dead bees, and prepare the comb and hive boxes for new bees? There just doesn't seem to be much in the literature about this. Thanks, Wayne :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2005 15:27:41 -0800 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu Comments: DomainKeys? See http://antispam.yahoo.com/domainkeys From: Mike Stoops Subject: Re: Spring Cleaning In-Reply-To: 6667 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii --- Wayne Chesley wrote: > I'm new to beekeeping and have a question about > cleaning out dead hives. >> First ascertain that the bees did NOT die from foulbrood. If they died for any other reason, you can install a new swarm/package of bees into the old equipment. Those little ladies are great housekeepers and will clean out all of the dirt and debris from the hive, and will utilize the stores that are still good. Do make sure that you keep the frames in good shape; i.e. do not let the small hive beetle do its thing or let the lessor or greater wax moth destroy the comb. Use paradichlorobenzene (PDB) to kill any moths and hatching eggs that might be in the combs. You stack your hives and seal them air tight. Before you close the stored hives, place the PDB crystals on a flat surface on top of the top frames so that as the crystals evaporate the fumes will percolate down and through all the combs below. Then seal the thing up tight. Be sure to air everything out well at least two weeks before installing any new bees. Oh yeah, another way to kill the little critters is to seal the hive parts up in plastic bags and freeze them good for about a week. Good luck. Mike Located 1/2 way between Montgomery and Mobile, Alabama __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2005 05:56:12 EDT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: CSlade777@AOL.COM Subject: Re: Spring Cleaning MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 03/04/2005 06:03:01 GMT Standard Time, LISTSERV@listserv.albany.edu writes: > Two of my hives did not make it through the winter. The outer frames still > have honey. There are dead bees throughout the hive, and even in on hive, > mold. How do I clean out my frames, remove the dead bees, and prepare the > comb and hive boxes for new bees? > Depends what they died of. It is safest to assume that they died of something noxious and virulent that will persist on the combs. If you act on this assumption there will be no danger of the next occupants suffering the same fate. Take everything out of the boxes and scorch the insides with a blow torch. Take everything out of the frames. You may wish to recover the honey for personal consumption, but don't let any bees get at it. Burn or bury everything else. The frames can be cleaned with caustic soda or scraped and scorched before re-use. Be of good cheer, swarms will be along soon. Chris :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2005 09:42:00 -0700 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu Comments: DomainKeys? See http://antispam.yahoo.com/domainkeys From: Mike Stoops Subject: Re: Spring Cleaning In-Reply-To: 6667 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii --- CSlade777@AOL.COM wrote: > Depends what they died of. It is safest to assume > that they died of something noxious and virulent that will persist on the combs. If you act on this assumption there will be no danger of the next occupants suffering the same fate. > > Take everything out of the boxes and scorch the insides with a blow torch. Take everything out of the frames. Burn or bury everything > else. The frames can be cleaned with caustic soda or scraped and scorched before re-use. > Be of good cheer, swarms will be along soon. > > Chris > >> I think what Chris was referring to (something noxious and virulent) was American Foulbrood. I agree with what he has said except: "The frames can be cleaned with caustic soda or scraped and scorched before re-use." You can't decontaminate AFB from frames by cleaning with caustic soda. About the only way to decontaminate the frames is by hard radiation as found in cancer treatment centers. Up until very recently the ascribed method of handling frames contaminated with AFB was to burn the frames, honey, wax, bees, and all. >> if you can determine that the bees died out from something other than AFB then I will restate my opinion that the equipment can be used as is and that the new colony will clean everything up spick and span. Mike Located 1/2 way between Montgomery and Mobile, Alabama __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2005 15:35:06 -0700 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Mea McNeil Subject: Re: Swarm line In-Reply-To: <20050403164200.44210.qmail@web53410.mail.yahoo.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed To respond to the line of discussion on where and when the first swarms are appearing, we finally got our first swarm call on 4-1. To the beekeeper who always gets swarms on Easter, it appears that ours come on April Fools' Day. When we arrived for the second swarm call, someone had sprayed the bees with Raid. Mea San Anselmo, CA (just north of San Francisco) :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2005 20:35:09 -0400 Reply-To: wwfarm@wctel.net Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Carolyn Ehle Subject: Re: Swarm line In-Reply-To: <6.0.0.22.1.20050403153057.02dc5ac0@pop.lmi.net> MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Came home after a day distributing 26 packages and resistant queens to 20-odd new beekeepers including some kids, who had finished our beekeeping course here in very rural piedmont South Carolina. I'm sure our late mentor, Paul LeRoy, would have been (or is) proud of the turnout. The demo bees we installed behaved very nicely, too, and the 50 MPH winds from yesterday calmed down some just in time. Came home to find my first swarm, an observation hive I had crowded dekiberately. Also the 2 colonies at the demo location, which I last worked in April 2004, were booming and ready to swarm themselves despite having 5 and 6 boxes left on all winter. Haven't been in most of my home beeyard (38 hives), also untreated by anything for 4 years, then only formic or nothing back to 1997. The whole time I've been bringing in assorted resistant stocks and letting the best mate (splits mostly, and drone manipulation). It's a pretty motley crew but the genetics are definitely starting to prove themselves. The observation queen was lightly clipped and at eye level on a wild bush. A few snips with the loppers and they were hived, even saw my marked queen. All in all an excellent beekeeping day, tho my apologies if this is slightly incoherent, no time to edit. Carolyn in Plum Branch SC Mea McNeil wrote: > To respond to the line of discussion on where and when the first > swarms are > appearing, we finally got our first swarm call on 4-1. > :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2005 17:22:31 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Alan Fiala Subject: Gerald Loper MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Does anyone on the list know Gerald Loper and how I can get in touch with him? Alan Fiala Falls Church, VA :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 08:43:56 -0600 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: "Medhat Nasr, Ph. D." Subject: Re: IPM and tens of thousands of hives crashing" In-Reply-To: <001501c532fa$58d82420$3bbc59d8@BusyBeeAcres> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Response to some Bee-L e-mails: I received several personal e-mails regarding the IPM systems for mite control. I did not intend to use only Buzz Wards as some claimed. I intentionally left the description of any system out of my previous response. In my position and being responsible, I have to respect all regulations of various countries that govern Bee-L members. It is up to the beekeepers and their Apiculturists to find the best IPM strategy that meets their conditions and regulations. I can't advocate the illegal use of products to control mites, but I can share research results with everyone. Thus, the Apiculturists and beekeepers would benefit from shared information. It would also help them to initiate testing and registrations of these products for their own use. The move from chemical to integrated control will require a transition period. The black box or copy cat concept will not work. Deliberate information regarding bee season and mite population dynamics are essential for designing the system. To do this, the black box should be replaced by the white box whose contents are known and tested in each region. Medhat Medhat Nasr, Ph. D. Provincial Apiculturist Crop Diversification Centre North 17507 Fort Road Edmonton, AB, Canada T5Y 6H3 Tel: (780) 415-2314 Fax: (780) 422-6096 Mailto:medhat.nasr@gov.ab.ca :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 09:33:43 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Aaron Morris Subject: Re: Spring Cleaning MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" wayne@WANTNOTFARM.COM asked about cleaning up a deadout. Replies have been posted based on what the author would do in their neck of the woods, based on their own practices and beliefs. One thing about beekeeping is that any beekeeper can and will do as they see fit. I agree with all the responses that advise that the first action is to properly diagnose what caused the hives' demise. For a beginning beekeeper this is easier said than done. For a seasoned beekeeper the proper diagnosis can still be a SWAG. The beekeeper who advised that there is no room for scientific wild assed guessing is very conservative, presumably has lots of time and money to buy and assemble new frames, and dismisses that value of drawn comb. But the advice to assume the worst, burn and scorch everything and start over from scratch certainly assures a clean start. However, such a policy certainly will destroy a lot of good equipment needlessly and could hold back a beekeeper that may be trying to increase their operation. I agree with those who have advised that the first order of business is to rule out American Foul Brood (AFB) as a suspect. Burning and scorching certainly will do that. Irradiation will also. Neither is required or advised by this beekeeper unless and until AFB has positively been identified as the culprit. If AFB is not involved, burning, scorching and irradiation is an unwarranted waste of good equipment, time, expense and a missed opportunity to learn valuable lessons in a beekeeping career. The first lesson is how to diagnose AFB in a deadout. I'm not going to cover that here other than to suggest some options such as get a text book, or surf to a competent web site (MAAREC for instance), request help from a nearby seasoned beekeeper (if you can find one), join a local beekeeping association, call an apiary inspector (if your state has an inspection program), do a Holst milk test, buy one of Dr. Max's new diagnostic kits, or send samples to the Beltsville Bee Lab. Or yes, burn or irradiate without determining if that is even necessary. If AFB is the culprit, burning or irradiating will solve that problem, and if AFB is NOT the culprit, well, it won't be the culprit after you've burned or irradiated. Another pathogen that can cross over from a deadout to a restocked hive is Nosema. Again, burning or irradiation will address a problem that may or may not be present. Or one can learn to diagnose nosema in a deadout (same options as with AFB) and if present fumigate with acidic acid following the procedures given in any competent text on the topic. If transferable pathogens have been ruled out, the next step (if you haven't burned or if you intend to irradiate) is to clean out the dead bees as well as you are able as soon as you are able. "As soon as you are able" means as soon as you can get to the deadout in your area. No excuses. Nature doesn't accept excuses. If a deadout sits there with masses of dead bees, the bees will start to decompose, rot, and propagate nasties that can cause more problems, worse problems down the road. If the dead out sits there because the beekeeper has very good reasons not to get around to cleaning it up, the biological processes that are going on are not going to make a judgment call like, "Bea Keeper has to take her son to soccer practice today, I'll hold off and start rotting tomorrow because Bea is busy, I like her and she deserves a break today." Clean out your deadouts as soon as you are able, as best as you are able. Well, what does "as best as you are able" mean? Go through the hive, frame by frame and remove as many of the bees as are easily removed. A bee brush will remove a lot of the bees. A hand whiskbroom may be a better tool. If the bees are clumped and decomposition has already begun, a hive tool is still stronger than the clump of bees and will remove if from the comb. The individual bees that are stuck in individual cells can be left alone. One could pick each bee out using a pair of tweezers, but I mention this only to be thorough. I would never attempt such a task, and the practice might do more harm than good. Understanding the biology of decomposition in important in the Zen of cleaning deadouts. The decomposition of a single bee is far different than the decomposition of a large mass of bees. The decomposition of a single bee remains low key, and relatively confined to the body of the bee, whereas a mass of decomposing bees reaches a mass far greater than the sum of the parts. A mass of decomposing bees will actually create heat, not a lot of heat, but heat that a single bee will not. A mass of rotting bees will support mold and other nasty biological growths that a single bee will not. A mass of decomposing bees can be easily removed by the beekeeper (especially if removed early on in the process) whereas removing individual bees from individual cells, although possible, would be a tedious task bordering absurdity if one values one's time. And, the individual bees in individual cells will be removed easily and quickly by bees if/when the hive is restocked. The original author mentioned mold. If mold has developed in the deadout, the beekeeper took too long to clean it up. This is not me making a judgment call on the skills of the beekeeper involved, this is nature doing what nature does, regardless of the beekeeper's schedule. I have never seen mold stand up to a strong spray of water or direct sunlight. A combination of the two can recover comb that many would deem too far gone to salvage. A spring deadout is an unfortunate event in a beekeeper's world, but it can also be an opportunity. The opportunity can be to learn better disease diagnostic skills. The opportunity can be to clean up equipment in a manner and level that is not possible when the hive is occupies with bees. As the combs are cleared of the corpses, take the opportunity to evaluate the condition of the comb. Is it new or old? Is it straight? Does it have a lot of drone cells? Is it worth saving or has it perhaps gone beyond its life expectancy? Has it been exposed to a lot of mite treatments? Be conservative in these evaluations. A deadout offers an opportunity to cycle out old combs that may contribute to BAD or SAD bees. And if the comb is a keeper, take the opportunity to scrape the propolis from the spacer tabs between the frames. The reward will be a frame configuration that is less cramped, that will be easier and more pleasant to work when the hive is repopulated. A word about the advice to store the combs with moth crystals: the advice came from Alabama, where wax moths are (I believe) a year-round concern. Where I keep bees (upstate New York), we do not worry about wax moth before mid-June at the earliest. Those that use moth crystals should not confuse moth crystals (PDB) with moth balls (naphthalene), which are two entirely different products. And some opine, and researchers are discovering and recommending that even PDB has no place in beekeeping. Although PDB has been recommended for years, modern detection technology has verified that combs treated with PDB yield honey with PDB residues. This is not a judgment call on the skills of beekeepers that use or advise the use of PDB, it's just the natural data that modern science has revealed. The best control of wax moth is provided by a large healthy population of bees. In summary, address your deadouts as soon as you are able, as well as you are able. Clean them out as soon as is humanly possible. Nature accepts no excuses. Diagnose as quickly and competently as possible the cause of the hive's demise. If transferable pathogens are the cause, address the transferable pathogens. Fire is certain, but irradiation and/or fumigation can also be effective. And once the deadout has been diagnosed, treated (if necessary), and cleaned to the best of the beekeeper's ability, restock it with bees and work to build them up and keep them healthy. It has been my experience that bees do a better job of maintaining combs than do beekeepers. Aaron Morris - I think, therefore I bee! :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 17:54:30 -0700 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu Comments: DomainKeys? See http://antispam.yahoo.com/domainkeys From: Dee Lusby Subject: Re: Gerald Loper In-Reply-To: 6667 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii last # I have is 520-327-7538 Sincerely, Dee A. Lusby Commercial Small Cell Beekeeper Tucson, Arizona __________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger Show us what our next emoticon should look like. Join the fun. http://www.advision.webevents.yahoo.com/emoticontest :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 22:01:55 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Bob Harrison Subject: Re: Spring Cleaning MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hello All, Over the last four decades I have had many opportunities to diagnosis deadouts for new beekeepers (and commercial ). Even my friend Aaron (and the others) left out the number one deadout cause by far. More than double any other cause I ever saw! Starvation! Easy to see! Bees dead with heads stuck in empty cells! Either no honey or honey a distance from the dead bee cluster! Used to happen to me (decades ago) until I decided not to put up with starvation and now only happens on rare occasions. I would not burn a deadout with starvation symptoms! Bob :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 13:41:18 +0200 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Anthony Morgan Subject: Re: Spring Cleaning MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Aaron Morris wrote: > wayne@WANTNOTFARM.COM asked about cleaning up a deadout. > may not be present. Or one can learn to diagnose nosema in a deadout (same > options as with AFB) and if present fumigate with acidic acid following the > procedures given in any competent text on the topic. "acidic acid" ??? :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 04:34:39 -0700 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu Comments: DomainKeys? See http://antispam.yahoo.com/domainkeys From: "J. Waggle" Subject: Re: Spring Cleaning In-Reply-To: 6667 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii --- Bob Harrison wrote: ...Even my friend Aaron (and the others) left out the > number one deadout cause > by far. > > More than double any other cause I ever saw! > > Starvation! Easy to see! > > Bees dead with heads stuck in empty cells! > > Either no honey or honey a distance from the dead > bee cluster! Hello All, Would like to hear your thoughts on this Bob. I agree that dead-outs will generally be found to have died of starvation. But my thoughts are that starvation is given more credit for colony failures than it deserves. For example, if you do the dead-out examination and find a dead cluster about 3 inches round that 'clearly starved', and stores and inch or two away from the cluster. Do you blame starvation? OR do you blame the cause of the starvation? which might be dwindling from some other factor resulting in too small a cluster with not enough strength to be able to shift to new stores? The guy that has cancer for 5 years and has heart failure. Would you blame heart failure?,,,or do would you blame the cancer as the cause of death? Best Wishes, Joe Waggle ~ Derry, PA 'Bees Gone Wild Apiaries' Buy~Sell~Trade: Organic, Bees~Queens~Equipment at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OrganicbeekeeperClassifieds/ Check out a giant swarm: http://joebee.homestead.com/files/honeybeeSwarm.jpg __________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger Show us what our next emoticon should look like. Join the fun. http://www.advision.webevents.yahoo.com/emoticontest :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 09:02:51 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Aaron Morris Subject: Re: Spring Cleaning MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > "acidic acid" ??? Apologies for the typo. It should be acetic acid, 80% concentration (not vinegar). See: http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/honeybees/dai-124.pdf?MIvalObj=527&doctyp e=document&MItypeObj=application/pdf&name=/dai-124.pdf Watch the word wrap on the url, it should all be one line. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 08:12:50 -0600 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: allen dick Subject: Re: Spring Cleaning MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Starvation! Easy to see!... Bob is right. Starvation is a major cause of bee and colony death, but what many, if not most, beekeepers do not seem to understand is that a starvation episode does not have to take place at time of death to be a major contributor to the eventual demise of a colony. Colony starvation weeks or months previous to actual colony death is a major cause of undiagnosed or misdiagnosed winter loss. Often whole yards die mysteriously with reasonable populations and decent stores in the hives, and, although some other excuse may be found and pinpointed, the real primary cause was robbing too close, feeding too late, shortage of pollen, or lack of a balanced pollen diet at a critical time. Lack of proper nutrition can start a chain of events that results in population declines, poorly developed, stunted, young bees, and reduced colony resistance to pests and disease, and greater sensitivity to dampness and cold. If a brief starvation is followed by good conditions, starved or malnourished bees can usually recover over a generation or two. Given good weather and good honey and pollen flows, they will restore their nest and raise strong bees. However, starvation often ocurs in late summer or fall and, even if the bees manage to get their stores built up, the bees themselves may simply lack the body reserves necessary to make it through winter or build up in spring. allen A Beekeeper's Diary: http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 10:03:48 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Larry Krengel Subject: bee yard site MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=response Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I have been given the opportunity to establish a bee yard in a 700 acre nature preserve. It has been used to shelter endangered species - plant and animal - and is very well maintained and protected. They are willing to provide any type of site preparation I wish. I have never thought about this before. Usually I make due with what is there and sit my hive stands on the ground. They are willing to provide a hard surface, gravel, sand... or ?? With this opportunity, I have been considering what might be most advantageous.. Any suggestions about the type of surface? Knowing a bit about mites and hive beetles, I thought I would ask for a site that would make their life more difficult. I wonder if a limestone crush might do that? Sand? A plastic sheet with gravel on top? It is an interesting opportunity, and I would appreciate thoughts from the list. Larry Krengel Marengo, IL USA :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 11:18:44 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: "Bogansky,Ronald J." Subject: FreeBees MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Hello All, I have been a bit behind in reading the posts so if this has already been discussed please forgive my late reply. It was mentioned that the state of North Carolina is going to offer free packages of bees to new beekeepers, with the hopes of having more bees available for agriculture. IMHO their heart may be in the right place, but I am not so sure about their head. The best outcome I can see from all of this is the positive press it received and making the plight of the industry known to the general public. I have to wonder if the only reason a person starts keeping bees is because they are free, how dedicated they will be to the craft? I assume that a few beekeepers will rise out of this project, but I am afraid the majority of the bees are going to be sacrificed. If you disagree, think back on why you became a beekeeper and how you accomplished it. Some folks take a short course, others read a lot and some get with an experienced beekeeper. I have participated in teaching a short course or two and can pretty much say that most of the individuals taking the course are no longer in the craft (maybe it was the teacher). The one underlying factor I noticed is the individuals that are no longer keeping bees are the same that did not link up with other beekeepers. I don't think you can learn everything in a weekend short course. I have been doing this a long time and maybe someday I will know enough actually be a good beekeeper. First time in the bee yard most newbees are thinking more about being stung that what is actually going on. IMHO, North Carolina should be recruiting experienced beekeepers and offering them the free packages with the agreement that they will take on an apprentice or two for the season and teach them how to get started properly. In the end you will have more colonies of bees that have survived the project and just maybe a few more good beekeepers in the state. The old "give a man a fish vs. teach a man to fish" theory would seem to apply here. A few weeks back our association in conjunction with the PA State association sponsored a day long seminar devoted to varroa. It was a fairly good turn out for this excellent program, but no where near the number of beekeepers in the state or in even in the area showed up. Second theory for today: "You can lead a horse to water.........." may apply here. Just my thoughts. Ron Ron Bogansky Kutztown, (eastern) PA, USA :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 12:38:58 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Steve Noble Subject: Yugo bees The last couple of weeks I have read a number of posts refering to a failure of the Yugo in rather vague terms. These remarks have gone unchallenged and I am wondering what the story is. A quick scan of the archives has yeilded nothing very clear. Could someone give us a synopsis of what these posts might have been refering to when mentioning the "Yugo problem" as if it were a disasterous experiment of some kind? I have some friends, new to beekeeping last spring, who started out with what are called Yugo Carniolans, from a place called Honey Bee Genetics. They all had problems but their problems were clearly the result of inexperience and not related to the type of bee. The one guy actually got a lot of honey off his two hives, one of which swarmed on him while he was on vacation. Thanks, Steve Noble :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 14:56:16 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Allen Barrett Subject: Shook Swarm Varroa Treatment MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; reply-type=original; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT I've just finished researching the "Hive Rotation" method of management. It was very interesting and I might give it a go. During the process of researching it, I saw a video in which shook swarms were being sprayed with some kind of treatment for varroa. The video was shot in Holland, I think. What was that treatment, and is it available/legal in the US? All I'm familiar with are the Apistan strips. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks. :) :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 15:09:51 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: John & Christy Horton Subject: Re: Spring Cleaning MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=response Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: "John & Christy Horton" I have said this on an earlier message but i think it is worth repeating: I have stored about 700 shallow supers for 3 years now and havent lost a single stored frame to wax moths. YOU DO NOT NEED ANY CHEMICALS THIS WAY: Store the supers(medium or shallow) in ALTERNATING fashion as high as you want but so they won't tumble over(I do about 15 boxes high max) If you have a fair amount of LIGHT youll probably be ok. I have also stored some deeps this way but I would start out slow with some test cases. If you dont believe this, just try a few supers as a test case. I make no guarantees ,all I can say is that it has always worked well for me and others. I found this way of doing it from Pastor Al Norton here in Alabama. I dont know who told him. As i said before, i ran this by a beekeeper who has a LARGE operation and he had never heard of this method. YOU DO NOT NEED ANY CHEMICALS THIS WAY. I will mention that I let the bees clean up my wet supers before storage. YOU DO NOT NEED ANY CHEMICALS THIS WAY. John Horton :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 16:42:30 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Peter Borst Subject: Re: bee yard site Personally, I prefer a large flat area that can be mowed. Even if it's a hay field, it will look like a lawn after a season of close mowing. It should be large enough to be able to pull your truck in and allow you to have hives on either side of the truck, so the hives are always close to the truck bed. Less walking is a good thing, and the flatter the better to avoid tripping and sprained ankles. I wouldn't care for bare dirt, as it is apt to get muddy. Pavement would probably get very hot, but you would be able to use a hand truck there ! pb :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 16:15:44 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Charles Harper Subject: Re: Yugo bees In-Reply-To: <200504051640.j35Fm5LU002188@listserv.albany.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Beekeepers that are not informed say the Yugo bee was a flop. In reality they did what the USDA said. They were resistant to TM but very little resistance to varoa and poor honey producers. They were used to cross to other bee strains to get resistance to TM as we did not have many strains with resistance to TM. Harper's Honey Farm Charlie labeeman@russianbreeder.com Ph# 337 298 6261 > > :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 07:09:42 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Ed Mabesoone Subject: Re: bee yard site Limerock is mined here in the area of west central Florida where I live and is used for a number of things including unpaved roads. Once it is graded and compacted it becomes hard like concrete. From the standpoint of the SHB I would think it would be extemely hard for the larva to dig down into it to pupate once it was compacted, however I don't know how far they would crawl to get to soft soil.I don't think there would be and advantage or disadvantage as far as varroa are concerned. Obviously you can drive on it so there would be no problem with getting a truck to the hives. It does become slippery and somewhat soft when it rains but dries and gets hard fairly fast after the rain is over so unless you work your bees in the rain that shouldn't be a problem. >From the heat standpoint I think bare sand gets to a higher temp than does the limerock and from the aesthetic standpoint I think anything that in not of the norm for the area whould look out of place. Just some quick thoughts Ed :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 08:50:08 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Dan & Jan Subject: Re: FreeBees MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit You may want to recheck your facts. Two colonies are offered to NEW BEEKEEPERS only There were over 2500 requests for only 200 keepers In order to receive the colonies the applicant must join and regularly attend a local beekeeper assn. There are surveys that have to be filled out on a regular interval to monitor the colonies. NC has more beekeepers than any other state, most of who are hobby beekeepers. The program is designed to increase the numbers of NEW beekeepers, we were all new at some time. I hope this may clear up some misconceptions Dan Veilleux Boone area In the Mountains of NC President of the Watauga beekeepers assn. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 09:08:39 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Robert Gaddis Subject: NC Bee Program In-Reply-To: <200504060407.j363q3fF014060@listserv.albany.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed The NC Bee giveaway was funded by the Golen Leaf Foundation which was established to channel the tobacco lawsuit proceeds into places where it may do some good. The plan was to give 2 free hives of Russian bees to farmers who were losing income from changes in the tobacco program, so as to give them an "in" to the lucrative field of beekeeping. I don't think too many farmers either knew or cared about the program, and those who did apply already had an interest in bees. Most of the people I knew who applied(including myself)were already beekeepers who figured, "why not?" There were 2773 applicants for 250 sets of bees. The recipients had to agree to keep the bees for 2 years before selling them. I think the the writer's idea about providing the bees to experienced beekeepers for a mentoring program is good. I think that our local beekeeping clubs should consider establishing a state-wide uniform course with a single text and standardized(as far as possible for each locality) management practices and equipment. Our local club(Craven-Pamlico)recently held a 5-week introductory course and public response was really good. We had 30-40 new faces interested in beekeeping. How many will actually try it remains to be seen. The challenge remains to get young people interested in beekeeping.We have only 2 youngsters in our club. Most beekeepers are OLD or REALLY OLD and it seems like maybe retirees are the only ones with time and money enough to start this hobby. For those already keeping bees, there is the leap from hobbyist to sideliner to commercial. There is a "practices and principles" gap between hobbyist and commercial that takes a different mindset. Most commercial beekeepers do not have the time or resources to attend to bees in the same manner in which a hobbyist does. Commercial guys work hard and fast, while most hobbyists I know like a slower, more serene pace. Not every beekeeper has the ability or desire to become a professional commercial beekeeper. I like the idea of many thousands of backyard beekeepers with 2-4 hives along with the idea of 2-4 beekeepers with several thousands of hives. The NC Master Beekeepers program requires that the candidates do public presentations. I have my 1st level "Certified" completed and hope to take the Journeyman test this summer. I have several bees talks scheduled and have a powerpoint presentation under development. I'm hoping maybe some of the 1st graders I'm talking to next week will get inspired enough to start thinking about beekeeping as a hobby somewhere down the line. The NCSBA is trying to raise money to build a Beekeeping exhibit at the NC zoo in Asheboro, where beekeepers volunteer to do presentations of bee handling and sell some hive products to boost awareness of the important role of honeybees and beekeepers. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.9.1 - Release Date: 4/1/2005 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 07:43:12 -0600 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: allen dick Subject: Re: Spring Cleaning MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Use paradichlorobenzene (PDB) to kill any moths and > hatching eggs that might be in the combs. You stack > your hives and seal them air tight. Before you close > the stored hives, place the PDB crystals... See http://tinyurl.com/3hpzg and http://tinyurl.com/4l859 allen A Beekeeper's Diary: http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 08:08:12 -0600 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: allen dick Subject: Re: "tens of thousands of hives crashing" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=response Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Another article. See http://tinyurl.com/4nhcn This one is claiming, "A shortage of bees and beekeepers in Virginia could threaten this year's apple, peach, cucumber, melon, cantaloupe and pumpkin harvests". To quote the article, "The benefit from honeybee pollination to the agricultural industry in Virginia is $74 million, said Lannie Ballard, vice president of the Virginia State Beekeepers Association." and "It is estimated there were 90,000 managed hives in Virginia in 1984. In 2003 that estimate had fallen to 24,000 managed hives." $74,000,000 / 24,000 hives = $3,063.33 in value for each managed hive in the state, whether on pollination or not. Is the problem anything that doubling the pollination fee would not cure? Seems to me that something is wrong here. Are we as important as we claim to be? Did any almond growers in California actually go without bees in the end? (Anybody know?) allen A Beekeeper's Diary: http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/ Can't let a good thread die :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 12:56:30 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Frank Wyatt Subject: Re: FreeBees There were 2773 applications for the free hives. Individuals must attend an approved NC Beginning Beekeepers training course. Join and attend a local Association. Is assigned a mentor, that he is to work with on a regular basis. Must fill out and return to NC surveys as presented to the new beekeeper, and still does not own the hives until after two years and he has completed all aspects of the give away program. Sounds to me that these new beekeepers will "earn" these give away hives. Frank Wyatt Eden, NC WG Bee :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 12:46:28 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Larry Krengel Subject: Re: FreeBees MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The North Carolina bee give away may have an interesting effect. It is likely that many of the neophyte beekeepers will lose swarms - especially in the 2006 season. The number of wild colonies available to agriculture will increase. If this stock is significantly varroa resistant, it might ultimately encourage the return of bees to the wild. How many 250 new beekeepers will remain in five years? It will be interesting to see, but that might not be the most important effect of the free bees. Larry Krengel Marengo, IL USA :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 13:22:37 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Bob Harrison Subject: Re: "tens of thousands of hives crashing" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >This one is claiming, "A shortage of bees and beekeepers in Virginia could threaten this year's apple, peach, cucumber, melon, cantaloupe and pumpkin harvests". All along the east coast this year there will be pollination shortages. Florida will be hard hit. The Florida Beekeepers met last month to discuss the problem. Many of the hives which did last years Florida and east coast pollination for the most part are now owned by beekeepers on the west coast. Allen asks: Is the problem anything that doubling the pollination fee would not cure? If doubling the pollination fee would cause hives to be removed from June honey harvests in the Dakotas (150-200Lb.) and trucked over a thousand miles to pollinate those zero honey producing agriculture crops on which many times the bees need fed and rotated in an out then maybe will work. I would not hold my breath! Will certainly look like a gold mine to a few Virginia beekeepers. Hand carry those hives in and out a pickup load at a time. Allen asks: Seems to me that something is wrong here. Are we as important as we claim to be? The value of honeybees for pollination is well documented. My future plans to help desperate growers: I plan to sit on my porch (kind of like the "U wrench it" used parts junk yard) and collect the fees & deposit and hand each grower a map to the bee yard. Each orchard owner can move and return the hives. Their punishment for planting orchards without a clue as to the place they will get the bees for pollination! After the business gets going I might start a "Used rent a wreck " for old bee trucks to rent to those growers to use. Allen asks: Did any almond growers in California actually go without bees in the end? (Anybody know?) Of course they did and many went with half the hives they wanted. Will take awhile to see the almond nut set and effect on this years crop. The hives out of Florida were a big help to almond pollination but now Florida has a pollination problem. Bob :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 12:15:34 -0700 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu Comments: DomainKeys? See http://antispam.yahoo.com/domainkeys From: Mike Stoops Subject: Re: A shortage of bees for pollination In-Reply-To: 6667 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii At the expense of our fellow agricultural entrepreneurs who need the pollination, I say "Halleleuya!" With the honey prices dropping (again) and commercial beekeepers again struggling to stay afloat, doubled (or more) pollination fees sounds like a good idea to me. Poeple tend to not appreciate what they've got (like low gas prices) until they don't have it any more. Extra high priced fruit and nuts, if it's available, will make people clammor for more for less, and that would mean more money available for pollination to encourage more beekeepers to get into the business, and more beekeepers to supply those pollination beekeepers, and so on down the line. What say the rest of you? Mike __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 13:30:46 -0600 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: allen dick Subject: Re: "tens of thousands of hives crashing" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Thanks for the info, Bob. Maybe you could venture opinions on the following. > Is the problem anything that doubling the pollination fee would not > cure? > > If doubling the pollination fee would cause hives to be removed from > June honey harvests in the Dakotas (150-200Lb.) and trucked over a > thousand miles to pollinate those zero honey producing agriculture > crops on which many times the bees need fed and rotated in an out > then maybe will work. I would not hold my breath! I'm not asking if an problem that took this long to build up can be solved in an instant. I'm asking if the colony numbers would recover, given time, if the rewards were there. I guesss what I am saying is that it took time to get where we are now, and it will take time to get out of the hole. I believe that the root problem is economic, and the other issues are direct and indirect effects of insufficient profitability. Basically the bee business has been eating up its capital for the past two decades or more, and we are now at the breaking point. Sure some beekeepers are doing well some of the time, but the trend is that fewer and fewer are doing well less and less of the time. Because of low prices, commercial beekeepers have had to increasingly cut corners and many are marginal. New talent is hard to attract, and First the most marginal operations have gone down, then the next and the next, and now we are down to a remnant, and they are challenged to keep going. The recent honey price surge was helpful, but nobody who has been in the business long expected it to last. Some of us took it as our cue to exit. What I am wondering is whether a doubling of pollination prices would bring back the incentive to do whatever it takes to get and keep the the numbers up. I know that, in Canada, the only bright spot after the devistation caused by border closure, followed by low prices and mite damage was pollination. The returns guaranteed by contract, and often advanced, by seed companies brought Alberta beekeeping from a steady decline in numbers to a steady increase. Could such a scenario work in the US? Could a large pollination co-op or corporation mediate between growers and beekeepers and guarantee good pollinators a decent and reliable return? Would this bring back the numbers? If the US can put a man on the moon, can the US not also manage to pollinate its crops? Which job is tougher? > > Seems to me that something is wrong here. Are we as important as we > > claim to be? > > The value of honeybees for pollination is well documented. I wonder. How much of that value we claim is actually provided by wind, wild bees, flies and other insects? Has anyone taken a really critical look at this documantation? > Allen asks: > > Did any almond growers in California actually go without bees in the > > end? (Anybody know?) > > > >Of course they did and many went with half the hives they wanted. My understanding is that this is nothing new. There are always some left out in the cold, due to delays, thefts, accidents, floods, laziness, stupidity, dishonesty, etc. Is the situation much worse this year, or just better described and more visible due to the media coverage? Can anyone put numbers to the shortage? How much of the apparent increase is due to the press seeking out and repeating isolated stories? I understand that the growers are riding a high price and want more and better bees, since the cost is much less than the benefit. On average, was the pollination accomplished much different than past years? allen A Beekeeper's Diary: http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 14:34:18 -0600 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: allen dick Subject: Re: Spring Cleaning MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=response Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > I have stored about 700 shallow supers for 3 years now and > havent lost a single stored frame to wax moths... > I found this way of doing it from Pastor Al Norton here in Alabama. I > dont know who told him. Maybe he got it on BEE-L. http://listserv.albany.edu:8080/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9607A&L=bee-l&P=R1124 allen A Beekeeper's Diary: http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 17:48:41 -0400 Reply-To: Lloyd Spear Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Lloyd Spear Subject: tens of thousands of hives crashing Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Bob Harrison said "The hives out of Florida were a big help to almond pollination but now Florida has a pollination problem." Please enlighten me. With what crops is Florida having difficulty with pollination? -- Lloyd Spear Owner Ross Rounds, Inc. Manufacture of equipment for round comb honey sections, Sundance Pollen Traps, and producer of Sundance custom labels. Contact your dealer or www.RossRounds.com :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 21:00:51 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Michael Palmer Subject: Re: "tens of thousands of hives crashing" In-Reply-To: <015401c53adf$221b0000$b77ba8c0@Nemo> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-7E9732EA > Is the situation much worse this year, or just >better described and more visible due to the media coverage? Can anyone put >numbers to the shortage? How much of the apparent increase is due to the >press seeking out and repeating isolated stories? > allen I, for one, hope the media continues the coverage. More is better. I can't tell you how many have asked me about the bee losses. From my largest honey customer, to the NY MacIntosh orchard owner, to people on the street. If we could package the concerns of these folks, and send it to W and our representatives in Congress...who knows how much we could get put back in the bee lab budget. Mike -- Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.8.0 - Release Date: 3/21/2005 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 22:43:20 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Bob Harrison Subject: Re: tens of thousands of hives crashing MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Lloyd asks: Please enlighten me. The problem was discussed on the Florida list of which you are a member. With what crops is Florida having difficulty with pollination? The crops which were pollinated by the 50,000 plus migratory hives sold by Bell Honey to beekeepers doing almond pollination. I believe L. Cutts and Dr. Sanford attended the Florida State Beekeepers meeting when the problem was talked about. Maybe Dr. Sanford will provide an update. Bob :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 09:34:32 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: "Bogansky,Ronald J." Subject: Feral Colonies/ NC Bee Program MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit My thanks to the NC beekeepers that responded to my "FreeBee" post. It does sound like a good program and I agree that anyone that follows through on the commitment did earn the bees. However, I don't think my initial point was addressed. There were 2700+ applicants of which 200 will receive packages. I have to assume that some of the 2700 were already beekeepers, but maybe not. Either way that is a large number of individuals "interested" in beekeeping. Of the 2500 that will not receive free bees, and are not already beekeepers, how many will still take up beekeeping? I don't know the number of beekeepers currently in Pennsylvania. I think there are 700+ that are members of the state association. Even if I triple that number to account for non members, there are less beekeepers here than those interested in becoming beekeepers in NC. Again I have to say, if the only reason someone starts keeping bees is because they are free, then how dedicated of a beekeeper will they become? To NC's credit, it does sound like they are picking the best of the bunch. I really wish them well and applaud there effort. Larry Krengel had an interesting point in that he expects at least some of the bees to swarm thus getting Russian stock into the feral environment. I have been thinking about this type of situation for a while. There are a number of beekeepers reporting that they are not treating for varroa and have been working with resistant stock (e.g. Kirk Webster in Vermont, Charlie Harper in Louisiana, and others). Even the best beekeepers lose some swarms and these individuals are raising queens therefore probably producing excess drones to ensure good mating. Has there been an increase in the number of feral colonies in their area? You would expect overtime that the feral population would begin to rebound in ever increasing circles around these operations. This would be one sure indication that the bees can truly survive and manage varroa without treatment. To me this should be of some interest to the researchers. I don't think I have seen anything reported on this. Thoughts? Ron Ron Bogansky Kutztown, (eastern) PA, USA :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 14:31:23 GMT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: "waldig@netzero.com" Subject: Package Bees and Oxalic Acid. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain In my experience purchased package bees carry varroa. Some have lots of it. Oxalic acid treatment for varroa is recommended for broodless bees. Does it make sense to OA treat package bees after they have been installed for a few days to rid them of any varroa they may be carrying? Thanks, Waldemar Long Island, NY :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 11:13:21 -0400 Reply-To: scot@linuxfromscratch.org Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Scot Mc Pherson Organization: Bradenton Bees Subject: Re: Package Bees and Oxalic Acid. In-Reply-To: <200504071436.j37EAoQg002800@listserv.albany.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >In my experience purchased package bees carry varroa. Some have lots of it. Oxalic acid treatment > for varroa is recommended for broodless bees. Actually the break in the brooding cycle kills most of the varroa. By the time the colony has increased brooding to sustain a varroa population, most of the varroa are gone and it will take 2 years or more for the varroa to gain a foothold again. Even if you treat the bees and kill ALL varroa in the package first, straying drones will introduce varroa back into the hives at a normal pace and you will see varroa in your hives at the same pace as the untreated packages. You cannot eliminate varroa with treatments, and all you will do is weaken your stock both in the short term and in the long term. Scot Mc Pherson Bradenton Bees http://beewiki.linuxfromscratch.org http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/OrganicBeekeepers/ mailto:scot@linuxfromscratch.org . ` , ` ' .,';`,. ``. '. _/^\_ :;.,';`'.,` `., ' '`, /_____\ .:.,"'` /\_____/\ .,:`'" \###/.,';` :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 12:24:36 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Robert Gaddis Subject: Misconceptions? In-Reply-To: <200504070410.j37496ZP017996@listserv.albany.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed FACT IS: The NC program was NOT for NEW BEEKEEPERS ONLY. Preference was to be given to new beekeepers, but there was no restriction as to who could apply. If you read the application you can see there is no stipulation for NEW beekeepers only. Otherwise, there would have been only 1 check box: "Are you wanting to become a beekeeper?" The way the program was explained by Dr. Tarpy last year, was that tobacco farmers who wanted to enter the beekeeping field would be #1 on the list, followed by everybody else, with hobby beekeepers on the bottom of the pile. The state did not anticipate the number of applications. It was 2773 applications, not 2500, and there were 500 hives@2 per person, so that would be 250 sets of bees, not 200. I think the decision to place bees was made based on the application responses, trusting that the applicants would be truthful about their experience etc. Everybody was encouraged to apply, sort of like sending in an entry to Publisher's Clearing House, knowing the chances of getting bees was slim-to-none, but still worth the effort, JUST IN CASE it might happen. Suppose only 150 persons had applied and 140 were beekeepers? What would theyhave done with the rest of the bees? It's all irrelevant now, since it's a done deal. I'm happy for the bee recipients and wish them well. Maybe some more money will trickle down from the Golden Leaf Foundation and it could go to mite and hive beetle eradication research. Here's a plaintext copy of the application from the NCSU Entomolgy website:(BTW it says nothing about having to join a local bee club) Do you have previous agricultural experience? _ Yes_ No If yes, give brief description: __________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Do you have beekeeping experience? _ Yes _ No If yes, please describe: ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Are you/have you been a member of a beekeeping organization? _ Yes_ No If yes, which organization: _______________ Have you ever received formal training in apiculture? _ Yes _ No If yes, where? _____________________________________________ Which of the following best describes yourself: (please check one) _ I am a potential hobby beekeeper with no experience or training in beekeeping. _ am a potential hobby beekeeper with some training in beekeeping (e.g., a local bee school). _ I am currently a hobby beekeeper who wishes to become a full-time commercial beekeeper. _ I was once a beekeeper but no longer keep bees, and I wish to start beekeeping again. _ I am an active beekeeper with moderate experience and training, but I do not wish to become a commercial beekeeper. _ I have an active agriculture enterprise and wish to become a beekeeper to pollinate my crops or orchards. In order to be considered for the program, you must agree to the following: (Please check each box to indicate agreement) _I will acknowledge the receipt of materials by phone or e-mail; _ I agree not to sell materials obtained through the program within 2 years after receipt. _ If I quit the program, I will agree to return the bees and materials as instructed. _ I agree to respond to a survey for research purposes. _ I will assume personal liability for all materials, including honey bees. _ I agree to participate in education and training sessions. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.9.1 - Release Date: 4/1/2005 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 14:06:38 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: "Hayes, Jerry" Comments: To: Joe Graham , Harry Fulton , Ed Levi , phil.craft@kyagr.com, "Malcolm T. Sanford" , pteal@gainesville.usda.ufl.edu, "Johnson, Tomm" , jharbo@ars.usda.gov, Mark Feldlaufer , Mike Stanghellini , Mike Stanghellini , Tony Barrington , Kim Flottum , "Dubberly, Dale" , "Mongiovi, Nelson" , "Dowda, Tom" , "Dunaway, Richard" , "Corbin, Doug" , "Pippin, Jeffry" , "Langston, Billy" , "Barnes, David" , "Dean, Randall" , "Westervelt, Dave" , "Craig, Robert" , "Crews, Jerry" , "Howard, Freddy" , "Bastianelli, John" , "Grant, Bud" , Dwight Tew MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =20 Depending on how much additional information we viewers need on world events we may see those on tonight's NBC Nightly News or we may see a segment on the "Beekeeping Industry" and the challenges it faces from colony losses. I spent four hours with a crew from NBC Nightly News yesterday and they have visited with Commercial Beekeepers in Florida and in California. The piece is ready to air either tonight or Monday or Tuesday depending on world events. This national exposure will be good. Thanks Jerry =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 G. W. Hayes, Jr. Assistant Chief Bureau of Plant and Apiary Inspection Apiary Inspection Section Division of Plant Industry P O Bx 147100 Gainesville FL 32614-7100 (352) 372-3505 ext 128 (352) 334-0715 FAX =20 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 15:07:27 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: S Wilson Subject: Free Bees Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit I would be happy to give two free splits and mentoring to a prospective Beekeeper. I know there are many of us who would do the same. I'm in the middle of VA, and this is the time for splits. E-mail me if you know anyone who'll take me up on my offer. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 10:39:20 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Aaron Morris Subject: Re: Package Bees and Oxalic Acid. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > Does it make sense to OA > treat package bees... I might be more inclined to add Sucracide to the sugar syrup recommended to spray package bees when they are being installed. Two birds with one stone and all that.... Aaron Morris - I think, therefore I bee! :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 22:44:29 +0300 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: =?iso-8859-1?B?S29tcHBhLVNlcHDkbOQ=?= Subject: Vs: Re: [BEE-L] Package Bees and Oxalic Acid. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Scot Mc Pherson: > Actually the break in the brooding cycle kills most of the varroa. By > the time the colony has increased brooding to sustain a varroa > population, most of the varroa are gone and it will take 2 years or more > for the varroa to gain a foothold again. Oh no. Not so. Separating adult bees from brood only stops varroa reproduction for a while, but it continues as soon as new brood is started to be capped. Ok some mites die during the waiting time, but it is not a large amount. Here in Finland we have no brood for about 5 - 6 months, and after all this time we do have lots of varroa left, about 50 % of the number in fall. And most of the ones that died were riding an old bee who separated from the winter cluster to die, and the rider died after the 'horse'. This does not happen in packets in big numbers.. I recommend oxalic spraying for all swarms that come from unknown source to kill most of the mites. If I would know that there is more than few varroa in the packets I would definitely use oxalic. Use for 1 - 2 packets and monitor how many mites drops in 3 days so you know if you need to treat all packets. Ari Seppälä Finland :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 15:57:20 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: "Hayes, Jerry" Subject: NBC Nightly News MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I just heard from the Producer that worked with us on the Beekeeping Industry piece and the piece has been bumped because of the Pope's funeral to air later in the month. I'll let you know when I have a better date. Thanks Jerry =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 G. W. Hayes, Jr. Assistant Chief Bureau of Plant and Apiary Inspection Apiary Inspection Section Division of Plant Industry P O Bx 147100 Gainesville FL 32614-7100 (352) 372-3505 ext 128 (352) 334-0715 FAX =20 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 17:26:30 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Bob Harrison Subject: Re: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hello All, Thanks Jerry! Being close to many commercial beekeepers (as easily seen by the articles I write) I was having a hard time informing beekeepers on BEE-L of the current industry problems. I am moving bees into Apples & combining bee yards to save on fuel cost so would have most likely missed the industry information. I have set my VCR! Thanks again! At times higher ups in beekeeping such as Mr. Jerry Hayes share industry information wwith me. Back on the 24th of February Jerry Hayes shared important information which I forgot to post on BEE-L. Jerry said through a direct email that new information has shown the adult small hive beetle carries a *fungus* that can kill honey bee larva within 24 hours. Sincerely, Bob Harrison :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 19:28:33 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: "Malcolm T. Sanford" Subject: Emergency Request to Contact Federal Legislators Comments: To: FloridaBeekeepers@yahoogroups.com, F_S_B_A@yahoogroups.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable We just received the information below. Can you please pass this onto the=20 Florida State Beekeepers and tell them the deadline is tomorrow=20 afternoon? Since we have one Congressman, Allan Boyd, on the Agricultural= =20 Appropriations Subcommittee and several on the House Appropriations=20 Committee =97 C. W. Bill Young, Dave Weldon, and Ander Crenshaw =97 all three are=20 Republicans and carry a lot of weight. We have an urgent need for you ask=20 your Commissioner/Director/Secretary to help us get more funding for honey= =20 bee research =97 research on the varroa mites. Tomorrow, Friday, April 8, is the deadline for any Congressman to request=20 increased funding for USDA-ARS. The requests must be made by=20 close-of-business tomorrow. All Congressmen, especially members of the House Agricultural=20 Appropriations Subcommittee and other members of the full House=20 Appropriations Committee need to request Rep. Henry Bonilla, chairman of=20 the Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee, to increase the funding for=20 the Agricultural Research Service by $7.3 million to a total of about $15=20 million. Please ask your boss to make this contact call to all your state=92s=20 delegation, especially any on the House Appropriations Committee=97 and call= =20 your Congressman =97 and pass this message onto other beekeepers, packers,= =20 and suppliers, asking them to make the same call. To reach any=20 Congressman=92s Washington office, call 202-225-3121. You should talk to the= =20 Legislative Aide who handles farming issues or the Legislative Director.=20 You can also contact most Congressional offices via www.house.gov. Events in Florida: On another note, representatives from the Florida State Beekeepers=20 Association and Florida Farm Bureau met with legislative aids and others in= =20 Tallahassee during Farm Bureau Day, March 29, 2005. We are looking at=20 having the Florida legislature appropriate $300,00 in new funds for=20 research given the state and nation's crisis in reduction of honey bee=20 colonies for pollinating activities. I sent the following thank you note out to those I met with: Thank you for personally meeting with representatives of the Florida State= =20 Beekeepers Association as part of Farm Bureau Day on March 29, 2005. The situation with respect to the death of thousands of colonies across the= =20 U.S. continues. This article, which details the situation, appeared in the= =20 Palm Beach Post :=20 http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2005/03/28/= m1a_honeybees_0328.html I also have posted the fact sheet that we distributed should you require=20 more copies: http://home.earthlink.net/~beeactor/fsba/pdf/fact_sheet.pdf To reiterate, in order to have bees available for pollination in Florida in= =20 the foreseeable future, the appropriation of funds from the Florida=20 legislature to a fund administered by the Department of Agriculture's=20 Division of Plant Industry for emergency bee research is greatly needed at= =20 this time. Again, thanks for your time and interest. Dr. Malcolm Sanford Let's keep banging this drum; you may see a special on NBC news in the next= =20 few days on this; stay tuned. Malcolm T. Sanford Executive Secretary Florida State Beekeepers Association=20 http://floridabeekeepers.org Subscribe to the Association's electronic mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/F_S_B_A/ and Doc Bullard's all about Florida beekeeping at:=20 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FloridaBeekeepers/ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 16:47:32 -0700 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu Comments: DomainKeys? See http://antispam.yahoo.com/domainkeys From: Mike Stoops Subject: Re: Vs: Re: [BEE-L] Package Bees and Oxalic Acid. In-Reply-To: 6667 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > Ari Seppälä wrote: > I recommend oxalic spraying for all swarms that come > from unknown source to kill most of the mites. If I > would know that there is more than few varroa in the > packets I would definitely use oxalic. Use for 1 - > 2 packets and monitor how many mites drops in 3 days > so you know if you need to treat all packets. > Finland > If you're going to the trouble of spraying, I would recommenc Sucrose octonoate. It has the same terminal effects on the varroa but does not have any detrimental effects on the honey bees or subsequent hive growth. Mike __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Make Yahoo! your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 20:14:48 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Dan & Jan Subject: Re: Free Bees MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit WOW, You are a proactive beekeeper- we all should take lessons from your actions Dan Veilleux Boone area In the Mountains of NC :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 20:18:52 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Dan & Jan Subject: Re: Vs: Re: [BEE-L] Package Bees and Oxalic Acid. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit A good statement A new package/swarm would be a great time to treat for mites as they are all on the bees and not in the Brood as there none. The bee population is low and probably can be treated with only one "strip" and great results. Dan Veilleux 225 Indigo Road Vilas, NC 28692 PH&FAX 828-297-6900 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 20:26:00 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: "Hollen, Fred L." Subject: Re: Emergency Request to Contact Federal Legislators MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit I have spoken with Congressman Bob Goodlatte, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. He is well aware of our problems and suggests we all contact our Representatives and make them aware of the need for action. I write this to emphasize Malcolm's letter below. Fred Hollen President, Virginia State Beekeepers Association -----Original Message----- From: Malcolm T. Sanford [mailto:beeactor@EARTHLINK.NET] Sent: Thu 4/7/2005 7:28 PM To: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu Cc: Subject: [BEE-L] Emergency Request to Contact Federal Legislators We just received the information below. Can you please pass this onto the Florida State Beekeepers and tell them the deadline is tomorrow afternoon? Since we have one Congressman, Allan Boyd, on the Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee and several on the House Appropriations Committee — C. W. Bill Young, Dave Weldon, and Ander Crenshaw — all three are Republicans and carry a lot of weight. We have an urgent need for you ask your Commissioner/Director/Secretary to help us get more funding for honey bee research — research on the varroa mites. Tomorrow, Friday, April 8, is the deadline for any Congressman to request increased funding for USDA-ARS. The requests must be made by close-of-business tomorrow. All Congressmen, especially members of the House Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee and other members of the full House Appropriations Committee need to request Rep. Henry Bonilla, chairman of the Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee, to increase the funding for the Agricultural Research Service by $7.3 million to a total of about $15 million. Please ask your boss to make this contact call to all your state’s delegation, especially any on the House Appropriations Committee— and call your Congressman — and pass this message onto other beekeepers, packers, and suppliers, asking them to make the same call. To reach any Congressman’s Washington office, call 202-225-3121. You should talk to the Legislative Aide who handles farming issues or the Legislative Director. You can also contact most Congressional offices via www.house.gov. Events in Florida: On another note, representatives from the Florida State Beekeepers Association and Florida Farm Bureau met with legislative aids and others in Tallahassee during Farm Bureau Day, March 29, 2005. We are looking at having the Florida legislature appropriate $300,00 in new funds for research given the state and nation's crisis in reduction of honey bee colonies for pollinating activities. I sent the following thank you note out to those I met with: Thank you for personally meeting with representatives of the Florida State Beekeepers Association as part of Farm Bureau Day on March 29, 2005. The situation with respect to the death of thousands of colonies across the U.S. continues. This article, which details the situation, appeared in the Palm Beach Post : http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2005/03/28/m1a_honeybees_0328.html I also have posted the fact sheet that we distributed should you require more copies: http://home.earthlink.net/~beeactor/fsba/pdf/fact_sheet.pdf To reiterate, in order to have bees available for pollination in Florida in the foreseeable future, the appropriation of funds from the Florida legislature to a fund administered by the Department of Agriculture's Division of Plant Industry for emergency bee research is greatly needed at this time. Again, thanks for your time and interest. Dr. Malcolm Sanford Let's keep banging this drum; you may see a special on NBC news in the next few days on this; stay tuned. Malcolm T. Sanford Executive Secretary Florida State Beekeepers Association http://floridabeekeepers.org Subscribe to the Association's electronic mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/F_S_B_A/ and Doc Bullard's all about Florida beekeeping at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FloridaBeekeepers/ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 23:24:33 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Dick Allen Subject: Re: Package Bees and Oxalic Acid. >and it will take 2 years or more for the varroa to gain a foothold again. That is a true statement sometimes. Sometimes another true statement is that it will take less than a year for varroa to gain a foothold. Regards, Dick Allen :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::