From SYSAM@UACSC2.ALBANY.EDUMon May 22 07:17:08 1995 Date: Mon, 22 May 95 08:35:55 EDT From: Aaron Morris To: dicka@cuug.ab.ca ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Dec 1991 21:25:00 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: NOVEMBER ISSUE OF APIS FILENAME: NOVAPIS.91 Florida Extension Beekeeping Newsletter Apis--Apicultural Information and Issues (ISSN 0889-3764) Volume 9, Number 11, November 1991 MORE ON THE IFAS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM Some questions have come up about the IFAS Leadership Program that I reported on in the last issue of this newsletter. Ms. Eloise Cutts, Executive Secretary of the Florida State Beekeepers Association, has now been sent application forms for this program. Contact her at 2237 NW 16th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32605, ph 904/378-7719. Alternatively, they can be requested from Dr. John Trotter here at the University of Florida, phone 904/392-1038. It is important to remember that you cannot nominate yourself for this program, but other industry leaders can. Hurry! Deadline is December 14. WHAT THE NATIONAL HONEY BOARD IS DOING It is now official. The National Honey Board will continue and the refund provision of the Honey Research Promotion and Consumer Information Act will be eliminated. Almost 91 percent of voters favored continuation of the Board. These represented 89 percent of the volume of honey produced and exported by those voting. Some 72 percent also voted to eliminate the refund provision, which is expected to result in an increase of $300,000 in the Board's budget. Ms. Sherry Jennings reported the above figures and also told those attending the 71st convention of the Florida State Beekeepers Association in Gainesville to expect a lot more from Board activities in the future. Specifically being promoted is the Board's Honey Bear Service Mark Program. Ms. Jennings showed a video that was designed to introduce the program to the food industry. By all measures the video's results have been uniformly positive. The Board awards the Honey Bear Service Mark to manufacturers who use a significant amount of honey in their products. Over 130 products have been approved to use the logo and the program is growing in popularity. The mark can now be found on Land O'Frost hams and turkeys, Wheatzels wheat pretzels, Downey's honey butter, ThistleDew Farm's honey mustard and even Eight-in-One Pet Products 14 varieties of Ultra-blend Honeybars. Other services to food manufacturers include a new brochure which details how honey can be used in muffins, breads and cookies. In addition, "key selling point" fact sheets are being developed to help food manufacturers solve problems with honey which is becoming more important in baked goods and ready-to-eat cereals. Finally, the Board continues to support its honey hotline (1-800-356-5941) which answers all manner of questions on the sweet. Other forms of advertising have been launched. Ms. Jennings showed the group several video spots on national television programs. The Board helped produce a television program as part of the new PBS Series, "Cooking in America," to debut in early 1992, according to the Summer 1991 National Honey Board newsletter. A companion book, "Pierre Franey's Cooking in America," will be published by Random House. The chapter on honey will be the first written and will be the model for subsequent chapters. Full color ads, usually in combination with other products, will also continue to appear in magazines found in food stores. Another production by the National Honey Board is the cooking video "Just Add Honey." This can be used in conjunction with all kinds of events including state fairs and cooking demonstrations. It is available for $12.00 from the Board. However, I have permission to dub it for free and you can get a copy by sending me a blank VHS video tape. Beyond the domestic front lies the world honey market. The National Honey Board is working closely with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) to increase sales in strategic world markets. The 1991 focus, according to the Board's Summer 1991 newsletter, is to promote specialty honeys of exquisite quality such as tupelo, buckwheat and sage that command premium prices on the world market. A small, but important, foothold in this has been established in Finland. Last year sales to Finland increased 150 percent. A creamed honey has been marketed to get the population used to eating the sweet as a spread instead of a hard crystalline form suitable only as a sweetener in beverages. Portion packs and commercial cooking with honey are also being marketed. Although the bread and butter of the Board's activities are promotional, another payoff is in the active research program that is beginning to develop. Protecting the quality of the crop has always been a priority for those in the honey industry and the adulteration issue continues to be of concern. Thus, the Board will oversee a research project to improve honey testing under the guidance of Dr. Nicholas Low, Department of Applied Microbiology and Food Science at the University of Saskatoon, Canada. Funding will also be supplied by the National Honey Packers and Dealers Association, Sioux Honey Association and other national organizations concerned about honey quality. New food labelling regulations by the Food and Drug Administration may also require research on honey. Nobody is yet sure what the rules will be, according to Mr. Nick Sargeantson, current President of the National Honey Packers and Dealers Association. He is quoted in the Summer 1991 National Honey Board Newsletter saying that the industry should put nutritional labels on its products after the final rules are published sometime in 1993. The National Honey Board is also examining ultrafiltration of honey. The process filters, purifies and/or concentrates food products and other organic materials, according to the Board's Summer 1991 newsletter. Ultrafiltration would be advantageous for increased honey use in the dairy, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Finally, five pharmaceutical and burn treatment specialists reviewed a series of reports presented by the National Honey Board. These presented current research and scientific data on honey in pharmaceutical applications, according to the Board's Summer 1991 newsletter. This was particularly involving the use of honey in burn cases. The National Burn Victim Foundation, in conjunction with the Beijing Institute, has developed an ointment using honey to accelerate wound healing. The Shriner's Burn Institute, the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, and Science and the National Institute for Burn Medicine have also been encouraged by research on medical applications of honey. All this provides legitimacy to what many have always known about honey's healing properties. However, to bring a product to market with honey as an "active" ingredient would require a great amount of research and might cost $250 million, according to the Board's Executive Director, Mr. Bob Smith. As an adjunct to this, therefore, the Board is also promoting honey as an "inactive" ingredient in pharmaceutical products. These include ointments, creams, throat lozenges or syrups. The bottom line for the Board, according to Mr. Smith, is a commitment to increasing the demand for honey by strengthening the market and adding value to the product. All the above programs are resulting in strong sales for honey despite the current recession. In its fall newsletter, the Board published a graph showing a steady increase in sales from 1988 through the first six months of 1991. Sales are up 10 percent over last year and 13% the previous year, according to the accompanying text. Most of this is attributed to bulk sales, but the retail market is also ahead by 6 percent over last year. As of June 1991, the average retail price per pound of honey was $1.63. The sample listing of activities of the National Honey Board provided above can give only a basic outline of the Board's efforts. Obviously, there would be very little activity on any of these promotional or research fronts if funding for the Board was terminated. The industry had the wisdom, therefore, to continue the program in the referendum and also to terminate the refund procedure. It is important to understand that the National Honey Board is a beekeeper supported program and not associated with the U.S. Government, Mr. Smith said in the Summer 1991 newsletter. It has not been involved in the recent buy-back price increase and nor is it a part of the USDA's Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service Program (ASCS). Although the one cent per pound is collected by ASCS, it goes to National Honey Board programs and is not to be confused with any other ASCS marketing assessment. The U.S. Government, Mr. Smith concluded, does not have the same commitment to the honey industry as the National Honey Board. Indeed even as the 1990 Farm Bill is being implemented, rumors continue that the price support program is under attack in Congress. In addition to being beekeeper supported, the Board is also run by representatives of the industry. Mr. Bill Gamber in the Fall 1991 newsletter provided some information on how the Board functions. Most of the work is done at the committee level, he said. The Board has five committees--Executive, Advertising and Consumer Information, Industry Relations, Product Research and Development and International Market Development. Board members nominated by the industry serve on at least two of these committees. Each analyzes information presented and makes recommendations to the Board to get the most work done in the least amount of time. The best way to get to know who your representative might be, as well as become informed on the Board's activities, is to receive the quarterly newsletter. Contact the National Honey Board, 421 21st Ave. #203, Longmont, CO 80501-1421, ph 303/776-2337 to be put on the mailing list. IN SEARCH OF HONEY The student organization here in the Department of Entomology/Nematology has had a good year selling honey. However, it's all gone now and, thus, this plea to the industry to provide a barrel of Florida's sweet, the profits of which would go for travel of students to professional meetings and other related activities. If you are interested, please contact me. Alternatively, you can get in touch with Scott Yocom, who is currently pursuing Varroa mite research, ph 904/392-1901, ext. 211. NEWS FROM GEORGIA The Georgia Bee Letter, written by Dr. Keith Delaplane, Georgia Cooperative Extension Service, has some news of interest to Florida beekeepers. In an update on Miticur (R), Dr. Delaplane reports that Nor-Am Chemical Company considers registration of the product that controls both tracheal and Varroa mites to be imminent. Florida and Georgia are also pursuing emergency registration of the product; this allows short-term use of a non- registered product for a specified location. Beginning in 1992, Georgia is deregulating Varroa mites. Inspectors will be checking only if requested by beekeepers who need certification to move into other states. The Georgia Department of Agriculture, however, will require use of Apistan (R) in all caged queens and/or package bees originating in the state. A Survey of Acaricide Use in Honey Bee Hives in Georgia was also recently published by Dr. Delaplane. It is one of the few studies that deals with the topic of chemical application to control mites inside beehives. Some 378 of the 1,618 questionnaires sent out were returned, a response rate of 23.4%. This represented 51,608 beehives, 46.5% of the number found in Georgia at the end of 1990. The results showed that more hives were treated with menthol than Apistan (R), most receiving two menthol treatments and only one Apistan (R) treatment. Menthol was usually applied using one 50-gram packet, but cough drops and vegetable oil were popular alternatives. In 1990, respondents spent an average of $2.20 on menthol per colony and $2.50 treating with Apistan (R). Menthol was usually put on the top bars, Apistan (R) between the frames. Finally, most menthol was used in the autumn and spring, most Apistan (R) in autumn. When asked what other products beekeepers would like to see approved for mite treatment, most said they didn't know (47%). Amitraz followed with 26.5%. Alternative non-chemical controls considered important by respondents were breeding from their own resistant bees, using another beekeeper's resistant stock and "letting the fittest survive." The bottom line for beekeepers in Georgia asked if they had to rely solely on non-chemical controls for mite control: A loss of $2,177,194 from tracheal mites and $2,317,102 from Varroa, totalling $4,494,296 statewide. ------IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT------ The next meeting of the Florida Honey Bee Technical Council will be December 19, 1991. It will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Doyle Conner Building, 1911 SW 34th St., Gainesville. An important topic on the agenda is registration fees (see the October APIS). For more information and to receive an agenda, contact the Apiary Bureau, Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, ph 904/372-2505, ext. 128. Sincerely, Malcolm T. Sanford 0740 IFAS, Bldg 970 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611-0740 Phone (904) 392-1801, Ext. 143 FAX: 904-392-0190 BITNET Address: MTS@IFASGNV INTERNET Address: MTS@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1991 14:35:00 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: PNCSPPC@NCSUVAX.BITNET Subject: Bee venom therapy Hello! I am interested in apitherapy (primarily bee venom therapy) and would like to hear from others who are interested in this subject. I am particularly interested in hearing from people who are doing research in this area or who have administered it as a treatment. Also, I would like hear from anyone who has received bee venom therapy (this includes persons who have treated themselves with live bees). Sincerely, Phil Calvert PNCSPPC@NCSUVAX.BITNET ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1991 11:33:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: Re: Bee venom therapy For up to date information, contact American Apitherapy Society, P.O. Box 74, North Hartland, VT 05052, ph 802/295-6383..all the pioneers are in this included Charles Mraz....President is Dr. Bradford Weeks...they issue a newsletter--BEEWELL...Tom Sanford ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1991 21:40:00 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: PNCSPPC@NCSUVAX.BITNET Subject: Re: Bee venom therapy Dear Tom, Thanks for the info. on the American Apitherapy Society. I'd never heard of it before and I really appreciate the lead. Thanks again. Sincerely, Phil Calvert pncsppc@ncsuvax.BITNET ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1991 16:44:10 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Edward E Southwick Subject: I'm back!!!!!!!! After 3 months in the hospital and conti ODnuing treatment for the past 3 months and contributing various body parts to science, I seem to be back in business. I have just begun to look over all the BEE-L collections over the past 6 months. Seems to have been a rather jovial time during my absense. Ah ha, now back down to business! I am trying to use the Macintosh to reconstruct morphological details I hjave saved as PICT files from video images. Anybody know good software for good 3-D rendition? Sources for inexpensive software also sought. Best wishes to all for the season... ================================================================== º Edward E. Southwick Department of Biology º º Phone 716-395-5743 State University of New York º º FAX 716-395-2416 Brockport, New York 14420 º º BITNET SOUTHWIK@BROCK1P U.S.A. º ================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Dec 1991 11:41:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology Comments: A VAX cluster with VMS V5.3-1, PMDF V3.2-19, JNET V3.5 & UCX V1.3A From: ACSBK@UMASSD.BITNET Subject: Re: I'm back!!!!!!!! If you are looking for good rendering/ray-tracing software, I can reccomend both Specular's Infini-D, which I was on the Beta test team for, and Swivel 3-D which doesnt real ray-trace, but does a decent job with manipulating virtual objects. To put it all together I suggest MacroMind Director, which I believe is from Paracomp. Finally something I can remark on, =) Bret Kulakovich. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Dec 1991 14:30:08 CST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rich Pelikan Subject: Re: I'm back!!!!!!!! In-Reply-To: In reply to your message of TUE 17 DEC 1991 10:41:00 CST From: Bret Kulakovich > If you are looking for good rendering/ray-tracing software, I can > reccomend both Specular's Infini-D, which I was on the Beta test team for, > and Swivel 3-D which doesnt real ray-trace, but does a decent job with > manipulating virtual objects. > > To put it all together I suggest MacroMind Director, which I believe > is from Paracomp. > Bret what's the cost? Where do you find this? And how do you take video images and 3-D them? Richard A. Pelikan, A275CCR Southeast Missouri State University BITNET: A275CCR@SEMOVM INTERNET: A275CCR@SEMOVM.SEMO.EDU ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Dec 1991 23:21:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology Comments: A VAX cluster with VMS V5.3-1, PMDF V3.2-19, JNET V3.5 & UCX V1.3A From: ACSBK@UMASSD.BITNET Subject: Re: I'm back!!!!!!!! Lets see. MacroMind Director 3.0 was about $649, perhaps less with an educational discount. Swivel 3-d would be around the same. Infini-D is realy remarkable for a Mac based ray-tracing and 3-d rendering, but as far as I know its 1.1 for-sale version was projected for $1000. Nothing is cheap. There is a few public domain that I have yet to test that are portable to different platforms including the macintosh. As for how do you 3-d a picture, video or otherwise, classic way would be to shape the objects yourself in these programs. The Amiga (hush! hush!) has a program that allows you to extrude on a colour, which basicaly means that one could ask the computer to make everything on the screen that was red a three dimensional object. The initial problem however would be that if the picture was a solid red filled circle, then you would get a solid red column rather than a sphere. Bret Kulakovich. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1991 08:58:10 +0200 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: EISIK@TAUNOS.BITNET Subject: Re: I'm back!!!!!!!! In-Reply-To: Message of Mon, 16 Dec 1991 16:44:10 -0500 Dear Ed, Glad your are back, best wishes for the new year Cheer , Dan Eisikowich ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1991 12:23:29 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Bernd.Brinkschmidt@RZ.TIHO-HANNOVER.DBP.DE Subject: Mating in closed environment In-Reply-To: It was suggested, that ?at Oregon University? somebody is able to have honeybee queens mate with drones in a closed environment. This to be a "more natural mating" as artificial insemination, but a controlled way to bring both sexes together. Who knows more about it ? Or is it what is called "a duck" in German language ("canard/hoax")? Bernd Bernd.Brinkschmidt@rz.tiho-hannover.dbp.de ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1991 14:16:00 PST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: KIRK VISSCHER Subject: Closed environment mating There is a long history of attempting to get honey bee matings in enclosed spaces, sometimes very large ones, and many of these have claimed success, only to fade away. Against this background, there is another recent one. Maybe this one won't fade. At the recent Entomological Society of America annual meeting in Reno Nevada, a paper was presented from Oregon State University on the partial success of a device built out out thin aluminum (newspaper lithography sheets) in the shape of a dome-topped cylinder perhaps 60 cm in diameter and 90 high (guesstimated from a photo that was shown) into which a fairly large number of drones were placed, which hovered in the device. A queen was then introduced harnessed in device made from a soda straw, and, I think, moved about. Some of these queens were inseminated, and produced worker progeny. It seems clear this is a long way from a complete solution, but a hopeful step on the way. The device was outside, illuminated through a port in the side by reflected sunlight. The experimenters attributed their success to acheiving a diffuse light field (under the reflecting dome) without bright spots to which the drones would orient. Kirk ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1991 17:43:07 CST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Bee Doc Z.Huang" I was initially very excited by the talk "Confined mating of honey bee queens", presented by B.A. Stringer from Oregon state University. I thought this would be a terrific way of getting around some of the problems AI had, but still off ering controlled mating. but after talking with some people, it became clear that the success is not that great. In the talk it was not clear how many que ens actually produce worker eggs. later I was told, only ONE queen laid some w orker eggs, and it is possible she could have exited from the mating nuc and ma ted naturally. also, in the talk, she indicated they checked the spermatheca for the presence of sperm, but did not present the data, and rumor says they never found any. so it looks like the drones are mounting the queen and at le ast trying to copulate, but whether it is successful or not remains to be seen. I still think it is a very hopeful device to tinker up. Huang a s clear how many queens a laid worker eggs, ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Dec 1991 08:56:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: Re: Closed environment mating This was also reported on at the American Bee Research Conference in Tucson Arizona last October--Abstract published on Page 782 of December, 1991 American Bee Journal. Tom Sanford ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Dec 1991 07:56:43 CST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rich Pelikan Subject: Re: I'm back!!!!!!!! In-Reply-To: In reply to your message of TUE 17 DEC 1991 22:21:00 CST The 3-d packages are out of sight of my bugdet, but if any of the publicay would domain software is workable let me know. ush!) eans tha Thanks for the info on Macro.mind and 3-D software. If I find anyone ed a with the bucks who would I contact to get a copy? the column Richard A. Pelikan, A275CCR Southeast Missouri State University BITNET: A275CCR@SEMOVM INTERNET: A275CCR@SEMOVM.SEMO.EDU ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Dec 1991 16:33:00 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: DECEMBER ISSUE OF APIS FILENAME: DECAPIS.91 Florida Extension Beekeeping Newsletter Apis--Apicultural Information and Issues (ISSN 0889-3764) Volume 9, Number 12, December 1991 TAKING STOCK Every December, I try to reflect on events of the past year as published in this newsletter. This is the 107th consecutive monthly issue of APIS, making it one of the longest running and most frequently published beekeeping newsletters in the nation. As the information age continues to mature, so does APIS. The format was radically changed with publication of the June issue. It is now possible, without adding to production costs, to put more words into a single issue, provide three columns instead of two, strategically place text in shaded boxes, and provide emphasis using "pull quotes." One change, the use of white paper (June and July), was abandoned after loyal readers said they preferred the traditional goldenrod color. Finally, the newsletter is now available worldwide through electronic networks like BITNET and INTERNET, as well as the ONLINE service provided to users of the IFAS VAX here on campus. Predictably, the African honey bee got the most ink in 1991, the first full year of its colonization of the U.S. Updated information on bee stings and reactions, prompted by concerns that African stinging incidents have to do with toxic envenomation, not allergy, was published in March. The next issue discussed an article published in the Atlanta Constitution newspaper on African bees and how misinformation can creep into press coverage on this insect. Several scientific studies published on the bees were cited as well as the new major book on the species, The African Honey Bee, edited by M. Spivak and others (published by Westview Press). Finally, the September issue carried a description of what beekeepers might explore as alternative activities associated with the invasion of the African bee. Two articles on queen quality and two on blueberry pollination (January and February) were brand new topics of interest this year. Other articles highlighted a new computer bulletin board for bees (January), value of bee attractants (February), honey bees as food (March), organic labelling of honey in Florida (May and July), the tracheal mite enigma (June, republished in the November 1991 issue of The Speedy Bee), mosquito spraying (July) and reports on Chinese beekeeping and the American Bee Research Convention in Tucson, Arizona (October). The problems associated with modern apiculture including tracheal and Varroa mites, as well as African bees, have also brought on a crisis for the regulatory community which is now reassessing its role and resources. In August and October, I reported that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) was contemplating fees for registration and inspections. This month is likely to be pivotal as the FDACS Honey Bee Technical Advisory Committee meets December 19 to debate the issue. A major workshop on bee and beekeeper certification held in October in St. Louis, MO also concerned itself with the role and financing of state bee inspection services. Beyond bee inspection, other governmental agencies are deeply affected by the budgetary crunch associated with recession, including the University of Florida and Department of Entomology/Nematology (September and October). In this regard, I would like to thank the Escarosa Beekeepers Association for its generous gift of $100.00 to the apiculture extension program. Gifts like this not only provide needed funds, but communicate to administrators the value of extension programming to the beekeeping community. Here is a detailed index of last year's APIS issues: January--Making Beeswax-Based Creams; On Queen Quality; Blueberry Pollination. February--Electronic Computer Bee Bulletin Board; More on Queen Quality and Blueberry Pollination; Changes in Citrus Cultivation; Bee Attractants. March--Bees as Food; Costs of Beekeeping; Bee Stings and Reactions; Certification of Beekeepers and Long-Range Planning. April--African Bees--The Case of Misinformation; Honey Recipes; Panhandle Feeding Study; Citizen Ambassadors; Bee Science and events at the IBRA. May--African Bees; Feeding Protein; Newspaper as Smoker Fuel; Organic Labelling. June--Tracheal Mite Enigma; National Honey Board Referendum. July--Mosquito Spraying; Formic Acid for Mite Control; Organic Labelling and News From Georgia. August--Florida Bee Inspection: User Fees; Census of Beekeepers; Aldicarb Update. September--Budget Situation; African Bee Alternatives. October--Registration Fees for Beekeepers; Chinese Beekeeping; American Bee Research Conference in Tucson, Arizona; Budgets. November--Activities of the National Honey Board; Georgia Study on Pesticide Use. 1992 4-H ESSAY CONTEST It's time again for 4-Hers to begin thinking about this year's essay contest sponsored by the American Beekeeping Federation. There are three cash prizes to Top Winners ($250, $100 and $50). In addition, each State Winner receives an appropriate book about honey bees, beekeeping, or honey. TOPIC: "The Results of Honey Bee Pollination in My Community" While the honey bee is best known for its tasty honey, its main reason for existence is to help pollinate a wide variety of plants from which we get much of the food we eat. Develop an essay on the bounty from this pollination that is found in your community. Research the role of the honey bee in pollination; then see how important this pollination and these foods are in your community. To Consumers: Do you and your neighbors eat a lot of foods which result from honey bee pollination? In Supermarkets: Visit food stores and report on the variety of these foods which are available. At Foodservice Establishments: Visit traditional restaurants and fastfood outlets to determine if these foods are an important part of their menus. Don't overlook your school's foodservice. To Farmers: If there is a farm in your community which utilizes honey bees for pollination of its crops, discuss the need for bee pollination with the farmer. Don't overlook the role of honey bees in pollinating seed crops. RULES: 1. Contest is open to active 4-H Club members only. 4-H'ers who have previously placed first, second or third at the national level are not eligible; other state winners are eligible to re-enter. 2. Essays must be 750 to 1000 words long, written on the designated subject only. All factual statements must be referenced with endnotes; failure to do so will result in disqualification. A brief biographical sketch of the essayist, including date of birth, complete mailing address, and telephone number, must accompany the essay. (The word limit does not include the references or the biographical sketch). 3. Essays submitted for national judging must be typewritten, double-spaced, on one side of the paper and should follow standard manuscript format. Handwritten essays will not be judged. 4. Essays will be judged on (a) accuracy, (b) creativity, (c) conciseness, (d) logical development of the topic, and (e) scope of research. 5. Essayists should not forward essays directly to the American Beekeeping Federation Office. Florida entries should be sent to Mr. Jim Northrop, State 4-H Office, 115 Rolfs Hall, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0312 by April 1, 1992. The winning state entry will be forwarded to the Federation by April 30, 1992. MEETINGS IN FLORIDA Two national beekeeping meetings will take place in Florida that are of importance. The Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA) will hold its annual convention in Orlando at the Howard Johnson across from Universal Studios, 5905 Kirkman Rd., ph 407-351-3333. The meeting will be January 13-17; Mr. Laurence Cutts, Florida's Chief Apiary Inspector, suggests the best day for beekeepers to visit would be Monday, January 13. For more information on the meeting, contact Mr. Cutts, P.O. Box 147100, Gainesville, FL 32614- 7100, ph 904/372-3505, ext. 114, 128, 421. The National Honey Board will hold its meeting February 16-19, 1992 in the Orlando area. For further information, contact Tina Tindall of the Board, ph 303/776-2337. WHAT OF THE HOBBY BEEKEEPER? Dr. Larry Connor, owner of Beekeeping Education Service & Wicwas Press, P.O. Box 817-L, Cheshire, CT 06410-0817, ph 203/250- 7575, recently published an editorial that is food for thought. It is especially relevant considering the recent meeting in St. Louis, MO where a proposal to certify bees/beekeepers was discussed at length. Here is what Dr. Connor has to say in Should We Retire the Term "Hobby Beekeeper"? "Non-commercial beekeepers comprise over 95% of the beekeepers in North America. To describe these beekeepers, we interchange the terms hobbyist and amateur. An amateur beekeeper is more actively involved in the study of beekeeping than a hobbyist. An amateur beekeeper actively follows his or her beekeeping activities with the same enthusiasm and interest as a commercial beekeeper, but is not motivated by financial gain." "Is your bee hive a tool for your study of beekeeping, honey production, etc., or is it a toy to play with and set aside when something else draws your attention? For the hobbyist, the hive is a toy to play with; for the amateur, the hive is a tool to learn from. Which are you?" "Why do I make such a big point about such a minor shade of meaning? In the past decade North American beekeepers have seen the arrival of two mites and an unwanted genetic strain of bees. Hobby beekeepers disliked any discussion about them, unless, of course, their own bees are involved. In the near future, only those people who make a serious commitment to their bees will be successful as beekeepers." "North American beekeepers may be forced to work with greater passion, higher perspective, and perhaps sharpened intellect. the days of dumping a swarm into an empty hive and returning to collect a bonanza of honey are most likely numbered." "To increase your knowledge of bees and beekeeping, you must spend time with the bees themselves, since they are the best teachers. But other study is necessary. Many bee associations offer plans of study, and I have modified a syllabus from the British Bee Keepers Association for use in a basic level of testing for beekeepers. Perhaps you might consider using this in your personal or club education program." "I will send you a copy free if you send me a large self- addressed and pre-stamped (in USA) envelope. It is essential that each and every beekeeper take the time and effort to become comfortable with routine beekeeping skills. Activities which a commercial beekeeper takes for granted - requeening, moving a colony, checking for diseases or mites - are frequently too intimidating to the hobby beekeeper. But hopefully not the amateur beekeeper." OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION Dr. Connor is also the publisher of a new journal, Bee Science, an exciting, new bee research publication. It is published quarterly with a subscription rate of only $20 per year inside the U.S., $25.00 plus postage elsewhere. This magazine includes not only original research articles, but popular articles, opinions and reports. Outside the U.S., the best source of information globally continues to be the International Bee Research Association (IBRA). This organization is non-profit. Formed in 1949 it is devoted to advancing apicultural education and science worldwide. Under new leadership (Mr. Andrew Matheson from New Zealand), it publishes four journals (Bee World, Journal of Apicultural Research, Beekeeping and Development and Apicultural Abstracts) and many other special publications, including a recent education resource pack. Interested beekeepers can find out more information by writing the IBRA directly (18 North Rd., Cardiff, DF1 3DY, United Kingdom) or contacting me as Florida's representative. Sincerely, Malcolm T. Sanford 0740 IFAS, Bldg 970 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611-0740 Phone (904) 392-1801, Ext. 143 FAX: 904-392-0190 BITNET Address: MTS@IFASGNV INTERNET Address: MTS@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1991 13:45:06 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Stephen Bambara This notice is a little self-serving, but I wanted to inform BEE-L people of two publications produced by the North Carolina Beekeepers Association. The first is the annual beekeeping calendar. It focuses on management hints for N.C. beekeepers, but has application to much of the Eastern U.S. and, hopefully, interest to a broader audience. It sells for $5 to nonmembers of the NC Beekeepers Assn., but if you mention BEE-L in your order, I'll have them knock off $1. (I'm on good terms with the author.) The second publication is an "Atlas of Selected Pollen Important to Honey Bees in the Eastern United States". This is comprised of 64 electron micrographs of 37 different pollens collected by honey bees. The photos can be useful in determining honey type or which flowers bees have been visiting. This book is available for $10 post-paid. All proceeds go the Association's Science fund, and the authors get nothing. calendar $4.00 pollen book $10.00 N.C. State Beekeepers Assn. 1403 Varsity Drive Raleigh, NC 27606 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1991 13:58:49 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Stephen Bambara Subject: PUBLICATIONS FOR SALE 'Sorry if the other message turned out garbled. The North Carolina Beekeepers have two books for sale. One is of electron micrographs of pollen important to honey bees and the other is a beekeeping calendar. The pollen atlas is $10 post-paid and the calendar is 4$ to BEE-L people. NCSBA 1403 Varsity Dr. Raleigh, NC 27606 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1991 13:56:00 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Stephen J. Clark" Subject: garbled message Was it just me, or did other people receive the recent posting from: Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1991 13:45:06 -0500 From: Stephen Bambara in grabled fashion? Could you repost, Stephen? It seemed as if the second line of your message overwrote the first, the fourth overwrote the third, the sixth overwrote the fifth, etc. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Dec 1991 16:56:51 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Igor Yastrzhembsky Subject: Request for info about bee venom Dear BEE-L participants, Please, forgive if my question is inappropriate here. Could somebody of this respected group send me or indicate a source (preferrably electronic one) of some standard on apitoxin (bee venom). Any piece of information would be greatly appreciated. Yours sincerely, Igor PS. You can reply to: long%iki@esoc.bitnet or to: iay@platan.msk.su ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 30 Dec 1991 09:51:32 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Edward E Southwick HAPPY HOLIDAYS