========================================================================= Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 21:49:25 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Michael Moroney Subject: Re: Cape Honeybees In-Reply-To: <199501270712.AA09579@world.std.com> Regarding this interesting article how cape honeybees (capensis) "take over" scutellata, can they "take over" hives of other bees or only scutellata? -Mike ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Feb 1995 09:13:19 GMT+2 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: MIKE ALLSOPP Organization: NIPB Subject: Re: Cape Honeybees Dear All, On 31st January Michael Maroney asks the following: > Regarding this interesting article how cape honeybees (capensis) "take over" > scutellata, can they "take over" hives of other bees or only scutellata? So far as we know, and there is quite a lot of both direct and circumstantial evidence, capensis will take over ALL other races of bees. And probably more easily than it happens with scutellata. Certainly the European races of ligustica and mellifera are sorted out in a matter of weeks, while scutellata resists for some months. Cheers Mike MIKE ALLSOPP HONEYBEE RESEARCH DIVISION PLANT PROTECTION RESEARCH INSTITUTE P/BAG X5017, STELLENBOSCH, 7599 SOUTH AFRICA INTERNET : PPRIMA@PLANT1.AGRIC.ZA TELEFAX : (021) 883-3285 TELEPHONE: (021) 887-4690/1 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 07:20:50 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Robert T. Reed" <73624.2723@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: No Mesages?????? -- [ From: Robert T. Reed * EMC.Ver #2.0 ] -- I haven't received any messages for a couple of days now. Is there a problem with system? Please respond. This way I know that my software is still working. Bob Reed Shipmen, VA USA ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 15:16:26 +0100 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Kerstin Malmborg Subject: Re: No Mesages?????? In-Reply-To: Your message of "Fri, 03 Feb 1995 07:20:50 EST." <199502031226.AA04613@goliat.dc.luth.se> I got your letter, but nothing from the bbe-l since january 1:st. Regards from north of Sweden/Kerstin Malmborg ============================================================================== Kerstin Malmborg tel: 0920-916 41 Hvgskolan i Lulee fax: 0920-722 72 S-976 32 LULEE e-mail: km@dc.luth.se http://www.luth.se/~km ============================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 13:59:31 GMT Reply-To: Gordon@apis.demon.co.uk Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Gordon L. Scott" Subject: Re: No Mesages?????? Responded via bee-l & direct. -- Gordon Scott Gordon@apis.demon.co.uk Compuserve 100332,3310 Basingstoke Beekeeper Beekeeper@apis.demon.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 08:32:20 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Allen Dick Subject: Re: No Mesages?????? In-Reply-To: <9502031405.AA27430@cuugnet.cuug.ab.ca> On Fri, 3 Feb 1995, Kerstin Malmborg wrote: > I got your letter, but nothing from the bbe-l since january 1:st. If your mail goes down on your system for very long some day, the LISTSERV will unsubscribe you, it seems. It happened to me some time back. If you want to know if you are still on the list (or who is on it) at any time, just send a message to LISTSERV@UACSC2.ALBANY.EDU, (subject line is ignored) saying only: REVIEW BEE-L in the body. Leave off your sig (if you know how). Additionally: GET BEE-L LOG9501 will get you the January 95 log and so you will bee up to date. LOG9412 is December 94, LOG9502 is Feb 95 etc. You may have to wait an hour or two for your data to be mailed back to you, as the server does this in its own good time (It has serious work to do also, and does this in idle moments). Hugo is searching the database, I think, using some search commands for items of interest to him and may report how that worked out. Allen PS some may want to save this article with the original greeting from the LISTSERV (received when you signed on). Or maybe not, because all this is in there :-) for occasions such as this! ____________________________________________________ W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper VE6CFK Rural Route One, Swalwell, Alberta Canada T0M 1Y0 Email: dicka@cuug.ab.ca or allend@internode.net Web home page: http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/~dicka ________________Come by some time___________________ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 07:35:57 -0800 Reply-To: uc779@freenet.victoria.bc.ca Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Conrad A. Berube" Subject: Snail mail address for James Tipton? Does anyone out there know the address of James Tipton from somewhere in Colorado? I spoke with him last night and wanted to send him some references but I can't find the correspondence he had sent to me previously (which contains the only record I have of his address). His beekeeping outfit is called something like Desert Bees or High Desert Bees or words to that effect. He also did an article for the American Bee Journal within the past couple of years called something like "It Was Bees I Was Raising, Not Stylish Cattle"-- if someone would check the author index in the December issues and the article itself to see if his address is attached thereto I'd be very appreciative (none of the libraries on the island here carries ABJ). Bee well, - Conrad Berube " ` ISLAND CROP MANAGEMENT " ` 1326 Franklin Terrace _- -_`-_|'\ /` Victoria, B.C. _/ / / -' `~()() V8S 1C7 \_\ _ /\-._/\/ (604)480-0223; fax (604)656-8922 / | | email: uc779@freenet.victoria.bc.ca. '` ^ ^ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 14:43:48 -0500 Reply-To: aa2363@freenet.lorain.oberlin.edu Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Kevin R. Palm" Subject: Anyone received Feb. 1995 APIS? Has anyone received the February 1995 issue of APIS yet? I just want to make sure that I haven't missed it... -- Kevin R. Palm aa2363@freenet.lorain.oberlin.edu cy923@cleveland.freenet.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Feb 1995 10:05:46 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Dave Green, Eastern Pollinator Newsletter" Subject: Re: Yellow Jackets Respond to: Pollinator@aol.com Dave Green, Eastern Pollinator Newsletter, PO Box 1215, Hemingway, SC 29554 Cross posted to Socinsct: There was considerable discussion last fall of the population levels of yellow jackets and hornets. I don't recall contributing, as they seemed to be about normal here. Something unusual to report: there are a lot of yellow jackets still alive. In fact, as I have just completed a round of feeding honeybee colonies, they are so numerous in some areas as to be a real plague to the bees. These are the common ones (I have always called German Yellow Jackets), a small one that seems to nest most often in holes in the ground. They have high populations in late summer and fall, often a nuisance at the Labor Day picnic, getting into soda cans, etc. I had understood that they do not store food, therefore do not survive winter. I often see single ones (assume: queens) hiding in cracks in bee hives during the winter. This winter some of the dry sugar feeders are completely full of yellow jackets, perhaps 2 or 3 hundred per feeder. There are a few in almost all feeders. Most of these have had to enter through the hive entrance, so the bees are unsucessful at stopping them. There are some dead yellow jackets and bees at the entrances, so there is evidently some fighting. Thoughts: 1. Has it been such a mild winter that they have been finding natural food sources? There is some wild mustard, which has a lot of pollen and a little nectar, but I haven't seen yellow jackets forage these (or any other flower but goldenrod). I believe they catch flies also, but thought that was mostly for brood feed. 2. Many of the hives that crashed from varroa were heavy with honey. Are the yellow jackets surviving by robbing this food source? How many of these are out in the wild? 3. I have been increasing feeding greatly in the past three years. (I used to leave a super of honey for winter feed, then supplement it with sugar. Now I have to remove supers to treat for varroa. I have no place to store the supers, so I extract them and feed a frame or two of honey into the brood chamber, if needed, plus a lot of sugar.) Am I encouraging yellow jackets to survive winter by supplying this food source? Of course they normally have the garbage at dumpsters through the winter. 4: Is the inability of the bees to stop the yellow jackets indicating debilitated bees? I have been busy going back and plugging all extra entrances, and reducing the main one. We've had to be very careful with the deeps of feed honey, as bees want to rob too. We got them started in one yard and they were finishing off a weak hive when we returned the next day. -Dave :-) Cold here - only two days at 70F last week, think I'll head for Florida! ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Feb 1995 19:59:00 +0200 Reply-To: DURK ELLISON Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: DURK ELLISON Organization: Metropoli, Finland Subject: Re: Yellow Jackets We had a yellow jacket plague here in Finland the year before last. and found the following seemed to help. 1. Replace your open feeders with bucket feeders. 2. If your using soft wood or fiber crown board, cover the edges with a hard material. I used carburetor tape I got from the local gas station. This prevents them from eating small entrance holes in the edges of the crown board and gaining access that way. 3. Next place a 10 to 15 cm wide strip of plastic from the entrance into the hive, between the bottom board and hive box. I used the same plastic material my wife uses to wrap food with. Stateside I think it's called "Siran Wrap" or something like that. If you've noticed, when they attack the entrance, it's an organized attack with solders keeping the guards occupied while others sneek down the front of the hive box and over the bottem edge up into the hive. The plastic prevents this and gives the guards more time to react. 4. Reduce the enterence space. The less space the guards have to cover the better. I reduced mine to approx. 10 cm. which seemed to work well. I hope the above will be of some help to you. Best regards Durk Ellison OH2ZAS BeeNet: 240:2358/100 email: durk.ellison@pcb.mpoli.fi ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Feb 1995 17:54:39 -0500 Reply-To: aa2363@freenet.lorain.oberlin.edu Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Kevin R. Palm" Subject: Can you make a hive with treated wood? I am planning to build my own hive bodies from scratch. Can a hive body be constructed with pressure-treated wood? Would this type of wood have an adverse effect on a colony or, if used as a super, any honey stored within it? Thanks for the help... -- Kevin R. Palm aa2363@freenet.lorain.oberlin.edu cy923@cleveland.freenet.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 5 Feb 1995 14:58:06 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Doug Yanega Subject: Re: Bee and Wasp ID's >A large number--perhaps 500+-- specimens of a colonial-nesting bee(?) >had set up "housekeeping" in the boards on the west side of the shed. >The bees were perhaps 10mm long and 1.5mm in diameter, were very dark, >(probably black or very dark green), and may have been mating at times. >I remember a large number of them flying about, but what I remember >most vividly is that if one looked closely at the holes which they >had made in the wood, you often saw a pair of compound eyes at the >top of the hole "looking back" at you. The bees appeared to be in >individuals holes though the holes were close together...1 cm or >less (?) at times. > >I never attempted to identify the bee (or wasp?) at that time, and I >realize that my observations are tempered by time. Can you venture an >opinion with respect to the species? Sounds more like a small Sphecid wasp (a Pemphredonine) than any bees...that's not really the habit of any bees, and especially not with that coloration or elongate body shape. Hard to say, but that's my guess. Doug Yanega Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr. Champaign, IL 61820 USA phone (217) 244-6817, fax (217) 333-4949 "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82 ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 5 Feb 1995 17:26:00 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "David F. Verville" Subject: Pressure treated Wood Comments: To: aa2363@freenet.lorain.oberlin.edu, att!BEE-L@UACSC2.ALBANY.EDU, cy923@cleveland.free.net.edu >I am planning to build my own hive bodies from scratch. Can a >hive body be constructed with pressure-treated wood? Would >this type of wood have an adverse effect on a colony or, if used >as a super, any honey stored within it? >Thanks for the help... >>-- >>Kevin R. Palm >>aa2363@freenet.lorain.oberlin.edu >>cy923@cleveland.freenet.edu From the "Consumer Information & Handling Guide for OSMOSE Pressure Treated Wood". "DO NOT USE TREATED WOOD FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THOSE PORTIONS OF BEEHIVES WHICH MAY COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE HONEY." FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CALL 1-800 522 WOOD ~p ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 5 Feb 1995 15:15:01 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Bill Fernihough Subject: RE>Pressure treated Wood- Reply to: RE>Pressure treated Wood I strongly suggest you don't do it. Your honey will be contaminated and your bees will be affected. -------------------------------------- Date: 2/5/95 14:26 To: Bill Fernihough From: Discussion oB Biology >I am planning to build my own hive bodies from scratch. Can a >hive body be constructed with pressure-treated wood? Would >this type of wood have an adverse effect on a colony or, if used >as a super, any honey stored within it? >Thanks for the help... >>-- >>Kevin R. Palm >>aa2363@freenet.lorain.oberlin.edu >>cy923@cleveland.freenet.edu From the "Consumer Information & Handling Guide for OSMOSE Pressure Treated Wood". "DO NOT USE TREATED WOOD FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THOSE PORTIONS OF BEEHIVES WHICH MAY COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE HONEY." FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CALL 1-800 522 WOOD ~p ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 11:14:00 +0000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Krell, Rainer" Subject: Grad. Res. Assistantship, leafcutter bee Comments: To: BEE-L replies My apologies if this has already been posted to BEE-L. I have not been able to read all my e-mail recently. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FORWARDED FROM: Krell, Rainer Return-Path: Date: Fri, 03 Feb 1995 08:43:22 -0500 From: Peter Kevan Subject: Job Sender: entomo-l@uoguelph.ca To: Multiple recipients of list Errors-to: jmcgarry@uoguelph.ca Reply-to: entomo-l@uoguelph.ca Originator: entomo-l@uoguelph.ca Precedence: bulk X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Comment: Entomology Discussion List Dear colleagues and friends, Please post this announcement, and pass the word among any potential graduate students that you know. Thanks - Karen Strickler GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP POSITION: Graduate Research Assistant, M.S. or Ph.D. LOCATION: Class work will be conducted at the University of Idaho, Moscow, ID. Research will be conducted at the UI Parma Research and Extension Center, Parma, ID. DESCRIPTION: Student will conduct research on the interaction between alfalfa leafcutting bee populations, alfalfa flower bloom, nectar availability, lygus bug populations and seed set, with special emphasis on the impact of nectar availability on pollen ball mortality. QUALIFICATIONS: Completed B.S. or M.S. in Biology, Zoology, Botany, Entomology, Agronomy, Horticulture, or related field. Valid driver's license. Willingness to work with stinging insects under hot, dry field conditions. Prefer some experience with bees, pollination systems, and/or irrigated agriculture. STIPEND: $10,135 for M.S. or $11,185 for Ph.D. per annum, with possibility of an additional 15% summer research appointment. DATE AVAILABLE: Summer, 1995 FOR MORE INFORMATION: contact Dr. Karen Strickler University of Idaho Parma Research and Extension Center 29603 U of I Lane Parma, Idaho 83660-9637 Telephone: 208-722-6701 Fax: 208-722-6708 Internet: kstrickler@ag.uidaho.edu -- The Bumblebee List - via the University of Ottawa Return address: bombus@csi.uottawa.ca ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 10:51:14 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: WILLIAM G LORD Subject: Re: Yellow Jackets In-Reply-To: <9502041508.AA12578@bigbad.ces.ncsu.edu> from "Dave Green, Eastern Pollinator Newsletter" at Feb 4, 95 10:05:46 am Dave; I am interested in your comment about dry sugar feeders. You must find them useful if you are using them but could you describe your experiences with them and give a rough description? Thanks, Bill Lord Louisburg, NC -- WILLIAM G LORD E-Mail : wglord@franklin Internet: wglord@franklin.ces.ncsu.edu Phone : 9194963344 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Feb 1995 07:17:00 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Andy Nachbaur Organization: Wild Bee's BBS (209)826-8107 Subject: Re: Yellow Jackets UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM8 Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 10:51:14 -0500 From: WILLIAM G LORD Subject: Re: Yellow Jackets Dave; I am interested in your comment about dry sugar feeders. You must find them useful if you are using them but could you describe your experiences with them and give a rough description? Bill Lord Louisburg, NC TMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM> Hello Bill, I ain't Dave but I will add a little from my own experiences at feeding bees on a grand scale. Not clear if you are interested in feeding Honey Bee's or some other bees. For Honey Bee's dry feeding is ok in an emergency situation, but not so good as a regulated or metered way to feed honey bees to increase stores or stimulate brood rearing. Though feeding dry sugar will work and some may use it this way, but it will also burn out the bees, or prematurely age them. One way, but expensive, to overcome some of this and still dry feed is to add fondant sugar such as DRIVERT to the dry sugar, maybe 100 to 300 thoroughly mixed. Add TM too. This seems to add enough invert to make it easier for the bees to use the dry sugars without the burn out, but not as good as supersaturated sugars in solution. The best way that I have found to feed bees is to use a liquid sugar syrup, invert type, or a blend of invert corn syrup and liquid sugars. The bees respond to this type of feeding as if it was natural nectar, and the moisture can be adjusted, heavier for making stores, or lighter for stimulation. Even at best with todays small spread in the sugar and honey price, it is border line if feeding pays unless you are looking to gain more broodrearing to make increase. Feeding bees a pound of sugar solids in any form does not give you a pound of honey replacement as the bees will use much of the energy from the sugar up in storing it, and with dry sugar will have to fly several miles with water for each pound of sugar fed. Many times in the changing spring weather they don't get back. Feeding bees does increase flight, and for years beekeepers in California, that rent their bees to almond growers who "know it all" about bee's but never owned one, will put a gallon can about 12 pounds gross weight on the bee's. This impresses the "know it all" grower with much bee activity, even in some cases its the strong hives robbing on the weak one's, and crowds the bee's so they look stronger if the hive is opened for strength inspection. You can collect much more pollen with pollen traps on if you provide a slow continuous flow with sugar syrup such as is the normal in many spring conditions, and this could indicate something in crop pollination. In tree fruits I have serious doubts, as the amount of pollen that is produced from any acre is very small and in most cases can be cleaned up in a few hours by the bees if good flight weather can be had. Much work has been done on bees and almond pollination, little has been learned about the basics, or if there is a negative correlation to crop size by having too many bees present at any one time that may clean all the pollen up and store it for food, at the expense of more almonds. The problems and research has been limited to getting bees for almond pollination. With some very shaky research on bee strength and flight studies, most all biased with the addition of some form of sugar. The addition of TM to the syrup is a plus factor for the overall health of the hive and really allows the beekeeper to combine the task of feeding bees with medicating them. The stories put out by well meaning people who never kept bees about the fast degradation of TM in sugar syrup are in error and taken out of context in research done by others. TM does degenerate fast in liquid, that why it sold mostly as a water soluble product, but the recommended levels of active material take this into account. ALL TM added to any carrier must be liquefied by the bees to be useful as any food intended for use by the bees is always in a liquid form including pollen. I am beginning to sound like a salesman for PFIZER, but I am only a old drone, and one who joined with other farm users of Terramycin and won some nice refunds in a price fixing case against Pfizer when they got a little to cocky with their product pricing. OH hay there I go again, my x-wife told me that I should not mouth off so much, when all she wanted to know if I would be home for dinner. I would always ask what we were going to have. Well, sure you can feed you bees dry sugar, I once found a outfit that fed their's prune juice, and the bees stored it. But I would not recommend it for bees as they are regular as clockwork and don't need that extra push some of us old beekeepers do to get started in the morning. SOURCE: For sugars in small or large lots, DADANT & Son's nearest branch, other beekeepers, other supply houses. BTW: The almonds have been coming out for a week now, and the bees have only had about 4 good hours of flight. In fact the last month in this area the bees have only had about 4 good hours of flight time. I sure would not want my wash out when this weather brakes, the air will fill with bees and yellow rain like nothing ever reported seen in Nam.. ttul Andy- (c) Permission to reproduce, granted. (U) Written opinions are not necessarily fact. Check your facts before expressing opinion. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 08:46:48 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "M.Westby (Max Westby)" Subject: queen marking Dear All Back to queen marking debate of last week. For the past 8 years I have used nothing but the queen marking paints sold by Steele & Brodie in Scotland (Fax +44 382 543022). They are Xylene based and very fast drying. I have never had a queen die, be attacked, or loose her mark with this product. It is sold in all 5 colours in small bottles complete with brush for just GBP 1.00. Cheers, Max ||| (@ @) ---------------------------------------------ooOo-( )-oOoo----- Dr G W Max Westby Dept of Psychology University of Sheffield, SHEFFIELD S10 2TN UK. Phone (Dept): +44 (0)114 276 8555 Extension 6549 Phone (Dept): +44 (0)114 282 6549 (direct line) Phone (Home): +44 (0)114 236 1038 Fax: +44 (0)114 276 6515 E-mail: m.westby@sheffield.ac.uk World Wide Web Site: http://www2.shef.ac.uk/default.html --------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 08:02:50 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: George Clarkson/SC <70641.2067@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Help with symptoms I have a colony that went into winter weak - probably too weak - and is still experiencing problems. I am wondering if anyone on the list has any ideas. I will give some background first: This colony struggled all the last two years and never really built up. It was requeened last spring. I treated them with Apistan last spring and fall and with teramycin last fall. On a recent mild day I inspected them and found them even weaker - only about three frames of bees. I noticed some capped brood that had holes in the cappings. I opened a few and there was a light brown to grey liquid inside. It had a thick consistency, but not gooey. It had a bad smell, but I had to put it directly to my nose to smell it. No particularly bad odor was coming from the hive, though. The queen was present and was laying in a small pattern. Any ideas of what I might be experiencing? George Clarkson Columbia, SC USA 70641,2067@compuserve.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 09:10:57 GMT Reply-To: Gordon@apis.demon.co.uk Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Gordon L. Scott" Subject: Re: Yellow Jackets In message <9502080223.aa12033@punt.demon.co.uk> BEE-L@uacsc2.albany.edu writes: > For Honey Bee's dry feeding is ok in an emergency situation, > but not so good as a regulated or metered way to feed honey bees to > increase stores or stimulate brood rearing.... FWIW, the conventional wisdom in [my area of the] UK varies just a little from this letter... That may be just the way I read it, or it may be climatic. Either way.. Here, we are very wary of feeding syrup during the winter or early spring precisely because it stimulates the bees to raise brood and can result in them expanding too quickly & too early. Our standard approach would be, if we *need* to feed at this time (and generally we should not!), to feed fondant not syrup. Dry sugar for emergencies only. Regards, -- Gordon Scott Gordon@apis.demon.co.uk Compuserve 100332,3310 Basingstoke Beekeeper Beekeeper@apis.demon.co.uk Genetic Engineering is - Designer Genes. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 10:11:56 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Dave Green, Eastern Pollinator Newsletter" Subject: Re: Help with symptoms George Clarkson says: >I have a colony that went into winter weak - probably too weak - and is still experiencing problems. I am wondering if anyone on the list has any ideas. I will give some background first: This colony struggled all the last two years and never really built up. It was requeened last spring. I treated them with Apistan last spring and fall and with teramycin last fall. >On a recent mild day I inspected them and found them even weaker - only about three frames of bees. I noticed some capped brood that had holes in the cappings. I opened a few and there was a light brown to grey liquid inside. It had a thick consistency, but not gooey. It had a bad smell, but I had to put it directly to my nose to smell it. No particularly bad odor was coming from the hive, though. The queen was present and was laying in a small pattern. >Any ideas of what I might be experiencing? It sounds suspiciously like American Foulbrood. Put a toothpick into the goo and see if it strings out as you slowly draw it away. Other (less likely according to your description) possibilities: European foulbrood, chalkbrood, parasitic mite syndrome, chilled brood, etc. Or better yet, get the state inspector, Mike Hood, (mhood@clust1.clemson.edu) to look at it and advise. If it is AFB, you need to take care of it. They are about due to get robbed out by other bees, and that's the main way it spreads. Until you can take care of it, keep the entrance reduced so they can defend against robbers. Wash your hands and tools after handling it, if it is AFB. Gloves can carry AFB too, so don't wear them, if you can. Pollinator@aol.com Dave Green Eastern Pollinator Newsletter, PO Box 1215, Hemingway, SC 29554 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 10:11:58 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Dave Green, Eastern Pollinator Newsletter" Subject: Re: Yellow Jackets Comments: To: Gordon@apis.demon.co.uk In message <9502080223.aa12033@punt.demon.co.uk> BEE-L@uacsc2.albany.edu writes: > For Honey Bee's dry feeding is ok in an emergency situation, > but not so good as a regulated or metered way to feed honey bees to > increase stores or stimulate brood rearing.... We have always fed dry sugar over the cluster during the winter, because we don't want to overstimulate the bees. Then in spring, we use syrup to *jump start* them. The weather has *finally* turned cold. We've had two nights in the upper teens. I'll be watching to see if that did in the yellow jackets. We were able to mostly stop them by stopping up entrances. Yellow jackets (and ants) are always a plague, if we try to feed sugar in the fall, so I usually wait until mid December to January to start feeding. I just have never seen yellow jackets here in February. Bill Lord says: >I am interested in your comment about dry sugar feeders. You must find them useful if you are using them but could you describe your experiences with them and give a rough description? Bill, we've used dry sugar feed through the winter for several years, and the bees winter beautifully. There are two styles. One is just a rim, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches. A sheet of newspaper is laid over the top bars, and the rim is filled with sugar. (I threw away the issue where they told about cutting the honey program; I didn't want to dishearten them.) The cluster lays just below the sugar and eats through the paper to take it. Condensation from the hives on cold nights will make it pretty much into a block. The rim is best for weak hives, because they can always get the feed directly, but it is a nuisance, if you want to get into the hive later. On good strong hives, I place a bottom on the rim, with a hole in it. This contains the sugar better, and bees will take it as needed, but won't do too much when it is cold, and they are not directly in contact with it. I plan to start syrup in about three weeks on breeding stock and weak hives. Syrup can be fed in the rim type by using four or five layers of newspaper without any holes. It will seep through the paper and the bees take it very well. Occasionally they'll punture it too soon and some will drain out, but I don't think there is much waste. This is nice if the syrup has crystals that would clog up a feeder. I figure the best way to survive is to develop systems that are cheap in materials and labor, but get the job done. We do have some can-type and division board feeders, but not nearly enough, and they slow us down a lot, anyway. I looked at quite a few yesterday (about 45 Farenheit). You know, they were smiling, as they munched away! Pollinator@aol.com Dave Green Eastern Pollinator Newsletter, PO Box 1215, Hemingway, SC 29554 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 07:20:34 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Bill Fernihough Subject: RE>Help with symptoms- Reply to: RE>Help with symptoms This sure sounds like foulbrood. First, treating with Teramycin is not a one shot deal, it must be done every 10 to 14 days through the winter, or provision made for a steady exposure to the antibiotic. I feed the drug every 14 days in a heavy sugar syrup mixture, and only put the drug in after the mixture has cooled down to outside temperature. Moisture and heat and sunlight are enemies of Teramycin, and sun will destroy it immediatly, but it will last in water at cold temperatures for about 10 days. You should have your hive inspected and if the recommendation is to destroy it, you should do so. Otherwise begin Teramycin treatment immediately. Mix one quarter spoonful in a quart of sugar syrup. Put holes in the lid of the jar, and turn it upside down over the hive, protected from the sun. I put it over the openings in the top cover, with an empty super around it. Read some books on beekeeping in the meantime! -------------------------------------- Date: 2/8/95 5:02 To: Bill Fernihough From: Discussion oB Biology I have a colony that went into winter weak - probably too weak - and is still experiencing problems. I am wondering if anyone on the list has any ideas. I will give some background first: This colony struggled all the last two years and never really built up. It was requeened last spring. I treated them with Apistan last spring and fall and with teramycin last fall. On a recent mild day I inspected them and found them even weaker - only about three frames of bees. I noticed some capped brood that had holes in the cappings. I opened a few and there was a light brown to grey liquid inside. It had a thick consistency, but not gooey. It had a bad smell, but I had to put it directly to my nose to smell it. No particularly bad odor was coming from the hive, though. The queen was present and was laying in a small pattern. Any ideas of what I might be experiencing? George Clarkson Columbia, SC USA 70641,2067@compuserve.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 07:38:16 -1000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Thomas W. Culliney" Subject: New Zealand apiculture In-Reply-To: <9502081300.AA13730@hinc.hawaii.gov> Would anyone know of some good sources of information (books, journal articles) on beekeeping in New Zealand? Aloha, Tom ============================== Thomas W. Culliney Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture Division of Plant Industry 1428 South King Street Honolulu, Hawaii 96814 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Phone: (808) 973-9529 Facsimile: (808) 973-9533 E-mail: tcullin@hinc.hawaii.gov ============================== ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 21:58:56 +1130 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jean-Pierre Chapleau Subject: Re: New Zealand apiculture In-Reply-To: <199502080116.MAA21657@scuzzy.fmmo.ca> On Wed, 8 Feb 1995, Thomas W. Culliney wrote: > Would anyone know of some good sources of information (books, journal > articles) on beekeeping in New Zealand? --------------------------------------------- I suggest you read "Beekeeping: leading agricultural changes in New Zealand" by Andrew Matheson. It is a two part article (Bee World vol.72, no.2 and no.3, 1991). Bee World is a IBRA publication. _______________________________ ~ |_____JEAN-PIERRE CHAPLEAU______| ~ bee breeder |1282, rang 8, Saint-Adrien,| ~ | Quebec, Canada, J0A 1C0 | vice president of the Canadian Honey Council | phone: (819) 828-3396 | ~ ~ | fax: (819) 828-2248 | ~ ~ | chapleau@scuzzy.fmmo.ca | ~ ~ |______________________________~ ~ |__| |__| ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 14:04:00 PST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Burbidge, Brian" Subject: Materials to avoid in constructing supers etc. Based on the recent items about hive materials I have been asked by members of our local bee association if anyone can provide information on materials etc that should not be used for making supers or hive mats etc. I suspect there are a lot of composit timber products etc that should not be used because of their chemical compositions etc. For example some of our members are using different plastic substances as mats in the tops of hives which may not be stable or contain undesirables. Are there particular substance/chemicals we need to avoid ?? Regards Brian Burbidge BBurbidge@auslig.gov.au ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 19:34:55 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: David Hinz In-Reply-To: <199502090308.AA12231@mail.eskimo.com> ok ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 08:13:27 GMT+2 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Paul Magnuson Organization: NIPB Subject: Re: New Zealand apiculture > From: "Thomas W. Culliney" > Subject: New Zealand apiculture > Would anyone know of some good sources of information (books, journal > articles) on beekeeping in New Zealand? Hello Tom I think that Andrew Matheson's `Practical BeeKeeping in New Zealand', revised edition, 1993, GP Publications, Wellington, NZ is superb. It is a simple but comprehensive manual for new beekeepers, and manages to convey the flavour of NZ beekeeping to foreign beekeepers. Regards Paul Paul Magnuson ppripcm@plant1.agric.za Honeybee Research Unit Plant Protection Res. Inst. Agricultural Research Council. Private Bag X134 Tel. (012) 319 7113, Fax (012) 323 5275 Pretoria 0001 South Africa ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 08:27:16 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: WILLIAM G LORD Subject: Re: Yellow Jackets In-Reply-To: <9502081619.AA18934@bigbad.ces.ncsu.edu> from "Dave Green, Eastern Pollinator Newsletter" at Feb 8, 95 10:11:58 am Dave; Another question on the "rim" you describe. What do you make it out of? Are you using telescoping covers, or and empty super to fit this rim under? I use a sheet of 5/8's underlayment plywood for my covers and there's not much room for anything underneath. Are you wintering in a single deep, a story and a half, or two deeps? I will start feeding as soon as it warms up a bit, and I agree about division board feeders and jars and buckets. I have settled on one gallon jars over a plywood cover with a three inch circular hole. I can see the jars, see how fast the syrup goes down, and see the bubbles gurgling from the leakers before I leave the yard. Still, I don't particularly like using jars. The lids stick and rust, the bees glue up the holes, they only hold a gallon, and they have to be stored. so, I am still interested in the dry sugar if I can figure how to get this rim into my hives without adding an empty super. For your information, I am an extension agent in northern N.C. and I run about 120 hives for honey and pollination. I make dark honey, but it sells well, and pollinate cucumbers for $30 a hive (last year's price, probably up to $35 this year). Its good to talk to someone from the mid-Atlantic area. Bill -- WILLIAM G LORD E-Mail : wglord@franklin Internet: wglord@franklin.ces.ncsu.edu Phone : 9194963344 5663 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 14:46:36 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "M.Westby (Max Westby)" Subject: Queen Marking Dear All Back to queen marking debate of last week. For the past 8 years I have used nothing but the queen marking paints sold by Steele & Brodie in Scotland (Fax +44 382 543022). They are Xylene based and very fast drying. I have never had a queen die, be attacked, or loose her mark with this product. It is sold in all 5 colours in small bottles complete with brush for just GBP 1.00. Cheers, Max ||| (@ @) ---------------------------------------------ooOo-( )-oOoo----- Dr Max Westby (Among other things a Sheffield Beekeeper) South Yorkshire Beekeepers Association BBKA apiary reg: JQ34 Phone (Home): +44 (0)114 236 1038 Fax: +44 (0)114 276 6515 e-mail: m.westby@sheffield.ac.uk World Wide Web Site: http://www2.shef.ac.uk/default.html --------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 12:56:07 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques (Liz Day)" Subject: Re: bee flight rooms I think Keith Waddington in miami must knmow womething something (soory, this machine is shot) about bee flight rooms. Mail me again and I'll send you his address. I can't get out of mail to get it ..... wait, nop[e ack! Liz Day ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 12:56:27 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques (Liz Day)" Subject: Re: bee flight rooms Actually, I saw his room. it was indoors. liz ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 10:43:35 PST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jane Beckman Subject: bee-friendly hand lotion Well, I apologise for taking a week to get back, but I just had to keep forgetting to check the name of this bee-mellowing hand lotion. It's Perlier's honey hand lotion, made in France. I looked at the ingredients, and can't figure why it should be different from other hand lotions with a "honey" skew, but the stuff really seems to mellow out the little ladies. Queen pheremones? ;-) Jane B. [jane@swdc.stratus.com] ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 13:42:10 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques (Liz Day)" Subject: for guy poppy Comments: To: lday@gluon.Berkeley.EDU Sorry! to bother the bee-liners with personal mail. I have moved to a new account that doesn't work yet. GP, please write me back... Liz Day La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques presently in New York City, USA lday@indy.net (Please note my new address. The gluon one is defunct.) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 00:56:38 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Dave Green, Eastern Pollinator Newsletter" Subject: Re: Dry Sugar Feed Andy Nachbaur says: > For Honey Bee's dry feeding is ok in an emergency situation, but not so good as a regulated or metered way to feed honey bees to increase stores or stimulate brood rearing. Though feeding dry sugar will work and some may use it this way, but it will also burn out the bees, or prematurely age them. also: >Feeding bees a pound of sugar solids in any form does not give you a pound of honey replacement as the bees will use much of the energy from the sugar up in storing it, and with dry sugar will have to fly several miles with water for each pound of sugar fed. Andy: I enjoy your contributions, and mostly agree with you, but here I have to disagree from my own experience. Perhaps this may reflect the difference between eastern and western conditions. I have fed dry sugar for several years, and increase use every year. Last year we fed about six tons, and I thorougly believe it pays. We use any kind of sugar we can get. The last three years brown sugar has been cheapest and that's been the main one. The bees love it! *Caution: I do not recommend brown sugar for northern locations, at least until spring, as there is too much that is indigestible, and bees cannot get enough cleansing flights during cold weather. Here, the bees rarely go more than two or three days without being able to fly. With dry sugar, starting in late December or early January, the bees brood up a little, but not too much. There seems to be a definite advantage to keeping them busy, and they always seem healthier, as well as stronger. I think the activity wears out some of the old, sick bees and gets rid of them sooner, but that amounts to a net benefit. Here the bees never have a winter shortage of water. All my wintering yards are near waterways or ponds. On rainy days, I think the sugar sops up some of the excess moisture within the hive, again for a total benefit. Early feeding I consider to be for colony survival, but by late February, I figure each five pounds of sugar I can induce them to consume gives me at least a pound of bees, and better health, to boot. That's not a bad trade, is it? - Especially, if you can keep the labor down. It is important that the sugar be above the cluster. We sometimes dump a pound or two of sugar in the back of a hive, as you say, for emergency situations, but a lot of this can get wasted, and they won't consume or store it on cold days. Andy, I can't knock a system that is working! BTW, we have abundant pollen (wild mustard, collards gone to flower, maple, etc.) for most of the winter, so that certainly helps. I have many times considered pollen supplements for spring boosts, but looking at a few hives in late February or March cures me of the idea. There is so much pollen that hives that don't store it must be sick. (We had 18 F last night, breaking the all time record for the date by 3 degrees). We did need some cold to prime the buds. But there may be some damage, as some were certainly advanced and tender from the extremely mild winter so far. I don't know if there was any damage to bees yet, but I don't anticipate a lot.) We're going to have a Californian here next week, so I'm going to share you r remarks with him, and ask his observations. Pollinator@aol.com Dave Green PO Box 1215, Hemingway, SC 29554 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 08:53:35 +0000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: POPPY Subject: Re: bee flight rooms In-Reply-To: <"29704 Fri Feb 10 00:00:25 1995"@afrc.ac.uk> Dear Liz, I would like to have Keith Waddington's e-mail address. Thanks, GUy ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 22:05:20 +1300 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Anton Nannestad Subject: Re: New Zealand apiculture In-Reply-To: <199502090549.SAA22099@kcbbs.gen.nz> from "Paul Magnuson" at Feb 9, 95 08:13:27 am > > > From: "Thomas W. Culliney" > > Subject: New Zealand apiculture > > > Would anyone know of some good sources of information (books, journal > > articles) on beekeeping in New Zealand? > > Hello Tom > > I think that Andrew Matheson's `Practical BeeKeeping in New Zealand', > revised edition, 1993, GP Publications, Wellington, NZ is superb. > > It is a simple but comprehensive manual for new beekeepers, and > manages to convey the flavour of NZ beekeeping to foreign beekeepers. > > Regards > Paul > > Paul Magnuson ppripcm@plant1.agric.za Hi Tom, I'd second Paul's comment. I have a collection of New Zealand beekeeping manuals and books back to the early days of settlement. Although I'm missing some of the early material, and some periodicals, Matheson's book is really the only current material other than the local beekeeper magazines. There is still quite a bit of the older material available through antiquarian bookshops. E-mail me privately if that is of interest.\ Best wishes, Anton -- ___ _ _ _ ___ _ anton@kcbbs.gen.nz /\ |\ | | / \|\ | |\ | /\ |\ ||\ ||_ |_ | /\ | \ Richard of St. /--\| \| | \_/| \| | \|/--\| \|| \||_ _| |/--\|_/ Victor wrote: Symbolum est collectio formarum visibilium ad invisibilium demonstrationem ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 11:37:14 +0100 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Marica Drazic Subject: Postgraduate studies in Beekeeping Hi, I am requesting a favor from the Bee-L. I have a chance to make some changes (and improvements) of the lecture program at postgraduate study in Beekeeping at our Faculty. I wish to make as less as possible mistakes, so I am asking for help. Can you send me just few words about other postgraduate studies in Beekeeping. Please respond with short description of general idea of study, list of lectures (just headings) and obligations of your postgraduate students. Do they finish that study with master or doctoral degree? Not to bother the rest of the Bee-L, please send your messages to my personal address. Thanks a lot Maja Drazic =========================================================== FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE Tel: ..385 .1 235 777 / 4061 UNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB Fax: ..385 .1 215 300 Dept. for beekeeping e-Mail: MDRAZIC@AGR.HR Svetosimunska 25 MDRAZIC@OLEH.SRCE.HR 41000 Zagreb ,Croatia, Europe =========================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 14:51:10 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "La Reine de la Cite' des Phoques (Liz Day)" Subject: Re: bee flight rooms Try kwadding@umiami.bitnet ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 14:26:38 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: matthews@UMBSKY.CC.UMB.EDU Subject: subscribe Date sent: 10-FEB-1995 14:26:20 Subscribe b-l Val Matthews Valerie Matthews Aotearoa, you're driving me crazy When the sun shines down University of Massachusetts On that sleepy little place at Boston I wanna be there Jenny Morris ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 15:38:17 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Sean Werle Subject: apis yemenitica Thought someone here might have some thoughts on this: From: casler@ccit.arizona.edu (Carla Casler) To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Apis yemenitica X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Comment: Entomology Discussion List Oddly enough, the most recent issue of ARAMCO magazine has an article about bee-keeping in Yemen and the unusual honey produced. Unfortunately, I don't have the issue with me at the office. Send me a message directly, if you need me to track down the citation. This magazine provides mainstream articles of interest to people curious about Middle Eastern culture and history, so if you need scientific information, you may not find this of interest--but it does have some nice pictures. > > >I have just been apprised of the possible existence of the species Apis >yemenitica. Said to flourish in Yemen south of Saudi Arabia's Empty >Quarter, this honeybee may have originated in Ethiopia. > >My education would be almost complete if people who have personal >knowledge of this species, subspecies or race of bee were to share >something of their experience with others on this list. > >************************* >* Joseph Cooper * >* jcooper@infinet.com * >************************* > > > Carla Casler CAB International North American Office 845 N. Park Ave. Tucson, Arizona 85719 USA 800-528-4841 casler@ccit.arizona.edu or cabi-nao@cabi.org ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 17:01:26 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Ray Lackey Subject: Re: apis yemenitica ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + Raymond J. Lackey + + Beekeeper 10 years with 25 colonies on Long Island, NY+ + INTERNET: rjl7317@hazeltine.com + + Mail: 1260 Walnut Avenue, Bohemia NY 11617 + + Home Phone: 516-567-1936 FAX: 516-262-8053 + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I saw that article. We must be doing something wrong! One kilogram of comb honey sells for $100. Of course, the local beliefs of the benefits of that honey certainly help! And it certainly would be good news to the Black Rhino, he gets to keep his horn! ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 18:07:00 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Andy Nachbaur Organization: Wild Bee's BBS (209)826-8107 Subject: Re: Dry Sugar Feed Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 00:56:38 -0500 From: "Dave Green, Eastern Pollinator Newsletter" Subject: Re: Dry Sugar Feed >AN For Honey Bee's dry feeding is ok in an emergency situation, but not so good as a regulated or metered way to feed honey bees to increase stores or stimulate brood rearing. Though feeding dry sugar will work and some may use it this way, but it will also burn out the bees, or prematurely age them. >AN Feeding bees a pound of sugar solids in any form does not give you a poun of honey replacement as the bees will use much of the energy from the suga up in storing it, and with dry sugar will have to fly several miles with water for each pound of sugar fed. Andy: I enjoy your contributions, and mostly agree with you, but here I h to disagree from my own experience. Perhaps this may reflect the differen between eastern and western conditions. I have fed dry sugar for several years, and increase use every year. Last year we fed about six tons, and I thorougly believe it pays. We use any kind of sugar we can get. The last three years brown sugar has been cheapest and that's been the main one. The bees love it! Hello Dave, I can only post what I have done here in California, Arizona, and Colorado, plus what I see other beekeepers doing. Its all my own opinion and not in anyway a reflection on what you are doing in your location. I have no doubts it pays you to feed granulated sugar or brown sugar,(some form of raw cane I presume?). I am not always sure it pays me to feed my own bees, but it can be a useful tool to keep them going or alive in bad times. I know no reason why granulated sugar would be different as far as bees go in any area, most of our feeding here is in the wet season also. I don't have any idea if you have ever tried feeding liquid invert syrups, but I have feed much dry sugar. I don't any more because I have found the use of liquid sugars easier, faster, and cheeper, for feeding bees and have fed it that way for many years past to my bees with out harm to the bees. It does require extra investment and modification of bee equipment and a source of liquid sugars. With the advent of inverted corn syrups a competitor for sugars syrup, we have had to rethink our bee feeding modalities and most beekeepers this area have switched to liquid feeds. Northern California queen and package beekeepers did this several years before the average commercial beekeeper. My own observations have been that some inverted corn syrups are more like nectar then just sugar syrups, and have fed mixtures and straight inverted corn syrups for years. If you do any protein feeding the inverted corn syrup also makes patties that is much easier to handle then patties made with just sugar syrup. There is nothing wrong with feeding granulated sugar I started out feeding it myself and have unloaded many semi's in the old days, not a fun job. I relate the use of bag sugar with the use of five gallon honey cans, both required back breaking work to move them around the honey barn. We now have our sugar delivered in an insulated stainless steal tanker loads and purchase it on bid from the various producers and brokers. One local beekeeper handles it all for the rest of us and fills our cans at cost. I use to be that one, but have passed that job off to one of the younger bee men as I am reduced to a overgrown hobbyist myself. The truck driver unloads it and we don't have to be there. Most commercial beekeepers who are set up for syrup feeding have one or more 4,000 gallon tanks so they can accept delivery of a full truck load. It is delivered hot and my main tank is inside and insulated so the syrup stays warm for about a week. Its easier to use when warm, no advantage to the bees. The most popular way to use this syrup is to use one gallon cans and can lids that have a hole that allows the bee's to take down the gallon in about a week, giving them the stimulation of a slow flow, 1/2 to 1 pound per day. Our bee hive tops are flat and have a hole bored in them to support the neck of these cans. We have other can lids that allow them to take more for fall feeding. Other beekeepers have inside feeders and will take the syrup to the bee yards with a small tank on the back of their truck with a delivery system to fill the inside feeders. Most of us use the gallon cans, and the local queen breeders use one liter plastic soda bottles to fed queen nuc's. We haul the can's to the bee yards on heavy pick ups, 3/4 to 1 ton class, 4 to 6 pallets at a time. One good man can put out 6 pallets of 96 cans in a day if feeding only. With our can filling system, a pump and 4 can filler on the end of a hose one man can fill about 400 cans an hour. All our cans are stored in old hive bodies on pallets, 8 cans to the box, double decked on the pallets. The average hive is fed 4 to 5 times per season. We feed mostly to produce more brood and bees, but I have also have fed to stimulate bees to gather more pollen from plants that were not producing nectar, with good results and added production of pollen in the traps. In California it is necessary to replace large numbers of hives we need all the brood we can get to do this. Many local beekeepers ship hives out of state for the summer and they make these hives up after the almond bloom with brood and young queens, or requeen hives that have most of the brood removed. They want good singles and not bombers for the trip north as the bees will have additional build up time when they get there and the cost of swarm control with big hives may be greater then a good single with a young queen. Like anything there are down sides. Beekeepers do form habits that are hard to change. Feeding any sugar should not be done without some expectations of reward for the beekeepers costs and efforts. As the price of sugar goes up less sugar is fed. One year the sugar price went out of sight. I had the opportunity to feed imported honey and used several car loads that year. Would you believe though this honey was beautiful honey that any beekeeper would be proud to have produced, it was not as good for feeding bees as the same beekeepers would argue, then feeding liquid invert sugars. Every drum was the same, it was not a question of quality. The bees just seemed to do better on the sugar syrup. *WARNING* Feeding sugar syrup to real weak hives or queen less hives may result in their death. In a normal bee yard there is always going to be what we call "dinks", and personally find this a good and economical way to identify them in some situations. Most beekeepers know what to do with dead hives, but are never sure what to do with the dinks that can cost you more in time and money then setting up a new hive. ttul Andy- ______________________ (//////////////////////) For VALENTINES'S DAY, no gift say's more! (//////////////////////) /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\ "H-O-N-E-Y I LOVE YOU ! | Wild Flower! | | | .,,,,,,,,,,. | _ _ \ / | ,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;, | | |_| | __ _ \/ | ,;;;;;;;;;;;)));;(((,,;;;,,_ | | |-| |: :|\ |:_ :: | ,;;;;;;;;;;' |)))))))))))\\ | |_| |_|:__:| \|:_ || | ;;;;;;/ )'' - /,)))((((((((((\ | | ;;;;' \ ~|\ )))))))))))))) | Product of LOVE 16oz | / / | (((((((((((((( |________________________| /' \ _/~' ')|())))))))) /' `\ /> o_/)))(((((((( Flowers are great, but for / /' `~~(____ / ())))))))))) a Love that lasts HONEY is | ---, \ \ (((((((((( the right treatment...! `\ \~-_____| )))))))) "Omar Kiyamm" 5th Cen. Apiarist `\ | |_.---. \ -Tua Xiong ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Feb 1995 08:02:47 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Allen Dick Subject: Re: Dry Sugar Feed In-Reply-To: <9502110146.AA19408@cuugnet.cuug.ab.ca> On Fri, 10 Feb 1995, Andy Nachbaur wrote: > >AN For Honey Bee's dry feeding is ok in an emergency situation, > but not so good as a regulated or metered way to feed honey bees to > will work and some may use it this way, but it will also burn out the > bees, or prematurely age them. > > >AN Feeding bees a pound of sugar solids in any form does not give you > a poun of honey replacement as the bees will use much of the energy from > the suga up in storing it, and with dry sugar will have to fly several > miles with water for each pound of sugar fed. > > >Dave Andy: I enjoy your contributions, and mostly agree with you, but here I h > to disagree from my own experience. Perhaps this may reflect the differen > between eastern and western conditions. > > >I have fed dry sugar for several years, and increase use every year. Last > year we fed about six tons, and I thorougly believe it pays. > We use any kind of sugar we can get. The last three years brown sugar has > been cheapest and that's been the main one. The bees love it. > >AN I know no reason why granulated sugar would > be different as far as bees go in any area, most of our feeding here is > in the wet season also. I don't have any idea if you have ever tried > feeding liquid invert syrups, but I have feed much dry sugar. I don't > any more because I have found the use of liquid sugars easier, faster, > and cheeper, for feeding bees and have fed it that way for many years > past to my bees with out harm to the bees. It does require extra > investment and modification of bee equipment and a source of liquid > sugars. With the advent of inverted corn syrups a competitor for sugars > syrup, we have had to rethink our bee feeding modalities and most > beekeepers this area have switched to liquid feeds. Northern California > queen and package beekeepers did this several years before the average > commercial beekeeper. My own observations have been that some inverted > corn syrups are more like nectar then just sugar syrups, and have fed > mixtures and straight inverted corn syrups for years. If you do any > protein feeding the inverted corn syrup also makes patties that is much > easier to handle then patties made with just sugar syrup. > We feed mostly to produce more brood and bees, but I have also > have fed to stimulate bees to gather more pollen from plants that were > not producing nectar, with good results and added production of pollen > in the traps. In California it is necessary to replace large numbers of > hives we need all the brood we can get to do this. Many local beekeepers > I had the opportunity to feed imported honey > and used several car loads that year. Would you believe though this > honey was beautiful honey that any beekeeper would be proud to have > produced, it was not as good for feeding bees as the same beekeepers > would argue, then feeding liquid invert sugars. Every drum was the same, > it was not a question of quality. The bees just seemed to do better on > the sugar syrup. *WARNING* Feeding sugar syrup to real weak hives or > queen less hives may result in their death. In a normal bee yard there > is always going to be what we call "dinks", and personally find this a > good and economical way to identify them in some situations. Most > beekeepers know what to do with dead hives, but are never sure what to > do with the dinks that can cost you more in time and money then setting > up a new hive. I nominate Andy for the 'Post of the month award' -- with Dave a close second. This is a pretty well one of the central issues in beekeeping. There is no better way to ensure your bees are going to do well than to make sure they have lots to eat -- seems simple, but it is amazing how many people believe in 'making them work'. What, when and how much are the real questions. Whether there will be a stimulation effect, or whether you can medicate at the same time are secondary, but important issues too. I pretty well have to agree 100% with Andy, and quite a bit with Dave too -- but not about dry sugar. maybe it is a lot more humid where he is, but the main use my bees have for dry sugar is building muscle taking it outside. Personally, I have a frame feeder (preferably composition and wood, not plastic) in each and every brood box. It helps the staff know them from supers :-) We fill them from drums that have a 10 pounds or so air pressure and a hose of the type they sell for farm bulk gas tanks. It takes 20 seconds each. We use 67 % syrup right off the bulk tanker truck year round and find it extremely efficient. I keep meaning to measure weight gain, but never do. I suspect that very little weight is lost in storing. I agree 55 % (is that the right number? -- I haven't been able to afford it since the Canadian dollar went down) invert is the best, but beet (or cane) sugar is still way better than honey or dry. Honey makes the bees look greasy and act sluggish. As Andy says, any hive that doesn't take feed is likely in trouble. We send anyone who can read a map out to feed and tell them to put a rock on the ones that haven't eaten. A beekeeper follows up at leisure (they are non-producers anyhow) and decides what to do with them. The others we don't open again. Heartless as we are, our main cure for losers like them is shaking out the bees. We seldom waste time and money trying to requeen a dud, unless we have a cell handy. At the price of queens, who can play around? Good splits are easy to make, and if you feed you will have to split, unless you want them to do it for you their way. No one has mentioned candy -- a good friend of mine has started making candy boards and swears by them. Now -- who feeds pollen sustitute? I tried it several years in the spring and maybe my timing was off, but I found that it built the hives up, but then they dwindled. I'm thinking of trying again, but only about two weeks before the first pollen flow -- Comments? ____________________________________________________ W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper VE6CFK Rural Route One, Swalwell, Alberta Canada T0M 1Y0 Email: dicka@cuug.ab.ca or allend@internode.net Web home page: http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/~dicka ____________________________________________________ ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Feb 1995 08:07:07 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Allen Dick Subject: Bees okay here in Alberta I went out the other day and opened 12 hives (wrapped in four packs as mentioned earlier) Eleven were beautiful -- large fairly loose quiet clusters. One was dead -- had dwindled to nothing -- must have been queenless in the fall. I was a little worried, because we found some acarine in the fall, but so far so good. Weather has been very mild until today (minus 20 C). More later. ____________________________________________________ W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper VE6CFK Rural Route One, Swalwell, Alberta Canada T0M 1Y0 Email: dicka@cuug.ab.ca or allend@internode.net Web home page: http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/~dicka ____________________________________________________ ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Feb 1995 16:08:18 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Joy E. Jewett" Subject: Chalkbrood I am having a serious problem with chalkbrood. Any Suggestions? Replk to Joy Jewett at JEJEWETT@alex.stkate.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 12 Feb 1995 22:32:22 +0100 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Hans-Ulrich THOMAS Subject: mead home page The Bee-L FAQ lists a mead home page. However, all I get is an "unable to locate file" whenever I want to download something. It worked ok about three weeks ago. Have these files been moved? Thanks in advance for any help. Hans - e-mail: hthomas@solid.phys.ethz.ch ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 23:37:22 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Dave Green, Eastern Pollinator Newsletter" Subject: Re: Dry Sugar Feed Andy Nachbaur says: >For Honey Bee's dry feeding is ok in an emergency situation, but not so good as a regulated or metered way to feed honey bees to increase stores or stimulate brood rearing. Though feeding dry sugar will work and some may use it this way, but it will also burn out the bees, or prematurely age them. You have really stimulated a lot of conversation, as most of us in this area use dry sugar through the cold part of the winter, switching to syrup, at least for breeding stock by March, when we want to jump start the bees. But neither I, nor any of my local colleagues, feel that dry sugar does any damage to bees. With bees, as with people, work is excellent therapy. Whenever there is no flow by Mother Nature, a flow by Dixie Crystal seems to do a lot of good. But it seems helpful to clarify one of our *ground rules*, that is to never let the bees run completely out of honey in the brood chamber. Today, I was checking, and found a few light ones. I slipped a frame of honey into each. During cold weather, such as we are having right now, the bees cannot process the sugar, so it is important that they have a frame or so of capped honey to hold them. In warmer weather they will go back at the sugar. Also: >We now have our sugar delivered in an insulated stainless steal tanker loads and purchase it on bid from the various producers and brokers. One local beekeeper handles it all for the rest of us and fills our cans at cost. I'm sure we would look at syrup more favorably if we had local sources of s upply. We've kicked around the idea of a group ordering a tanker load delivered, but it hasn't come together yet. We'd be hard pressed to store it, too. It sounds as though you are using straight corn syrup, with no dilution. Is that true? I have spent a lot of time cooking what syrup I do use. And >One year the sugar price went out of sight. I had the opportunity to feed imported honey and used several car loads that year. Did you have any extra foulbrood afterwards? I remember a study that said that much of the imported honey was loaded with foulbrood spores. I've always been reluctant to feed liquid honey, though I've fed a lot of it in the frames. It seems logical that once honey from many hives is mixed in a tank, the probabilities of spore contamination rises. Just one hive with AFB that is not diagnosed would contaminate a lot of honey. Or no? Finally: > In a normal bee yard there is always going to be what we call "dinks", and personally find this a good and economical way to identify them in some situations. Most beekeepers know what to do with dead hives, but are never sure what to do with the dinks that can cost you more in time and money then setting up a new hive. Here we are wholeheartedly in agreement. Beekeepers take a big step up, when they quit trying to nurse along junk bees and learn to call a cull a cull, and do it! Thanks for a very stimulating contribution. Pollinator@aol.com Dave Green Eastern Pollinator Newsletter, PO Box 1215, Hemingway, SC 29554 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 06:48:25 +22300129 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adam Finkelstein Subject: Mead information In-Reply-To: <199502140838.DAA21892@ipe.cc.vt.edu> from "Hans-Ulrich THOMAS" at Feb 12, 95 10:32:22 pm Hans-Ulrich THOMAS wrote: > > The Bee-L FAQ lists a mead home page. However, all I get is an "unable to > locate file" whenever I want to download something. It worked ok about > three weeks ago. Have these files been moved? > Since the faq isn't due out for a few more days this reply went to the list. Mead home page? There was a mead list which has changed to: For posting to the mead list mail to: mead@talisman.com For [un]subscribe/admin requests: mead-request@talisman.com Digest archives and files are available vi anonymous ftp: ftp.stanford.edu pub/clubs/homebrew/mead -- ______________________________________ Adam Finkelstein adamf@vtaix.cc.vt.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 20:59:39 EDT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jeffrey Young Subject: Nucs Would you be able to explain about Nucs? I understand that a "5 frame Nuc" is like a mini-super with five frames in it to allow a new queen, and workers to start their new life. I am interested how to setup a Nuc to allow the bees stabilize and then how to transition them to a 10 frame super? In the past I have always ordered a three or five pound box-o-bees (with queen) when I wanted to start a new hive. What are the advantages (and disadvantages) to Nucs, as opposed to the box-o-bees method. Thanks, Jeff Jeffrey_Young.lotus@crd.lotus.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 12:07:03 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Richard Spear Subject: Re: Nucs In-Reply-To: <199502141839.LAA09611@mailhost.primenet.com> Jeff - I lost a hive this winter (I only had two) and I want to replace it. Where did you get your "box-o-bees"? I bought a nuc two years ago ... I just placed the five frames in the middle (well, not really the middle >) of a ten frame brood chamber and everything worked out fine. Regards, Richard rspear@primenet.com On Mon, 13 Feb 1995, Jeffrey Young wrote: > Would you be able to explain about Nucs? I understand that a "5 frame Nuc" is > like a mini-super with five frames in it to allow a new queen, and workers to > start their new life. > > I am interested how to setup a Nuc to allow the bees stabilize and then how to > transition them to a 10 frame super? > > In the past I have always ordered a three or five pound box-o-bees (with queen) > when I wanted to start a new hive. What are the advantages (and disadvantages) > to Nucs, as opposed to the box-o-bees method. > > Thanks, Jeff > Jeffrey_Young.lotus@crd.lotus.com > ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 11:01:33 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Bill Fernihough Subject: RE>Nucs- Reply to: RE>Nucs Can I suggest you don't do this, unless you need to start the bees in one place and move them to another at least 5 miles away. First, there is no good reason for not starting them in a 10 frame one super deep hive. They will expand very quickly, and within a month to six weeks you will be adding another super. The bees will have accomodated themselves to this hive, and there will be no disturbance of new smells, new wood, moved frames and all that. -------------------------------------- Date: 2/13/95 16:59 To: Bill Fernihough From: Discussion oB Biology Would you be able to explain about Nucs? I understand that a "5 frame Nuc" is like a mini-super with five frames in it to allow a new queen, and workers to start their new life. I am interested how to setup a Nuc to allow the bees stabilize and then how to transition them to a 10 frame super? In the past I have always ordered a three or five pound box-o-bees (with queen) when I wanted to start a new hive. What are the advantages (and disadvantages) to Nucs, as opposed to the box-o-bees method. Thanks, Jeff Jeffrey_Young.lotus@crd.lotus.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 07:21:03 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Vaughn M Jr Bryant Vaughn M. Bryant, Jr. (vbryant@tamu.edu) Professor and Head Department of Anthropology Texas A&M University College Station, Texas 77843-3452 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 10:22:47 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Aaron Morris Subject: Mead Home Page Comments: To: bee-l@ALBANY.BITNET The Mead Home Page URL is: www.atd.ucar.edu/rdp/gfc/mead/mead.html It contains a plethora of mead and honey information, including hyperlinks to the Beekeeping Home Page (and others) and a copy of the first edition of Bee's Lees (a mead recipe book). I just started drinking some Jamaica Blue Mead set up last summer. Four stars! Aaron Morris ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 11:15:05 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Aaron Morris Subject: Mead Home Page Comments: To: bee-l@ALBANY.BITNET I just returned from the Mead Home page, and before I get flamed I figured I'd be the first to point out that the Mead Home Page does NOT contain the Bee's Lees or hyperlinks to the beekeeping home page! Bee's Lees can be found one level down from the mead home page (be warned that it is quite large!). I mailed a suggestion to Forrest Cook (Mead web meister) to add a hyperlink to the beekeeping home page on the mead home page. Happy surfin'! Aaron Morris ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 14:04:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Aaron Morris Subject: The Mead Maker's Page (This time for sure!) Comments: To: bee-l@ALBANY.BITNET Sorry for the confusion, but this time for sure! The complete correct URL for the Mead Maker's Page is: http://www.atd.ucar.edu/rdp/gfc/mead/mead.html For a good time, point your net browser there! ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 08:51:00 CST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "(Alistair Carr RS/RC (608) 221-6363)" Subject: Varroa mite Last April I started my first hive with package bees (Midnite by Dadant). The summer went very well, and the colony became strong, occupying 2 deeps and 3 shallows. In the fall it occurred to me to look for tracheal mites, and I collected a couple of 'evicted' drones to take to work, where I have access to microscopes. I never did dissect the trachea out, but DID discover a Varroa jacobsoni mite, verified by a colleague who has worked on them. I immediately ordered and administered Apistan as directed, and later found many dead Vj on the base board. Anyway, my questions are these...how did the little bastards find their way into my colony ? The package WAS shipped with an Apistan strip. I live in the city of Madison, WI, near some parks (many trees) - and my theory is that drones from wild/infected colonies were allowed into the hive, desiring to make some whoopee with whatever queens are willing. I think I read somewhere that drones have security clearance at all hive entrances - it certainly would help genetic diversity for the species. What is known about Varroa routes of infection ? Does anyone out there have any other ideas about how they got mites ? Secondly, I have scanned issues on Am. Bee Journal for info on 'mite-resistant' strains of A. mellifica, as well as the new edition of 'The Hive and the Honey Bee', and found little. Have strains such as Taber's ARS-whatever -1 been objectively analysed ? (I mean in a statistically valid way). If you have tried tham I would also be interested in hearing about your experiences. Varroa seems likely to be with us for some time, and I suspect that annual treatment with Apistan and its successors will become routine if we are to help our colonies through the winter. Roll on spring. Thanks in advance, Alistair Carr - a somewhat anxious "Dad" ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 19:35:54 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: February issue of APIS Distributed to: USR:[MTS]INTERNET.DIS;51, mts, e, e FILENAME: FEBAPIS.95 Florida Extension Beekeeping Newsletter Apis--Apicultural Information and Issues (ISSN 0889-3764) Volume 13, Number 2, February 1995 Copyright (c) 1995 M.T. Sanford "All Rights Reserved" FRANK RANDALL DIES Florida beekeeping lost yet another committed leader with the death of Frank Randall in January. He served the industry in many ways over the last four decades, including the presidency and vice presidency of the Sioux Bee Honey Cooperative. Frank was an active member and sometimes officer of the South Florida Beekeepers Association, Central Florida Beekeepers Association, Tampa Bay Beekeepers Association and the Florida State Beekeepers Association. He also was a recently-appointed member of the National Honey Board and a long-time supporter of the American Beekeeping Federation. Many knew Frank as the second-generation operator of Randall's Wax Works. Those of us in Florida also knew him as a person who would participate at almost any gathering of importance to the bee industry. He was especially active at meetings of the Honey Bee Technical Council of the Division of Plant Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Frank brought a wealth of knowledge about bees and beekeeping to industry concerns, and it was often used to advance deliberations toward successful conclusions. For his contributions to the apicultural industry, he was honored as the 1989 "Beekeeper of Year" by the Florida State Beekeepers Association and received an award with the same title in 1994 from the Sioux Bee Honey Association. Frank was also active in other organizations, not intimately associated with beekeeping. He was a member of the Moore Haven, Glades County and Umatilla fire departments, the Glades County Hunt Club and a veteran of the National Guard. Florida's bee industry will miss Frank Randall in many ways. He was truly one of the sunshine state's beekeeping icons. Fortunately, his legacy will live on in the Wax Works that bears his family's name. Frank's wife, Charlotte, along with the other Randalls of Umatilla, plan to continue providing the quality beeswax foundation that many have come to rely on, not only in the southeast, but all across in the United States. FLUVALINATE--USE IT RIGHT OR LOSE IT! It is now official! Resistance to fluvalinate, the active ingredient in Apistan (R), has been found in Varroa mites. This was published in the February 1995 issue of Bee Culture (Vol. 123, No. 2, pp. 80-81) in "9th International Congress of Acarology," by E. Sugden, K. Williams and D. Sammataro. According to these authors: "The most ominous report came from Dr. Roberto Nannelli of Italy. He has found areas where Varroa mites are over 90 percent fluvalinate-resistant, and his claims have been confirmed by German scientists." Oscar Coindreau, representative of Sandoz Agro, the company that makes Apistan (R), also verified this report at the recent meeting of the American Beekeeping Federation in Austin, TX. He indicated that resistance was patchy in Italy, but in certain areas, Apistan (R) provided no control. And it doesn't take much resistance before Apistan (R) loses its effectiveness, according to Mr. Coindreau, because anything less than 99 percent control, is in reality, no control. That's because mite populations tend to bounce back so readily in populous bee colonies. All investigators indicate that the cause of this resistance is not Apistan (R), but beekeepers' misuse of other formulations of fluvalinate. In Europe the product is called Klartan (R) and in the United States, Mavrik (R). All agree the use of these chemical products soaked into wooden strips, cardboard, paper towels, or in some cases, simply sprayed into colonies, is a certain recipe for developing resistant Varroa mites. Although considered "ominous" in Europe, in the United States resistant mites mean disaster. That's because most other countries of the world have alternative treatments that are legal. According to the authors of the article: "In general, European scientists felt that the best way to slow development of resistance in the mites is to have at least two types of treatment which could be applied alternately." This advice is mirrored in many other situations where possible resistance in organisms to pesticides and antibiotics exists (see "When Bugs Fight Back," APIS, Vol. 12, No. 11, November 1994). It turns out that some European countries even have three Varroa mite treatments to turn to, rotating Apistan (R) with formic acid and amitraz. In contrast to those in Europe, United States beekeepers have only one legal treatment, Apistan (R). The only other candidate treatment at the moment in the United States is formic acid. Although generally effective, there can be many complications in using this product, including, queen and worker loss even when applied correctly. It is also caustic, one reason it is not looked on favorably by regulatory officials. According to one German researcher, efforts need to be increased to develop a formic acid-based product that is safe and foolproof, and can be registered quickly. The authors of the article, therefore, conclude: "It may not be a question of 'if' but only 'when and where' the first super-Varroa mites will show up in North America. This should serve a warning to all beekeepers to use control methods only as directed on their labels." The best way to ensure killing as many mites as possible without developing super Varroa resistant to fluvalinate is to use Apistan (R) right and only once. This philosophy, along with proper application recommendations, was published in the fall 1994, Apiculture Newsletter, published by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Here is what the authors (G. Grant, and M. Nasr, in consultation with L. Goczan of Sandoz Agro Canada) say in their article "Apistan Strips - Use'em Right, Use'em once!": "Apistan (R) is a plastic strip that contains a miticide, fluvalinate. Fluvalinate is a contact poison that kills Varroa mite. But Varroa mites must contact the right dose before they die. "Fluvalinate does not mix with water, but it does mix well with oils and waxes. As bees walk over the strip, the fluvalinate moves into the oils found on the surface of their bodies. When bees contact each other in the hive, the miticide is passed on. In a matter of hours all the bees in the hive are covered with fluvalinate. Adult mites that contact these bees will be killed by the miticide. "As fluvalinate is picked up from the surface of the strip the concentration drops. More fluvalinate then moves out from the center of the strip to the outside surface. The strip is designed to deliver the correct amount of miticide to the surface over the 42-day treatment period. "Eventually most of the fluvalinate is removed from the strip -- the strip is spent. There is no longer enough miticide left in the strip to kill Varroa mites.... "Why a 42-day treatment period? Worker bees take 21 days to develop from egg to adult. Drones need up to 24 days to develop. By leaving the strips in the hive for 42 days or two worker bee generations, all adult mites and their matured offspring will be exposed to the miticide. Remember, the mite must contact the fluvalinate in order to be killed. Mites in capped brood cells escape exposure until they emerge from the cell with the adult bee. "Why not leave strips in over winter? Because two potential problems might occur: 1. Residues- fluvalinate mixes with oils and waxes. Leaving strips in over winter might result in a build up of residues in the wax. 2. Resistance- mites are not equally susceptible to fluvalinate. Leaving mites in contact with spent strips may kill the most susceptible mites, leaving the more resistant mites to reproduce in their place." "Use one (1) strip for every five (5) frames covered by bees in brood boxes. Some strong hives may need three strips, some weak hives will only need one. Place strips down between the frames so that they contact each side of the cluster. The average hive will likely need two. "Can Apistan strips be reused? No, with one exception. There is no sure way of knowing if enough fluvalinate remains in a strip to guarantee that it will work a second time. "The exception: If the strip was used once, only for three days to detect mites, and if the strip was then stored properly between use, you might reuse the strip. You might reuse it for either detecting mites for a 3-day period or for one 42-day treatment. "Store strips in a cool, dry and dark location wrapped in aluminum foil in an air-tight bag. Avoid direct sunlight. Don't store strips near chemicals or pesticides. Don't store strips where they could contaminate food, feed or water. "In Ontario, Apistan (R) is registered as a Schedule 3 pesticide. As with other 'homeowner' products, strips are approved for disposal in municipal landfills. Some municipalities have their own special requirements for disposal of Schedule 3 pesticides." In the United States, the instructions on the label are the law. They must be followed, even if varying from what the authors say in the above article or other writings on the subject. In addition, when applying Apistan (R), or any registered chemical, the person must have in his possession a copy of the label. Thus, when it comes to Apistan (R), the old adage, "use it or lose it," must be modified. If U.S. beekeepers are to maximize the utility of the one legal and effective treatment they have for Varroa, what many consider the most dangerous organism affecting beekeeping today, they must "use it right or lose it." NATIONAL HONEY BOARD EVALUATES ITSELF What do you get for your money? That's the question the National Honey Board (NHB) tried to answer at the recent American Beekeeping Fedearation convention in Austin, TX. To set the stage, the executive director Bob Smith said, the Board's goal is to promote and maintain existing demand for honey and while increasing demand in selected markets. The NHB must not be crisis oriented, he said, but must focus on what it does best, long-range promotional efforts of honey. One indication of industry support, Mr. Smith concluded, is that the vast majority of handlers are assiduously collecting NHB assessments in a timely manner. The NHB budget is about $3 million. Sherry Jennings the Board's industry relations director, provided an overview on how this money is being used. The vast majority is honey promotion (50%), followed by food technology (16%) and Foodservice (10%). Product research consumes six percent and crisis management four percent. table shows that most funds being expended in consumer promotion. In keeping with its basic mission, the Board engages in a great many advertising projects throughout the year and has an excellent rapport with the press. There have been a couple of "Hints for Heloise" columns that featured honey, due to the efforts of Mary Humann, the Board's press relations officer. Any beekeeper can also request a honey sales kit from the Board, as well as brochures to help in local sales efforts. Contact the Board toll free at 800/553-7162. Perhaps the most exciting area for the Board is the development of new products. Ms. Jennings discussed projects concerned with honey meats (poultry particularly), honey frozen deserts (yogurt), honey spreads, and honey beers. Several microbreweries have launched honey-based beer with good success, including Samuel Adams. Other research being supported by the Board, Ms. Jennings said, is concerned with honey and fat systems (peanut butter), honey and flavor enhancement, honey in microwaveable foods, and honey use in fat-free potato chips and frozen baking dough. It is impossible to describe all the programs and initiatives described at the Austin meeting, but fortunately, the Board has published a brochure detailing many of them, along with thumbnail sketches and photos of all Board members. It is called "Building a Successful Future." This publication reveals the vitality of the Board's programs and makes excellent promotional material for those who ask where their assessments are going and how they are being spent. For a copy contact the Office of the American Beekeeping Federation, P.O. Box 1048, Jesup, GA 31545, ph 912/427-8447. Sincerely, Malcolm T. Sanford Bldg 970, Box 110620 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611-0620 Phone (904) 392-1801, Ext. 143 FAX: 904-392-0190 BITNET Address: MTS@IFASGNV; INTERNET Address: MTS@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU APIS on the World Wide Web--http://gnv.ifas.ufl.edu/~entweb/apis/apis.htm Copyright (c) M.T. Sanford 1995 "All Rights Reserved" ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 11:02:54 +0100 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: johan calis Subject: Varroa colony invasion Hi Alistair, Varroa mites invade colonies using bees as means of transport. Drones from other bee colonies will surely enter your hive possibly taking mites with them. Other ways of colony invasion are 1. drifting of mostly young unexperienced workerbees, which can occur over pretty long distances, and 2. your bees may have robbed Varroa-weakend (wild) honeybee colonies, from which they take, together with the stolen goods, mites with them back home. (For some experiments read Sakofski et al, Apidologie 1990 and since you have the ABJ available also read E. Rademacher, ABJ 1991 How Varroa mites spread) Johan Calis Honeybee research section, Wageningen Agricultural University, The Netherlands Johan.Calis@Medew.Ento.Wau.NL ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 23:41:43 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Hugo Veerkamp Subject: bee keepers quarterly hi Mr. Vellani, > Jeremy Burbridge, > Could you send a copy of the Journal to: this is jeremy's email adress: ruxbury@delphi.com > Also, I would appreciate it if someone could tell me > the address of the > American Bee Journal. I would like to subscribe. A.B.J. is published by DADANT & SONS INC. 51 S. 2nd street Hamilton Illinois 62341-1399 TEL (217) 847-3324 FAX (217) 847-3660 > Thank you. welcome! sincerely, Hugo \|/ @ @ Hugo Veerkamp ----------oOO-(_)-OOo--------------------------------------------- | reply to: BEENET INTERNATIONAL | | Hugo.Veerkamp@f28.n2801.z2.fidonet.org| mail : the Bee bbs | | | P.O. BOX 51008 | | DO NOT SIMPLY PRESS REPLY BUTTON !! | 1007EA AMSTERDAM | |(or your reply gets lost in bit heaven)| The Netherlands | | Beenet : 240:31/0 | modem: +31 20 6764105 | | Fidonet: 2:2801/28 | voice: +31 20 6715663 | ------------------------------------------------------------------ > N.V. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 00:11:19 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Hugo Veerkamp Subject: bee flight rooms hi Guy, > I am in the process of designing a new bee > flight room (bfr) at > Rothamsted, which we hope to use to rekindle our work > on pheromones and > semiochemicals. I am interested in info on bfr's from > anyone with experience of > them, and preferably with an up to date WORKING > version. I am familiar with Van Praagh'sa system, but > I want to try and develop a more modern version of > his classic design. > If anyone can help me directly, or knows of someone > who can, please contact me I understand Job Van Praagh is still routinely using bfr's for his work at Celle, Germany. He's probably improved on his initial design, and why not ask him for details by sending a message to him via the European Beenet. If you send email to me ( adress below) and state clearly it should go to Job, I'll forward it to Van Praagh! sincerely, Hugo \|/ @ @ Hugo Veerkamp ----------oOO-(_)-OOo--------------------------------------------- | reply to: BEENET INTERNATIONAL | | Hugo.Veerkamp@f28.n2801.z2.fidonet.org| mail : the Bee bbs | | | P.O. BOX 51008 | | DO NOT SIMPLY PRESS REPLY BUTTON !! | 1007EA AMSTERDAM | |(or your reply gets lost in bit heaven)| The Netherlands | | Beenet : 240:31/0 | modem: +31 20 6764105 | | Fidonet: 2:2801/28 | voice: +31 20 6715663 | ------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Feb 1995 07:02:07 -1000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Kevin Roddy Subject: Re: Nucs In-Reply-To: <9502142035.AA16905@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> Aloha-- I loaned a friend a complete hive, and he put in 4 frames of brood, along with accompanying workers, and what appeared to be queen cells (he lives about 75 miles away in the Kau district on the island of Hawai'i, and I'm in the Puna district) and the latest word is that the bees are remaining in the hive (there is always the possibility of their "not liking it" and returning to their "mother hive" next door, but things seem to be progressing nicely. Other than the fact that the nuc method is cheaper than the box-o-bees, and less stressful on them because there is no shipping, I'm glad I can create a new colony this way. By the way, when it rains it pours. I work in a library, and some people know I'm a beekeeper. Yesterday, two different folks came in to report swarms in their trees, and asked if I could come over and get them--Well, I had just been to the mainland for a conference and stopped off at a *great bee supply store* in Sacramento to get hive bodies (we in Hawai'i really get it in the shipping charges--I took the hive bodies and other supplies I got back as checked baggage on the plane) and hadnXt had the time to assemble the kd hives, so the bees went uncaptured. So Spring has sprung here! kevin kroddy@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Feb 1995 08:47:47 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Darlene Scribilo Subject: bee venom collection Comments: To: dgscribi@system6.lcs.gov.bc.ca Hello bee folks, Michael Simics is researching bee venom collector devices for an upcoming book. He would like to be in contact with anyone who invented and/or tested devices developed in Czechoslovakia between 1952 and 1954. These devices use the electric shock method. He would particularly like to contact Mr. Joseph Orovec who applied for a patent in 1952 for his bee venom collector. He would also like to get in touch with Messrs. O. Markovic and L. Molnar who tested and perfected the first bee venom collector device using the electric shock method. They published an article about their invention in 1954. If you have any information that can help Michael with his quest please contact him at: #204, 1331 - 15th Ave.S.W. Calgary, Alberta, Canada. T3C 0X8 Ph./Fax (403) 541-1877 or e-mail me, Darlene Scribilo at :dgscribi@system6.lcs.gov.bc.ca. Thanks so much Darlene Bee it ever so Bumble there's no place like Comb ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 17:20:52 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: TARP Subject: Stimulatory feeding I have 25 colonies currently overwintering in central Pennsylvania. In order for them to be as strong as possible as early as possible, I would like to begin feeding them artificially. I would appreciate any advice concerning sugar concentration, optimal time to begin the process, and/or any other helpful information. Thanks. David R. Tarpy Biology Department Bucknell University tarpy@bucknell.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 18:12:31 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Paul Cronshaw, D.C." Subject: Where are the bees? Recent rains in Southern Calif and a mid spring have prompted local fruit trees to begin blossoming. But there is something missing - Bees. I have been monitoring the neighborhood blossom for our friendly pollinators but there are very few if any. And I was hoping to get a bumper crop of apricots this year. :( I have been keeping bees for over 20 years and NEVER seen anything like this. Has anyone else noticed this in their neighborhood. I'm afraid that with the lack of pollination from local feral hives will eventually cause a raise in the food prices. Does this mean that Varroa or other diseases are having that much of effect on the bee population? or is beekeeping dying as a hobby? I read on this bee-list about resistence to Apistan (just like antibiotics in humans). Are there any alternatives to APistan or being developed? How about releasing sterilized adult Varroa to stop the life cycle for awhile? Hoping to see some more bee activity on my fruit trees soon... Paul Cronshaw DC cronshaw@rain.org ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 16:22:04 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: WILLIAM G LORD Subject: other pollinators Bee Liners; As a beekeeper, I am somewhat reluctant to ask this question, but as an extension agent advising growers of insect pollinated crops I feel like I need to. As much as I like to think that every farmer who grows crops requiring pollination rents the requisite numbers of hives per acre, I know it ain't so. I was addressing a watermelon production meeting last week and two of the farmers asked me why their bees had died. Varroa is probably going to be a watershed event for these casual beekeepers and I can't see recommending they get back into the Apis mellifera business. Which begs the question, what can these growers do to encourage wild pollinators? Does anyone have sets of specifications for nest structures to attract solitary bees? I guess I am looking for a FAQ on wild pollinators for the east coast. I know the generalities on habitat and pesticide use, but I am looking for specific information on nesting structures to work up into a simple fact sheet for farmers. Along this line I have a very interesting paper from the 50's by R. L. Rabb at N. C. State University where Polistes were trapped and moved and encouraged to nest around tobacco fields to act as predators on lepidopterous pests. I have built Polistes nest boxes (basically bird houses with no front and bottom) and had good rates of success. Bill Lord -- WILLIAM G LORD E-Mail : wglord@franklin Internet: wglord@franklin.ces.ncsu.edu Phone : 9194963344 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Feb 1995 08:16:00 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Andy Nachbaur Organization: Wild Bee's BBS (209)826-8107 Subject: Where are the bees? This message was from ANDY NACHBAUR to ALL BEEKEEPERS originally in conference IN-BEEKEEPERS on WILDBEES (WILD BEE'S BBS) ---------------------------------------- <>Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 18:12:31 -0800 <>From: "Paul Cronshaw, D.C." <>Subject: Where are the bees? <>Recent rains in Southern Calif and a mid spring have prompted local <>fruit trees to begin blossoming. But there is something missing - <>Bees. Hello Paul, The bees will soon be back, they are all up in central California doing their duty in the almonds. <>I have been monitoring the neighborhood blossom for our friendly <>pollinators but there are very few if any. And I was hoping to get a <>bumper crop of apricots this year. :( Bee's will work apricots, but as they produce a nectar with very little sugar it is not uncommon not to find many bees working them if there is anything else in bloom. Not sure what area your are in, but with all the rain and warm weather I am sure there are many other flowers for bees besides the apricots. Check the blue gum trees or the wild mustard fields if you have any near by and see if the bees are all working there. <>I have been keeping bees for over 20 years and NEVER seen anything <>like this. Has anyone else noticed this in their neighborhood. Yes, it has been reported by others, but some reduction in bee population is a natural function of pasture. If the pasture is poor as in an extended drought like California has experienced for the last few years you would expect to see fewer successful feral hives. <>I'm afraid that with the lack of pollination from local feral hives <>will eventually cause a raise in the food prices. Well, if all you ate was almonds, then you should worry. Most of California agriculture is not dependent on bees other then to produce seed. California had NO Honey Bee's before the mid 1800's and with few notable exception, (Donner Party), no reports of any mass starvation in non beekeepers. Good news, apricots do well without honey bees in most areas and in fact most apricot growers don't appreciate any help from honey bees as with large sets comes high thinning costs as small size fruit does not pay the cost of picking. Without laws to protect bees from pesticides apricot growers would do a job on them to keep them from trespassing in their orchards and in the past many did just that.. <>Does this mean that Varroa or other diseases are having that much of <>effect on the bee population? or is beekeeping dying as a hobby? No beekeeping as a hobby should thrive. Hobbyists with a little experience take as good or better care of their bees then us old commercial beekeepers as we can only put back what the bees make and in bad times that is not much. I do expect a dramatic reduction in commercial beekeepers in the next few years if the economics don't improve. There is something out there that is taking a horrible tole on bees, and Vampire mites are the popular suspect, I suspect if we had no Vampire mites it would be something else, but losses are real to those who are experiencing them. And if you don't protect your bees with Apistan and they die then you will wish you had protected them. <>I read on this bee-list about resistence to Apistan (just like <>antibiotics in humans). Are there any alternatives to APistan or <>being developed? True, there has been antidotal reports from beekeepers in California that say the same thing for over a year. Is it true? I am inclined to believe NOT YET in general, but I would expect that it will be. My reasoning is: From day one the active chemical in Apistan strips did not kill 100% of the mites, leaving a residue population as an ideal reservoir for building resistance stock. Another factor could be the manufacture of the strips has reduced the amount of active material as beekeepers were able to use the strips several times killing repeat sales. And then there are the beekeepers who leave the strips in over winter or all year around. <>How about releasing sterilized adult Varroa to stop the life cycle for <>awhile? How about it? A better question who would pay for it? A few years back there was a chance for beekeepers to get sterilized wax moths started, when wax moths were one of our major problems, and because of the lack of people willing to pay a small price to rid their bee hives of wax moths we will never know if it really would have worked. <>Hoping to see some more bee activity on my fruit trees soon... I would bet you will get a good crop of fruit if you can protect it from the hungry birds. ttul Andy- For computer generated answers to beekeeping questions call Wild Bee's BBS @ 209-826-8107 and page the OLd Drone to talk with a 100% cybernated beekeeper the only one like it in the world available to the public... (c) Permission to reproduce granted. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Feb 1995 12:00:25 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Doug Yanega Subject: Re: other pollinators >Which >begs the question, what can these growers do to encourage wild >pollinators? Does anyone have sets of specifications for nest >structures to attract solitary bees? I guess I am looking for a >FAQ on wild pollinators for the east coast. I know the >generalities on habitat and pesticide use, but I am looking for >specific information on nesting structures to work up into a simple >fact sheet for farmers. My own perspective? For twig-nesters such as some Osmia, you can put out blocks of wood with deep holes of various diameters drilled in them (the more variety in diameters, the more different species one might get to nest). However, since the majority of native pollinators nest in the ground (including those which are specialists on cucurbits, as in your present case), there aren't really any "nesting structures" one can make for them. What you need is just some bare or semi-bare ground that drains well, for the most part. When you *study* native ground-nesters, as I do, it's easy to look at a patch of soil and say "Aha, *that* looks like a promising spot for bee nests!" - and what that typically entails is an area, often sloping somewhat, where there is some ground cover, but not completely obscuring the surface like a lawn. Different bees will have different preferences for cover, varying down to zero. Sandy soil that drains well probably is preferred by more species, though some will happily dig in clayey soil. I'd say that the problem of nesting sites is the main reason native pollinators are used so infrequently - the logistics and practicality of a hive arrangement offer immediate payoffs despite the inefficiency of the honeybee as a pollinator, while trying to "culture" native bees in a patch of ground is likely to be a long process. The growers using the Alkali bee manage to dig up and transport huge chunks of soil containing prepupae, but this is a pretty heavy-duty operation, trying to move cubic yards of soil intact. Even if you set out artificial soil blocks, they'd still be heavy and cumbersome, and enticing bees to nest in them in any useful density could be a real trick. If the scale of the agriculture were smaller it would be different, but trying to have several hundred acres of melons will require unnaturally high numbers of bees - and some ground will have to be sacrificed for them to nest in. I hate to sound so discouraging, but the practical aspects of most native bees leave a lot to be desired, given their nesting habits. Given the thousands of species out there, though, at least there should be a number of options to be explored, some of which may work out better than others. Other than blueberries, orchard crops, and alfalfa, though, I can't recall any other jobs for people to evaluate native pollinators in recent years, so there's clearly not much demand yet for this research. Cheers, Doug Yanega Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr. Champaign, IL 61820 USA phone (217) 244-6817, fax (217) 333-4949 "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 14:34:31 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Diana Sammataro Subject: Re: Tracheal Mites Comments: To: BEE-L%ALBNYVM1.BITNET@PSUVM.PSU.EDU In-Reply-To: <199412052328.SAA00483@postbox.acs.ohio-state.edu> from "Kerry Clark 784-2225 fax" at Dec 5, 94 12:17:00 pm Kerry, I understand that your dissertation was on tracheal mites and I would love to see a copy of it. Is this possible? I am trying to finish up my work and am now doing some DNA of different Acarapis mites (still looking for externus and dorsalis, if you know of a source). Gordon Grant faxed me a few pages last year and I was so impressed that I thought you would be a good reference. Hope all is well. Best Wishes, Diana Sammataro ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 18:27:24 +22300129 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adam Finkelstein Subject: How to get beekeeping FAQ Hello, If you would like to get the latest copy of the beekeeping FAQ, pointing toward internet beekeeping resources, here's what you do: FTP: FTP rtfm.mit.edu log on anonymous, then cd to /pub/usenet/news.answers/beekeeping-faq can also FTP to: ftp.uu.net /usenet/news.answers/beekeeping-faq If you can't use FTP, you may email for the faq. Here's how: email mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu no subject in body of letter put: send usenet/news.answers/beekeeping-faq Usenet The beekeeping faq is posted every month to: news.answers, sci.answers, misc.answers, alt.answers, rec.answers as well as sci.agriculture.beekeeping, misc.rural, alt.sustainable.agriculture, and rec.gardens. As a last resort, you may mail me and I'll send you the latest version, but I might take longer than the above sources.... As always, please send suggestions, comments, criticisms, and I'll do what I can. Wishing you the best in the beekeeping world, Adam -- ______________________________________ Adam Finkelstein adamf@vtaix.cc.vt.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 21:11:39 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "James D. Satterfield" Subject: Painting hive bodies with creosote Some years ago I read a book by Taylor which suggested painting hive bodies with creosote as a preservative. Anyone ever tried it? I found it hard to believe that the bees would tolerate the creosote fumes. I would be interested to learn of your experiences. Thank you. Jim ----------------------------------------------------- | James D. Satterfield | biojdsx@gsusgi2.gsu.edu | | P.O. Box 2243 | | | Decatur, GA 30031 USA | Telephone 404 378-8917 | ----------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 23:57:44 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Kevin Moore Subject: Norther ILL. Bee Keepers Hello, Can anyone help me in locating bee kepers in Northern Il or the Chicago Area. If thier is a society located in this area this would be helpful too. Thanks for your help!! SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 14:54:00 GMT+200 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Michael L. B. Becker" Subject: Re: Painting hive bodies with creosote > > Some years ago I read a book by Taylor which suggested painting hive > bodies with creosote as a preservative. Anyone ever tried it? I found > it hard to believe that the bees would tolerate the creosote fumes. I > would be interested to learn of your experiences. Thank you. Jim > > > ----------------------------------------------------- > | James D. Satterfield | biojdsx@gsusgi2.gsu.edu | A bee-keeping acquaitance who used to use road paint to waterproof his home-built hives tells me a number of people here (in Cape Town) have used creosote (on the outside of the hive only, BTW) for a long while. Michael Becker as good as can bee ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 13:25:01 +0000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Malcolm Roe Subject: Re: Painting hive bodies with creosote In-Reply-To: from "James D. Satterfield" at Feb 23, 95 09:11:39 pm Jim Satterfield asked: > Some years ago I read a book by Taylor which suggested painting hive > bodies with creosote as a preservative. Anyone ever tried it? I found > it hard to believe that the bees would tolerate the creosote fumes. I > would be interested to learn of your experiences. Thank you. Jim I've used creosote for years without any problems. It's widely used by beekeepers in the UK. It's cheap and does the job. An advantage in our climate is that it leaves the wood a dark colour so that the hives warm up more quickly in the morning. (Of course, this would be a disadvantage in countries further to the south where hives are normally painted a light colour to keep them cool.) In addition it doesn't prevent the wood from "breathing" which is of considerable value with our damp weather. I replace my floors and hive bodies in the spring. This means that I can treat all my woodware whilst it's not occupied by bees. I'll soon be starting again on my supers and spare hive parts. (Once we have a dry spell!) This is easy for me since I'm only a small scale hobby beekeeper and it means that my bees are not exposed to creosote fumes. However, it would be out of the question for larger scale operations. Nevertheless, I'm told many commercial UK beekeepers use creosote as well. I believe they simply paint the hives with the bees in them. At least that's what one of them told me he did. He said it worried him a bit when he first started to do it but he'd never had any problems. Presumably one would only do it in the winter when few bees were likely to emerge from the entrance whilst the creosote was wet. -- Malcolm Roe Phone : +44 1442 345104 Crosfield Electronics Ltd Fax : +44 1442 343000 Hemel Hempstead, Herts. HP2 7RH, UK E-mail : roe@crosfield.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 10:13:58 +22300129 Reply-To: adamf@vtaix.cc.vt.edu Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adam Finkelstein Subject: Beekeeping FAQ How to find it, updated (ignore if you know how) Hello, If you would like to get the latest copy of the beekeeping FAQ, pointing toward internet beekeeping resources, here's what you do: * WWW URL http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu:80/hypertext/faq/usenet/top.html Once here (using a web browser of course) look for beekeeping. The FAQ starts with "sci.agriculture..." but is archived alphabetically under "B" for beekeeping. * FTP: FTP rtfm.mit.edu log on anonymous, then cd to /pub/usenet/news.answers/beekeeping-faq can also FTP to: ftp.uu.net /usenet/news.answers/beekeeping-faq If you can't use FTP, you may email for the faq. Here's how: * email mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu no subject in body of letter put: send usenet/news.answers/beekeeping-faq * Usenet The beekeeping faq is posted every month to: news.answers, sci.answers, misc.answers, alt.answers, rec.answers as well as sci.agriculture.beekeeping, misc.rural, alt.sustainable.agriculture, and rec.gardens. As a last resort, you may mail me and I'll send you the latest version, but I might take longer than the above sources.... As always, please send suggestions, comments, criticisms, and I'll do what I can. Wishing you the best in the beekeeping world, Adam -- ______________________________________ Adam Finkelstein adamf@vtaix.cc.vt.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 14:17:01 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "M.Westby" Subject: Re: Painting hive bodies with creosote Dear All James Satterfield sent the following message .... >Some years ago I read a book by Taylor which suggested painting hive >bodies with creosote as a preservative. Anyone ever tried it? I found >it hard to believe that the bees would tolerate the creosote fumes. I >would be interested to learn of your experiences. Thank you. Jim I have used creosote for three years now on several hives, both brood boxes and supers without the slightest problem. In fact I would now not use anything else. I had problems with painted pine hives because they couldn't "breath" through the paint which eventually blistered off with the water seeping out from the inside. Untreated cedar is undoubtedly the best, but it is expensive and creosoted pine seems to be just as good. I have never attempted to use the treated boxes straight away, but have left them out in the sun (when we have some!) for about a week and the creosote is absorbed completely, leaving a totally matt surface. The hives appear to breath beautifully and there is no sign of condensation in the winter. There is no sign of any toxicity. Above all creosote is *very* cheap compared to other non-insecticidal wood treatments, I pay only GBP1.50 for 5 litres. Cheers, Max ||| (@ @) ---------------------------------------------ooOo-( )-oOoo----- Max Westby (Among other things a Sheffield Beekeeper) South Yorkshire Beekeepers Association BBKA apiary reg: JQ34 Phone (Home): +44 (0)114 236 1038 Fax: +44 (0)114 276 6515 e-mail: m.westby@sheffield.ac.uk World Wide Web Site: http://www2.shef.ac.uk/default.html --------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 10:58:18 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Michael J. Schmidt" Subject: Re: Northern ILL. Bee Keepers Scott1980@aol.com (Kevin Moore wrote: > Can anyone help me in locating bee kepers in Northern Il or the > Chicago Area. > If thier is a society located in this area this would be helpful too. Here are the organizations in that area listed by the Illinois State Beekeepers Assn as of a couple of years ago: 1) Cook-DuPage Beekeepers Charles Williams, Secty 22W24 Techwood Dr Glen Ellyn IL 60137 312-858-6308 2) Lake County Beekeppers Lynne Davis, Secty 42835 N Crawford Rd Antioch IL 60002 No phone listed 3) Northern Illinois Beekeepers Larae Biesterfield, Pres. 324 Maple St Marengo IL 60152 815-568-7726 4) State Line Beekepers Nancy Ingram, Secty 8384 N Broadway Rd Apple River IL 61001 815-594-2592 I am a member of the: Central Eastern Beekeepers Shirley Gilonske, Secty PO Box 287 Potomac IL 61865 217 569-2572 The address for the Illinois State Beekeepers Assn is: ISBA Rita Taylor, Secty RR 2 Box 249 Pleasant Plains, IL 62677 Hope this helps. ========================== Michael J. Schmidt 771 E 300N Rd Gibson City IL 60936-7167 217-749-2331 MJSchmidt2aol.com "KnowWhutIMean,Vern?" ========================= ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 11:25:50 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Gerry Rising Subject: LARSON FAR SIDE PROJECT Comments: cc: "List: Great Lakes" Dear Fellow Far Side Enthusiasts, I have finally completed what turned out to be a time stealing, but most interesting project: collecting and editing your submissions as favorite Gary Larson FAR SIDE cartoons. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed at your response from around the world. Hundreds of you wrote and, since I had not seen many of Larson's cartoons, you (and of course he) entertained me no end. (My friends don't understand why I suddenly start giggling with no evident cause.) In any case, thank you all for your wonderful responses. Now my problem is how to get over 2000 lines of text to each of you. I have already had some complaints about spamming and I want to handle this responsibly. To do this I have set up a personal WWW site where you can access ten Farsidexx (xx = 01, 02,...,10) files, each of which contains about 200 lines of your messages edited down for brevity, as well as the text of my column. You can access these files through: http://ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu/~insrisg/index.html (Note that I am no expert at this. It took my several tries with much assistance to set up this site, but now I believe that it is working okay.) This should work for many of you, but I do not want those of you who do not know how to or cannot access WWW to be left out. If you wish me to mail you these files, send me an e-mail request. Please send it directly to me, not to your whole mailing list. Either address below should do it. I worry that the whole group of files may well overload some of your accounts. If that is a concern for you as well, tell me and I will try to work something out: perhaps send two files a day over a period of time. (Here I go again!) I will send hard copies of these files to Gary Larson. Thanks again for your tremendous response. I am proud to have been, even so briefly, associated with each of you -- and, of course, with this remarkably creative artist. Best regards, Gerry Gerry Rising phone: 716-689-8301 295 Robinhill Drive messages: 716-645-3175 Williamsville, NY 14221-1639 fax: 716-645-3161 ---- e-mail: insrisg@UBVMS.bitnet or insrisg@UBVMS.cc.buffalo.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 05:21:00 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Andy Nachbaur Organization: Wild Bee's BBS (209)826-8107 Subject: Painting hive bodies with creosote / . --- start quotes --- / . <>Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 21:11:39 -0500 <>From: "James D. Satterfield" <>Subject: Painting hive bodies with creosote <> <>Some years ago I read a book by Taylor which suggested painting hive <>bodies with creosote as a preservative. Anyone ever tried it? I found <>it hard to believe that the bees would tolerate the creosote fumes. I <>would be interested to learn of your experiences. Thank you. Jim / . --- end of quotes --- / . Hi James, My first question is the old creosote still available? Its the carbolic in the old creosote that repels the bees and is the best bee repellent I have ever used or found, (carbolic acid), but alas its availability to beekeepers is restricted by EPA regs. and can only be used by those outside the laws of the United States. Creosote itself also was used to stop serious robbing of bees in emergency situations by brushing it around the bee hive tops and top super of the hives that were being robbed. Creosote or mixtures of asphalt tar and creosote made satisfactory wood preservatives for the undersides of the bottom board of bee hives when it was legal to use. You would not treat the bottom with the bees in the hive as the fumes would cause them to leave the hive for fresh air and they would not return until the fumes had left. I have seen them cluster out over night when a carbolic acid pad was left on a hive by a tired beekeepers swamper, me, who had to return to more then one bee yard to pick up the lost acid pad along with trips for hive tools, smokers, water jugs, and everything else that could be left behind. Guess I had a slow learning curve as a teenager, now that I am in my Golden Years I take a spare everything so I don't have to make a special trip back. Would I use creosote if it was legal now, naah, as if it is now legal then all the good stuff that made it worked more then likely has been taken out and replaced with something that does not work but will inflate the cost x times. My apologies to the makers of Creosote if he happens to read this tread as we never could afford to purchase a brand name manufactured product down on the bee farm and made our own or did without. ttul Andy- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 16:16:12 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Gringo Subject: Bee venom info I have reciently developed a nondistructive method to harvest bee venom . I am now looking for some one interested in buying the venom . Dose anybody have any info with relation to marketing bee venom . M.L.Bristow ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 17:51:51 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: vellani Subject: Re: Bee venom info In-Reply-To: <199502242222.OAA08931@unixg.ubc.ca> I am looking for distribution channels to market freeze dried bee venom. If anyone can help, I would truly appreciate it - and perhaps a joint venture could be worked out. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 25 Feb 1995 08:58:53 -1000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Kevin Roddy Subject: Your help needed to protect Hawai'i's honey bees In-Reply-To: <9502240026.AA11656@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> 25 February 1995 >From the volcanic Island of Hawai'i to list members of Bee-L and other beekeepers around the world, Aloha: We in Hawai'i need your support in helping us maintain mite free and disease free honey bees. Please read the letter below that was composed by one of the Island of Hawai'i's best known beekeepers, Walter Patton, summarizing our problem and what has happened thus far. This letter also appeared in the February 1995 Issue of American Bee Journal. We *sincerely* need your help--comments, questions are most welcome at my e-mail address, and I will forward to Walter, or you may fax him directly. (we're working on getting Walter on the Internet) If you would like to fax Walter, please do. Telephone calls from the US Mainland to Hawai'i are competitive, and it is not prohibitive, like it was in the past. Direct-dialed rates average from 30 cents per minute for the day rate to 15 cents per minute for the night rate, so faxing is more economical than sending letters for 32 cents per letter. Quickly, I am sure many of you know the problems that Hawai'i has faced with unwanted, introduced diseases and species in the past. On a human scale, Native Hawaiians were decimated by disease to which they had no resistance. Only one full-blooded Hawaiian has survived for 19 others that have died. We are fighting what has been introduced intentionally and unintentionally with limited success. Our bees are free of mites and other diseases that have decimated colonies in other places. We want to keep it that way for us as well as you. In the letter below there is a proposal that Hawai'i be designated as a repository for genetic bee stock. Because of our distance from the US mainland there is little fear of Africanization problems, and fortunately, Varroa cannot swim! As a brief aside, we are also in constant fear of the introduction of the infamous brown tree snake of Guam, which has *killed all bird life on Guam* and is the source of constant power failures there, as the snakes shimmy up power poles, and are electrocuted. There have been sightings of this snake at airports only on the islands of Kaua'i and O'ahu, and they were quickly dispatched. Anyway, please help us any way that you can. I have included fax numbers to three Federal politicians in Washington. Their hearing from beekeepers across the United States that oppose this new rule will be vital to our keeping Hawai'i 's honey bee stores clean from disease, insuring clean queens to you until we can all eliminate Varroa and other bee afflictions. I am a university librarian by profession, and have already conducted an extensive literature search on New Zealand honey bee diseases (through the DIALOG database system) and collected well over 50 articles that discuss honey bee diseases in New Zealand, which I have forwarded to Agriculture Professors at the Univesity of Hawai'i, Hilo, and to members of the Big Island Beekeeping Association. A warmfelt thank you to all!!! Kevin M. Roddy kroddy@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A PROPOSED RULE CHANGE OF THE HONEY BEE ACT OF 1922 TO ALLOW NEW ZEALAND BEES INTO THE UNITED STATES. This proposed rule, as published in the Federal Register (7/18/94 page 36773) is deceitful and misleading in the first paragraph summary where the Animal and Health Inspection Service of the USDA states, "The proposed actions appears warranted based on our determination that New Zealand is free of diseases and parasites of honey bees." This is a lie. As per "Honey Bee Pathology" (Bailey and Ball, 1991) New Zealand does have half moon syndrome, a mite Meiitiphis alvearius, Kashmir bee virus, melanosis, chronic paralysis virus, and Malpighamoria mellificae. This fraudulent statement was made to enlist the support of readers of the proposed rule and now creates cause for concern regarding the credibility and intentions of APHIS/USDA. The proposed rule is not for the benefit of US beekeepers; this is a political issue in the name of free trade to facilitate the New Zealand beekeepers efforts to supply the package and queen bee needs of Canada and possibly Korea. Before the 1988 closure of Canadian borders to US bees, Canadians spent $12 million annually purchasing over 300,000 packages of US bees per year. A USDA 1993 legal opinion of the Honey Bee Act of 1922 prohibits the transiting of New Zealand bees through Honolulu, O'ahu. In a telephone conversation with Mark Winston, professor and bee researcher at Simon Fraser University, Canada, the scientific and biological soundness of keeping Hawai'i isolated as a protected gene bank was agreed upon and Mark wondered if the New Zealand bees could be transited through Los Angeles. Next I called Gordon Waller, queen breeder and researcher from Tucson, who is packing to move out of Arizona and away from Africanized honey bee drones that are threatening his queen bee program. Mr. Waller also supported the idea of keeping Hawaii isolated as a breeding sanctuary protected against any possible genetic contamination of Africanized honey bees. At Gordon Waller's suggestion, I telephoned Dr. Eva Crane in the United Kingdom. Dr. Crane, now retired, has studied the spread of bee diseases and pests around the world and said she would question and oppose any legislation to increase the trafficking of bees around the world. Dr. Crane then put me in touch with Dr. Brenda Ball in England who took great issue with Dr. Shimanuki's dismissal of Kashmir Bee Virus as having no economic significance and his lack of concern about half moon syndrome because he was unable to discover how the syndrome is spread through the hive. Dr. Ball also expressed concern about the lack of understanding about the compounding effects of bee pests and diseases when multiple infestations occur in the hive simultaneously. Dr. Ball agreed that Hawai'i could play a VITAL ROLE in the future of honey bees of the world if Hawai'i maintained a strict isolation and is established as a "Repository" for US bees free of mites and genetic contamination by AHB. The proposed rule is not in the best interests of US beekeepers and should be rescinded by the USDA. Unbiased review and research directed by a "peer review" group including members of the beekeeping industry must be conducted to survey and assess the potential environmental impact that any deviation from the intent of the Honey Bee Act of 1922 would have on US beekeeping. Act now, and call or write your US Senators and Congressmen (helpful numbers are given below) and request that the Honey Bee Act of 1922 be supported and that New Zealand bees not be allowed into the US. Additionally, federal legislation is needed to support the efforts of Hawai'i to act as a repository for the cleanest US honey bee gene bank as a safeguard against the future spread of known bee diseases and pests and the unknown effects of temperate New Zealand bee disease and pests on honey bees in the tropical environment of Hawai'i. Please *bee* involved. We might make a difference is enough of us speak out now. this is not a done deal. Handwritten letters are better than no letters. Write today. if you need me to fax for you, I will be glad to help. Walter Patton 27-703 Kaieie Road Papaikou, Hawai'i 96781 Ph/FAX: 808-964-5401 FAX FEDERAL LEGISLATORS! US Senator Richard Lugar, likely Chairman US Senate Committee on Agriculture FAX 202.228.0360 Congressman Pat Roberts, Chairman, Congressional Committee on Agriculture FAX 202.225.5375 Congressman Tom Ewing Chairman, Risk Management and Specialty Crops (includes honey and bees) FAX 202.225.8071 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 25 Feb 1995 15:39:35 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Allen Dick Subject: Re: Your help needed to protect Hawai'i's honey bees In-Reply-To: <9502251859.AA11010@cuugnet.cuug.ab.ca> On Sat, 25 Feb 1995, Kevin Roddy wrote: > 25 February 1995 > > >From the volcanic Island of Hawai'i to list members of Bee-L and other > beekeepers around the world, Aloha: Although there are true statements in the article posted, there are many half truths and implications which are simply untrue. I would advise any who are about to be taken in by this to investigate carefully first. For one thing, the proposed revision would have no effect on the motherhood issue of keeping Hawaii free of imported species and pests. That is an entirely separate issue. Some Hawaiians are (cynically) mostly interested in getting an advantage over New Zealand in the lucrative queen business by using an antequated, but convenient law and trying to recruit support by deliberate misrepresentation. W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper VE6CFK Rural Route One Swalwell Alberta Canada T0M 1Y0 Email: dicka@cuug.ab.ca or allend@internode.net Virtual Art Gallery: http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/~dicka __________________Why not drop by?____________________ ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 25 Feb 1995 17:58:38 -0500 Reply-To: Gerry Rising Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Gerry Rising Subject: Gopher,FTP Far Side Access Comments: To: "List: Astronomy" Comments: cc: "List: Bats" , "List: Biology" , "List: Birds" , "List: Cayuga Birds" , "List: Entomologists" , "List: Entomology" , "List: Great Lakes" , "List: Herbs" , "List: Mammals" , "List: Mistnet" , "List: New York State Birds" , "List: Pest Control" , "List: Weather" Thanks to the kindness of John VanDyk, The Far Side documents have now been entered and are available through your Gopher server from the Iowa State University Entomology EntoGopher at: gopher.ent.iastate.edu You should look there in the Tribute to the Far Side directory. John has also made the files available through your FTP client at: gopher.ent.iastate.edu where you should look in misc/Farside. I encourage as many as possible of you to access the files through these servers. Although I am responding to individual requests for the files, I am finding that these very large messages are not getting through to some of you. If you get nothing after a few days, please contact me again and I will again attempt to get them to you somehow. Regards, Gerry Gerry Rising phone: 716-689-8301 295 Robinhill Drive messages: 716-645-3175 Williamsville, NY 14221-1639 fax: 716-645-3161 ---- e-mail: insrisg@UBVMS.bitnet or insrisg@UBVMS.cc.buffalo.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 26 Feb 1995 00:35:00 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Andy Nachbaur Organization: Wild Bee's BBS (209)826-8107 Subject: Re: Your help needed to protect Hawai'i's honey bees / . --- start quotes --- / . <>Date: Sat, 25 Feb 1995 15:39:35 -0700 <>From: Allen Dick <>Subject: Re: Your help needed to protect Hawai'i's honey bees <> <>On Sat, 25 Feb 1995, Kevin Roddy wrote: <> <>Some Hawaiians are (cynically) mostly interested in getting an advantage <>over New Zealand in the lucrative queen business by using an antequated, <>but convenient law and trying to recruit support by deliberate <>misrepresentation. <> / . --- end of quotes --- / . Hello Allen, This may be true, I am also a cynic, but would you want to bet your bees on it, or just someone else's bees?. Give it time an you may well have all the problems in the bee world without open boarders in the US or bringing in bees from other countries. And what is so evil about beekeepers trying to protect their own interests, I am sure that the New Zealand beekeepers are just as interested in the $$$ they can make by selling bees as the few Hawaiians who ship bees. I am also sure there are more then just bee shippers who would like to see Hawaiian bee's protected from the buggy man. I myself am an open boarder person, but the facts are that there are some bee problems you may get and not get the solution until its a little late. I personally have seen way too many yards of bees go from gang busters to DEAD, not sick, dead. PMS, mites, your guess is as good a my own. But dead yards with hundreds of lbs of good bee feed on each hive, young queens, good experienced beekeepers, hives dead by the 100's, 200's..Now maybe we should open all the boarders, most of my bees are dead anyway. When Canada opens its boarders to the United States I will lobby Washington to open the US boarders to bees from around the world, including New Zealand. What could be more fair? You know all the bad stuff in the World is here in the US, you don't know what you will get from New Zealand except they for sure they will have NO genetic protection from the things that are slipping across your boarders from the south each season with the boarders closed. ttul Andy- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 26 Feb 1995 05:37:00 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Allen Dick Subject: Give me a break! In-Reply-To: <9502260348.AA24363@cuugnet.cuug.ab.ca> At risk of doing what I am objecting to -- getting into politics rather than bees, I will make one last post on this rather political and partisan subject, then let it lie. Unless, of course, it does become an objective discussion of the merits of isolation and methods of ensuring quarantine. On Sun, 26 Feb 1995, Andy Nachbaur wrote: > / . --- start quotes --- / . > > <>Date: Sat, 25 Feb 1995 15:39:35 -0700 > <>From: Allen Dick > <>Subject: Re: Your help needed to protect Hawai'i's honey bees > <> > <>On Sat, 25 Feb 1995, Kevin Roddy wrote: > <> > <>Some Hawaiians are (cynically) mostly interested in getting an advantage > <>over New Zealand in the lucrative queen business by using an antequated, > <>but convenient law and trying to recruit support by deliberate > <>misrepresentation. > <> > / . --- end of quotes --- / . > > Hello Allen, > > This may be true, I am also a cynic, but would you want to bet your > bees on it, or just someone else's bees?. Give me a break, Andy. We bet our bees on it every year. We have no problem accepting New Zealand bees, Australian too. We even accept Hawaiian bees. It was quite a fight to get them. After all Hawaii is part of the USA. > And what is so evil about > beekeepers trying to protect their own interests, I thought I said cynical, not evil. I believe their rightful interests can be served without lying in someone else's manger. > I am sure that the > New Zealand beekeepers are just as interested in the $$$ they can make > by selling bees as the few Hawaiians who ship bees. I am also sure there > are more then just bee shippers who would like to see Hawaiian bee's > protected from the buggy man. There is no question that it is in the interest of the industry to protect Hawaii's bee population. I was merely commenting on the shotgun approach and the bogus arguments used. There are much more specific and honest methods of accomplishing the task of protecting Hawaii. As I understand it, he result of the proposal being circulated is not just to protect the bees in Hawaii, but also to affect the the entire (non-contiguous!) country. Overkill to say the least. Hawaii has been granted special status as recognition of its isolation and is treated differently from the rest of the USA -- as well it should. > When Canada opens its boarders to the United States I will lobby > Washington to open the US boarders to bees from around the world, You see there is the problem. This is not about protecting Hawaii. This is about tit for tat. If you descend to such you reduce it to a battle of 'sides'-- not truth, and you are abusing all the people wha are working for the best of the industry -- no matter in what jurisdiction. And you reduce your own behaviour to the level of the worst example you can find to react to. Alberta has always maintained a strong objection to knee-jerk border closure. Our policy in Alberta is to treat all jurisdictions, domestic or foreign equally, and to not subject any one to punitive treatment. Where possible, we have tried to distinguish physical from political boundaries and make allowances. That is why we have been able to get bees from Aus, even though varroa has been found on an isolated bit of their soil. Similarly we have fought for and managed to work with Gus to get Hawaii accepted as a source, even though it is part of the USA, a country where a most destructive pest is running rampant and AHB is becoming a threat to public health. To the extent that these issues have become political, not pragmatic, we all suffer. Regulation is necessary, however we must strive to minimise it, not encourage widespread regulation for a local problem. Appeals for unthinking partisanship and blanket measures are destructive to all. I have spoken! :-) Allen W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper VE6CFK Rural Route One Swalwell Alberta Canada T0M 1Y0 Email: dicka@cuug.ab.ca or allend@internode.net Virtual Art Gallery: http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/~dicka __________________Why not drop by?____________________ ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 26 Feb 1995 04:55:00 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Rob Bidleman Subject: Re: Give me a break! In-Reply-To: <199502261239.AA11943@mail.crl.com> On Sun, 26 Feb 1995, Allen Dick wrote: > At risk of doing what I am objecting to -- getting into politics. Appeals > for unthinking partisanship and blanket measures are destructive to all. ** I agree, I'm not bias (one way or the other) I just have some experience in the area. I have 12 hives of New Zealand origin although I am sure they are a bit diluted now, I find them to be quite hardy and have had (knock on hive) no problem with them. The other hives in the same yard are also doing well and I use the NZ bees for royal jelly production for which they are well suited (prolific nurse bees). The point is this, I wouldn't be comfortable with Andy's bees untill they were thoroughly examined no matter how much red, white and bluegrass flowed through their veins, nor would any other bees. If they are well examined who cares WHERE they come from? You might find the "Bluebird of Disease" right in your own backyard. Rob -- Robert Bidleman robbee@crl.com robbee@c2.org - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 26 Feb 1995 11:39:27 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Gregory F. Kendall" Subject: Harry Laidlaw's email address? If anybody has an email address (or phone number) for Harry Laidlaw, please send it to me at gkendall@crl.com. Thanks. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 26 Feb 1995 20:23:00 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Andy Nachbaur Organization: Wild Bee's BBS (209)826-8107 Subject: Give me a break! / . --- start quotes --- / . <>Date: Sun, 26 Feb 1995 05:37:00 -0700 <>From: Allen Dick <>Subject: Give me a break! <> <>At risk of doing what I am objecting to -- getting into politics rather <>than bees, I will make one last post on this rather political and partisan <>subject, then let it lie. Unless, of course, it does become an objective <>discussion of the merits of isolation and methods of ensuring quarantine. / . --- end of quotes --- / . Thanks for your reply Allen, The attack and run approach is a good one. You posted a reply to a beekeeper who has taken a honest but political side on a problem that should concern all beekeepers, regardless of nationality or industry affiliation. And many of us do have better things to do with our time. But it was you who came back with an attack on the original post, which I thought was well thought out. Maybe you could explain better what you read as half truths in the original post without flames or half truths of your own or trying to limit debate so you get the last hit. It seems to me that it is your side that wants something from the other side, even if its only the landing rights in Hawaii. To flame the beekeeper from Hawaii who has real concerns for other beekeepers and then limit debate is not going to enlighten others on how rule making comes about. As it stands at this moment what Canada and New Zealand have asked for is about to be come law only because it is politically correct in the US. Your personal attacks on the opposing views may have added the fuel to at least for a 2nd look at this rule change with more then the jaundice eye of the politician. Maybe the politicians need a little more input from the scientific community and less from those who want the change one way or another. With only one or two queen breeders in Hawaii it does seem incredible that there is any opposition at all which indicates the concern of the opposition is greater then just a few $$$ in lost sales to Canada. As a beekeeper who has shipped 600 two pound packages to Maine one year by air to get 200 to a customer I do know from experience that bee's do get lost and end up in someone else's hives then whom they were intended. Banks and packages of queens are no exception as any shipper can testify. There is a danger, even if remote that for what ever reason bees, no matter how well regulated by numerous laws and government agencies the bees will end up in the wrong place. The US has had laws for generations to protect its beekeepers, they have not worked. It would be a sad loss to see the last island of clean bee stock wasted without serious study and thought when there is a chance it could be kept free of any new bee problems. I know no way of insuring or discussing the merits of quarantines that is not political as regrettably so much of what we beekeepers do in our daily routines. And even more certain a pest and disease free area as large as Hawaii should be of interest the the world scientific community as represented by the subscribers to the BEE-L and not just a disagreement between those who want something and those who want to preserve something, if only a clean environment for bees in their own home land. ttul Andy- - l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l Wild Bee's BBS l l Beekeeping Information Service BBS 209/826-8107 28.8 bd INTERNET: Andy.Nachbaur@BEENET.COM - l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 08:56:35 GMT Reply-To: Gordon@apis.demon.co.uk Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Gordon L. Scott" Subject: Re: Painting hive bodies with creosote In message <9502240225.aa10338@punt.demon.co.uk> BEE-L@uacsc2.albany.edu writes: > Some years ago I read a book by Taylor which suggested painting hive > bodies with creosote as a preservative. Anyone ever tried it? I found > it hard to believe that the bees would tolerate the creosote fumes. I > would be interested to learn of your experiences. Thank you. Jim Creosote is an 'old fashioned' if economical and effective treatment for hives. I doubt that many beakeepers now use it because the bees _don't_ tolerate it well. If you do use it, only treat the outside of the boxes and give it _plenty_ of time to dry proprly (a few weeks IMHO). It's also _filthy_ stuff to handle -- gets everywhere. Personally I use Western Red Cedar hives which are pretty rot-proof anyway and I give them a good coat of a _bee_friendly_ presenvative. Be warned that there aren't many of these. They also typically need a while to dry out (few days). Another treatment popular in some areas is to 'varnish' the outsides with one of the new-generation porous exterior treatments. I don't know if example product names help across continents, but I personally use Cuprinol Clear preservative & Sadolin 'varnish'. There are several good 'varnishes' but very few *safe* preservatives. Regards, -- Gordon Scott Gordon@apis.demon.co.uk Compuserve 100332,3310 Basingstoke Beekeeper Beekeeper@apis.demon.co.uk In the beginning there was darkness and the Lord said "Let there be light" and behold there was ... let: command not found. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 09:08:35 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Dave Green, Eastern Pollinator Newsletter" Subject: Pollination supply? Dear Bee-L'ers - in eastern US and Canada: We are doing an informal survey, and would appreciate your response, if you have any info to contribute. (By e-mail please to pollinator@aol.com) 1. What crops in your area need bees for pollination? 2. Is the demand for pollination up, down, or stable? 3. Do you see any difference between real need and perceived (by growers) need? 4. Is the supply of pollinators this spring up, down, or stable? 5. Any other notes, comments, on the pollination situation in your area this spring? (Checking the industry pulse :) Pollinator@aol.com Dave Green Eastern Pollinator Newsletter PO Box 1215, Hemingway, SC 29554 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 08:17:07 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: WILLIAM G LORD Subject: creosote alternative I have been reading with interest the creosote dialogue. Creosote is classified as a restricted use pesticide in the United States. Coal tar is the active ingredient in creosote, and I believe creosote has been determined to be carcinogenic (thus, in part, the reason for it being restricted, but let's not get off into the cancer realm). In any case, creosote is a mess to use. Let me give you a recipe for a non-toxic wood preservative developed by the U.S. Forest Service that is simple to make and use and is effective: Materials: Exterior grade varnish 3 cups or polyurethane (oil based) 3 cups or boiled linseed oil 1-1/2 cups and Paraffin wax 1 ounce and mineral spirits or add to make a gallon paint thinner or turpentine Notes on materials: Boiled linseed oil should not be used in areas with high humidity as linseed oil is a food source for mildew. An exterior grade of varnish, defined as an exterior grade polyurethane, has more resin and is more flexible. MIX: 1. Add wax to the vehicle (thinner, spirits, or turpentine), then add varnish. Stir for 15 minutes to mix. 2. Wax should be in liquid form. If you use too much wax it will settle out. Wood can be dipped or brushed with the mixture. The wax is the active ingredient, and treated wood will shed water. You may recognize this as "home made" Thompson's Waterseal (a popular American brand), and so it is, just much cheaper. While this may not be as good as a hot dip paraffin bath, it is quick and safe. The only caveat I know is to let the wood dry after treatment before painting. I have used this formula a lot in old house restoration and it really brings old wood back to life, plus it is cheap. TESTING: The U.S. Forest Service began testing some 20 years ago. Window units were dipped for 3 minutes in either a solution of water repellent with preservatives or water repellants without preservatives and exposed to conditions in Madison Wisconsin. Untreated comparison window units completely fell apart after 6 years, but little deterioration occurred in the treated window units. There was very little difference between water repellants with preservatives and those without. Bill Lord Louisburg, NC USA WILLIAM G LORD E-Mail : wglord@franklin Internet: wglord@franklin.ces.ncsu.edu Phone : 9194963344 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 11:33:08 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Scribilo_Darlene/stl_system6@SYSTEM6.LCS.GOV.BC.CA Subject: Mountain Grey Caucasians Comments: To: dgscribi@system6.lcs.gov.bc.ca Hello bee folks I am looking for a queen breeder who specializes in the Mountain Grey Caucasian Bee. If you have information I would appreciate your reply to dgscribi@system6.lcs.gov.bc.ca. Thank you Darlene ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 10:50:07 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Scribilo_Darlene/stl_system6@SYSTEM6.LCS.GOV.BC.CA Subject: bee venom collectors Comments: To: dgscribi@system6.lcs.gov.bc.ca Hello folks, Last week I posted a request for information on inventors/testers of bee venom collection devices using the electric shock method developed in Czechoslovakia between 1952 and 1954. Here is more information on the 3 persons who were mentioned in the text. Joseph Orovec - applied for a patent on his device in 1952. Patent No. PV691-52 O.Markovic and L Molnar - the article publication information : Prispevok K Izolach a Stanoveniu Vcelieho Jedi, Chemicke Zvesti, VIII.80.1954 If you have information on how these people can be reached please contact Michael Simics at 204-1331 15th Ave., S.W., Calgary, Alberta Canada T3C 0X8 Ph/Fax (403) 541-1877 or e-mail me at dgscribi@system6.lcs.gov.bc.ca Thank-you Darlene ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 08:25:06 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Scribilo_Darlene/stl_system6@SYSTEM6.LCS.GOV.BC.CA Subject: bee venom Comments: To: dgscribi@system6.lcs.gov.bc.ca For those who posted inquiring on marketting bee venom, you may wish to contact Michael Simics at 204 - 1331 15th Ave. S.W., Calgary ,Alta., Canada T3C 0X8 Ph/Fax (403) 541-1877 He is presently the only active bee and vespid venom collector in North America. His outstanding quality venoms are collected with third generation collector devices using the electric shock method to stimulate the bees to sting. The venom is used by medical practitioners,drug manufacturers, labs etc. Darlene dgscribi@system6.lcs.gov.bc.ca ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 09:49:29 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: WILLIAM G LORD Subject: Re: Pollination supply? In-Reply-To: <9502271413.AA08880@bigbad.ces.ncsu.edu> from "Dave Green, Eastern Pollinator Newsletter" at Feb 27, 95 09:08:35 am > >Dear Bee-L'ers - in eastern US and Canada: > > We are doing an informal survey, and would appreciate your response, if >you have any info to contribute. (By e-mail please to pollinator@aol.com) > >1. What crops in your area need bees for pollination? CUCUMBERS, WATERMELONS, SQUASH, PUMPKINS >2. Is the demand for pollination up, down, or stable? UP >3. Do you see any difference between real need and perceived (by growers) MORE REAL NEED THAN IS PERCEIVED BY GROWERS >need? >4. Is the supply of pollinators this spring up, down, or stable? DOWN >5. Any other notes, comments, on the pollination situation in your area this >spring? > BILL LORD >(Checking the industry pulse :) > >Pollinator@aol.com Dave Green >Eastern Pollinator Newsletter PO Box 1215, Hemingway, SC 29554 > -- WILLIAM G LORD E-Mail : wglord@franklin Internet: wglord@franklin.ces.ncsu.edu Phone : 9194963344 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 09:44:00 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Paul van Westendorp 576-5600 Fax: 576-5652" Subject: Re: Your help needed to protect Hawai'i's honey bees I have read the latest communication about the Hawaiian issue, and followed with interest the dialoque between Allen Dick and Andy. Notwithstanding the cynical attitudes and economic opportunism that may be part of the issue, perhaps it is better to focus on the question of diseases and pests associated with New Zealand honeybees. Also, it is necessary to seperate the issue of transshipments of NZ bees through Hawaii, from the larger issue of the US allowing importation of NZ bees. 1. From a geographical perspective, it makes perfect sense for the Hawaiian industry to demand a ban on all importations, including transshipments. When we closely examine the details of transshipments and assess the risks, many of the fears may be unfounded. Transshipments only go through Honolulu, O'ahu, where they stay for a few hours before loaded up for a flight to Vancouver, BC. The shipments must meet airline standards of bee-tightness, etc. Surely, we are not talking about piles of bees 'bleeding' from those containers. If these containers are left in open areas, it is more likely that the bees buzzing around on the outside are genuine Hawaiian that have been attracted. In terms of shipping conditions and the short time frame during which these bees stay at the Honolulu airport, risks are extremely low. 2. As far as I know, the commercial Hawaiian beekeeping industry and the bee breeders in particular, are concentrated on the big island of Hawaii, over 100 nautical miles from O'ahu. Unless there is free movement of bees among the islands (by man), there is no chance of bees reaching Hawaii on their own. In other words, the risks of the current Hawaiian commercial bee stock exposed to transshipped New Zealand beestock is negligible. 3. There is this impressive list of pathogens reported present in New Zealand, as stated by Bailey & Ball. I have no cause to doubt the accuracy of these claims but the problem is that this valuable research was done in New Zealand and not in North America and Hawaii. The listing of these agents have been used in this discussion as if they are unique to New Zealand and extraordinarily virulent. This is simply not the case. Most are of academic interest and have only been reported incidentally. Part of the reason that they have been reported incidentally is because these agents are generally latent. It is wrong to insinuate that any of these agents would upon introduction, cause havoc to American beekeeping. (However, I acknowledge that in company of parasitic mites, some viral agents may become virulent in the future.) In my view, the weakness of Hawaii's arguments rest in the fact that no comparable scientific research has ever been applied to the Hawaiian and north American bee populations. There is simply not an accurate inventory listing of agents associated with american bees. Any or all (and perhaps more) of those agents listed by Bailey & Ball could already occur in the feral and managed bee population of Hawaii and North America. As long as there is no accurate listing of honeybee pathogens in Hawaii and North America, I believe it is wrong in portraying New Zealand as a dangerous source of bee stock because it is not. I am not wishing to talk on behalf of New Zealand in any way, but I and others have full confidence in the health status and reliability of NEw Zealand bees. This position is based on information and experience gathered over 15 years since Canada started importing bees from New Zealand. Canada assessed New Zealand (and Australia) as a source of bees in the early 1980's. Ever since the initial assessment, Canada has been satisfied and impressed with the thorough and sound animal disease and pest control programs in place in New Zealand and Australia. In the mid-1980's, when Kashmir Bee Virus (KBV) had been reported, BC sent bee samples to NZ for analysis (by Anderson, who since then moved to Australia). Indeed, KBV was identified in samples of BC bees but also from sources that had never been exposed to NZ bee importations. Eventhough, no further studies were carried out, it was suspected that bees in many parts of Canada (and presumably the US) already harbored KBV and other viral agents. For the lack of funds and expertise in bee virology, a comprehensive survey of North America was never carried out. Shimanuki and others have stated that it is likely some or many viruses are widely distributed in the north American bee population. With the recent entry of Africanized bees, additional viruses may be introduced into North America as well. Because of Hawaii's longstanding importation ban, and its opportunity to remain free of parasitic mites, I can appreciate the demand for some form of protection. As I wrote in ABJ's january 1995 edition, the strength of arguments in support of protection must be based on scientific evidence together with risk assessment studies. For the lack of information of Hawaii's inventory of bee pathogens, it is difficult to consider NZ transshipments as a bonafide health risk to Hawaiian bees at this time. To resolve the issue, a comprehensive survey may be carried out in Hawaii. The results can then be compared with the New Zealand list. Considering the scientific information currently available, I find it difficult to accept the argument that New Zealand bees pose a health risk to the North American bee population. But then, I do agree that perhaps New Zealand may pose an 'economic risk' to some American bee suppliers. Paul van Westendorp Provincial Apiarist British Columbia ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 14:38:53 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Eric Abell Subject: Re: Give me a break! In-Reply-To: <9502261229.AA20384@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca> On Sun, 26 Feb 1995, Allen Dick wrote: > > Our policy in Alberta is to treat all jurisdictions, domestic or > foreign equally, and to not subject any one to punitive treatment. > > Where possible, we have tried to distinguish physical from political > boundaries and make allowances. That is why we have been able to get bees > from Aus, even though varroa has been found on an isolated bit of their > soil. > > Similarly we have fought for and managed to work with Gus to get > Hawaii accepted as a source, even though it is part of the USA, a country > where a most destructive pest is running rampant and AHB is becoming a > threat to public health. > > To the extent that these issues have become political, not pragmatic, we > all suffer. Regulation is necessary, however we must strive to minimise > it, not encourage widespread regulation for a local problem. > > Appeals for unthinking partisanship and blanket measures are destructive to > all. Well said Allen. I cuffly support your position. This can be an interesting discussion if it continues on a rational level. Eric Abell ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 04:19:00 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Andy Nachbaur Organization: Wild Bee's BBS (209)826-8107 Subject: Re: Your help needed to protect Hawai'i's honey bees / . --- start quotes --- / . <>Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 09:44:00 -0800 <>From: "Paul van Westendorp 576-5600 Fax: 576-5652" Subject: Re: Your help needed to protect Hawai'i's honey bees <> <> Because of Hawaii's longstanding importation ban, and its opportunity <> remain free of parasitic mites, I can appreciate the demand for some f <> of protection. As I wrote in ABJ's january 1995 edition, the strength <> arguments in support of protection must be based on scientific evidenc <> together with risk assessment studies. For the lack of information of <> Hawaii's inventory of bee pathogens, it is difficult to consider NZ <> transshipments as a bonafide health risk to Hawaiian bees at this time <> To resolve the issue, a comprehensive survey may be carried out in <> Hawaii. The results can then be compared with the New Zealand list. <> <> Considering the scientific information currently available, I find it <> difficult to accept the argument that New Zealand bees pose a health r <> to the North American bee population. But then, I do agree that perh <> New Zealand may pose an 'economic risk' to some American bee suppliers / . --- end of quotes --- / . Hello Paul, I wanted to post this to you, but your return address is a tad long for my system or mail reader to read, so I will use the gang mail. I agree more study is needed. Not so sure what the economic risk is, unless it is to all the bees in Hawaii, as I believe there are only 1 or 2 commercial queen outfits in Hawaii and not sure that Canada makes up that much of their business. Maybe you can give us some figures to make this point as it seems to me that the real economic gain is with the people who want to use them in Canada and the sellers in New Zealand, and the potential for loss is in Hawaii which is the last Varroa clean bee pasture zone in the US and won't benefit from the accidental introduction of new pathogens real or imagined. I still don't understand why these bees can not make a direct connection without any stops in Hawaii or the US mainland unless that to is somehow connected to the economics of a charter flight via a schedule one. In any case unless the concerned US beekeepers make a dramatic case with their own politico's at once, it is my understanding that this is a done deal.. ttul Andy- - l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l Wild Bee's BBS l l Beekeeping Information Service BBS 209/826-8107 28.8 bd INTERNET: Andy.Nachbaur@BEENET.COM - l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- l l -- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 09:25:16 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jeremy Burbidge Subject: Bee Biz Bee Biz The New International Magazine for Commercial Beekeepers 28th February 1995 Dear BEE-L s The first issue of the new international magazine Bee Biz will be out in August in time for Apimondia 95 in Switzerland. This is a magazine in English by commercial beekeepers for commercial beekeepers and anyone interested in the business of bees. It will get away from the amateur, and avoid the purely scientific, to concentrate on the one down-to-earth theme - how to make a better living from bees. Regardless of local circumstances, many of the problems and challenges faced by beekeepers in business are similar around the world. Bee Biz contributors will be looking for successful strategies, solutions and insights from the English-speaking countries and elsewhere for its readers. It will be published three times a year The editorial team includes prominent names - Cliff van Eaton from New Zealand, Mrs L McGregor from South Africa, Joe Moffett from the USA, Mary Rede Lye from Canada and Anne Middleditch from the UK. An editor from Australia is in the process of appointment.Their role is to bring the best ideas from innovative and successful commercial beekeepers in their countries. Overall editing will be by Matthew Allan in the UK and publication will be by Northern Bee Books, well-known for their British journal,the Beekeepers Quarterly. Besides usual beekeeping management, the magazine will look at marketing, packaging, mechanisation, and ways of diversifying to increase profitability, such as tourist potential, wax, pollen, propolis, venom, cosmetics and candles. National and international trade and prices will be reported and the products of leading manufacturers appraised. Educational and employment opportunities will also be featured. Contributions, comments and correspondence are welcome. and should be submitted to the appropriate corresponding editor. as below EDITOR Matthew J Allen, BSc, NDB 41 George Street, Eastleigh, Hants SO50 9BT, U.K. 1703 617969 Corresponding Editors New Zealand Cliff van Eaton, MAF Quality Management, Private Bag, Tauranga. New Zealand Phone 010 64 75 78 2069. Fax 010 64 7578 8429. email vaneaton@tauranga.mafqual.govt.nz South Africa Mrs L McGregor,Canowie Farm, Box 142, Ixopo 4630, Natal, South Africa Tel 010 27 336 341891 America Joe Moeffett, RR3 Box 1760, Cushing, Olkahoma 74023 Phone 0101 405 372 6338 Home 0101 918 372 4593 Canada Mary Rede Lye , 196 Stephens Street, Richmond Hill, Ontario L4C 5P1 0101 905 884 6086 Fax 0101 905 884 6322 UK Ann Middleditch, Rock View, North Lane, Norham, Berwick -upon-Tweed TD15 2LG Phone 1289 382498 (h) 1289 382498 (w) Jeremy Burbidge Publisher, Bee Biz/ The Beekeepers Quarterly NORTHERN BEE BOOKS, SCOUT BOTTOM FARM, MYTHOLMROYD, HEBDEN BRIDGE, HX7 5JS, U.K. Phone (1422) 882751 Fax (1422) 886157 e-mail ruxbury@delphi.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 08:49:11 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Kelley Rosenlund 904-392-5551 Subject: Re: creosote alternative I just attended a backyard beekeeping class and I would like to get an established hive to get me started. Being as I live in Gainesville, Florida and the orange trees are beginning to blossom it does not seem very likely. I did find an ex-beekeeper fellow who kindly offered to give me some old/empty frames and supers. Would it be advisable to fumigate them and if so how? Any other information you may have to help a green-horn beekeeper would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Kelley rosenlk@freenet.ufl.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 07:41:02 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Allen Dick Subject: Bee Biz Comments: To: ruxbury@delphi.com Thanks for the post re Bee Biz. I am sure it will be of interest to all. However... Possibly due to worries about flames, there are a few vital pieces of information lacking. At least they are not obvious to me. 1. Where and how do I subscribe? How much do I send to whom? 2. What are you paying for contributions? Should all the list members start thumping out articles in hopes of finally cashing in on on their vast store of beekeeping knowledge, or merely content themselves with sitting back and reading the contributions of volunteers?. 3. What of advertising? Will there be fascinating ads for exotic bee equipment ot is this strictly a journal? I have my checkbook out. W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper VE6CFK Rural Route One Swalwell Alberta Canada T0M 1Y0 Email: dicka@cuug.ab.ca or allend@internode.net Virtual Art Gallery: http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/~dicka __________________Why not drop by?____________________ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 07:32:29 -1000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Thomas W. Culliney" Subject: Protection of Hawaii's honey bees In-Reply-To: <9502260447.AA17452@hinc.hawaii.gov> Hawaii's three commercial queen breeders are not seeking a competitive advantage over beekeepers from New Zealand or from any other country. This issue is one of environmental protection. Hawaii is as protective of its environment (including its agriculture and apiculture) as is New Zealand (Hawaii state law bars entry of all honey bees, living or dead). The USDA has amended the honey bee regulations to permit transshipments of bees from New Zealand through the U.S., including Hawaii. The Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture is trying to make the best of a disagreeable situation. Recently, state Ag. personnel met with officials of New Zealand's Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the National Beekeepers' Association to review bee packaging procedures employed by NZ bee exporters. In general, it was seen that a great deal of care was taken to ensure that the packages would not allow any bees to escape in transit. The New Zealanders have taken all reasonable measures (incorporating some additional measures suggested by this department) to ensure the integrity of their shipments. This department will be monitoring passage of the shipments through Honolulu International Airport to make sure that no foreign bees enter Hawaii. We trust that there will be no problems, but are prepared to take actions to prevent any "leakage" of bees. =================================== Thomas W. Culliney Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture Division of Plant Industry 1428 South King Street Honolulu, Hawaii 96814 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Phone: (808) 973-9529 Facsimile: (808) 973-9533 E-mail: tcullin@hinc.hawaii.gov =================================== ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 10:47:36 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Winifred Doane Subject: Re: Your help needed to protect Hawai'i's honey bees In-Reply-To: Message of Tue, 28 Feb 1995 04:19:00 GMT from Dear Gloria, This week is not working out well for me to drive down to Tucson before Friday morning. I will have to confirm that day later on, after the Search Committee I'm on has its meeting tomorrow (Wednesday). Would next week be OK, again being either Wed or Fri? The week of March 13 is our spring recess so I surely can drive down to your lab during that week - if it's OK with you. Winifred ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 11:20:00 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Paul van Westendorp 576-5600 Fax: 576-5652" Subject: Re: Your help needed to protect Hawai'i's honey bees Andy, In response to your e-mail, a couple of points; 1. I don't have the figures in front of me of the actual volume of bees shipped from NZ to Canada. I have requested this info from Agriculture Canada and I may be able to offer that in a few days. I like to make the point however (which I should have done yesterday), that most of the bees sent from NZ to Canada involve queens, not packages. The queens do not pose any risk because of the manner in which they are packaged and handled. It are packages that are the contentious issue. 2. In your e-mail you mention that Hawaii remains the only Varroa free state of the US. I fully agree, it should remain that way. But NZ is also free of Varroa and I suspect it is equally determined to keep itself free of the mite. So, in regards to Varroa, NZ does not pose any risk to Hawaii. The previous discussion was focusing on a list of some exotic, incidental pathogens reported to be present in NZ and whose distribution in other parts of the world is not well known. 3. The need of transshipment via Hawaii has been strictly logistical. There are no non-stop flights from NZ to Canada. Different carriers are involved to cover the Pacific routes with fuel stops in Hawaii. Last year, when former Sec. of Agric. Mike Espy did not authorize bee transshipments through Hawaii, NZ suppliers and Canadian buyers were in a scramble and looked for alternate routes. L.A. was an alternative but was not authorized either. Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong were possible alternatives but uncertainty about the handling of such shipments under tropical conditions and in locations where Tropilaelaps clarae is known to exist, these routes were considered unacceptable. The only remaining connection was via Tokyo and indeed, some shipments did go through at considerably higher expense. 4. I think it is also important to put the issue in perspective. Some may think that NZ may inundate North America with their bees. That will never happen. Although NZ bees may not be very expensive, the total cost with the freight make these bees pretty expensive livestock. So, there is a substantial economic constraint to package importations. With queens, this is similar because other sources (eg. Hawaii and on the continent) are too competitively priced. In addition to the economic issue, I believe that the stresses of intercontinental shipments place limitations on the bees themselves. Anyone having flown accross the Pacific knows the after effects, of being 'under the weather' for a few days. Well, I suspect that if you are only 280 mg in weight of which at least 1/3 is comprised of swollen, sensitive ovaries, and you are placed in a box, subjected to rapid pressure changes, vibrations, temperature and humidty fluctuations, increased ozone levels and physical shocks (not to mention the change in season), you will be under the weather too. In some cases, these queens started beautifully in their new Canadian home for about three weeks and boom, they were superseded. This is not happening all the time, nor does it reflect on the quality of the NZ stock but instead, I believe, the cumulative stresses of shipment may have been responsible. In short, accessing NZ for bees, has mostly been treated as a valuable, complementary source of good quality stock for Canadian producers. For the industry as a whole, it has never been regarded as the principal and sole supplier of beestock in the spring (as California used to be for Western Canada prior to 1988). I believe American buyers will regard the NZ source in a similar manner in the future. regards, Paul van Westendorp PVANWESTEN@galaxy.gov.bc.ca Provincial Apiarist British Columbia ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 16:25:07 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "James D. Satterfield" Subject: Re: Georgia/Florida USA Queen Breeders In-Reply-To: Anyone out there reading this list who could send me a half dozen queens in a week or two? Please reply privately and state the cost and shipping method. I'm assuming that bees can be mailed into Georgia from Florida. Cordially yours, Jim P.S. If anyone reading this has an address in South Georgia for a producer who probably would not be reading this, I'd appreciate your sending it to me. I don't have any advertising at the present time that lists the queen producers. ----------------------------------------------------- | James D. Satterfield | biojdsx@gsusgi2.gsu.edu | | P.O. Box 2243 | | | Decatur, GA 30031 USA | Telephone 404 378-8917 | ----------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 16:33:32 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "James D. Satterfield" Subject: Response to question of creosote use My thanks to all of you who responded to my inreq. Response was divided, but the majority seemed to feel that the use of creosote was not a good idea. Perhaps there is a difference in the creosote formulation in USA compared to other parts of the world??? This isn't clear to me. I do know that brand names or common names can sometimes differ widely. I think I'll try the waterproofing formula suggested by William Lord. I'm curious how beeswax would do as a substitute for paraffin. Perhaps it would make a sticky, pleasant-smelling mess! Beekeeping encourages experimentation. Cordially yours, Jim ----------------------------------------------------- | James D. Satterfield | biojdsx@gsusgi2.gsu.edu | | P.O. Box 2243 | | | Decatur, GA 30031 USA | Telephone 404 378-8917 | ----------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 19:44:28 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: marion ellis Subject: newsletters If you publish a beekeeping newsletter please send me information on how to subscribe. If it is available through email, please add me to your mailing list. Also, please advise me if you wish to receive the newsletter I will begin publishing soon. -- Marion D. Ellis Assistant Professor Department of Entomology University of Nebraska telephone: 402-472-2125 email: mellis@unlinfo.unl.edu