2016 01 Buzz News

November 2015

Nelson County Beekeepers nelsconcountybeekeepers@gmail.com

What’s The Buzz

Volume 2, Issue 1

January

Officers President-Doug Brink Vice PresidentSecretary-Pat Swartz Treasurer-Susan Zhunga

Robbie Smith County Extension Agent for Horticulture Inside this issue: General Meeting Minutes

2

Fall Flow Wild Flowers &

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Nancy’s Lip Balm Recipe

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Oxalic Acid: Effective & Easy on Bees, But . . .

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Smoker Maintenance

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Honey-Quinoa Breakfast Bake

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Meeting Notice

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Bee School

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JANUARY AND THE BEES: The bees are in a tight cluster staying warm and consuming very little food.

On days when the wind is calm and the temperature rises above 40, you'll probably see a few bees flying out taking a cleansing flight. Since bees do not go to the bathroom inside their hive, they fly out on warm days and this is called a cleansing flight. Winter bees live a little longer than summer bees, but remember, bees live short lives. Many of your bees will die during the winter, just from old age. When bees die during the winter, they fall to the bottom of the hive. In the summer, dead bees are immediately carried outside the hive by their sisters. But, in the winter, when the hive is clustered, the dead bees accumulate on the bottom board. On warm days, other bees might try and drag out their dead sisters.

When snow covers the ground, you will noticed more dead bees around your hives. This is normal. Don't panic! It is a sign of a strong hive when they drags out dead bees. But, if you don't see anything don't panic either. It just means they will probably do this later on.

JANUARY AND THE BEEKEEPER: Monitor your hives to make sure winter winds have not disturbed the tops. Also, make sure that after it snows, that the openings are cleared of snow so that the bees can continue to get enough air, and move freely in and out of the entrance on warm days.

URGENT!! ORDER YOUR BEES AND EQUIPMENT IN JANUARY Many bees suppliers will completely sell out of package bees by the end of January. You must call (Continued on page 2)

Page 2 (Continued from page 1)

Meeting December 17, 2015 Minutes and place your bee order as soon as you can during the first week of January.

Otherwise, you may not be able to secure your bee purchases for the 2016 year.

Info from: http://basicbeekeeping.blogsp ot.com/2007/12/beekeeperscalendar-of-importantevents.html

MEET AND GREET At Frankfort CALLING ALL BEEKEEPERS!!!!! !!!!!!

We need a show of force in Frankfort to address our issues, Sales Tax being one of importance. Tammy Horn State Apiarist and Ray Tucker Jr., President of the KSBA, have reserved room 125 in the Capitol annex on Jan. 27th, from 8:30 to 11:45 We need to fill it up with Beekeepers. Our local State Rep David Floyd will be there.

If we get engough people to come, we can car pool from the Extension Office. Let me know at the meeting. Thank you in advance.

There were 47 people in attendance.

Doug welcomed new members and guests, introduced Robbie and passed out new member packets. He thanked Henry and all who were involved in the Christmas float and parade. The parade was very successful this year as there was a large crowd. He encouraged all members to participate in things that helps peak the public’s interest in bees and beekeeping.

Gene gave information on Dadandt’s bee classes starting this Saturday, 12/19. If anyone is interested, they are to call Dadandt. These classes are to be ongoing.

Dave Donathan gave a report on the beekeeping school that was held last month at the Springfield Community College campus. It was a big success. There were 36 attendees representing 9 counties. All participants received an information packet, breakfast, lunch and door prizes. The speakers gave very good programs. Doug thanked Dave and April for organizing such a successful program.

Tammy Horn was our speaker. She announced that on Jan. 27, 2016, Ray Tucker will have a meet and greet in Frankfort from 8 until 11:30 in the Capital Annex, room 127. This is to bring to the attention to the legislators that bees keepers are the only agricultural product that has to pay sales tax on their “livestock”. More info will be in her newsletter. Also, the Hartland Ag Society needs volunteers, July 14-16, 2016, to help with the meeting. Tammy is also trying to establish a hive count for the state to provide antidotal evidence of the state of beekeeping in the state.

The topic of her talk was “Mite Control In Hives”. This year there was funding for sampling of hives for health.

Samples of bees can be sent and for $80, one will re-

Page 3 University of Sussex – Study on Oxalic Acid Scientists at the University of Sussex have determined the best way of controlling Varroa mites – one of the biggest threats facing honey bees – without harming the bees themselves.

A team from the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects (LASI) has determined the best dose and method for treating hives with oxalic acid, a naturally occurring chemical already being used by beekeepers to control Varroa.

the deadliest to the mites killing 97% with one application - and is effective at lower doses than the other methods.

What’s more, it only costs a few pence to treat each hive.

Professor Francis Ratnieks, head of LASI, says that beekeepers should cease using the other two methods ("trickling" and "spraying", in which a

quickest to apply.

“Beekeepers should only use the sublimation method. If they apply oxalic acid in this way, they can be confident that it will kill most of the mites and will not harm the bees.”

Varroa mites harm honey bees directly and also spread virus diseases that kill colonies.

Controlling Varroa was at first simple, as the product Apistan could be used. Apistan contains a synthetic chemical that kills 99% of the Varroa but is not harmful to the bees. However, Varroa have now evolved resistance to the active A "phoretic" Varroa mite on the body of a honey bee. ingredient.

The study, to be published tomorrow (Tuesday 5 January 2016) in the Journal of Apicultural Research, shows that two of the three methods used by beekeepers to apply the chemical cause harm to bee colonies, resulting in Photo courtesy of Alex Wild. reduced winter survival. solution of oxalic acid is But one method – sublimation, used) as they are harmful to by which the chemical is the bees and less effective vapourised inside the hive at killing Varroa. using an electrically heated Professor Ratnieks says: “It tool – has no negative effect is almost too good to be on the bees. In fact, colonies true that sublimation, the treated in this way had 20% best method for killing more bees four months later Varroa with oxalic acid, also than untreated colonies. has no harmful effects on It is also the easiest to use, the bees, and is the

Previous research has shown that oxalic acid is able to kill Varroa but nobody had compared different doses and application methods, nor quantified the proportion of Varroa killed. http://www.sussex.ac.uk/ broadcast/read/33537

Page 4 SOME CURIOUS OLD CUSTOMS A curious custom which seems to have survived from ancient times in rural England and perhaps some other countries is that of telling the bees when death occurs. It was not so long ago that this custom was quite general here in America, although it is seldom heard of now except in remote back country districts. The following extracts relate how a chore girl moved among the hives singing: “Stay at home, pretty bees, fly not hence!

Mistress Mary is Dead and Gone.�

Draping the hives in black as a sign of mourning was commonly practiced in this connection.

Those superstitious ones who believe that bees must be told, insist that otherwise the insects will also die or desert their hives. In old books, there are numerous instances mentioned where events seemed to prove the necessity of telling the bees. In some English neighborhoods it is said that every hive belonging to the departed is turned around at the time the corpse is being carried from the house. In some

neighborhoods in the mountains or our southern states, it is thought to bring bad luck to count the hives or to sell them for coin.

In some localities they move all the hives on Washington's birthday to ward off misfortune.

According to some customs, beehives were decorated with scarlet cloth at a wedding to prevent the bees leaving because they are not included in the rejoicings. Info from A Living From Bees by Frank C. Pellett, 1948.

Page 5 UP COMING SEMINARS Our member Clay Guthrie of Dadant/Guthrie Naturals would like to give you information on an up coming class on January 16th, you might like to attend.

"Information on upcoming January event with Mike Gardner as our guest speaker, Mike is who supplies me with PKG bees. This seminar is one day of beekeeping education and guidance.

There will be two tracts taking place simultaneously. One will be for the Beginning Beekeeper while the other is for the Intermediate/Advanced Beekeeper. This is an all day seminar with breaks sponsored by Dadant & Sons scheduled throughout and will be held at the Fairfield Inn & Suites just down the road from the Dadant Frankfort Branch. we also have the same seminar on February 6 with Stephanie Tarwater as our guest speaker and then again on March 19 with Jerry Hayes as our guest, Jerry is the former

state apiarist of Florida, authors of the CLASSROOM, writes the articles in the American Bee Journal each month called the Classroom and is currently working for Monsanto to help develop more pollinator friendly remedies instead of neonics." Call for more details at Dadant, 955 Chenault Rd # D, Frankfort, KY 40601 Phone:(502) 848-0000.

DON’T FORGET TO JOIN US ON FACE BOOK!!

Doug Brink has NCB TShirts ($11) and Hooded Sweatshirts ($23) for sale.

Janet Brown is selling NCB Hats and Visors for $10.00. The club gets $2.00 from each sales.

Larry Marks is selling the Marks' Frames for $12.00 for a set of three frames. Comes with instructions.

Page 6 Financial Report for December 2016 – Opening Balance for January 2016 Beginning Balance 1/15/2016 $2799.21 Petty Cash 1/15/2016

$100.00

36 Members Paid Dues 24 Members Unpaid Total Members at this time is 60.

PLEASE PAY YOUR DUES AT THE JANUARY MEETING OR BY MAIL – THE NELSON COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE IN BARDSTOWN Details of this report can be viewed by members at any time.

Susan E. Zhunga Treasurer

M e e t i n g

Great bank balance for the club. This is a direct result of the hard work put in by the member volunteers and steering committee through programs and fund raisers.

January 21st @ 6:30 p.m.

ANNUAL CHILI COOK – OFF. Reigning Champ for 2 years is Darrel Hester PROGRAM – (Undetermined)

Page 7 Oxalic Acid Follow up email from Tammy Horn after the December meeting on Oxalic Acid as follows: Hi folks: I just wanted to follow up on our discussion last night (December Meeting) about recent research done with oxalic acid. I emailed Jennifer Berry, hoping that she’d sent me a link to an article. Instead, she pointed me toward research done by Marion Ellis (retired from Nebraska). I sure enjoyed last night's fellowship, and I'm looking forward to working with you in the New Year.

Her reply is below.

Hey Tammy, Dribbling the oxalic on the bees 3 times will in fact hurt them. This research came out of Marion Ellis' lab. Not ours. During broodless times of year you don't need to use oxalic, dribble or vapor more than once. It works

usually that good.

We looked at the vapor method, doing that 3 times as a summer treatment, and found it didn't work on dropping mite loads very well. We are going to look at this again in the spring. Once brood is there the effectiveness of oxalic really diminishes.

Hope this helps.

Have fun! take care jeninfer

Bee Orders Due to popular demand I will be placing a second order for package bees. I have had quite a few people contact me and so I was able to secure at least 20 more packages for April 8th/9th. These are first come first serve $97 CASH per package. Same as we did last time, please bring CASH in the exact amount to the January meeting.

Thanks Gene

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Nelson County 317 S Third Street Bardstown, KY 40004

University of Kentucky

Cooperative Extension Service

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