The Bee Line. Sacramento Area Beekeepers Association

Transcription

1 Sacramento Area Beekeepers Association The Bee Line Issue 9 September A S S O C I A T I O N O F F I C E R S President: Nathan Amboy sabapresident@gmail.com Vice President: Robert Sugar sabavp01@gmail.com Secretary: Marti Ikehara Treasurer: Kate Morton sabatreasurer@gmail.com C O M M I T T E E C O N T A C T S Class Coordinator: Ron Nies Inventory: Howard Mann Library: Doug & Gail Houck Membership: Vacant Honey Bee Ordinance Committee Chair: John Sullivan Mentor: George Bleekman Webmaster: Martha Maldonado Newsletter: Richard Begley sabaeditor@gmail.com I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : President s Corner 2 Business Meeting Minutes 2-3 September Agenda 3 Executive Board Election 3 Climb a Tree for Your Bees? 4 September in the Apiaries 4-5 Book Review 6 For Sale: Mega-Extractor 6 New Members 7 Links of the Month 7 Bee-Friendly Plants 7 Calendar of Events 8 Mission Statement: To promote interest in, and awareness of, the vital importance of the honeybee and beekeeping to agriculture, commerce, and the public at large. A swarm of honey bees have invaded an Alberta home. Who can blame them? According to one newspaper, the bees were confused by the skep-looking geodesic dome that a rural Canadian family calls home. The bees were confused? Perhaps the news reporter was making a joke. Once again, we have succumbed to our tendency to imagine that bees think like people. The Sun newspaper reporter wrote: "That s what you get when your house happens to look like a giant beehive... the bees just seem naturally drawn to the round structure." No, not true. Not even a little itsy-bit true. The honey bees had absolutely no idea that the house they settled in looked like the old-fashioned skep hives that haven't been used in Canada for over a hundred years. Unless those bees had been reading some very, very old beekeeping journals, they would not have been thinking, "Hey, Betsy-bee, don't that look like a big beehive? Let's go fill 'er up." Nope. Bees don't think like that. "That s what you get when your house happens to look like a giant beehive," said the newspaper. Actually, beehives built by humans are rectangular white boxes - they sort of look like most of the houses on Main Street. They don't look like geodesic domes. But the bees don't care. With their multi-lensed eyes (with tens of thousands of receptors) they do not see what we see, they don't recognize hives or homes as we do. What drew the bees? The home-owner, Cheryl Morgan got it right when she said, Maybe they saw it as a ready-made beehive, so they moved right in. Scout bees see every crevasse, nook, and hole-in -the-wall as a "ready-made" beehive, which their swarm might call home. If it is dark, sheltered from sun, wind and rain, and has a small defendable entrance, it could definitely be used as a swarm's castle. Bees invading a home can be a big problem for a home owner. In this case, I think the story ends happily. The home owner found Calgary's Urban Beekeepers' network (Apiaries and Bees for Communities) which helped put her in touch with a local beekeeper who removed the bees. An interesting interview and more details to this story are found on CBC radio at this link. Ron Miksha,

2 Page 2 - THE BEE LINE September 2014 President s Corner It was an action-packed August meeting! Please take the time to go over the business meeting minutes. The presentation was a panel discussion and Q & A about fall/winter preparation of the hives. A hearty thank-you to the panel members for their very helpful tips. In preparation for the September meeting, SABA members need to put on their imagination/thinking hats and help the VP with monthly meeting presentation suggestions. A clipboard will be passed around for that purpose. The SABA Executive Board is making a sincere push to get the SABA website updated so check back on it in a couple of weeks. See you all at the SABA Summer Picnic at the Haagen-Dazs Honey Bee Garden & UC Davis Bee Biology Lab on September 13 th. Nathan Amboy Minutes of August 19, 2014 Business Meeting I. Meeting called to order at 7:04 pm; a quorum (10 members) was confirmed. 36 total attendees. II. Guests introduced themselves. A woman from Bethel Lutheran has bees living in the church, which needs a new roof, and is seeking someone for removal to save the colony. Patrick with Planetary Solutions, Inc. doing research with selenium. A motion made by George Bleekman and seconded by Larry Hutteball to approve the July minutes was passed by vote of members. III. Treasurer report: Checking account is $ ; Savings account, $ new member since last month. IV. Committee reports: a. Classes: Ron Nies - Instructor for the Advanced Beekeeping class canceled because he double-booked the date. 5 had signed up and 2 more late notice. Will try to schedule a beginning class in late October or early November. b. Events: Bob Sugar - 1).Gold Country Fair in Auburn, Sept 4-7, George Bleekman is lead. 2). In November, the week before Thanksgiving, Tuesday thru Thursday, Bob will be attending the CA State Beekeepers Assn. convention in Valencia, Santa Clarita area. Next year, CSBA convention will be here at Hilton (downtown) Sacramento. 3) Farm to Fork Festival on Capitol Mall, on Sept 27. Looking for volunteer to chair it. c. Summer BBQ: Ed Strisar Sept 13, 11am, Laidlaw Research Facility at UC Davis, where staff (Christina Grozinger, to name one) will give us a tour. Ed is taking signups for food and help; come at 9 to setup. Hotdogs/hamburgers and ice will be provided. Bring chairs. We ll get to meet Dr. Elina Lastro Niño, the new professor, who is Eric Mussen s successor. d. Honey Bee Ordinance: John Sullivan. - No end to the making of laws and no start to their enforcement. Fortunately, Sacramento County is not enforcing their law, which requires a bit of acreage. The committee met a year ago with Supervisors Chiefs of Staffs. There were no problems at the time, they felt (which was good), and contact was made with Zoning staff. Ag Commissioner Julie Jensen held a meeting with some of the committee. Ernie Buda used his contacts to establish connections. Elk Grove, City of Napa, downtown Sacramento have beefriendly ordinances; we just need to get Sac County up to date. In October, a meeting will likely be held with Zoning, who is starting updates. Nathan announced that John was appointed Chair as the previous chair has been unavailable. V. Unfinished Business: Motion made by Ernie Buda directing the Executive Board to make arrangements for holding the SABA monthly meetings at the Sacramento County Extension Center located at Bradshaw Road and Kiefer Blvd starting January George Bleekman seconded. (Motion amended to include starting date.) Discussion ensued: The cost at the Lutheran Church (here) is $75 a month. Jim likes Co. location because we already hold our classes there. One person asked if the hope was to increase membership attendance; the answer is yes. Is there an alternate location near here that costs less? Unknown. Kate mentioned that we have a contract with the Church through the end of the year so we would not be moving before then. Voting results: 23 in favor, 5 opposed, 3 abstentions. The motion passes. Therefore, Nathan will begin efforts to make the move. There is insurance, paperwork, etc. Notice will be posted in the newsletter and on the website. (Continued on next page)

3 Page 3 - THE BEE LINE September 2014 Business Meeting Minutes (continued) VI. New business: a. During the Executive Board meeting, the fluctuating number of members was discussed. Because we have a discount for the classes, people sign up to become members but some probably never plan to attend meetings. We want to have a better idea of true members so, we decided to eliminate the discount for classes to members, and just have one rate of $45. Nathan explained the logic that we do not want to have class attendees sign up as members just to get a discount. It s a lot of work to keep membership rolls updated, make nametags, etc. Dennis (former membership chair) agreed that keeping membership simpler is a better thing. Ron mentioned that we don t always break even on classes, especially the advanced ones that don t have even 20 people. b. Kate asked George how much the SABA logo patch costs, so we can get more. c. Marti Ikehara proposed a change to the By-Laws.; Kathleen Ring seconded. Discussion followed: Kate indicated it wasn t clear who s going to decide whether the vote would be in person or not; Marti thought the executive board would decide. Who s going to keep track of the votes? Dennis feels that voting should be in person. Electronic voting doesn t allow capture of discussion. Ernie agreed that the discussion is important, and didn t like the word influence rather than direct. Perhaps if one could put a note (discussion) together with an electronic vote, then it might fly. Bob indicated that a By-laws vote should have advance notice, and usually not determined by an unannounced vote at a meeting. According to Roberts Rules, he said, By-Laws changes need to have two notices, and indicate when a vote would be held. Some people do not have . s are ok for a straw poll, but serious matters should require a vote in person. Marti withdrew the motion. VII. Announcements: a. Howard Mann: His sister makes shirts and vests with bee-related material. A shirt is $35, unknown what the vest costs. b. George Bleekman: He s been doing presentations to grade school students. It s a lot of work to get the hive ready and travel to/from schools, and he s cutting back, therefore, he has an extractor that he s selling for $250; new is about $400. c. Kate reminded people that any member can advertise in the newsletter, at no charge. VIII. Motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 8:01. I. Meeting called to Order Monthly Business Meeting Agenda September 16, 2014 II Quorum confirmation / Approval of August 2014 Minutes III. Treasurer Report IV. Committee Reports a. Classes - Ron Nies b. Events - Bob Sugar V. Unfinished Business VI. New Business VII. Meeting Adjournment NOW is the time for all good members to come to the aid of their SABA! Put aside your customary modesty and throw your hat in the ring (or someone else s hat) for a position on SABA s Executive Board. Nominations for President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer must be submitted by the October business meeting, and the election will take place at November s meeting. To learn more about these rewarding opportunities, contact the Nomination Committee. Become a mover and shaker in 2015!

4 Page 4 - THE BEE LINE September 2014 Are you going to climb trees to feed bees? by Serge Labesque The work of the bee colonies becomes focused on their preparations for winter just as soon as the season of colony reproduction is over. They accumulate and methodically organize stores within the hives; they evaluate and occasionally supersede their queens; and the brood nests and populations gradually change, ultimately producing winter bees. At the end of summer, beekeepers inspect their hives to find out how their colonies are progressing toward this goal. Invariably, the subject of feeding colonies comes up. Ask yourself this question: Would you climb trees to deliver sugar syrup and pollen substitute patties to bees that live in hollow trunks and limbs? Probably not! Those bees are on their own. So, why should it be any different for your bees? They all belong to the same species! If they can make it through winter, they are tough survivors. If they cannot, it s because they do not possess the necessary skills. Or, maybe it s because the local environment cannot support them. Nature mercilessly eliminates the unfit and does not tolerate imbalance. Many beekeepers recognize the huge value of the self-sufficient feral and wild colonies that are exposed to the challenges of their environment, and although the bees that are in their own apiaries are no different, they nurture them as if they deserved special consideration. Unfortunately, any interference with this crucial selection process weakens the species by making it more dependent on us. When we keep several colonies in the same location we can see that they can fare very differently. This alone should convince us that there are bees that have what it takes to survive where and when others simply cannot. Then, knowing that the species only grows stronger from the loss of the weak hives, we can accept the demise of inept colonies. Certainly, we feel bad when we see that our hives are at risk of failing because they do not have enough stores, and we want to help them. But when beekeepers feed sugar syrup or patties to their bees, they are really doing it for themselves, for their own benefit. But if we really love bees, we can understand that the species is more important than our own colonies, more important than any bee business, can t we? The best way to feed bees is not to run to the grocery store to get sugar. It is to provide an environment that offers safe sources of nectar and pollen. After that we need to leave it up to the foragers to collect what their colonies will need for winter. September in the apiaries: No matter what phase we examine in the life of bee colonies, we always find it filled with amazing facts and processes. Their preparations for winter are no exception. Behind us are the exhilarating spring development of the populations, comb building, colony reproduction, queen-rearing, and the gathering of stores. In the months ahead, the bees will demonstrate their ability to endure the cold season, thanks to their astute and thrifty clustering mechanism. Right now, as we approach and pass the fall equinox, the intricately designed transition between summer and winter deserves our full attention. Brood production has been steadily declining through the summer until it briefly picks up in September to produce the nurse bees that will in turn feed the developing winter bees in October. This temporary increase of the brood nests bears no resemblance to the impressive development of the colonies in the spring. Nevertheless, everything else in the hives, including stores and brood chambers, is becoming more compact. The bees are re-organizing their stores, moving uncapped honey from the distant parts of the hives into and around the brood areas. Therefore, hive space management at this time of year is very different from what it is in the spring: Instead of augmenting the volume of the hives, we need to reduce it. This gives us the opportunity to possibly harvest some surplus honey and to remove unused, old and misshapen combs. The brood nests are gradually displaced closer to the entrances as the bees relocate uncapped honey. Past the autumn equinox, the brood areas contract and become completely packed, which forces the queens to taper off their production of eggs.

5 Page 5 - THE BEE LINE September 2014 September in the Apiaries (continued) Although it might be tempting to provide egg-laying space, it is important to refrain from doing so. Indeed, the presence of large quantities of open brood would turn the winter bees into nurse bees too early in their lives. In contrast to the well-stocked colonies that I see where sources of pollen and nectar abound, the drought and its accompanying dearth have left a deep imprint on my hives. Although some colonies are reasonably supplied, many are very light. None carries surplus honey this year. Remarkably, the oaks are not dispensing honeydew. This may actually be good, as undiluted by nectar this honey would hurt the colonies during winter months. My intention is to rapidly shrink the colonies that are low on stores to the size of very compact nucs. Overall, malnutrition set aside, the colonies are healthy and in control of the mite populations. Having assessed our colonies, their queens, brood nests, stores and health condition, we can still make some adjustments to the hives and their contents. There is still time to requeen or combine colonies, and to follow up on these procedures before fall arrives in earnest. The careful planning of open hive inspections and the reduction of the size of the hive entrances help avoid exposing our colonies to the dangers presented by robber bees and yellow jackets. Swarms may occasionally be collected at this time of year. Although it is unlikely that they will overwinter successfully, I offer them a nest cavity: an empty super with a few frames. It s up to them to make the best of the situation. Certainly, I do not combine these unknown bees with other colonies, as they are very likely absconding swarms that can carry pathogens. In Summary, this month: Assess colonies, their health, queens, brood nests and stores. Monitor the progress of the colonies in their preparations for fall and winter. Requeen or combine hives that are not performing satisfactorily and those that have failed or failing queens. Reduce the unused volume of the hives (Follower boards greatly facilitate this.) Consolidate honey in honey supers (reduce the volume of the honey supers with follower boards). Manage frames in preparation for fall culling of the old and misshapen ones. Harvest surplus honey, if there is any, and with moderation. Beware of yellow jackets and of the risks of robbing. If necessary, reduce the entrances of developing colonies and of those that are under attack. Avoid hive manipulations that can trigger robbing. Provide and maintain sources of water. Provide some afternoon shade, if possible. Ensure that hives are adequately ventilated. Extract and bottle surplus honey. Return wet frames and cappings to the bees for cleaning (by placing them above hive top feeders or inner covers during the evening). Beware of the fire danger when using the smoker in dry-grass areas. Render wax from discarded frames and from cappings Routinely clean and scorch tools and equipment. Serge Labesque 2014

6 Page 6 - THE BEE LINE September 2014 BEEKEEPING ON TWO FRONTS by Stuart Ching (Book Review by Penny Forsyth) Stuart Ching is probably best known to NBKA members as the Editor of BEEMASTER. In his introduction to this slim volume he explains the Two Fronts of the title the battlefields of the conflict that came to be known as the Great War and the desperate battle waged on the Home Front against the dreaded Isle of Wight disease that wiped out thousands of honeybee colonies during this period. The book relies on the narratives of three people as published in the British Bee Journals of the time. Part One of the book gives us harrowing insights into the horrors and privations of war but from a more unusual perspective - that of a beekeeper who answered his country s call to arms. Part Two comprises Notes from Derbyshire, written for the Journal by Don Wilson of Belper and Tom Sleight of Clay Cross, and gives a fascinating account of the beekeeping practice and lore, equipment and innovations, bee breeding and disease management of the early 1900 s. In Part One Sgt. Atwell begins by giving readers an account of happier times at home as a novice beekeeper before relating the devastation he has seen in France - not only the carnage wrought by war but apiaries and bee houses destroyed by shellfire or looted by the Germans, abandoned hives and skeps open to the cold weather with their bees dead or chilled. He describes how he did his best to redress some of the damage, even under fire, and how he sent a fine queen and her court of workers to the British Bee Journal office to save her, sadly in vain. His compassion for the plight of the bees is equalled only by his compassion for their keepers and for the thousands of refugees forced to flee their homes and farms on foot or in carts and wagons carrying all they could salvage. Despite the terrible conditions he endures, tending the wounded at the battlefront, he remains ever the beekeeper, describing the various types of hive and skep in use in the regions his regiment passed through and observing bees busy gathering their stores with guns booming all around. He says little about what he has seen and endured for, in his own words, it could do the reader no good to hear of them, and although they can never be forgotten, they will be best left untold. In Part Two we return to the world of British beekeeping with reports from our Derbyshire correspondents. There is much to interest and enjoy here with discussion of subjects familiar to all beekeepers. However, all of this discussion forms part of the second front of the title - the battle against the ravages of Isle of Wight disease. There was an urgent need to nurture and protect the survivors, to develop more effective treatments and to restock the Nation s apiaries. We read of the seemingly unstoppable spread of the disease, of spraying with Dioxogen and Flavine - often with little result - and of the use of Carbolic and Naphthalene in the hives. Don Wilson calls for a complete encyclopaedia of bee-lore as a means to encourage better husbandry. Tom Sleight tells us of his experiences with a small cast of bees he called Goldens with which he hoped eventually to repopulate his hives. Both men wax lyrical about the peace and beauty of the heather moors, a yearning for the simple pleasures of a world free from war and disease. In this year of commemoration of the First World War this book gives us a timely insight into how great events affect people in all walks of life and I commend it to you. It will by turn sadden and amuse you, inform and even irritate you but for us as beekeepers, to read about our craft is to understand it better. ISBN Obtainable from northernbeebooks.co.uk 9.95 (incl. p&p) (NOTE new address) Antique 1930 s A.I. Root four frame extractor. It is in excellent condition although it should really be used only as a museum piece. Yours for $150. Contact George Bleekman, bleekman@surewest.net

7 Page 7 - THE BEE LINE September 2014 Welcome, New Members Janice Caravantes, Sacramento Robert Null, Sacramento Irene Slavens, Wilton Links of the Month - Copy and Paste in your Browser - or Just Click on It 1. OMG! Actress Attacked by Bees - or Were They Wasps, or like, Whatever? 2. Genomics Reveal Evolutionary History of Honey Bees; 3. The Mite-Virus-Bee Connection in New Zealand; 4. Worker Bees Know When to Start the Reproduction Cycle; 5. More News About Pollinators; 6. Great Close Ups of Your Favorite Insect Native Plants of the Month: September 2014 Bee Plants of the Month Rudbeckia / Asteraceae Family -/ Gloriosa Daisy, Coneflower You can be pretty sure that bees will love a flower if it is in the Asteraceae family- those daisy-like flowers of any size are attractive to many pollinatorsthe central disk is made up of many tiny flowers in a round flower head. These flowers each make a seed- sunflowers are an example. Rudbeckias are easy to grow. Several varieties are native to the eastern U.S., but R.nitida is native to California. So why not try R.nitida Autumn Sun for a nice late season treat for hungry bees? Also called Herbstsonne, she is a perennial that can grow up to 6 or 7 feet tall. Leaves are long and thin and lobed. Flowers are big, 2 inches or so wide, yellow, and have raised greenish cone that continues to open tiny flowers for several days worth of blooming. The plants are so tall, you will want to have them at the back of the garden- maybe with hollyhocks and stake them so they don t flop over. Goldfinches love the seeds, so leave the seed heads on. They do like regular water, but don t over do it. They prefer full sun to keep blooming all summer and fall. You can divide them after a few years and spread them around your garden or share with friends. Beneficial Plants of the Month: Calamintha / Lamiaceae Family Another bee favorite, lamiaceae is the mint family, providing many tiny flowers, usually on upright spikes that bees return to over many months of bloom. Calamintha is a sweet-smelling little plant that is nice to have at the front of a garden bed. I have a couple growing along our front walk, under some apple trees, and it is always a pleasure to brush up against them and inhale the minty aroma. She has tiny green leaves and long stems that bear lilac-white blossoms from mid-summer to frost. Bees forage on those flowers from early morning until sunset. Calamintha can take full sun to part shade and only needs moderate water. Good drainage is important. You can also make a nice tea from the leaves, refreshing on a warm day. Alice Ford-Sala, Sonoma County Beekeepers Association

8 C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S September 4 7 Gold Country Fair, Fairgrounds in Auburn; shifts are available for the beekeeping exhibit which include explaining the observation hive. Contact George Bleekman at September 16th, 7:00 p.m. SABA Monthly Meeting - Town & Country Lutheran Church, 4049 Marconi Ave. The guest speaker will be Chris Bushman, of the Gold Country Brewers, discussing mead brewing. Also: Nominations for Executive Board positions will be accepted - be there! October 18th, 8:30-4:00 - Beginning Beekeeping Class, Sacramento County Extension Center. Contact Ron Nies at rtnies@yahoo.com SACRAMENTO AREA BEEKEEPERS EEPERS ASSOCIATION 2110 X STREET SACRAMENTO, CA Website: info@sacbeekeepers.org Yahoo Group: sacbeekeeping-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Newsletter Editor: sabaeditor@gmail.com Address Correction Requested