P R O P I L I S The information that glues us together. President s Corner. Beekeepers of Volusia County Florida. October 2010

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1 Founded February 9, 2010 Beekeepers of Volusia County Florida October 2010 P R O P I L I S The information that glues us together Hello Folks; Robert Craig our new Volusia Country Bee Inspector will be a guest speaker at this months meeting. Robert has been a bee inspector for over 20 years and was recently reassigned to the Volusia County area. If you have any special honey bee questions, Robert has the answers. During October and November continue to perform your hive inspections at the two to three week intervals. Remember your honey bee biology and focus on a queen right condition. During my last hive inspection I was missing a queen in one of my hives and had to re-queen. During this months hive inspection I discovered that the queen I purchased last month did not mate properly and was only laying drone brood and I discovered another queen less hive. I purchased three queens, re-queened two hives and did a fall split. Many beekeepers requeen their hives or perform splits during the fall months. The thinking is requeening and hive splits reduce Spring Swarming and promote strong spring hive for the spring nectar and pollen flow which is usually the strongest honey producer. If you are planning to re-queen in the spring or purchase additional nucs don t forget to place your order early. Most honey bee suppliers sell out of stock in the spring. Are you monitoring the Varroa Mites in your hives? Are you in the process of acquiring your fall medications? Don t forget to support your local beekeeping supply companies, checkout out newsletter for a dealer in your area. As discussed in last month s meeting our club will have an area in the November Volusia County Fair and we will hosting a honey show. I hope to see you there and don t forget to bring your honey or other beekeeping items to the honey show contest. Bee Friendly, President s Corner Tom Bartlett President, Beekeepers of Volusia Country, Florida University of Florida Master Beekeepers Program Certified University of Florida Welsh Honey Judge

2 Hive Management Tasks October December Varroa peaks in Aug/Sept. Treat if you exceed the economic threshold. The economic threshold is 60+ mites/ day on a sticky screen or 17+ mites in an ether roll for a colony of average strength If necessary, treat with Fumigillin for Nosema. Colonies may need as much as 4 gallons of medicated syrup to control Nosema cerana. Monitor and control small hive beetles Feed colonies if light on honey stores or nectar source. Treat for tracheal mites if necessary. Treatment option mix vegetable oil and powdered sugar until doughy (not sticky to touch) place a pancake sized patty on top bars of brood chamber. Thanks to Dr. Jamie Ellis of the UF HBREL for this information.

3 Volusia County Fair and Youth Show November 4 14 This is a great opportunity for the club. It is a chance to recruit more members which is good. It is an even better chance to make more people bee-friendly. Most people who come by will not be interested in keeping the darlings but almost everyone can be educated. Educated in what? Honey bees are not aggressive be cautious about using insecticides if at all the value of honey bees to agriculture, both crops and livestock the value of honey bees to everyone s gardens and fruit trees. We can make a difference. Be prepared to discuss the fair and what it will take to make our participation successful. Lots of volunteers will be needed to man our booth. If you are new to beekeeping do not let that deter you. You know more about bees than at least 90% of the population. Perhaps more like 98%. Next Meeting Wednesday October 27, :30 PM Volusia County Agricultural Center Auditorium, 3100 E. New York Ave., Deland B E E S A R E U S! Honey By Any Other Name By Bill Blue, VP The following report is of great interest to people who support natural, local, raw honey. I've excerpted key points of these new regulations. One of the most interesting is that it cannot be heated. I'm sure that 90% of all commercial honey on store shelves today has been pasteurized for as an anti crystallization, clarification, and shelflife enhancer. Technically this can no longer be labeled as honey in Florida. It is deemed contaminated. Also, good-bye Fumaligen-B. Get ready for 'extra nifty pasteurized antibiotically enhanced honey-like food stuff ' to come your local super market soon. Here are the highlights of the new regulations with important points in red. A link to full announcement is also provided below. If the product includes sugar water, flavorings, antibiotics sprayed into hives to keep bees healthy or anything else that is not honey produced by bees, it cannot be sold as honey in Florida."We want to assure consumers that the product that they are buying is pure," Bronson said in a news release about the regulation. "Too often in the past, honey has been cut with water or sugar, and sometimes even contaminated with insecticides or antibiotics. In the future, when you're paying for honey in this state, pure honey is what you will get." Malcolm Sanford said some other honey-producing nations use chemicals inside hives to kill pests and destroy diseases Under the new regulations, "honey is pure honey. It may have been filtered, but it has not been heated and has no additives," McChesney said The result was the regulation that takes effect today and is being watched by other major honey-producing states, Bronson said. Florida has enacted what is being touted as the first regulation in the nation requiring that any product that is produced, processed or sold in Florida as honey must be "natural food product resulting from the harvest of nectar by honeybees." Gainesville.com Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. Plato

4 Events of Interest to Beekeepers October 2010 Master Bee Program in Ft. Myers October 27, 2010 Beekeepers of Volusia County meeting October 28-30, 2010 Florida State Beekeepers Association 90th Convention, Ft. Myers November Pioneer Settlement events Volusia County Fair and Youth Show November 4-14 club has a booth November Club Meeting... TBD December 22, 2010 Beekeepers of Volusia County meeting This Is What The Club Said Survey 4 Here are the results of the survey. Hope you take part in the next one. The more participation the more informative the poll.?are you going to volunteer to work the club booth at the fair? Yes 9 No 2 Maybe 3?Are you going to volunteer to work at the Pioneer Settlement? Yes 2 No 7?Will you be increasing your number of hives in 2011? Yes...9 No...1? March 11 & 12, 2011 Bee College Need Help? Call A Mentor! Tom Bartlett: bartteb@aol.com Marlin Athern : mjathear@volusia.k12.fl.us If you are an experienced beekeeper please volunteer to help your club mates. Don t Stop Here! The technical and instructional information in this newsletter is introductory in nature. To become fully knowledgeable on a subject it is necessary that further study be undertaken. Knowledge is power! "You have to be careful if you don t know where you are going, because you may not get there." Yogi Berra

5 Local Beekeeping Supplies 1. Bee Friendly LLC Volusia Country Brushy Mountain Dealer Tom Bartlett Tom Bartlett Debs Beekeeping Supplies Hastings Fl. & Jacksonville Fl & DEBS 3. Full Moon Native Nursery selling beekeeping supplies and bee friendly plants 1737 Fern Park Dr. Port Orange, Fl Winters Nursery in Ormond Beach selling beekeeping supplies and bee friendly plants 147 Tomoka Ave. Ormond Beach, Fl Honey Bee Swarm Capture Bee Friendly LLC Tom Bartlett S&S Apiaries Jesse Azam Alysian Apiaries - Scott MacMahon

6 BEEKEEPERS OF VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA Minutes (not yet accepted) September 22, :40 p.m. Meeting called to order by President Tom Bartlett. Treasurer's report was given by Ron Kull. The cost of purchasing the projector and carrying case was $ Balance in account is $ Motion was made and seconded to approve the Treasurer's report. A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes of the August meeting. A video by Dr. Jamie Ellis on Nosema was shown. After the video a discussion was had on what medications should be kept on hand to treat the various problems that can arise with the bee hive. 7:25 p.m. a break in the meeting was had to enable members to buy they raffle tickets. 7:40 p.m. Meeting reconvened. Raffle was held and Ron Kull won a bee jacket and gloves. The Volusia County Fair was then discussed. Three members volunteered to be on the committee for planning the Fair events. Marlin, Steve and Mike are the members of the committee. Meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.. Next meeting is scheduled for October 27, Club Officers President Tom Bartlett bartteb@aol.com Vice President Bill Blue billblue @yahoo.com Treasurer Ron Kull kullrp@yahoo.com Secretary Rose Williams - rmbwill@hotmail.com

7 Beekeepers of Volusia County, Florida Meeting Agenda October 27, 2010 Call to order and welcome: Business: Membership Drive / Registrations / $15.00 Annual Fee Treasure s Report Presentations Discussions: Guest Speaker Robert Craig Volusia County Bee Inspector Volusia County Fair Preparation Volusia Country Fair Honey Show Africanized Bees PowerPoint Odds and Ends 1. What s blooming? See your Newsletter 2. What s happening in your bee yard? 3. Beekeeping Questions Adjournment

8 Businesses of Members This gettin olders not for cowards. This getting older is a lot to go through. Lyrics to Don t Need This Body John Mellencamp

9 Beekeepers of Volusia Country, Florida Membership Registration Form Name Address City State Zip Code Telephone Number address: Important - Much business is done by electronic mail 1. Regular Membership (includes family members) $15.00 [ ] 2. Lifetime Membership donation of one hive with 10 frames and bees or $250 { } Please make checks payable to Beekeepers of Volusia County, Florida Bring to meeting or mail to: Ron Kull, Treasurer, 2525 Palm Dr. Port Orange, FL 32128, Phone: Kullrp@yahoo.com Meeting Information 4th Wednesday of each month 6:30 PM Volusia County Agricultural Center Auditorium, 3100 E. New York Ave., Deland