Dear Subscribers,
A belated Happy New Year from the Apis newsletter! This month's edition is delayed because I attended the annual convention of the American Beekeeping Federation in Las Vegas, Nevada. It looks like the final attendance count will be around 700, less than last year's event in Galveston, which included both the American Honey Producers Association (AHPA) and the American Bee Research Conference (ABRC). The
AHPA met the week before in Phoenix, Arizona and
ABRC will take place February 7-9 2012 in Greenbelt, Maryland in conjunction with the Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA) and the Managed Pollinator CAP (
Coordinated Agricultural Project) hosted at my alma Mater, The University of Georgia.
The content of the annual
American Beekeeping Federation convention continues to improve. Initiatives implemented like the Serious Sideliner Symposium and the Kids 'n Bees program provide a wider emphasis for this meeting as well. The scientific content is also expanding, which appears to be a direct result of increased funding for beekeeping research, driven by recent publicity about honey bee losses, the new “buzzword” CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) and more and more emphasis on bee health as a critical part of the beekeeping equation. In addition, there are initiatives which also produce research such as
Project Apis m.
We heard presentations on the increasingly critical importance of nutrition in honey bee culture, advances in studies of the “new” nosema and small hive beetle. The increasing interactions of chemicals in the bees' environment were stressed. The President of
Apimondia was on hand to provide a global view of beekeeping. Certainly no one has more knowledge about this topic than Mr. Gilles Ratia, now on the third leg of a beekeeping tour on a
motorcycle that began in 2003, and due to end in 2014. His presentations on the New Apimondia and current situation with respect to honey bee losses were impressive.
Finally, there were presentations on political issues affecting beekeepers such as reinstatement of the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics
report on bees and honey and deliberations surrounding the new Farm Bill that is up for renewal soon.
Sugar pumps found: A Catch the Buzz
article reveals how plants pump sugar, something that could be quite useful for many applications in the future:
Dr. Eric Mussen's
newsletter is an important, continuing resource. The current issue, November-December 2011, features “bees in the clouds” and “nuisance beekeeping.” Also check out the Walter T. Kelley Company's issues of
Modern Beekeeping, something Mr. Kelley started way before the electronic revolution, but is now continuing via the World Wide Web.
Attention: As I attempted to find the Walter T. Kelley entry on
Wikipedia.org, I found that this day has been blacked out. The idea is to draw attention to two initiatives, which would adversely affect the Internet as a source of open, secure information.
What are SOPA and PIPA?
SOPA and PIPA represent two bills in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate respectively. SOPA is short for the "Stop Online Piracy Act," and PIPA is an acronym for the "Protect IP Act." ("IP" stands for "intellectual property.") In short, these bills are efforts to stop copyright infringement committed by foreign web sites, but, in our opinion, they do so in a way that actually infringes free expression while harming the Internet. Detailed information about these bills can be found in the
Stop Online Piracy Act and
PROTECT IP Act articles on Wikipedia, which are available during the blackout. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for the public interest in the digital realm, has
summarized why these bills are simply unacceptable in a world that values an open, secure, and free Internet.
All this is potentially bad news for access to unbiased information. True, there can be and are abuses, but that is no excuse for shutting down free expression on the Internet. Contact your congressional representative about this soon!
Neonicotinoids continue to be in the news. The latest information reveals how insidious these substances are, especially with reference to seed treatments. Now it's the
dust created by planters that comes into focus A Catch the Buzz article provides a
review.
The Foundation for the Preservation of honey bees is advertising for its latest version of the
4-H Essay Contest If you are in Florida, February 20 is the
deadline, This is judged at the local level first, and the winner in each state is forwarded to the Foundation, which finally picks the winner. This contest is usually under subscribed and, therefore, chances of winning are increased.
Selected links from Publish2.com for
January 2012 include: firing of Kentucky's state apiarist, TECA exchange groups, almond joy, my interview on bee losses, the story of John Kefuss queen breeder, and a proliferation of regulations as more and more people take up beekeeping.
The latest sales figures from Amazon.com on
Storey's Guide to Keeping Honey Bees reveal that 198 copies were sold between November 14, 2011 and January 8, 2012. Upstate New York led the sales with 13, followed by Boston and Portland with 11 each.
As always, see the latest on bee health at
http://www.extension.org/bee_health.
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Gleanings from the January 2012 Bee Culture:
Remember that Bee Culture now has a
digital edition.
Corrine Poulsen, Honey Brood, PA thinks Bee Culture may be going over to the dark side with soybean honey. Colin Taylor Manchester, UK writes it's time to do some wintering studies using micro instrumentation and wireless recording. John Butler, Houston, TX thanks all beekeepers for their generosity to him when he got started. Warren Miller thanks Bee Culture for its donation during the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Assocation's recent meeting to sell for its honey queen fund. John Smith, Deer Lodge, MT says to keep trying, providing a example from his own beekeeping exploits. L. Dooley Toyne, Sedwick, CO uses an otoscope tofind honey bee eggs on a cloudy day. Jennifer Scott, Alvin, TX complains that an article on removing bees didn't explain how to save the queen. John Phipps, editor of Beekeepers Quarterly writes there's a downside to the scads of folks entering the beekeeping craft. Read why here. The Old Drone in New Jersey pens a poem about things that “can never bee.”
George Bailey and Peter Smith compare notes about critters that cause them headaches (woodpeckers, squirrels, dormice) that plague them. Al Friedie, Orange County, NY and James Ellis, Carson City, NV provide a couple of ideas on what kind of thermostat they use to heat honey. Finally, on its 50th Anniversary read what volunteers in the Peace Corps say about their experiences teaching beekeeping in Honduras (Matt Terr Molen, Evanston, IL), Paraguay (Jill Curry, Spencer, IN), and Belize (David Papke).
Editor Flottum muses on one of his favorite topics, honey labels. He grew up in a grocery store. He also says change is eternal and this is happening at Bee Culture Magazine. Kim is being promoted to Senior Editor with retirement of John Root as Executive Publisher and his wife Kathy Summers will become Assistant Editor and Design Coordinator. Read how this is expected to play out in the future of the publication. Kathy is expected to provide updates from where she sits on a monthly basis. This month, reflections on her annual viewing of “It's A Wonderful Life” gets her started.
In What's New for the Beekeeper read about the new tome published by CRC press, Honey Bee Colony Health. Challenges and Sustainable Solutions, the NiteGuard Solar
red-light flasher, which keeps critters at bay, and Two Million Blossoms, a book about the medical benefits of honey.
Other entries are Bill Mares 314 and Out, a collection of Vermont Public Radio commentaries, Handbook of Small Hive Beetle IPM, by Mike Hood, Clemson University extension beekeeping specialist, and Maxant Industries' new Model 7000 high-speed wax separator.
Clarence Collison and Audrey Sheridan take a closer look at guarding behavior. Guards may guard, pursue and/or sting. Read about the age of these bee cohorts and the difference between guarding behavior by queenright and queenless colonies.
Keith Delaplane reveals highlights and emerging trends with reference to bee decline of the Managed Pollinator CAP,
Coordinated Agricultural Project. Read about what has been found out about Nosema ceranae, Varroa vectoring Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus, sentinel apiaries around the U.S., cross infection of viruses, interactions among chemicals used to control Varroa mites, neonicotinoid seed treatments and non-chemical control of Varroa.
Steve Sheppard reviews a paper published on
Ploseone.org. It's title tells all: Killing them with Kindness; the effects of inhive medications. Read what Steve says about the surprising conclusions.
Kathy Kellison writes that the “diminishing open space due to urban expansion, misdirected land management and fewer small farms, must be reversed.” Read how this might be accomplished via
Bee Friendly Farming.
Larry Connor begins a series about teaching about bees and insects to beekeepers, classroom teachers and parents. Read about the first lesson, What is a bee?
Jim Tew in retirement starts over again. Not the first time nor the last it seems. Read about his challenges using his “own” money, rather than the public's funds at a college and other changes in beekeeping he is coming to grips with, such as those associated with queens and information technology.
Dann Purvis writes about raising queens in a mid-size queen production facility. Read his suggestions on equipment and resources and how to schedule the operation. See more at
http://www.purvisbees.com/Welcome.html
Fotoula Svarna provides a long list of Greek customs in the use of honey. Read about the sweet being employed at Christmas and New Years, and in feeding fountains, and honey weddings.
Ross Conrad writes that it's time to get ready. Spring will soon be upon us and there's a myriad of details that beekeepers should be thinking about. Read his list.
Jim Thompson tells some entertaining bee stories that are a consequence of becoming a bee inspector. He also recommends beekeepers buy some kind of refractometer to ensure their honey is not in danger of fermenting.
Karlina Davitt describes how to build a beeyard bench. Ed Simon constructs a hive top feeder.
Deb Buehler reports on how the Indiana State Beekeepers Association was able to secure a starter grant of $15,000 to begin a local queen rearing project. Read the essential steps needed to become successful in securing funds to do your own research.
Ann Harman writes that dirty wax doesn't look good or burn well. Read her advice on cleaning it. And Connie Krochmal lists plants that are good for screens and borders. Read her list, which includes hollies, honeysuckle, hawthorn and others.
Tony Sandoval reveals his secret about manipulating bees. Read about fluid motion and how "timing is everything."
Alan Harman scores the match, Asian bee – 1; Australia – 0. Read how incursion of the Apis cerana, the Asian honey bee, continues to affect not only beekeeping, but also biodiversity Down Under. Can it bee eradicated? Time will tell, but it's not looking good at the moment given the government's position at the moment.
In all the news that fits, the National Honey Board is providing free decals, Chinese honey continues to be smuggled into the U.S., Tom Seeley and others spoke at UK's National Honey Show, La Nina continues to affect the weather and beekeepers, and that "no GM pollen to Europe" may send honey prices downward.
On the bottom board Ed Colby gives us a closeup and personal description of an allergic reaction to stings. Read what he did and more importantly what he didn't do. It makes for a real yarn.
Sincerely,
Malcolm T. Sanford
beeactor@apisenterprises.com
http://apis.shorturl.com
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