Geoff Leister was recently invited to talk on the nectar and pollen plants found in the Piedmont of North Carolina at the February 2019 Caswell County Beekeepers monthly meeting. A PDF on that presentation can be found HERE.
Our first meeting of the New Year featured an informative and fact filled presentation by Dr. Mark Anthony Powers on how to evaluate the seriousness of a bee sting and how to ascertain the most suitable treatment. Dr. Powers is Associate Professor Emeritus of Medicine Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine at Duke University and he is a NC Certified Journeyman Beekeeper. His presentation is based of a recent article published in the December 2018 issue of the American Bee Journal, Vol. 158 No.12 pp. 1327-1331. A PDF of Dr. Powers presentation entitled Bee Sting Allergy What You Need to Know is available for download HERE .
Dr. David Tarpy, NCSU, Professor and Extension Specialist (Apiculture) has provided this article Protective Measures of Beehives During Hurricanes and makes the following recommendations:
*Strap down the lid and hive components if they’re not propolized.
*Reduce hive wind profile by removing unnecessary boxes (feeders, for example).
*Hives should be at ground level or on sturdy stands. Be sure solid bottom boards are tilted to let rain out.
*Are your hives in danger of limbs or trees falling on them? Consider relocating hives.
*Move hives from low-lying areas if there’s a flooding danger; bees will drown.
*Register your hives at DriftWatch so you’ll be notified if spraying for mosquitos commences.
Thanks are due to Debbie Roos, Agricultural Extension Agent
Chatham County Center for providing the above links and to Jason Williams,
Pesticide Operations Specialist, NCDA&CS – SPCAP for the following link to “Bee” Kind if You Spray for Mosquitoes” authored by Dr. Michael Waldvogel, Extension Specialist (Household & Structural Entomology), Entomology & Plant Pathology – NC State University.
In Bayer Bee Care Healthy Colony Checklist that is discussed HERE and suggested the following approach during your inspections:
1 – Use a buddy system.
2 – Know how to assess the six conditions of colony health.
3 – Take concise notes.
4 – Record any general notes and observations of each hive.
The Pesticide Toxicity to Bees “Traffic Light” PDF file can be accessed along with other documents. The pesticides listed are arranged by Highly Toxic, Moderately Toxic and Relatively Nontoxic to bees. Specific pesticide uses are categorized as Microbiocide, Miticide, Insecticide, Fungicide, Herbicide, Growth Regulator, or Repellent.
Be sure to checkout the updated NC State University Apiculture Program home website that features these main menu links: Home, Research, Publications, People, Instruction, Queen and Disease Clinic, and Extension.
The Honey Bee Research Center at The University of Guelph located in Ontario, Canada produced 32 How-To Videos during 2016. They are excellent. You may watch these videos on their website HERE or select them from Youtube HERE. ENJOY!
The Honey Bee Research Center maintains populations of a hybrid strain of honey bees known as Buckfast bees. This is a man-made bee race and is a cross of many strains of bees, developed by Karl Kehrle, also known as Brother Adam, who was in charge of beekeeping from 1919 to about 1995 at Buckfast Abbey in Devon in the United Kingdom, where the bees are still bred today. Notes about the different types of Honey Bees, including Buckfast, are discussed in Beekeeping Notes 1.12 from NC State.
Updated August 3, 2018
Alamance County Beekeepers Meeting & Programs for 2018
The Bee Lab at The Ohio State University has made available a Webinar entitled “Mite Check: Using Beekeeper Citizen Science to Transmit Bee Health Information, Not Varroa destructor” by Becky Masterman, University of Minnesota Bee Lab, Bee Squad Associate Director. A PDF handout is also available for download here.
On the above webpage under “UMN Bee Lab” find the following:
Pest Manual PDF, UMN
Varroa mite test kit, UMN
Powdered Sugar Roll instruction sheet, UMN
And links to Honey Bee Health Coalition and Varroa management links, OSU Bee Lab are also posted.
The University of Minnesota’s Department of Entomology Bee Lab has also posted videos with the following video titles:
Hiving Bees in Rain and Sleet
Looking into a New Colony
Looking at a Frame
Adding a Brood Box
Adding a Second Super
Working Bees Without Gloves
A Few Words about Comb
On Frames and Foundation
Finding the Queen
