carroll county beekeepers association...
TRANSCRIPT
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by FRED SYPHER
The November general meeting and potluck dinner was fun. The food was delicious, the desserts were tasty, and the conversations lively. The election of officers for 2015 resulted in Fred Sypher continuing as President and Jody King continuing as Treasurer. Stephanie Utz did a fine job as Secretary for years but her busy work schedule keeps her from attending our meetings, so Larry Fritz agreed to be our secretary and will concentrate on the newsletter. Thanks to Larry Truchon for agreeing to join the board as vice president. We will have an executive meeting at Bear Branch at 7:30 on Wednesday, December 17th to plan the Short Course and look at the 2015 budget. Everybody is welcome.
The club recognized the year-long contributions of Brad Criddle, Anna Prior, Gary Pohlner, Dave Gallegos, Trace Orf, Larry Fritz, Margo Cocchetto and Larry Truchon, Teri and Bill Hemelt, and Jody King. These CCBA members helped in a variety of ways that ensured our successful participation at events throughout the year. Thanks also to those who volunteered to staff the various events where CCBA had a presence. CCBA members are called upon to participate in fairs and festivals and to make presentations at schools, churches and community organizations throughout the county. CCBA actively lives up to its charter to be an educational resource about honey bees.
Our next educational effort is the Spring Short Course at the community college. Classes are five Wednesday nights from February 18th to March 18th and a field day on March 28th. The CCBA
meetings for February and March will be combined with the Short Course classes at the college. The March 18th class will feature Dr. Dewey Caron as our guest lecturer. The Short Course usually has about 55 attendees, not all of whom will become beekeepers. But some of the students who start beekeeping next spring will need mentors. A mentor is someone who can answer questions and provide guidance to a new beekeeper. Being a mentor does not require years and years of beekeeping experience. If you are a successful beekeeper you can be a mentor. Most of what you do is answer questions on the phone. Occasionally, you visit the new beekeeper’s apiary and do a little show and tell—maybe show how to install a package or how to inspect a hive, and tell them what they should look for and how they can find it. Mentoring is fun and helps new beekeepers get over their fear of doing something wrong. Think about helping a new beekeeper this spring.
Next year we’ll also need some volunteers to help with our Hashawa Apiary. We want to expand the apiary so we can once again bottle and sell CCBA honey. You could help with the open hive demonstrations at Hashawa on the Saturdays following the monthly meetings From April to October. Help with the club apiary will be very much appreciated.
This was a good year for CCBA and our members. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year. I’ll see you in January.
CARROLL COUNTY BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION
THE CARROLL BEE http://www.carrollcountybeekeepers.org/ December 2014
Carroll County Beekeepers Association meets at 7:30PM on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at Bear Branch Nature Center | 300 John Owings Rd | Westminster, Maryland 21158 | (410) 848-2517
To contact us or to become a member, e-Mail - [email protected]
Family membership is still only $15 per year. Lifetime membership is still only $150.
DECEMBER TO-DO LIST Install wind break to protect from strong
north and north-west winds
Mouse Guards installed
Screened bottom boards reduced but NOT closed
Provide top ventilation
Inner cover notch facing forward and up
Consider putting foam insulation inside the top telescoping cover
Put weight on top cover
Put Beekeeping items on your Christmas wish list
Order 2015 calendars and catalogs
Spring is Coming To Fred’s Apiary, But Not Soon Enough!
BETTER TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE...OR IS IT? . . . . . . . . . . by CONNIE YOUNG
The cliché “It's better to give than to receive” is one we're all familiar with and this time of year, we hear it even more. As I've grown older, I've come to accept this old adage as truth. That is, until last week when I received an amazing gift in the mail. As beekeepers we are often called upon to speak to a group about honey bees. I've had the privilege of doing many talks now for schools, church, and scouts. While I'm still a young and green beekeeper of just three years, my admiration for the mighty work of the honey bee motivates me to say “yes” time and again when asked to share my knowledge. That being said, I don't always feel up to the task once the day arrives. And that was the case the morning I raced around collecting materials for a talk at Elmer Wolfe Elementary School in Union Bridge. It was a difficult morning for reasons I won't bore you with, but suffice it to say, this talk felt like a huge inconvenience in the midst of everything else I had going on that day. Fortunately, I pulled it together and arrived at the school to realize that despite it being quite cold we would be gathering outside because all of 1st and 2nd grade would be participating- 120 children. Yikes! Having done a number of these talks now, it wasn't that I was nervous about presenting because I love to talk about honey bees. It wasn't even the cold, well, okay maybe a little. It was my fear that I would lose the interest of these children without having the main draw- the actual honey bees. We had already dipped into lower temperatures at this point and I couldn't consider popping the lid to collect frames for the observation hive. So instead, I used props. I used the club hive body filled with the colorful picture frames, my bee bag, veil and smoker. But truthfully, I was concerned that not having bees to show would sabotage my best efforts at educating children on the marvels and importance of honey bees. We all see how drawn people are to our observation hive at fairs and other
events. So how would they handle information without actual bees to support it? Well, those kids impressed me. They sat outside bundled up in their coats for close to an hour, listening, watching, asking questions and really paying attention. In fact, when the hour was up, the teachers had a hard time collecting them to leave. This without actual bees! I was happy with the way things went from the lone child who raised his hand to tell me his mom is a beekeeper and agreeing to dress in the gear, to the smart questions asked by these young children, to the appearance of a yellow jacket almost on cue after a discussion of the differences between honey bees and yellow jackets and the manner in which the children utilized their fresh learnings to figure out if it was a honey bee or not and how to act in its presence. I left feeling really good about the presentation and inspired by the eagerness of this group of children to take what they learned and apply it. Before leaving I asked the kids how they thought we could help the honey bees? And you know, the EPA could have taken a lesson from these kids when they provided the most straightforward, passionate and truthful answers: “Stop killing bees!” “Plant flowers for pollen” “Grow fruits and vegetables at home because it also feeds the bees!” “Be nice!” and the best of all “Make better choices!” Isn't it really that simple? So I felt great about giving my little talk to these little children. But what I received in return was far greater. I felt like I was making a small difference by investing a small amount of my time and energy to share the little I know about an insect that makes such a huge difference in our lives and that I hope we can protect as a society by educating as many people, both young and old, as possible. Continued on next page . . .
Continued “BETTER TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE...OR IS IT? “
I received a big, fat manila envelope in the mail a few days ago. It was chocked full of letters and drawings from the children that attended, thanking me for the talk, but more moving, full of the bee facts they learned. I was amazed by their retention and I hope to share my letters with you all at a future meeting so you too can see how much these kids absorbed. Many cards had labeled bee pictures and headlines that shouted “Bees Rock”, others listed what they learned or liked about the presentation, and many asked more questions to which I replied
in a return letter. I hope to go back in the spring and visit this group with live bees in the observation hive and see what they retained. Imagine how much more impactful it will be with live bees to observe! And so I learned also that sometimes, it's really better to receive. Those letters and cards made me so happy that my family will be challenged to give me a better gift anytime soon! Wishing everyone a joyous holiday season!
Reference: http://www.storyofhoney.com/
With 57 percent of consumers searching for foods made with simple, real ingredients, the emphasis on food authenticity, sourcing and labeling practices is not going away. From honey bees to the kitchen pantry, the harvesting of honey is a multifaceted journey that is sometimes misrepresented. Beekeepers have a close-knit relationship with their bees, from the
collecting of nectar to the extracting of honey from honeycombs for filtering and finally bottling. The National Honey Board (NHB), a federal research and promotion board with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversight, wants to assure consumers their honey is pure, with no added ingredients, by sharing its story, from harvest to distribution.
Honey bees collect nectar from flowering plants and use it to make honey. Honey is then collected from the beehives, by beekeepers. The cultivation of honey naturally supports a healthy and thriving ecosystem through biodiversity and crop pollination, making it an art and science unto itself. With more than 300 varietals of honey found in the United States, ranging greatly in flavor, aroma and color, honey is a unique ingredient that helps home cooks and professional chefs create countless recipes in the kitchen. This versatile everyday ingredient also provides an all-natural energy boost, and acts as a natural cough suppressant and an effective skin moisturizer, nourishing the body inside and out. The NHB is utilizing industry, culinary and educational resources to produce “The Sweet Truth Behind Honey” video, which captures the many benefits of honey, while shining light on harvesting honey and following the journey from honey bee to the kitchen pantry.
Watch the videos below and read the full press release.
Jane J. Lee National Geographic PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 10, 2014
When two species of Australia's stingless bees go to battle, an extraordinary amount of carnage ensues, according to a new study.
During this extreme warfare, thousands of worker bees from both sides perish, and young from the losing side are dragged out of the nest to die—a previously unseen behavior described in the December issue of the American Naturalist.
These battles decimate the ranks of worker bees, the sterile females that hives rely on to
collect nectar and farmers use to pollinate their crops. (Read more about pollinators in National Geographic magazine.)
What's more, they're the only ones waging war—male drones sit on the sidelines. The battles also leave entire colonies vulnerable to parasites and disease as they settle into their newly conquered nest.
Click here for link to complete article.
A GREAT RESOURCE FOR KIDS ON BEEKEEPING . . . . . from JULIA DAVIS
http://www.fragrancex.com/fragrance-information/beekeeping-adults-kids.html
Stingless bees in Australia lock together in a fight to the death over control of a nest.
To: Carroll County Beekeepers Association Nov 17, 2014
Dear Smart on Pesticides Coalition, Please pass this request on to folks who share our concern about the impact of pesticides on the health of people, wildlife and the Bay. Funds raised will be used for supporting our 2015 Smart on Pesticides campaign work.
Our food supply is being threatened by alarming rates of honeybee deaths- one out of every three bites of food we eat is dependent on out honeybees. Maryland beekeepers are losing about 30% of their beehives yearly and are concerned that at this rate the bees could be gone in 5 years from now! A class of pesticides - neonicotinoids (neonics) - have been confirmed to contribute to their demise. In 2015, the Smart on Pesticides Campaign will work to restrict the use and sales of these widely used pesticides in Maryland that have also been linked to brain damage in children and death of molting blue crabs. More research on neonic impacts is needed, which is why the Campaign continues to work on establishing a scientifically valid pesticide use database in Maryland to provide researchers with the data necessary to monitor pesticide impacts. We will keep you posted on both of these efforts. Because you made your voice heard in 2014, the Maryland General Assembly passed a law that created a dedicated fund, dollars collected from pesticide manufacturers-AND not from our tax dollars, so we are able to collect, assess and report statewide pesticide use. Our work now is to make sure those funds are used to provide scientifically valid data. On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, we will be part of a history-making effort! We’re participating in #MarylandGivesMore, a campaign to raise $12.2 million for Maryland nonprofits on 12.2.14, #GivingTuesday. Nationally, #GivingTuesday is a movement to add a day of giving to the calendar on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. We’re raising funds on #GivingTuesday to kick-start our giving season and in support of the Maryland Pesticide Education Network and especially the Smart on Pesticides Campaign. Please consider making your Maryland Pesticide Education Network year-end gift on 12.2.14, through #GivingTuesday. You can help us spread the word about the Maryland Pesticide Education Network on Facebook and Twitter or send your friends, colleagues and family members an email sharing your enthusiasm for protecting our ‘Babies, Bees and the Bay from Toxic Pesticides’. We’d love it if they would support Maryland Pesticide Education Network through #GivingTuesday If we can answer any questions about the campaign, please let us know. For more information about our efforts to get Smart on Pesticides, visit our website and follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@PesticidesSmart).
November 26, 2014
A WARMING WORLD MAY SPELL BAD NEWS FOR HONEY BEES Researchers have found that the spread of an exotic honey bee parasite, Nosema ceranae, -now found worldwide - is linked not only to its superior competitive ability, but also to climate, according to a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The team of researchers, including Myrsini Natsopoulou from the Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, who co-led the research alongside Dr. Dino McMahon from Queen's University Belfast, believes that the parasite could become more prevalent in the UK in the future and their findings demonstrate the importance of both parasite competition and climate change in the spread of this emerging disease. Myrsini Natsopoulou said: "Our results reveal not only that the exotic parasite is a better competitor than its original close relative, but that its widespread distribution and patterns of prevalence in nature depend on climatic conditions too". The research compared pathogen growth in honey bees that were infected with both the exotic parasite,
Nosema ceranae and its original native relative, Nosema apis. Experiments showed that, while both parasites inhibit each other's growth, the exotic Nosema ceranae has a much greater negative impact on the native Nosema apis than vice versa. By integrating the effects of competition and climate into a simple mathematical model, the researchers were better able to predict the relative occurrence of both parasite species in nature: Nosema ceranae is common in Southern Europe but rare in Northern Europe. Coauthor of the study, Prof. Robert Paxton of Queen's University Belfast, added: "This emerging parasite is more susceptible to cold than its original close relative, possibly reflecting its presumed origin in east Asia. In the face of rising global temperatures, our findings suggest that it will increase in prevalence and potentially lead to increased honey bee colony losses in Britain."
Click here to see a digital sample of the American Bee Journal.
To subscribe to the American Bee Journal click here and choose digital or the printed version. For a calendar of scheduled beekeeping short courses and meetings, check our Events section of our website: http://www.americanbeejournal.com/site/epage/79331_828.htm
Check out Dadant & Sons, Inc. Website. Click here. ~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~v~ Brought to you by the American Bee Journal, the Beekeeper's Companion since 1861 Check out our website at http://www.americanbeejournal.com/
November 21, 2014
GIVING THANKS! - HONEY FEAST RECIPES (Courtesy of the National Honey Board) Thanksgiving has snuck up on us once again this year and since it is next week, we thought a honey-inspired holiday menu was appropriate. You see, one-third of our food is made possible by insect pollinated crops and these hard-working ladies are responsible for about 80 percent of that pollination. And if that isn’t enough, honey bees travel more than 55,000 miles just to bring one pound of honey to consumers. Now that hard work is something to be thankful for! From the ham to the pecan pie, the honey bees and their scrumptious honey have you covered! Enjoy this time with your friends and family, and reflect on
the fact that sometimes, it’s the littlest things we are thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving from the National Honey Board! To view these recipes . . .
Fallen Butternut Squash Gratin Wild Rice & Mushroom Stuffing Cranberry Pecan Pie Honey Whiskey Clove-Glazed Ham Honey Pot Cider
click here
PACKAGE BEE INSTALLATION VIDEO! . . . . . . . . . . . by KELLEY BEEKEEPING
How to Install a 3 Pound Package of Bees It is never too early to start preparing - please check out our Kelley Bee Package Installation video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHflUXyTJ44
WORKSHOP ON CREATING YOUR IDEAL LANDSCAPE Join the Carroll County Extension Office and the Carroll County Forest Conservancy District Board on January 17, 2015, from 8:00 to 4:30, for a workshop on creating your ideal landscape. Do you wish to create a healthy, low-maintenance landscape but you don’t know where to start? This course will teach you how to make your property water-wise, wildlife friendly, and both beautiful and functional. For more information or to register for "Beyond the Lawn: Landscaping with Nature," click on this link: https://extension.umd.edu/news/events/sat-2015-01-17-0800-beyond-lawn-landscaping-nature.
LONG SLEEVE CCBA T-SHIRTS HAVE ARRIVED
For those ordering shirts, they may be picked up from Anna at the next CCBA Meeting.
CCBA T-SHIRTS -$20
(Navy Blue)
Available at CCBA meetings – see Anna
CCBA WEBSITE FORUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by THE CCBA FORUM TEAM
Anyone interested in joining the CCBA forum, please reply with your email address to mailto:[email protected]. If desired, couples may each have their own access. If you have forgotten your password and can't successfully
retrieve it, you can reply and a new password will be sent. Any members not signing on at least every 365 days will be purged but can rejoin at any time. Join and sign in to the forum.
You are only a click away!! http://www.carrollcountybeekeepers.org/db/
APIARY MAPPING SITE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by LARRY TRUCHON
We are building an apiary mapping site for our club members. It will show the appropriate location of participating member's apiaries with one, two and three mile rings. Only participating members will have access. To join please send:
Apiary name (example: Wild Acre Apiary)
Closest cross streets
Number of colonies (not Nucs)
Zip Code Send above data to [email protected] If you are a first year member without bees this year, send info with 0 number of colonies. You will be sent log in info after you are entered into the database.
SAVE THE DATES
December 17 –CCBA Annual Board Meeting at BB Nature Center (7:30 PM)
January 21 – CCBA monthly meeting (7:30 PM)
February 18 – Beginning of Short Course at CCC (7:30 PM)
February 18 – CCBA monthly meeting at CCC (7:30 PM)
Check out the CCBA Website
www.carrollcountybeekeepers.org/
CCBA 2015 OFFICERS
President Fred Sypher [email protected] Vice President Larry Truchon [email protected] Treasurer Jody King [email protected]
Secretary Larry Fritz [email protected] Webmaster Trace Orf [email protected]
The Carroll Bee Editor Larry Fritz [email protected]
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays
Bee Safe!!
