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March 2013 1
The Diablo Bee
Featured SpeakerJohn Miller Project Apis m.
John Miller is currently the President of the California State Beekeepers Association (CSBA). John is a fourth-generation beekeeper. He has kept bees for 36 years. John owns Miller's Honey Farms, Inc. based in Blackfoot, ID with branches in Gackle, ND and Newcastle, CA. He also owns Miller Honey Mandarins of Newcastle, CA where he grows seedless Owari-Satsuma Mandarins on C-35 Rootstock. John is a partner in En-R-G Foods, Inc. of Steamboat Springs, CO, manufacturers of honey-based energy bars, gels, protein bars and energy chews. John is a former 2-
term chair of the National Honey Board. As the subject of The Beekeeper's Lament by Hannah Nordhaus, John epitomizes the American migratory beekeeper and 'how one man and a half a billion honey bees help feed' a nation. Mr. Miller is also affiliated with Project Apis m. (PAm). This organization’s focus is ‘Enhancing the
Health of Honey Bees’ with an exemplary staff of scientists and beekeepers. PAm works to enhance the health of honeybees; improve crop production potential; conducts bee research guided by beekeepers; develops practical solutions for managed colonies; infused over $1 million into bee research; funded two MacArthur Award winners; is the largest non-governental, non-profit bee research funding organization in the United States; funded 28 projects involving research institutions in thirteen states; is managing three Specialty Crop Block Grants awarded by the CA Dept. of Food and Agriculture and most importantly, AND is funded by beekeepers and growers. For more information on Project Apis m. go to www.projectapism.org
In this issue:
" page 1 - March Program - John Miller, Project Apis m.
page 2 - Spring Workshop
page 3 - Rodgers Ranch, Raffle Report
page 4 - Bee Keeping Calendar, Science Cafe, Membership Dues
page 5 - “Have you hugged a new beekeeper today?”, 7th Annual Bee Symposium
page 6 - Bee Publications, Carniolan Bees for Sale
page 7 - Classifieds
Monthly Meeting: Thursday, March 14th - 7:30 PMThe Gardens at Heather Farm ~ Camellia Room ~ 1540 Marchbanks Dr., Walnut Creek, CA 94598
a monthly newsletter of the Mt. Diablo Beekeepers Association March 2013
M T . D I A B L O B E E K E E P E R S A S S O C I A T I O N
2 March 2013
MDBA SPRING WORKSHOPSATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2013 9 AM - 12:00253 TWINVIEW DRIVE, PLEASANT HILL
HOME OF GARY AND JOAN LAWRENCE
✴MARY ANDRE will have the packages of Italian bees in the garage.
✴MIKE STEPHANOS will have the packages of Carniolan bees(from Slovenia) on his truck in the back lot.
✴SETH TATOR and JAN SPIETH will register you on the front porch and accept dues ($25) from new members.
✴ELZBIETA NOWAK and MARCIN WOJCIKOWSKI from
MARELLA HONEY B’s will have some beekeeping supplies in the front driveway for purchase.
✴VALERIE SCHMIDT will make coffee and coordinate breakfast snacks on the deck. Speak to her if you are bringing something.
✴THREE BEEKEEPERS will open three hives simultaneously (to avoid crowding) and describe what they are doing as they pass frames to attendees to inspect. Some honey may be gathered and extracted.STEVE GENTRY with GEORGE assistingNORM LOTT with JOAN assistingJUDY WEATHERLY with NANCY assisting
✴SOME BEEKEEPER will install a colony in Gary’s hive. ✴At about 10 o’clock some people from Rodgers Ranch will pick up two packages that MDBA has donated to them, and CHRIS GUPTILL will walk up to the Ranch where many people (including any of you who want to join him) are waiting to see him install them in their hives.
✴MIKE STEPHANOS will bring a swarm and install it in one of Gary’s hives as a gift to him.
✴GARY LAWRENCE will supervise the marking of queens for use in the demo hives which go to schools.
Please bring last year’s clean emptypackage bee boxes (no cans) to the March or April general meetings. Bringing them to the Spring Workshop is too late.
S E Q U O I A C L U B
March 2013 3
2013 Meetings & Programs
• January 10Program - Orin Johnson• February 14Program - Major Branzel• March 14Program - John Miller, Project Apis m.• April 11Program - Randy Oliver, Scientific Beekeeping• April 13 - Beekeeping Workshop• May 9 - Dr. Eric Mussen, Extension
Apiculturist, UC Davis• June 13 - Dr. Brian Johnson, Honey
Bee Researcher/Apiculturist, UC Davis
• July 11• August 8• September 12• October 10 - Annual BarbequeNo meetings November and December
2013 Board MembersPresidentBrian WortVice PresidentSylvia GoemmelSecretaryLois KailTreasurerSeth TatorVP, Community EducationMike StephanosVP, MembershipJan SpeithVP, Member EducationGabrielle HarrelVP, Newsletter EditorDebórah WalkerDirector at LargeRick Kautch
Raffle Report Submitted by Sylvia Goemmel
“Thank you!” to those members that added to our fantastic raffle table in February. I would like to thank Jim Teare of San Ramon for the great hive
bodies and frames and feeders, etc. that have helped so many members with their hobby. Thank you to Kris Egan of Castro Valley for the "Winne The Pooh" t-shirts with bees and honey references. I will have these donated items and t-shirts in several raffles to come. I will continue to have the necessary items for beginner beekeepers and the experienced beekeepers to build up the tools and equipment needed to maintain their hives. As April approaches and packages almost here, I can't say enough about being prepared before your bees arrive. Running the
raffle table has actually educated me in the real names for the tools and equipment. I am happy to answer any questions that you may have about what is on the table or what you must have before your packages arrive. You should have everything assembled and ready to go before the April workshop! See you at the March 14th meeting…
Raffle Ticket Prices: 12 tickets - $10.00 6 tickets - $5.00 1 ticket - $1.00
Honeybees at Rodgers RanchSubmitted by Gary Lawrence
On Valentine Day, Mount Diablo Beekeepers Association delivered two hives and beekeeping equipment as donations to Rodgers Ranch in Pleasant Hill. Marian Woodard and John Matheson are the volunteers who are developing an Urban Ranch program, with gardens and volunteers and educational programs. John plans to paint the hives and set them up in preparation for the colonies which will be delivered at our Spring Bee Workshop on April 13. MDBA members Jeff Blaney and Chris Guptill will serve as beekeeping mentors at the Ranch. On Saturday, April 6, from 10am - 4pm, they will be present with a demo hive and literature at a Rodgers Ranch Urban Farm Expo and Plant Sale. The public is invited, and of course MDBA members will be welcomed with open arms.
M T . D I A B L O B E E K E E P E R S A S S O C I A T I O N
4 March 2013
Honey Bee CalendarWhat’s going on in your hive in March?The bees are sometines still recovering from mites and viruses that plagued them through the fall. This may result in a decreased rate in build-up during March. Normally the great quantitiy and diverse variety of pollen available for the bees allows them to overcome this problem.
Hive Structure•Two brood boxes•One or more supers for the most populous hives•Both brood boxes full of bees•Top brood box has several frames of new, unripened honey in addition to 2+ frames of stored honey or sugar syrup•Hive has 10+ frames of brood•Hive has 1 or 2+ frames of stored pollen in each box
What the bees are doing•Hives are continuing to increase in population•Swarming•Recovering from Varroa mites, viruses, and protein-deficiency from prior months•During poor weather the bees are rapidly consuming stored honey
What the beekeeper is doing•Raising queen cells•Requeening hives that show persistent spotty brood patterns or Varroa mites•Making early divides to prevent over-crowding (4-6 frame divides)•Adding honey supers to prevent over-crowding•Drone brood mite trapping•Monitoring for Nosema
Common problems•Some hives lag due to spotty brood pattern•Some hives lag due to high Varroa mite population•Over-crowding results in swarming•Nosema weakens the hive’s forager population•Queen supersedure delays population growth in some hives
Excerpted, with permission, from “Beekeeping in Coastal California” by Jeremy R. Rose
This book, and more information, is available at www.calbeebook.com
~ Science Cafe ~The Latest Buzz About Bees
Lafayette Library andLearning Center
3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd,Lafayette, CA 94549
Tuesday, March 19, 2013 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM - Community Hall
Designed for: Adults (18+), College (Adult), High School (Grades 9-12)
UCB Faculty Entomologist Dr. Gordon Frankie and Bay Area Beekeeper Steve Gentry discuss the latest research on California's top pollinators and the busy world of local honey making. $5/person
To reserve call 925-283-6513 x103 or email [email protected]
Membership dues: Don’t be late!
After March 31st dues increase to $25.
Annual membership dues are $20---and are due now! Your membership in the Mt. Diablo Bee Association is annual and renews each January.
Renewing members are asked to complete the MDBA membership form at time of payment. You may pay at the March 14th meeting (forms will be available at the front table--arrive early or pay at the break) or you may download the membership form on the website and mail it with a $20 check payable to:
MDBA P.O. Box 4688
Walnut Creek, CA94596
M T . D I A B L O B E E K E E P E R S A S S O C I A T I O N
March 2013 5
Reprinted from Bee Culture Magazine, February 2013, pg. 47 (And yes, the article is crooked … it’s not your imagination!)
The beekind 7th Annual Bee SymposiumThe 7th Annual Bee Symposium -“Pollinator Habitat and Forage” - will be held March 9th from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM in Sebastopol at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts (formerly Sebastopol Veterans Memorial Building).
Tickets are $35 pre-sale/ $45.00 at the door. You can also buy tickets at http://pfspbees.org/store or thru beekind by calling the store 707-824-2905. Proceeds to benefit Partners for Sustainable Pollination.
Click to view flier for more information
M T . D I A B L O B E E K E E P E R S A S S O C I A T I O N
6 March 2013
Bee Publications in Local Libraries
MDBA has purchased several three-year subscriptions to a couple of industry magazines for placement in local libraries beginning with the May 2011 issue. Be sure to take advantage of this new resource for your beekeeping information.
Bee Culture will be in the Clayton, Concord, Martinez,Orinda, San Ramon and Walnut Creek Public Libraries.
American Bee Journal will be in the Clayton, Martinez, Orinda and San Ramon Public Libraries.
New World Carniolan Packaged Bees for Sale
Mike Stephanos is still taking orders for 3 lb. packages of New World Carniolan at the March 14th meeting and by mail until April 5th. All 3 lb. packages come with a mated queen and all queen cages have queen candy in them.
3 lb. packages - $85.00 Queens - $25.00
Please send your check, made payable to “Stephanos & Company”, along with your name, address, phone number and email address on a separate piece of paper. Orders will only be valid with payment.
SEND TO: Stephanos & Company 1966 Tice Valley Blvd #156 Walnut Creek, CA 94595
These packages will be available at the Spring Bee Workshop on April 13th. Look for Mike in the back lot of Gary’s yard.
• IMPORTANT: Please be advised that Mike does this as a personal favor for members of the Association. By submitting an order for packaged bees you are agreeing to purchase them at your own risk. Therefore, if the bees are injured, die or are in anyway harmed, before or after they are in your care, Mike and the Association will be held blameless of financial or any other responsibility or compensation.
Please bring last year’s clean empty package bee boxes (no cans) to the March or April general meetings.
Bringing them to the Spring Workshop is too late.
Did you know…?During the summer honey flow, June through August, worker honey bees travel about 55,000 miles to gather enough nectar to produce one pound of honey. Each individual worker will only produce about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey and about 1/80 of a teaspoon of beeswax. However, an entire colony can produce 200 pounds of honey annually! Now you know!
M T . D I A B L O B E E K E E P E R S A S S O C I A T I O N
March 2013 7
Classified AdvertismentsSomething to sell? Something to share? Something to do? Need something?
Cappings RequestedIf you have unwanted cappings I will melt and clean them for the beeswax.
Please contact Lois Kail [email protected] or 925.356.2602
Bee Suit RepairsPlease contact Lois Kail
[email protected] or 925.356.2602
California Bee CompanyQueens selected for honey production and mite resistance.
Queen mothers are derived from the Russian bee breeding program. Available May thru September.
1 - 10 Queens $25 each11 - 25 Queens $20 eachwww.cabeeco.com
To submit articles for consideration or ads for the classifieds please contact
Debórah Walker at [email protected] or
925.944.6423Deadline for submission is the 20th of each month.
FOR SALERoss Round
Supers (with extra parts)
$100Please contact Dan Goemmel
MarElla Honey B’s1960 Monument Blvd.Concord, CA 94520
Traveling north on Monument Blvd. turn right into the driveway at the“Happy Donut”.
www.marellahoneybs.com
Phone: 925.575.7444Fax: 925.566.8112
WANTED: Help in the kitchen before and after the monthly meetings!