Reading on Bee-L of government  cut-backs in funds to assist beekeepers,
I thought
it  maybe of interest to some subscribers  to know the West  Virginia
Department of
Agriculture has  received funding from the State Legislature to help West
 Virginia
beekeepers avoid honey bee losses from tracheal and varroa mite.
 
The WVDA beekeepers assistance program will provide help to State
beekeepers
by providing medication and one Buckfast queen. With few if any feral
colonies and a handful of beekeepers left, hopefully the distribution of
this fine strain will give better
resistance to the future stock.
 
We've had a cool spring this year, but the first main honey flow of tulip
poplar and blackberry should start in the coming week.  My grand total of
five hives have  increased  to thirteen by way  of swarming.  All the
swarms landed, as they do every
year, in the same bush and tree. This year seven out of eight settled on
or at ground
level. This could be due to the windy, cool weather.
 
Our bee inspector could not find any varroa mites in my hives but this
was only by drone brood examination.  At least  they are at low levels.
 
 Steve Davis
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