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Comments by:       Jeffrey Young@SQA@Banyan
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I am sorry.  I failed to provide my internet address:
 
Jeffrey Young
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   -------------------------- [Original Message] -------------------------
After a decade of very limited exposure to beekeeping I am finally getting
back into it.  I have a single hive I will be locating in my backyard in a
quite neighborhood in a small town in central Massachusetts.
 
I am looking for a contact with a local bee keepers assn. and would welcome
attending any meetings or classes in the Worcester/Framinham/Westboro
Massachusetts area.  Any leads or telephone numbers would be appreciated.
 
The queen of my current hive is a direct decendant of the original Italian I
received with my hive over ten years ago.  My father (who had been watching
the hive until he became physically unable to) thinks that they swarmed 5
years ago and since the current queen is unmarked this is probaly the case.
The temperment of the workers seem okay.  Should I be considering replacing
her with another queen or should everything be alright?
 
What can a small beekeeper do to help keep carpenter ants from getting in the
stand and supers?  I have seen special paints and dips in the catalogs but
these are rather expensive and seem to only be sold in mass qualtity.  Plus I
am hesitant to start playing chemical warfare with the insect world.
 
I have never harvested the produced honey, opting to leave it in the hive,
and will be most likely be getting an extractor and associated equipment
later this season to start bottling what the hive produces.  Would anyone
have a suggestion what I should be looking for and staying away from as far
as extractors, decappers, filters, etc.?
 
What is the current preferred method of removing the workers from a queen
excluded honey supers?
 
How about preventative methods I should be taking, if any, for Mites and
other parasites & possible infections?
 
Anything I should be concious of with a backyard hive?  (neighborhood dogs,
neighbors, hive location, etc.)?
 
I know I ask LOTS of questions but I am trying to get up to speed and have a
ways to go.
 
Thanks in advance for all the help,             jeff