File item: BUZZ0593.TXT 6/4/93 1:46PM
28503
Summitted by Terry Dahms
President-East Central Iowa Beekeepers
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THE BUZZ MAY, 1993
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A newsletter published monthly as a cooperative effort by The
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and The Iowa
Honey Producers Association (IHPA), an affiliate member of the
Iowa Horticultural Society. Copy deadline is the 20th of each
month. Your ideas, comments and letters are welcomed and
encouraged. EDITOR: Bob Cox, State Apiarist, Iowa Dept. of
Agriculture, Wallace Building, Des Monies, IA. 50319
phone: (515) 281-5736
IHPA MEMBERSHIP: Membership dues in the Iowa Honey Producers
Assn. are $5.00/year. Send to Robert Shepherd, IHPA Treasurer.
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IN THE BEEYARD
May and June are the heavy swarm months. The bees have been
collecting stores of pollen and honey to help the queen produce a
strong colony.
One method of determining if some colonies are raising swarm
cells (not 100% foolproof) is to break the two hive bodies apart.
Look on the bottom of the combs for the swarm cells.
These can be seen, as they are large, peanut-shaped cells.
Scrape these cells off and replace the hive bodies. At this time
you may want to reverse the top and bottom hive bodies, if the
bottom hive body has some unused combs. If the colony is filled
with bees, brood and stores, some frames of brood need to be
removed or supers added to provide the colony with space.
There is no perfect method for swarm control. If we learn
more about the habits of this insect we do have a better chance
of preventing swarming.
On a different subject, what would you do differently if you
were to start beekeeping again? In answering this question, "If
you can't remember the past then you are going to repeat it".
You who have kept bees for awhile can be a real aid to those who
are just starting. You may not have all the answers but know a
lot about mistakes. This can be a help to others.
Procedures of beekeeping can be written down step by step,
but nothing can be more effective than doing the procedures or
seeing them executed by a master beekeeper. Location of bee
yards, putting in packages, equalizing brood for making up new
colonies, finding an old queen and introduction of a new queen
are beekeeping procedures this time of year that you can help
others get off to a better start in beekeeping. Remember your
mistakes so you can help others avoid them.
-Robert L. Wells, Asst. State Apiarist
HONEY OF A VERSE
For the lips of an immoral woman drip Honey and her mouth
smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps
lay hold of hell. (Prov. 5:3-5)
CAN BEES HEAR (from APIS , Florida newsletter)
An intriguing article in the local paper (Gainesville Sun,
December 31, 1992) recently described experiments by Dr. William
Towne at Kutzdown University in Pennsylvania. He has proven that
bees can hear. Although the scientific proof may be Dr. Towne's,
beekeepers always figured bees could hear based on the practice
of "tanging," making a loud clanging noise which was thought to
make swarms stop and cluster. This notion has now been
discredited by most authorities, but the tradition no doubt
continues.
According to Dr. Towne, bees were considered deaf because
they were only tested with loud sounds which produced high
pressures. Yes, people could hear them, but honey bees don't
hear like humans. Whereas we have a pressure sensitive membrane
(ear drum) which is stretched over a closed cavity, the honey bee
relies on particle movement. Thus, they hear things only in the
near field, very close to the source.
Dr. Towne and a colleague in Germany (Wolfgang Kirchner)
trained bees to come to a two-sided sugar-water feeder based on
tones emitted from a speaker. When the frequencies were the same
(250 cycles per second) as the bee's famed waggle dance, about B
below middle C on the piano, the insects consistently responded.
According to Dr. Towne, bees clearly can tell the lowest sounds
from the highest; they also distinguish mid-range tones from
higher and lower ones.
The next step is to search for the honey bee's ear. In this
quest, Dr. Towne has taken to applying drops of glue to various
honey bee structures. The glue does not hurt the bees. This
attempt to "deafen" bees has met with variable results, and for
Dr. Towne, the question has become more and more intriguing. He
concludes: "I guess I'll have to train a few more bees to find
out for sure..."
HAWKEYE SCIENCE FAIR WINNERS
The IHPA gives an award to the best science projects dealing
with honey or beekeeping at the Hawkeye Science Fair each year.
David Tull and Bob Cox judged the projects Friday, March 27th and
there were six projects that had something to do with honey or
beeswax. The following two projects stood out as the best:
1. Suzy Gilman's "Fat Facts". A comparison was made of the
levels of fat and cholesterol in 10 different kinds of crackers.
Honey Maid honey grahams had the lowest amount on a per weight
basis. Three age groups were asked which type of crackers they
thought was the lowest in fat and cholesterol. People in the age
group 26-40 years were the most accurate in assessing the fat and
cholesterol levels in the crackers and named the honey graham
crackers more often.
2. Kristen Toll's "Browning of Apples". Kristen used different
substances to retard the browning of cut apples. Lemon Juice and
Fruit Fresh retarded browning the best, but in one experiment
vegetable oil or honey worked the best. Additionally, she found
that the Golden delicious apples did not brown as fast after
cutting as the Red delicious apples.
STATE APIARISTS REPORT
It's finally Spring! It is time to make the best of what bees
you have left after the rough winter. This time of colony
preparation for the main nectar flow will slip away before you know
it. I had a one-week delay in my beekeeping plans come up last
week. And he is a 9 pound - 2 ounce baby boy named Matthew Noah
born April 22nd. That is number six and he is a real blessing to
our family. P.T.L.!
The bee bill was passed by the legislature and signed by the
governor and will become effective July 1, 1993. Most of the
changes were technical, however some changes were significant. If
you would like a copy of the new law contact our office.
Loads of package bees transported into the state, other than
through the U.S. Postal Service, will be required to be accompanied
by an Iowa Entry Permit. The procedure will be the same as for
colonies, nucs or used equipment entering the state. This change
was made because packages bees can carry parasitic mites and pose a
significant threat in spreading the mites around.
We are hoping to have four seasonal bee inspectors again this
season starting in late June or the first of July. Bob Wells and I
will be available to inspect apiaries anytime now, weather
permitting. Call (515) 281-5736 to request inspection.
When inspecting apiaries this season a 3 1/2 inch diameter
green and white sticker will be affixed to a colony in each apiary
inspected. On this sticker the date inspected and inspector's
initials will appear. We will continue to send you a copy of the
full inspection report. If American Foulbrood or Varroa mites are
detected this will also be indicated on the sticker. This change
was made at the request of several beekeepers in Iowa.
When you call into the office now you will not talk to Jean Van
Houweling any longer because she has transferred to the State
Patrol. Susan Holmes is working as secretary part-time in the
afternoon most days.
IHPA SPRING FIELD DAY
Saturday, May 22nd the IHPA Spring Field Day will be held at
1:00 p.m. at the Ray Tull Farm 2 miles west of Donnellson, Iowa.
Bring your own personal beekeeping gear (hat, veil, etc.) as this
will be a hands-on experience in the beeyard. Queen management
will be the theme. Procedures and topics to be demonstrated will
be:
1. Queen rearing equipment needed.
2. Natural supersedure process.
3. Grafting larvae to produce queens.
4. The Jenter System for queen rearing.
5. Finding the Old Queen.
6. Breeder characteristics of Drone mother colonies and
Breeder Queen colonies.
DIRECTIONS: From U.S. 218 turn west at Donnellson on Iowa Hwy.
2 and go west 2 miles. Turn left (south) and go 1 mile; turn
left (east) again and go 1/4 mile to Ray Tull Farm on the left
(north) side of the road. Follow the signs from Iowa Hwy. 2.
HONEY BOARD SEEKS ENTRIES FOR BEST HONEY PRODUCT CONTEST
The National Honey Board is seeking entries for its Second
Annual Best Honey-Containing Product Contest. The contest will
be held on June 22, 1993 at the National Association for the
Specialty Food Trade Fancy Food Show. Winners will receive a
trip for two to the July 1993 National Institute of Food
Technologists Convention in Chicago or a cash prize.
Specialty and gourmet food manufacturers are invited to
enter their best honey-containing products in the competition.
Products from any food category will be accepted, although honey
should be a primary sweetener and entries must contain at least
three ingredients. To enter, contestants should send their name,
company, address and telephone number along with a sample of
their product to:
National Honey Board
Best Honey-Containing Product Contest
c/o TJP Market Development
3242 Jones Court N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20007
Entries must be submitted by May 31, 1993. Individuals who would
like more information about the contest, should call the National
Honey Board's Honey Hotline at (800) 356-5941.
THE EAST-CENTRAL IOWA BEEKEEPING ASSOCIATION MEETING
Are you a beekeeper? Or are you beginning beekeeping?
Get new ideas, swap stories, get help with problems, hang out
with other beekeepers. Even if you are an intermediate or more
experienced beekeeper, you may wish you had a way to share this
interesting hobby. The East-Central Iowa Beekeeping
Association meets quarterly to share ideas and share enthusiasm
for our unusual and challenging pastime. Next meeting June 14,
7 to 9 p.m.. Montgomery Hall-lower level, Johnson County 4-H
fairgrounds, Riverside Dr/Hwy 218 South of the airport and
Colonial Lanes, Iowa City.
PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT AHB
In a rebuttal to a December 1992 ABJ article criticizing the
Texas plan to deal with Africanized Bees, Dr. Thomas Betz
contends that AHBs do not pose a public health threat. The
following is a quote from the rebuttal by Dr. Betz which appeared
in the April 1993 American Bee Journal:
I find no reason to modify our conclusions that the AHB
will have minimal public health consequences for the citizens
of this state and the southern United States, that it will
not overwhelm our present medical care delivery or emergency
medical systems, and, as in other countries, will integrate
itself into our biome without wreaking havoc upon it. It was
left for others with more expertise to pass judgment on the
potential agricultural and beekeeping industry effects of the
AHB on Texas, and these form the primary focus for the Texas
Africanized Honey Bee Managment Plan.
HONEY QUEEN REPORT
Since last November at the Iowa Honey Producers Annual
Meeting a big change has taken place in this Honey Queen's life.
In January, at the American Beekeeping Federation Meeting, I was
chosen as the 1993 American Honey Princess. During this year, I
will be traveling throughout the United States as a honey
spokesperson, representing the industry.
So far, my responsibilities have allowed me to visit
Colorado and Florida. In March, I went to Colorado to receive
public relations and media training from the National Honey
Board. This training was very beneficial in preparing me for
media interviews and the tasks I will have to perform this year.
In April, I spent five days in Florida, working with the Central
Florida Beekeepers, at the Lake County Fair. While there, I had
interviews with radio stations, gave cooking demonstrations, and
worked in their honey booth.
Since I'm still at Messiah College, in Grantham,
Pennsylvania, I'm also promoting in this area. I'm going to be
giving a honeybee presentation to grade-school children, at La
Casa de Amistad, a Spanish after-school program. I've also
convinced the school lunch room to hold a Honey Day in the
cafeteria, where honey will be used as an ingredient in the food
served the students.
I'll be returning home for the summer on May 11, and am
looking forward to promoting in my own area and state of Iowa.
If anyone would like assistance of any kind in promoting this
year, I would be more than willing to help in any way I can.
There are so many possibilities for promotion: in store
promotions, cooking demonstrations, school presentations, media
interviews, appearances at fairs, garden-club
presentations....anything! If you would like me to help you
promote, you can contact me at (319) 256-6921, or Charlotte
Randall at (904) 669-8604. By working together, we can promote
the honey industry and give it the recognition it deserves!
See you soon! Heather Pomeroy, 1993 American Honey Princess
NEW IHPA HONEY COOKBOOK
Paul Goossen is still looking for 40 or 50 more recipes to go
in the new Iowa Honey Producers Association Honey Cookbook. You
will be given credit for the recipes you send in and there will be
only a limited number printed so that we can sell these in a short
period of time. For details read the article in the April BUZZ.
Using a separate sheet of paper for each, please type or print
your recipes, keeping in mind any of the following eight categories:
Appetizers and beverages Breads and Rolls
Soups, Salads & Vegetables Pies, Pastry & Desserts
Main Dishes & Casseroles Cakes, Cookies & Candy
Meat, Poultry & Seafood This & That
1. First list all the ingredients. 2. Then give the directions
for making the recipe. 3. Be sure to include your name at the
bottom.
Send your favorite honey recipes to Paul F. Goossen, RR 5, Box
198, Mt. Pleasant, IA 52641.
ENCAPSULATED HONEY
Have you ever dropped a packet or cube of sugar in your
tea and thought: "Gosh, I wish honey was so convenient."
Wishful thinking is about to become reality.
Banner Gelatin Products Corp. Los Angeles, Ca. has
revolutionized food manufacturing technology developed for the
pharmaceutical industry and applying it to food products.
Banner has made it possible to put liquids such as honey into
small, edible gelatin balls. Drop one in your tea and the
gelatin dissolves, releasing its sweet golden contents in an
instant.
While encapsulation technology is not completely new,
encapsulated honey is a new application for this process.
Although no company currently is marketing such honey balls,
the concept shows great potential. In a 1990 consumer study,
an estimated 33 percent of households claimed they are using
honey as a sweetener. Just imagine the increase in consumption
if the remaining 67 percent began substituting sugar cubes and
packets with honey balls!
According to Banner Gelatin Products Corp., honey can be
encapsulated in 11 kinds of shapes with sizes ranging from the
head of a pin to a golfball. Even "teddy bear" shapes are
possible.
Encapsulating honey is not an easy process. Special
equipment and know-how are necessary to produce a high quality
product. Banner notes that it is still in an experimental
stage and there are some technical constraints that need to be
worked out. For best results with encapsulation, the liquid
must contain no more than 10 percent moisture and have relative
humidity (R.H.) lower than 50 percent. While honey does not
have these exact specifications, it is close enough to be
encapsulated. According to Clara Lejade, Vice President of
marketing for Banner, "Honey encapsulating needs a little more
research to extend the shelf life to one year or more, but it
is feasible and we are working on it." Using natural
humectants, such as glycerine, factors that affect gelatin
shelf life can be controlled. Another possibility is to
encapsulate creamed honey in which crystallization has
entrapped the available water.
Honey packaged in a precise, microwaveable, edible shell
may be very attractive to food processors. From muffins with
real honey filled centers to confectionery filling and granola
bars, this idea of incorporating a solid ingredient which
contains a sweet liquid is an exciting concept. It won't be
long before breakfast will include bear-shaped honey capsules
that automatically dissolve and sweeten the cereal when
heated....We can't wait! (From the National Honey Board)
FOR SALE: Deep Supers @ $2-$5 6 5/8 Supers @ $7.50
T.E. Linkletter 1304 Johnson Dr.
Shenandoah, IA 51601 (712) 246-2517
LOOKING FOR THE QUEEN by Gene Killion of Illinois
Finding the queen in even one small colony of bees seems an
insurmountable task to many people. Some people have owned hives
for two or more years and have never again found the queen after
seeing her as they installed the package. Even many commercial
beekeepers neglect to requeen their colonies regularly in hope of
saving labor costs. As the Africanized honey bee expands in the
United States, frequent requeening will probably become a necessity.
Finding queens and requeening will be a routine responsibility for
each person owning colonies of honey bees......A queen is much
easier to locate if one knows the basic procedures and clues to
follow while searching for her.
Suppose you plan to look for the queen in your colonies. Pick
the morning hours of a warm, sunny day while the majority of the
field bees are actively foraging. You will need one or two extra
bottom boards. If your colonies are situated in rows, begin working
the end colony of the front row. Complete this row of hives before
proceeding to the row behind. Working the entire front row first
enables the colonies to settle back to normal without interference
of the smoke and movement. You will also be working away from any
colonies that have become aggressive.
When you are ready to open the colony, place an extra bottom
board on the ground to the rear of the hive but on the same side
where you are standing while opening the hive. Give a few puffs of
cool smoke at the entrance, then a light puff at the inner cover
hole as you remove the outer cover. Lay the top cover to the side,
leaving the inner cover in place. Next insert your hive tool
between the upper and lower hive bodies at the front corner of the
hive and pry them apart, giving a few puffs of smoke between the
hive bodies. Place the upper hive body gently on the extra bottom
board. You will work the colony in a kneeling position. Work the
top part of the hive first. While removing the inner cover, look at
the bees crawling on the underside. The queen may occasionally be
found here.
Use smoke sparingly as you look because too much smoke may
cause the queen to move to the inner walls or down on the bottom
board. Do not let excessive smoke drift from your smoker across the
frames while you are looking for the queen. Drifting smoke induces
the bees to start running. Gently pry and lift out the frame next
to the outer wall of the hive body, at the same time scanning the
exposed side from left to right and right to left. If the colony is
in good condition the frame will be heavy with honey. Hold the
frame out at about three-quarters arm length and at a slight 45
degree angle for the best viewing. Reverse the frame by twisting it
between the forefingers and thumbs to expose the opposite side. The
frame will be inverted while viewing this side. If the queen is not
present, lean the frame beside the hive body, preferably in the
shade. Remove the next frame in the same manner, using a minimum of
smoke. After the first frame is removed, there will be space to
remove each additional frame and return it to the box.
(To be continued next month. Come to the IHPA Spring Field Day
May 22 at Donnellson for hands-on experience looking for the queen.)
1993 BID SHEET FOR HONEY
TO BE SOLD AT THE IOWA STATE FAIR SALES BOOTH
Bid on any or all items (state quantity you will supply and bid
price)
8 oz. jars--light honey_________________________________________
1 lb. jars--light honey_________________________________________
1 lb. jars combination--light honey
(liquid & comb together)__________________________________
2 lb. jars--light honey_________________________________________
5 lb. jars--light honey_________________________________________
Gallons--light honey____________________________________________
Antique jars--4 oz._____________________________________________
1 lb._____________________________________________
12 oz. bears--light honey_______________________________________
2 lb. bears--light honey________________________________________
1 lb. skep--light honey_________________________________________
Creamed honey--Regular__________________________________________
Cinnamon_________________________________________
Hard Candy--Multiple flavors____________________________________
Honey Stix--(Honey in plastic straws)___________________________
Beeswax bars-(1 oz.), (1.5 oz.), or (1 lb.)_____________________
Beeswax candles--dipped or poured_______________________________
Beeswax-other items_____________________________________________
Cut Comb Honey__________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Note: We need a substantial supply of cut comb honey in
plastic boxes and section comb honey. This item is usually in
short supply and thus bidding doesn't make sense. We will pay
$1.90 per unit. Please inform us if you can supply comb
_honey._________________________________________________________
Honey from all suppliers must be 1993 crop Iowa Honey with
18.5% or less moisture content and excellent overall quality.
Winning bids will be based on price, quality and ability to
provide required quantity of product when needed.
Suppliers will be provided labels at no cost. Bids must be
received by June 10, 1993. Please sign the bid sheet and provide
address and phone numbers.
NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE ( )
RETURN TO: W. John Johnson
RR 4, Squaw Valley
Ames, Iowa 50010
(515) 232-6094
FOR SALE: 1000 deep boxes with drawn comb, 6 boxes of Dadant wired
deep foundation and 4 boxes of comb honey foundation.
Contact: Mark Gress, Avoca, Iowa Phone (712) 343-2719
FOR SALE: 20 packages of 30 Miticur strips each. $25 @ plus
shipping. Call Ann Garber at (515) 872-2119
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DADANT BEE SUPPLY DEALER specializing in providing supplies for
the hobbyist and small sideline beekeeper.
AUTUMN APIARIES, INC. - GORDON & BEVERLY POWELL
4012 - 54TH STREET
DES MOINES, IA. 50310
PHONE (515) 278-1762
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