Submitted by Terry Dahms - President
East Central Iowa Beekeepers
internet: [log in to unmask]
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THE BUZZ OCTOBER, 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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STATE APIARISTS REPORT
We have just finished a good time of honey promotion during
National Honey Month and are in the middle of inspecting bees
that will be shipped south for the winter. Now we just need a
better honey crop to sell and a better price when we do sell it.
It is unclear whether any part of the federal honey program will
survive this congressional session and administration.
During Honey Month and State Fair many people heard about
beekeeping and had a taste of delicious Iowa honey. The nice
booths and beekeepers left the public with a positive image of
honey and beekeeping. The honey queen candidate, Amber Buckley,
American Honey Princess, Heather Pomeroy and volunteers at the
booths at State Fair, Cattleman's Congress, Honey-Walnut Classic,
Living History Farms, and Taste of Honey Day should be
congratulated for their extra effort in promoting honey.
There are a number of beekeepers who had not previously
moved bees south in the winter who are planning on migrating
because of poor wintering success lately. The poor honey crops,
parasitic mites and unfavorable weather have encouraged
beekeepers to examine the way they operate the business. If you
are moving bees out of state, be sure to contact me at the State
Apiarist's Office (515) 281-5736 with a request for a Certificate
of Inspection. All states require this document for entry. All
colonies must be free of American Foulbrood Disease and Varroa
mites or, in the case of Varroa, treated with an EPA-approved
product for honeybee hives. Speaking of Varroa mites; our
inspectors have detected some Varroa mites in most counties this
year. Most colonies with Varroa had low levels (i.e. less than
10 mites/300 bees by ether roll method). However, in areas where
we've detected Varroa for several years, the Varroa infestation
was more serious this year. Serious outbreaks occurred in
Council Bluffs, Forest City, Jefferson, Waterloo, Charles City
and Dubuque areas, as well as most of Northwest Iowa. See the
reminder about Varroa mites on page 5.
The latest research concerning honey bees were recently
presented at the American Bee Research Conference in College
Station, Texas. About 1/3 of the papers dealt with mites, 1/3
with Africanized bees and the remainder miscellaneous topics
related to bees. (See "Heat Treatment" article on page 2.)
Letter to the Editor
REPRESENTATIVE GRANDY VOTES AGAINST HONEY BILL - Just a note to
say that I think we (honey producers) ought to try to have more
representation on boards such as the Iowa Farm Bureau's recent
Iowa Farm Bill Study Team (represented by Iowa Dairy Products,
Iowa Pork Producers, Iowa Cattlemans, Iowa Soybean, Iowa Sheep
Industry and Iowa Corn Growers Associations).
We are controlled by the USDA-ASCS offices around Iowa and
we have no representation on their boards either. What can we
do? Many of us are members of the Farm Bureau. Also more
publicity should be given to the fact that U.S. Representative
Fred Grandy voted against us in the House bill. The very least
that could be done is to explode it in THE BUZZ.
I'm sick and tired of being in such a great profession and
not fighting back. I'm tired of our trust being violated, and
just sitting back while we take a thrashing by the media.
Let's vote for people we can trust!
- John E. Kroon, Sheldon, Iowa
HEAT TREATMENT OF MITE-INFESTED BEES
Dr. John Harbo, a researcher from the USDA Bee Lab in Baton
Rouge, presented an interesting paper at the Bee Research
Conference this week. In his experiment Dr. Harbo treated
mite-infested packages with various amounts of heat. The results
indicated that 108 F killed tracheal mites in about one day but
the bees also died about 2 days later. Package bees kept at
102 F did not die and the tracheal mites were killed in about two
days.
The bees in the experiment were also infested with Varroa
mites. The heat caused the Varroa mites to fall off the bees but
were not killed. However, if a sticky paper with vegetable
shortening was placed under the cage, the Varroa mites died upon
contact with the vegetable shortening. Apparently vegetable oil
or shortening made from the oil is deadly to Varroa mites.
OBITUARY
September 5, 1993 was a sad day for Iowa beekeepers. Bob
Gott of Ollie, Iowa passed away at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines.
Bob did not manage a large number of colonies but he was
outstanding in Iowa's honey industry. Bob and his wife, Phyllis
gave many hours of labor as officers and members to the Southeast
Iowa Beekeepers Association and the Iowa Honey Producers
Association. In fact, they were in Des Moines volunteering at
the State Fair Honey Booth when Bob became ill.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Phyllis and the family.
QUOTABLE QUOTE
"Breeding bees resistant to Varroa mites is like trying to breed
lambs that are resistant to wolves" (Tibor Szabo, Bee Researcher,
University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada)
DEAR FELLOW BEEKEEPERS
Here it is almost the first of October and the summer flew
past again as usual. With all the rain it hasn't been a very
good year for honey again for most of us. Although I've heard
some in the southern part of the state had a fair honey crop, our
average will only be about 15-20 pounds. Usually we are finished
pulling honey by now, but with all the wet weather we are running
a little behind.
We are finding colonies that had their brood chamber full of
honey several weeks ago, but now are getting pretty light.
Because these colonies have eaten up their stores already,
feeding is going to be a must if you intend to winter them. So
we have started feeding high-fructose corn syrup. At the same
time were are treating them with Terramycin and putting in our
rings and entrance reducers. Hopefully next year will be better.
The annual meeting is the first weekend in November (see
tentative schedule on page 8. We have a nice array of speakers
with many interesting topics. So come join us. We look forward to
seeing you there. - Leroy Kellogg, IHPA President
USDA/APHIS AFRICANIZED HONEY BEE PROGRAM LEAVING TEXAS
The Africanized Honey Bee (AHB) Program field activities
administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service have been discontinued in Texas.
However, Elba Quintero, coordinator for the program, will be
moved to Phoenix, Arizona where she will assist individual states
wanting to set up a cooperative AHB management plan. The AHB's
are now established in southern Arizona and are not far from
southern California.
YOUR NEIGHBOR BEEKEEPER (by Tom Schuster)
Sitting on the east edge of Lisbon, just north of U.S.
Highway 30 there is a small well tended home nestled among the
tall pine and oak trees. As you approach the driveway you are
greeted by a sign: "Welcome to the Denisons". Now retired from
farming, but still keeping a few bees, this happy couple have a
little extra time to enjoy their lifelong love: playing and
listening to bluegrass music.
Earlier this month, seeing Walter's travel trailer backed
into the driveway and remembering the sign, I stopped to say
"hello". Walter and his wife had just returned from a music
festival in southern Illinois. Several cups of coffee later, I
mentioned that it would be nice to hear them play sometime. To
my surprise and with a gleam in his eye, Walter reached for his
favorite Martin guitar and was quickly joined by his wife.
For the next hour the music never stopped. As huge
weathered hands glided across the strings, the Martin came to
life. However, all too soon, the Walter Denison home faded in
the rear view mirror as I drove away.
Thanks again for the private concert, Walter. Maybe we
should all take a little extra time to hear the music in life.
(Oh, by the way, Walter's beehives were doing just fine.)
LETTER FROM THE AMERICAN HONEY PRINCESS
Fellow Iowans,
Hi! With the summer finally coming to a close, I can
honestly say that I've been as "busy as a bee." July and August
kept me travelling throughout Iowa, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and
Montana.
A Renaissance Affair in Des Moines started the month of
July. Sponsored by a Methodist church, this fair recreated the
times with a king and queen coronation, lancers, jesters,
fire-eaters and plenty of homemade goodies. I was introduced as
the only "true princess" there--what a surprise!
Also in July, I presented honey bees and beekeeping to my
local Lions Club. They referred to me as their "entertainment"
for the night, and I think by the interest they showed, they were
actually entertained. The next group to which I spoke was the
Wayland Fire Department. I spoke on "Honeybee Emergencies",
showing a video and answering questions.
July 26-29, I helped the Eastcentral Iowa Iowa Beekeepers at
the Johnson County Fair. It was a pleasure to work with them at
their informative and educational booth. Although no honey was
sold, I feel their efforts were very helpful in promoting
beekeeping and increasing public awareness of what we
"beekeepers" really do.
The beginning of August took me to Illinois, where I
attended an Agricultural Field Day. Dave Hester, a family
friend, invited me to promote the honeybee pollination that takes
place in their sunflower fields.
Pennsylvania was the next stop for this travelling princess.
I helped sell honey ice cream at the Pennsylvania Ag. Progress
Show. Honey ice cream--does that sound familiar? The
Pennsylvania Beekeepers Association hired a company to produce
chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and butter-pecan flavors for the
ice cream lovers at the show.
From Pennsylvania I travelled to Montana where I attended
Montana Fair Time. Working with the Eastern Montana Beekeepers,
I helped man a honey booth, answered questions about an
observation hive, and gave frequent radio interviews.
The final event of August was the Iowa State Fair. It was
great working with "old friends"! Two days, I gave cooking
demonstrations on the gazebo stage in the Agriculture Building.
Selling honey, passing out honey samples, and spending time on
radio and T.V. were just some of the highlights. Thank you for
asking me to attend; I'm glad I could help my home state.
Since them, I've travelled to West Virginia, where I had a
first-time experience. I wore a bee beard! With the queen bee
strapped to my chin, I patiently sat as three thousand worker
bees started congregating towards my chin. They actually
tickled, and by the time they were all hanging from my chin as a
beard, the mass became quite heavy with vibrations.
So far, that's all, but I leave tomorrow for Maryland to
continue my journey...Next weekend (Sept. 23-26), I'll be in Des
Moines for "A Taste of Honey" day at the Botanical Center, so
maybe I'll see some of you there! - Heather Pomeroy
APITHERAPY SOCIETY
Recently, there seems to be a surge of interest in bee venom
and bee pollen as a treatment for various human ailments. The TV
show about using bee stings to combat Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and
Senator Tom Harkin's endorsement of bee pollen as a cure for hay
fever and allergy symptoms are two factors in this increased
interest. Maybe there is another market niche here for
beekeepers to explore.
Anyone wanting more information on this topic should contact
the American Apitherapy Society, P.O. Box 74, North Hartland, VT
05052. This organization publishes a quarterly newsletter: Bee
Well.
** R E M I N D E R **
ALL VARROA MITE-INFESTED APIARIES MUST BE TREATED BY OCTOBER 15TH
Now that the main nectar flow is over and you've had time to
get honey supers removed, it's time to apply an EPA-approved
miticide product that will control Varroa mites. The new Iowa
Bee Rule requires you to control the parasitic mites to prevent
spread of the mite to neighboring apiaries. Our field inspectors
will be in contact with you to make sure that treatments are made
in a timely and proper manner.
The alternative to chemical treatment is to kill the Varroa
infested bees and start over again next spring. If you leave the
equipment vacant for at least 30 days it is safe to use again.
This certainly is the best alternative if colonies are not strong
or you have a heavy infestation of Varroa mites. We consider
over 10 mites on an ether roll test with 300 bees to be a heavy
infestation of Varroa mites. The bees can removed from the
equipment with a bee blower by blowing them into a 55-gallon drum
containing dish detergent and water. Because the detergent
breaks the surface tension on the water the bees quickly drown
and die. WARNING: If you use an insecticide to spray or dust the
hive to kill the bees, the equipment will be unfit to house bees
again.
Apistan (fluvalinate impregnated plastic strips) is
available from the Beekeeping Supply Houses. Like any other
pesticide it must be used according to the instructions on the
label. Miticur was withdrawn from the market and so is not
generally available. Most areas of the state are now infested
with both tracheal and Varroa mite. Therefore, treatment for
mites is advised for most Iowa beekeepers.
If we work together on controlling these damaging mite
parasites, we can maintain healthy, productive colonies.
However, if we neglect to treat the infested apiaries, large
scale loss of colonies is inevitable, not only for you but for
your neighboring beekeepers.
HONEY OF A VERSE
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and
health to the bones. (Proverbs 16:24)
THANK YOU: Tom Schuster says "thanks" to all who helped at the
honey booth at the National Cattleman's Congress Saturday,
September 18th in Waterloo.
WANT TO BUY: Light honey in 5-gallon containers. Call Tim
Laughlin in Grundy Center at (319) 824-6462.
WANT TO BUY: Light honey. Contact Paul Goossen, RR 1, Box 83A
Homestead, Iowa (319) 622-6410.
FOR SALE: 1966 2-TON Chevy flatbed truck - $2400. E-Z loader
and ramps - $1200. Contact Dick Blake, RR 2, Box 112B,
Shenandoah, IA 51601 Phone (712) 246-3412.
FOR SALE: Three barrels of light amber honey. Dadant 4-frame
extractor on wooden stand - $150 hand-crank or $175 w/motor.
Three boxes (ca. 50 sheets/box) of medium brood foundation 16 1/2
x 8 in. for craftwax - $14/box. Electric uncapping knife - $25.
Assorted 8-frame and modified Dadant equipment available.
Contact Phil Ebert in Lynnville, Iowa (515) 527-2639.
FOR SALE: Pack-King stainless, water-jacketed 25-gallon honey
packing tank.
Contact M. Fackler, 5903 SW 13th Pl., Des Moines, IA (515)
285-3917.
FOR SALE: Complete bee operation - 100 two-story hives with bees
plus equipment for 150 colonies. Call (712) 225-5207.
FOR SALE: 8 - 6 5/8 supers of sealed honey ready to extract.
4 - 2-story colonies of bees $45 each. Call Gene Cluney in
Pleasant Hill at (515) 265-2819.
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** BEEKEEPING AUCTION **
Saturday November 13, 1993
1:00 P.M.
Central City, Iowa
LOCATION: One block east of State Highway 13 - Gib Sellers
Phone no. (319) 438-1324
160 single-story hives with tip and bottom board, contain 8
frames plus an internal feeder, metal entrance closures - no
bees.
Cappings spinner; 40-frame merry-go-round; Kelley 33-frame
extractor; 100-gallon storage tank; sump and pump - all
stainless.
Power super hoist, 2 electric knives, 20 metal drip pans, 686
shallow supers with 9 drawn combs, 16 deep supers with frames, 38
shallow supers most with frames. Box of new deep frames, 200 all
wire metal-bound excluders, 17 all-wire, wood-bound excluders, 11
5-frame nuc boxes, 20-gallon dispenser tank and stand, 4-can
liquifying tank, grid and heater, 15 new bottom boards, 18 used
bottom boards, super cart, barrel cart, Dadant blower and chute,
metal wedge embedder, syrup mixing tank, 150 5-gallon plastic
jugs.
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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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--THE BUZZ--
Apiary Bureau
IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
AND LAND STEWARDSHIP
Wallace Building
Des Moines, IA 50319
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