File item: BUZZ0593.TXT 6/4/93 1:46PM 28503 Summitted by Terry Dahms President-East Central Iowa Beekeepers ----------------------------------------------------------------- THE BUZZ MAY, 1993 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ***************************************************************** 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 *****************************************************************