Subject: June 1994 'Buzz' - Iowa Beekeepers Newsletter

From: [email-masked] (Terry Dahms)
Date: Tue, 2 Aug 1994 22:18:06 GMT

Submitted by: Terry Dahms, Pres.
       East Central Iowa Beekeepers Assoc.
       internet: [email-masked]
       ps: sorry for the delay in posting.
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                    THE BUZZ                     JUNE, 1994
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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 Gordon Powell, IHPA Treasurer.
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       STATE APIARISTS REPORT
          What  a  fantastic spring for the bees we have  had!   You  can
       expect lots of swarming if you have not managed the bees properly. 
       It is time to start thinking about getting supers on your colonies
       and  preparing  for the harvest.   That brings up the  Iowa  State
       Fair.  Get involved this year.  Enter some of your best product in
       the apiary division or perhaps cook something with honey to  enter
       in the food division.  It doesn't matter whether your bees produce
       dark or light honey, liquid or comb honey,  beautiful beeswax or a
       nice observation beehive.  There is a class for everyone.
          Think  about putting in a bid for selling honey or  beeswax  at
       the Iowa Honey Producers Association Salesbooth at State Fair.  We
       could really use good quality product and at the same time promote
       our favorite industry or hobby.
          I  am finding the Varroa mite in many places around  the  state
       this year.  Beware of this mite and treat if you have them.   Time
       is running out to treat this spring,  if not already past in  most
       areas of the state.   The black locust trees are blooming now (May
       23rd)  and some sweet clover is starting to bloom here in  central
       Iowa.   This is the time of year to put on supers for the bees  to
       store surplus honey.
          In  June  there  are local beekeepers meetings  being  held  in
       Marshalltown,  Iowa  City  and  Davenport.   For  specific  dates,
       places,  and times consult the "Calendar of Events."   These are a
       great opportunity to compare notes and see how other beekeepers do
       things.  Why not pick one closest to you and attend it?
          If  you want to be on a list of beekeepers wanting to  retrieve
       swarms or need bees inspected before July 1st,  give me a call  at
       (515) 281-5736.                     - Bob Cox

       CENTRAL IOWA BEEKEEPERS MEETING
          The Central Iowa Beekeepers Association (CIBA) will hold  their
       summer  meeting  at the Anson Park Shelter House  in  Marshalltown
       June 18th at 5:30 p.m.   A member appreciation meal will be cooked
       and  served  by CIBA board members for continued  support  of  the
       membership.   The program will follow at 6:30 p.m.  featuring  Bob
       Mitchell, Tim Laughlin and Bob Cox (Mo, Larry and Curly?)
       For further information contact Margaret Hala (515) 752-2981.

       IOWA SUMMER BEEKEEPING FIELD DAY
          Saturday,  July 23rd the Iowa Honey Producers and Central  Iowa
       Beekeepers  Association  will hold a beekeeping field day  at  the
       Riverside Bible Camp near Story City,  Iowa.   The camp is located
       just  2  miles  off  of  I-35  about  20  miles  north  of   Ames.
       Registration is at 8:30 a.m. and the program will last until 4:00.
          Dr.  Marla Spivak of the University of Minnesota  Bee  Research
       Laboratory will present a program on queen management: finding and
       evaluating the queen, queen selection, breeding,  rearing methods,
       replacement and introduction methods.  Everyone attending will get
       a  copy of the new disease booklet published by the University  of
       Minnesota.
          The morning will start out with a walking tour of bee plants on
       the  grounds.   Breakout sessions in the  afternoon  will  include
       choices  of  Comb  Honey Production,  Pollen  Trapping,  Beginning
       Beekeeping, or Bee Diseases and Pests.
          The  camp  setting is a great place for  beekeepers  and  their
       families.   There  is  a beeyard with  a  screened-in  observation
       building  on the property.   Some of the talks and lunch  will  be
       held  in  an  air-conditioned  retreat  center.   Pre-registration
       ($4.00  for  single  or family) is required for  a  prepared  meal
       ($5.75  per  adult) or you could bring your own lunch and  eat  at
       picnic  tables outside.   To register fill out the form on page  9
       and  send in with your check for the registration and  meal.   The
       registration fee at the door is $5.00.
          For further information contact Bob Cox,  State Apiarist,  Iowa
       Department of Agriculture, Wallace Building, Des Moines,  IA 50319
       (515) 281-5736 or Gordon Powell, 4012 - 54th St.,  Des Moines,  IA
       50310 (515) 278-1762.

       SCOTT COUNTY BEEKEEPERS FIELD TRIP
          Thurday,  June 16th at 6:00 p.m.  the Scott  County  Beekeepers
       Association  will  hold  a  beekeeping field  trip.   Meet  at  Al
       Gruber's  beeyard  at  1945 Wisconsin St.  on  the  west  side  of
       Davenport.
          This  will be a hands-on experience in the beeyard or  you  may
       want  to watch.   Anyway,  bring you own hat,  beeveil  and  other
       personal gear if you have it.   However,  come even if you do not,
       because we will have some extra equipment for you to use.
          We will identify queens,  swarm cells,  and other aspects of  a
       bee  colony.   We will demonstrate how to make splits and  requeen
       colonies  and when to place supers on colonies for  surplus  honey
       production.  Hopefully, we will not have a rainstorm again.
       DIRECTIONS:   Turn north on Wisconsin Street off of Locust,  1 1/4
       miles east of I-280.  Come and bring a friend.
       For further information contact Ray & Jo Whitwood (319) 263-0992.

                                HONEY OF A VERSE

       "John  did baptize in the wilderness,  and preach the  baptism  of
       repentance for the remission of sins...  And John was clothed with
       camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins;  and he
       did eat locusts and wild HONEY"  (Mark 1:4,6)
       NOSEMA  IN  HONEYBEES by Carol Fassbinder  (Hawkeye  Science  Fair
       Winner)
          In the past four winters the winter kill rate for honeybees  in
       Iowa  has  been 50-75%.   In my science fair project I  wanted  to
       determine if Nosema disease is a contributor to such a high winter
       loss.   I  predicted  that the colonies  that  were  treated  with
       Fumadil-B will have little or no Nosema spores, and survive winter
       better than the colonies that were not treated.

       Procedure:   I tested 8 different yards (averaging 26 colonies per
       yard)  and gathered a 25-bee sample from each.   Yards #1  and  #2
       were  treated with Fumadil-B and winter-wrapped,  #3 and  #4  were
       treated and not wrapped,  #5 and #6 were not treated but  wrapped,
       and  #7 and #8 were not treated  and not wrapped for  winter.   At
       each yard I recorded the number of living colonies in the  spring. 
       I then dissected the bees by removing the head,  then grasping the
       stinger  end  of  the abdomen, and gently  removing  the  insides. 
       After removing the insides from 25 bees, the gut,  ventriculus and
       honey stomach were ground up with 25 millilters of water (1 ml per
       bee) with a mortar and pestle.   I used a wire loop to transfer  a
       small amount of this solution onto the hemocytometer for  counting
       the  number  of Nosema spores.   Under a 430  power  microscope  I
       counted  the Nosema spores in 80 small squares on a  special  grid
       and used a mathematical formula to calculate the correct number of
       spores per bee and the level of infestation.

       Results:   The Nosema infestation is displayed in Table 1 and  the
       winter survival rate is shown in Table 2 on page 4.   In yards  #1
       and  #2  (Fumadil  & wrapped) the average spore  count  was  1,667
       spores  per bee,  and they had an average winter survival rate  of
       85%  and the amount of dysentery was extremely low.   In yards  #3
       and #4 (Fumadil but not wrapped) there were 24,834 spores per  bee
       and  they had an average winter survival rate of 85% and  was  not
       much  dysentery dtectable at these yards.  In yard #5 and  #6  (no
       Fumadil but wrapped) the average spore count was 66,665 spores per
       bee,  and 83% winter survival raate and there was a fair amount of
       dysentery on the outside of the hives, but the inside of the hives
       were still clean.   In yards #7 and #8 (no Fumadil & not  wrapped)
       the  spore  count  was  152,667 spores  per  bee,  with  only  31%
       surviving winter and dysentery covering the front of the hives, as
       well as the inside of the hives.

       Conclusions:   It  appears  that  if  the  bees  are  either  well
       protected for winter by wrapping or treated with Fumadil-B,  their
       winter survival is reasonable.   However, if the bees are  neither
       treated  with Fumadil-B,  nor protected by wrapping,  they do  not
       survive  winter well.   I conclude that winter protection is  more
       important  than  treating  with Fumadil-B (because  of  the  added
       expense).   If  the bees are not protected,  then  treatment  with
       Fumadil-B is essential.  Since other factors play a part in winter
       survival, more reasearch needs to be done.  (Carol is a 7th grader
       at  Valley  Community  School and daughter  of  Robert  and  Kathy
       Fassbinder , commercial beekeepers from Elgin, Iowa.)

       Figure 1 - Number of Nosema      Figure 2 - Winter survival rate
       spores per bee in the spring     in the spring of 1994 after
       of 1994 after colonies were      colonies were treated with 
       treated with Fumadil (3+4),      Fumadil-B or wrapped or both
       wrapped (5+6), both (1+2) or     or neither.
       neither (7+8).
                               CALENDAR OF EVENTS
       JUNE         
       13           Eastcentral Iowa Beekeepers Meeting 7:00 p.m. in
                     basement   of   Montgomery  Hall,   Johnson   County
                     Fairgrounds, Iowa City
       16           Scott County Beekeeping Field Day 7:00 p.m. at Al
                     Gruber's beeyard, 1945 Wisconsin St. in Davenport.
       18           Central Iowa Beekeepers Dinner & Meeting 5:30 p.m. 
                     at Anson Park Shelter House in Marshalltown. 
                     Program at 6:30
       25           IHPA Board Mtg. 1:00 p.m. at Royal Cafe in Huxley.
       JULY
       13-15        Eastern Apicultural Society Annual Conference in
                    Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Contact Maryann Frazier
                    telephone: (814) 865-4621.

       23           IHPA/CIBA Summer Field Day at Riverside Church Camp,
                    Story City,  Iowa.   Contact Gordon Powell or Bob Cox
                    for further details.
       NOVEMBER     
       11-12        Iowa Honey Producers Annual Meeting in Marshalltown.
                           WHAT TO DO ABOUT SWARMING
       (Reprinted from the Alaska newsletter - By Dr.  Clarence Collison,
       Mississippi State University)
          Swarming  is  an instinctive desire of  honeybees  to  increase
       their  numbers  by reproducing at the colony  level,  giving  them
       twice  the chance to survive.   While this behavior is  not  fully
       understood, several factors contribute to the swarming impulse.
          The  major  factor  is congestion in the brood  area  which  is
       related  to population size and availability of  space.   Swarming
       also  is  associated  with  the  production  and  distribution  of
       chemicals  secreted  by the queen.   When there is a  shortage  of
       these secretions (queen substance),  the bees make queen cells  in
       preparation for swarming or supercedure (a natural replacement  of
       an established queen by a daughter in the same hive).
          Swarming  also may be modified by the weather.   When  colonies
       are strong and developing, good weather following some bad weather
       seems  to  accentuate  the swarming  fever.   Other  factors  that
       contribute to swarming include poor ventilation,  a failing queen,
       heredity  and  an  imbalance  in the  makeup  of  the  worker  bee
       population.    Most  swarming  occurs  during  April  and  May  in
       Mississippi, and you need to check the colonies every 8 to 10 days
       during this season.  The presence of queen cells in the brood area
       is  the  first  indication the colony is  preparing  to  swarm  or
       supercede  its queen.   Swarm cells are commonly found on or  near
       the  bottom  bars  of the combs in  the  upper  brood  chamber(s). 
       Whereas supercedure queen cells are generally found on the face of
       the comb.
          To  check  quickly  for swarm cells,  tip back  the  top  brood
       chamber(s) and look up between the frames,  destroy all (unsealed)
       swarm  cells.   Unfortunately,  cutting  out  queen  cells  seldom
       prevents  swarming;  it  only delays it  since  the  bees  usually
       construct  more  cells in a few days.   Once the bees  succeed  in
       capping a queen cell, they are committed to swarming.
       (Tennessee Apiculture March-April 1991)
          I am not hard hearted--some of the time but I have a hard  time
       feeling  sorry for people who allow their bees to swarm when  they
       don't  watch their bees.   July is our usual swarming time.   This
       year the first swarm was reported June the 5th.   Caging the queen
       first  week  of July to prevent swarming won't work as  well  this
       year due to the fact that the bees are swarming early.  It will do
       the other jobs in to brood rearing, etc., that I write about.
          Cutting out queen cells--my way of saying it--it is a waste  of
       time.   Why?   Because even experienced beekeepers miss  them  and
       when  the bees have their jogging shoes on cutting out cells  will
       not stop them, just slow them down a few days.  Separate the brood
       from  the queen by an excluder and give an uppper  entrance.   Let
       them swarm but stay in the hive.

       FOR SALE:  queen excluders, Kelley 33-frame extractor,  sump tank,
       1"  pump,  Dadant Wax melter, Cowen uncapper,  2 - 3000 gal.  S.S.
       corn syrup tanks,  and more.  Call days (608) 568-7601 or evenings
       (608) 748-4706.
                                        
       ESPY APPOINTS NEW MEMBERS TO NATIONAL HONEY BOARD
          Mike  Espy,  U.S.  Secretary  of  Agriculture,   appointed  two
       producer members,  one exporter member and one cooperative  member
       as  well  as alternates for each position to  the  National  Honey
       Board.   The new members'  three-year terms commenced April 1  and
       expire on March 31, 1997.
          H. Binford Weaver, Navasota, Texas, was reappointed to serve as
       producer member representing Region 5 (Al, AR, LA, MS, MO, OK,  TN
       and TX).   Bobby E.  Coy, Jonesboro, Arkansas was appointed as the
       alternate for Weaver.
          Stephen  A.  Conlon,  Proctor,  W.V. was appointed to serve  as
       producer member representing Region 7 (CT, DL, DC, IL, IN, KY, ME,
       MA,  NH,  NJ,  NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA, and WV).   David E.
       Hackenberg,  Lewisburg,  PA  was appointed as  the  alternate  for
       Conlon.
          John (Doug) McGinnis,  Edgewater,  FL was appointed to serve as
       exporter member.  Robert E. Coyle, Bellevue, WA, a honey importer,
       was appointed as the alternate for McGinnis.
          Newly appointed members of the nominating committee are:  Jerry
       A.  Brown,  Haddam, KS; Glenn E. Davis, Blue Springs, MO;  Todd D.
       Larson,  Billings,  MT; Joann M. Olstrom, Reedsport,  OR;  Glen R.
       Wollman,  Parker,  SD; Donald J. Kohn, Withee, WI;  and Charles D.
       Hannum, Arlington, VA.
          Reappointed  for three terms on the nominations committee  are:
       Reg G. Wilbanks, Claxton, GA; Donald T. O'Neill, Baton Rouge,  LA;
       Jacob C.  DeKorne, Ellsworth, MI; Darl B. Stoller,  Latty,  OH and
       Stephen H. Dilley, Nashville, TN.

       FRANK PELLETT, APICULTURE PIONEER, REMEMBERED
          An excellent article about the Hyssop honey plant,  a member of
       the mint family, by Ayers and Widrlechner was published in the May
       1994  American Bee Journal.   In this article quite a  mention  of
       Frank  Pellett  was made with respect to his work  on  this  honey
       plant. The following is quoted from this article:
          "Because of his extensive writing on the subject, Frank Pellett
       (1879-1951),  more  than  anyone else, created  a  place  in  U.S.
       apicultural history for A. foeniculum (anise hyssop).  Mr. Pellett
       was a well respected apiculturist.  He was the Iowa State Apiarist
       between 1912 and 1917,  a Field Editor of the American Bee Journal
       for  many  years,  and  then  an  Associate  Editor  of  the  same
       publication, a position he held until the end of his life.  He was
       instrumental in the pioneering research on American foulbrood.  He
       initiated and operated the American Bee Journal's Honey Plant Test
       Gardens  at  Atlantic,  Iowa.   He  was  a  careful  observer  who
       published  books  on  the history of  American  beekeeping,  queen
       rearing,    practical   beekeeping,   horticulture,   botany   and
       ornithology (Anonymous,  1951), but he is probably most remembered
       by today's beekeepers for his magnum opus,  American Honey Plants,
       which he revised several times through his life (1920, 1923, 1930,
       and  1947).   His proclamations about bee forage in  general  (and
       anise   hyssop  in  particular)  demanded  the  respect   of   the
       apicultural industry."  (Anonymous. 1951. Frank Pellett 1879-1951.
       American Bee Journal 91:234-237).
                        1994 SUMMER BEEKEEPING FIELD DAY

              Iowa Honey Producers & Central Iowa Beekeepers Assn.
                                        
                              Saturday, July 23rd

                    Riverside Bible Camp, 3001 Riverside Rd.
                              Story City, IA 50248
                              Phone (515) 733-5271

       Meeting Pre-registration                     $4.00       $________
       (Deadline - July 16)
                                     At the door    $5.00       $________
       (No prepared meal available if not pre-registered)**

       Noon meal*  in air-conditioned bldg.         $5.75       $________
                      Through age 3   - No charge
         Children:    Ages 4 - 10 yrs - $3.00
                      Ages 11 and up  - full price

       *  Includes  soup,  salad,  BBQ  sandwich  &  chips,   bread/roll,
       coffee/milk/coolaid

       ** Picnic tables outside if you would rather bring your own lunch.

       1994 MEMBERSHIP DUES:
       Iowa Honey Producers Association             $5.00       $________

       Central Iowa Beekeepers Association          $4.00       $________

                                                        =================

                                                        TOTAL   $________

       MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO:  IOWA HONEY PRODUCERS ASSN.

       SEND CHECK AND FORM TO:     Gordon Powell
                                   4012 - 54th St.
                                   Des Moines, IA 50310
                                   (515) 278-1762

       NAME______________________________________________________________

       ADDRESS:__________________________________________________________

       CITY:____________________STATE_________________ZIP________________

       PHONE(____)_______________________No. of colonies_________________

       4/05/94