Bees's topics - tribe.net

Best frame with foundation cleat cut loose?

2008-07-01T01:05:30Z

I'm looking to find a manufacture that has a good frame with the foundation cleat cut loose. We use (old style) wax foundation heated onto wire and cleated in on top.... Who makes the best California Pondarosa Pine frame? We were use to the old Diamond frames and loved them.

Thanks

G

posted in Bees - 0 replies

Online resources

2008-06-22T23:14:14Z

This thread is for online links and resources,

posted in Bees - 3 replies

Honeybees boost business

2008-06-19T00:47:01Z

by Jule Hubbard

http://www.journalpatriot.com/fullstory.asp?id=488

Suppliers of beekeeping equipment in Wilkes County and elsewhere have unexpectedly found that it's a sweet time to be in business.
Business for companies like Brushy Mountain Bee Farm in the Brushy Mountain community and Miller Bee Supply in the Mulberry community is booming this year as more people nationwide decide to become beekeepers.
Brushy Mountain Bee Farm has been two to three weeks behind in filling orders for the parts of bee hives, beekeeping suits, smokers and other equipment for about two months, said Shane Gebauer, general manager of the business.
Gebauer said it normally wouldn’t take more than two or three days to fill an order.
Brushy Mountain Bee Farm now employs 34 people, about 15 more than last year at this time. Facilities of the business, owned and operated by Steve and Sandy Forrest, have been expanded multiple times over the years.
Gebauer said Brushy Mountain Bee Farm is believed to be the nation’s third largest beekeeping equipment supplier.
Miller Bee Supply’s employment doubled to 14 during the same time and the business has new and larger facilities—a 7,200-square-foot manufacturing building and an 8,400-square-foot warehouse completed last year.
The number of orders at Miller Bee Supply is more than double those of the previous year, said Presley Miller, who owns and operates the business with his wife, Beverly. Miller said his business is about the nation’s seventh largest beekeeping equipment supplier.
Miller said he has picked up several wholesale customers who couldn’t fill their orders from other sources.
Miller, a third generation Wilkes beekeeper, said beekeeping and gardening are among things more people do during tough economic times, partly because they reduce personal food costs and can be a source of extra income.
He said a lot of the newcomers to beekeeping are people in their 30s and 40s. According to media reports, many of them also live in urban areas of the country.
Beekeeping equipment suppliers feared that widespread media reports about honeybee mortality nationwide from “colony collapse disorder,” a complex problem still being studied for answers, would discourage potential and existing beekeepers and hurt their business.
Spokesmen for Brushy Mountain Bee Farm and Miller Bee Supply said this news coverage in the past year apparently instead increased awareness of the importance of honeybees to vegetable and fruit crops and caused people to want to help by becoming beekeepers.
Gebauer said the publicity is among several factors benefiting beekeeping.
“It’s a perfect storm—all of the things coming together at this point in time to increase interest in beekeeping,” said Gebauer.
In addition to people wanting to help increase honeybee populations, he said, the many “baby-boomers” who recently retired now have time to take up beekeeping.
“You can liken what has happened in beekeeping to what has happened in American agriculture in the last 10 years or less. People are reverting more to food that is locally-produced and on a smaller scale—moving away from the mega farms,” he said.
“Those locally grown products need pollination and it is easier for smaller producers to get pollination from the honeybees of hobby beekeepers.”
Gebauer said disease and other problems spread more rapidly and cause wider-spread damage with large-scale agricultural operations, including beekeeping, than they do when production is scattered among numerous smaller operations.
One explanation put forth for colony collapse disorder is that it results from honeybees stressed from being moved about in their hives to various locations by largescale beekeepers who are paid for pollination services.

posted in Bees - 0 replies

Bees from Mexico coming to an orchard near you

2008-06-19T00:24:19Z

Hello all,

I found some interesting info on the we that you might be interested in. Imagine bees and all of their vectors coming into the US, as if we don't have enough problems already.

"Asked about a rumored push to bring Mexican bees into the United States to pollinate crops, Hayes confirms such a possibility.

One of the scenarios being considered involves almond pollination. Because of increased almond acreage due to prices, beekeepers are being paid a premium to bring in their colonies. The almond industry absolutely requires honeybees to carry pollen from point A to point B.

In the event U.S. bee numbers come up short, “Mexico — being involved in NAFTA and GATT — could petition the U.S. to allow its honeybees and keepers across the border. My guess is because of the scope and range and how lucrative almonds are, that could certainly happen.”

http://southeastfarmpress.com/news/honeybee-collapse-0616/

I think that you ought to start talking to your Represenative in Congress. I've already written to Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA 10th)
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/

posted in Bees - 0 replies

stingers, buzzing, gasoline and shit like that

2008-06-05T21:09:30Z

I guess the bottom rung bees struck out on their own in a swarm from some unknown main hive, or were rather more likely evicted for their poor planning policies and were ousted for the sake of evolutionary strength, genetics and the like.
despite their happy-go-lucky, and might I add stereotypically buzzy busy-ness and cutewarmfuzzy bee huddling at night, the bees with the tin foil hats likely could not join this swarm, and so these bees had no advisors when setting up their satellite campsite... against a gas can and the side of the house.

my questions are these:
1. do you know anyone who has a bee box in the sf bay area that they don't want? and no nasty old CCD-infested shit either por favor!
2. mmm honey! ok, so what, not a question!?
3. how many stings does it take before one develops an allergy to bee stings?
4. do bees just not know how to NOT make hives against movable objects, nor on the ground where to be easily eaten by predators?
5. why do we call spelling bees "spelling bees" if bees can't spell for shit? well, maybe I could give them some credit, perhaps they just can't READ the gas can...silly me.

posted in Bees - 3 replies

Courses and Seminars

2008-06-02T18:34:27Z

This would be a good place to list courses on bees and beekeeping.

posted in Bees - 1 reply

Getting Started

2008-05-20T15:32:24Z

Hello folks.

I don't know the first thing about beekeeping, its costs in terms of time/money, or the practical end of HOW to do it... but I just bought a home on a ranch that used to have bees, and the other members of my community would love to see them return.

Any books or sites to recommend to someone who literally is taking the very first step?

I've known since I was a child that someday I would answer the call to keep bees... now I have an amazing opportunity to follow through, if only I can figure out how to do it!

- Alice

posted in Bees - 11 replies

California Native plants for Bees

2008-05-09T23:29:41Z

Native plants for bees
Native plants should be your first choice to help our
native bees. Listed below are some plants that are good
sources of nectar or pollen for bees. Both the common
and Latin names of the plant genus are given.
This list is not exhaustive; there are many other
plants good for bees. Individual species have not been
included because we hope the list will be useful throughout
California. Not all of these genera will have species in
your local area, but they do represent plants that will
grow in a variety of environments. Use a wildflower
guide or contact local nurseries to find your local species.
Button bush Cephalanthus
California redbud Cercis
California wild rose Rosa
California yerba santa Eriodictyon
Chamise Adenostoma
Common deerweed Lotus
Common sunflower Helianthus
Hayfield tarweed Hemizonia
Horkelia Horkelia
Ithurieal's spear Triteleia
Lilac Ceanothus
Lupine Lupinus
Mint Stachys
Mule's fat Baccharis
Ocean spray Holodiscus
Phacelia Phacelia
Poppy Eschscholzia
Rod wirelettuce Stephanomeria
Western rosinweed Calycadenia
Toyon Heteromeles
Vinegar weed Trichostema
Western dogwood Cornus sericea
Whiteleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos
Willow Salix

http://www.xerces.org/Pollinator_Insect_Conservation/California_Bee_Plants.PDF

posted in Bees - 1 reply

Interesting Facts about bees

2008-05-09T22:32:36Z

Approximately 120 000 bees are required to produce 1 kg of honey and a single bee will produce only about a tablespoon of honey during its lifetime [Thomas and Schumann, 1992].

http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/y4351e/y4351e08.htm

posted in Bees - 0 replies

New Reason For Bee Hive Collapse: Ecologists Tease Out Private Lives Of Plants And Their Pollinators

2008-05-09T22:01:14Z

The quality of pollen a plant produces is closely tied to its sexual habits, ecologists have discovered. As well as helping explain the evolution of such intimate relationships between plants and pollinators, the study -- one of the first of its kind and published online in the British Ecological Society's journal Functional Ecology -- also helps explain the recent dramatic decline in certain bumblebee species found in the shrinking areas of species-rich chalk grasslands and hay meadows across Northern Europe.

Relationships between plants and pollinators have fascinated ecologists since Darwin's day. While ecologists have long known that pollinators such as honeybees and bumblebees are often faithful to certain flowers, and have done much work on the role of nectar as a food source, very little is known about how pollen quality affects these relationships.

Working on Salisbury Plain, the largest area of unimproved chalk grassland in north west Europe, ecologists from the universities of Plymouth, Stirling and Poitiers in France collected pollen from 23 different flowering plant species, 13 of which are only pollinated by insects while the other 10 species can either pollinate themselves or be insect pollinated. They analysed the pollen for protein content and, in the second part of the study, recorded bumblebee foraging behaviour.

They found that without exception, plants that rely solely on insects for pollination produce the highest quality pollen, packing 65% more protein into their pollen than plant species that do not have to rely on insect pollinators. They also discovered that bumblebees prefer to visit plants with the most protein-rich pollen. According to the lead author of the study, Dr Mick Hanley of the University of Plymouth: "Bumblebees appear to fine-tune their foraging behaviour to select plants offering the most rewarding pollen. Although there is some debate about how they can tell the difference, it is possible they are using volatile compounds."

By helping understand the advantages and disadvantages of plant-pollinator relationships where particular plants rely on particular insects to reproduce, and those insects rely on the same plants for food, the results could help ecologists conserve certain bumblebee species and the species-rich chalk grassland and hay meadow communities in which they live, all of which are becoming increasingly rare.

"For the plant, relying on a small group of insects such as bumblebees as pollinators is very beneficial because it ensures efficient pollen transfer. Bumblebees quickly learn to visit the most rewarding flowers, so providing protein-rich pollen is one way plants can encourage bumblebees to be faithful. But this close relationship has many potential pitfalls, because if the pollinators are lost, the flowers may not be able to reproduce, and this may be what we are seeing in the hay meadows, chalk grasslands and bumblebees species throughout Northern Europe," Hanley says.

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

2007. Copyright Environmental News Network

http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/35876

posted in Bees - 1 reply

Los Angeles Honey Company

2008-05-04T18:25:27Z

Los Angeles Honey Company
1559 Fishburn Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90063
Tel. (323) 264-2383 (Larry)

I've put this up because they are not listed on the net and they are a good resource. They manufacture their own hive bodies out of California Pondarosa Pine which is a very good wood.

G

posted in Bees - 0 replies

russian bees

2008-03-17T15:44:10Z

anyone have experience with russian bees?

posted in Bees - 0 replies

Note from tribe.net: please assign a moderator

2008-03-08T23:54:34Z

Hey there, "bees" members--

This Tribe doesn't have an active moderator, but as a matter of policy, Tribe.net likes all groups to have a leader. Can you collectively choose someone to moderate your Tribe?

When you've reached consensus, have the new moderator send a note to help@tribe.net, with the words "Moderator Change –bees" in the subject header, letting us know that you've selected a new leader. Please be sure to include a link to this discussion thread!

Thanks--

TOU (Terms of Use) Guy

posted in Bees - 32 replies

Recent article on Urban Beekeeping and CCD

2008-03-05T20:45:50Z

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/news/are_bees__i_too__i__busy_/Content?oid=472032

posted in Bees - 1 reply

Solano County California

2008-01-29T02:22:50Z

Anyone in Solano county?

I will be starting four hives this spring and hope to have 40 hives by 2010.

My hives are going to be located on our small organic (cert in 2010) farm between Dixon and Davis.

posted in Bees - 0 replies

Beekeeping in the city?

2008-01-24T17:48:45Z

I know very little about beekeeping but I am intrigued by it. John Seymour's book "The Self-sufficient Life and how to live it" has a chapter on beekeeping but it assumes you live in the country.
My backyard is about 50 x 20, with a little L shaped bit that I want to put a chicken coop in. Is that too small to keep a small bee hive? Kids and cats play back there, and we eat meals there in the summer.

posted in Bees - 11 replies

So Cold

2008-01-24T17:31:12Z

What do the bees do when it's freezing outside? Should I be worried about more than my pipes in the winter?

posted in Bees - 1 reply

CCD possible common factor found: IAPV

2008-01-24T04:35:07Z

Say, I am surprised no one posted about the recent news articles which talk about research that found that all of the hives they tested had genetic material for the Israeli Appian Paralytic Virus (or some name very close to that as I am up late and doing this from memory)

It is an important common factor amongst the affected hives, and it is known to be carried by things like varroa mites.

posted in Bees - 2 replies

HoneyBee Hive

2007-10-04T04:41:02Z

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/alienempire/multimedia/hive.html

Honeybees use nectar to make honey. Nectar is almost 80% water with some complex sugars. In fact, if you have ever pulled a honeysuckle blossom out of its stem, nectar is the clear liquid that drops from the end of the blossom. In North America, bees get nectar from flowers like clovers, dandelions, berry bushes and fruit tree blossoms. They use their long, tubelike tongues like straws to suck the nectar out of the flowers and they store it in their "honey stomachs". Bees actually have two stomachs, their honey stomach which they use like a nectar backpack and their regular stomach. The honey stomach holds almost 70 mg of nectar and when full, it weighs almost as much as the bee does. Honeybees must visit between 100 and 1500 flowers in order to fill their honeystomachs.

The honeybees return to the hive and pass the nectar onto other worker bees. These bees suck the nectar from the honeybee's stomach through their mouths. These "house bees" "chew" the nectar for about half an hour. During this time, enzymes are breaking the complex sugars in the nectar into simple sugars so that it is both more digestible for the bees and less likely to be attacked by bacteria while it is stored within the hive. The bees then spread the nectar throughout the honeycombs where water evaporates from it, making it a thicker syrup. The bees make the nectar dry even faster by fanning it with their wings. Once the honey is gooey enough, the bees seal off the cell of the honeycomb with a plug of wax. The honey is stored until it is eaten. In one year, a colony of bees eats between 120 and 200 pounds of honey.
http://www.pa.msu.edu/~sciencet/ask_st/073097.html

posted in Bees - 0 replies

odd beehavior: bees harvesting Rust fungus -Puccinia- not pollen

2007-09-10T21:37:33Z

so the Oxalis (wood sorrel) meadow is long done flowering and is succumbing to its end of season and a healthy dose of Puccinia rust fungus and I have been watching bees harvesting the rust all day! their scopa are not filled with golden pollen, but with neon orange rust fungus~!
what's up with that? I took a photo which I will post but I'm afraid it is difficult to clearly capture bee deetail with my crappy digital camera.

posted in Bees - 0 replies

starting couple of bee hives

2007-08-21T03:48:43Z

here on saltspring island B.C. not the best place for them but they will be on two different farms with very large organic flower gardens. anybody have experience with bees in this general area. i will be visiting a bee farmer here on the island soon but any other input could be valuable. I have not purchased the queen bee and colony yet if anyone has resources that way. We are going to have honey bees but not so much for taking they're honey i just want the little cuties buzzin round all over the place.
luv to the bees of the whirld

posted in Bees - 2 replies

bee documentary

2007-08-05T18:21:07Z

seeking activists tuned to the bee on current ecological, social, political fronts
also- folk savvy in bee magic, bee masters, melissas, bee witches, beekeepers wise in the ancient ways...
anyone got any tips? (this is for a film project in the making).
many thanks :)

in solidarity,
tatiana

posted in Bees - 1 reply

Bee pics

2007-07-14T02:36:01Z

Just finished posting some bee pics to my profile if anyones interested. Gonna try and get some posted here soon.

posted in Bees - 0 replies

Interesting Article on CCD

2007-06-20T03:53:46Z

I found this link on my Organic Beekeepers Yahoo Group. The Organic Beekeepers Yahoo Group defines organic beekeeping as *only* bees go in the hive.

This article points a few fingers and has a lot of info about CCD.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=1829

posted in Bees - 1 reply

CBC in Colder Climates

2007-05-30T14:46:21Z

Does anyone have stats on Hive Collapse in Colder climates, could this also be related to Global Warming (which of course doesn't exisit, so the bee's must be on vacation) I have heard most of these stories coming out of Cali & Texas

posted in Bees - 0 replies

CATASTROPHIC BEE COLONY COLLAPSE IS NOT AFFECTING ORGANIC HIVES

2007-05-24T23:39:21Z

In the United States beekeepers in 24 states are experiencing record losses of honeybees. Some states have reported up to 70% disappearances of commercial bee populations. Researchers are struggling to find the causes of this mysterious collapse.

A crucial element of this story, missing from reports in the mainstream media, is the fact that organic beekeepers across North America are not experiencing colony collapses. The millions of dying bees are hyper-bred varieties whose hives are regularly fumigated with toxic pesticides by conventional beekeepers attempting to ward off mites.

In contrast, organic beekeepers avoid pesticides and toxic chemicals and strive to use techniques that closely emulate the ecology of bees in the wild. Researchers are beginning to link the mass deaths of non-organic bees to pesticide exposure, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and the common practice of moving conventional bee hives over long distances.

Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/bees.cfm

posted in Bees - 2 replies

bees and cell phones

2007-05-17T16:00:16Z

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/wildlife/article2449968.ece

posted in Bees - 11 replies

Honeybee dieoff: Round Species in a square Box

2007-05-11T14:42:04Z

As anyone knows from watching Winnie the Pooh, Beehives are round. One theory that is going around is that the Langstroth Box commonly used by beekeepers in their Apiaries is essentially counter to this roundness. The box is square. A guy named Rudolf Steiner predicted the demise of bees in boxes long ago, in 1923, and now there is a new generation of beekeepers who are rethinking the whole process. This is just one of the problems with modern industrial beekeping and the agribusiness mega-farm, and there are many serious problems. I've reposted below a wonderful article to read, in its entirety, that lays out many of these problems, and also solutions More below the buzz-line.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/5/9/12413/97567

from my own personal experience I have never used sugar for my bees or any type of chemical protection,I have let nature take its course so far this year my hive is doing incredible ,(from all the rain we have had),but I do agrre with some of the article about moving bees around so much and the destructiveness of mega-agriculture.

posted in Bees - 9 replies

screwed up installing package? oops and help me

2007-04-29T08:21:23Z

[i]Help[/i] (I cross posted this in case someone sees in on another forum) :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:
well, long story short, and because I am a spaz I wount get into how it happened, spilt milk, cant unring a bell, or close the bard door after the horse.. :-X.you get my point...well here ya go...
My queen was like :mrgreen: "so out of here" when I installed a package today. I will not elaborate, lets just say, since this was my first package, and I am pablam fed installing nuks...like watching a favorite christmas ornament break, my queen flew off when the cork, well, you know...umm, well, lets just say by the time I realized the wrong cork was being removed, she knew it and flew out of her cage. :?

Now,
question number 1
What are the chances she stayed close by and did not fly to hong kong. And will stay close the hive and will retreat in there as she watches everyone else this afternoon, (I know, no one has a crystal ball) :(

and question number 2
if I dont see any comb being drawn by the gals by say Monday (This is Saturday) should I just go ahead and put a new queen in there (of course cage and all - hello) assuming Queen said, Hell yes and flew away today.

just a couple questions.

posted in Bees - 5 replies

Beekeeping store in LA !

2007-04-16T19:44:29Z

link:
http://tinyurl.com/ytbhpp

posted in Bees - 0 replies

Are mobile phones wiping out our bees?

2007-04-16T19:40:18Z

Scientists claim radiation from handsets are to blame for mysterious 'colony collapse' of bees
By Geoffrey Lean and Harriet Shawcross
Published: 15 April 2007

It seems like the plot of a particularly far-fetched horror film. But some scientists suggest that our love of the mobile phone could cause massive food shortages, as the world's harvests fail.

They are putting forward the theory that radiation given off by mobile phones and other hi-tech gadgets is a possible answer to one of the more bizarre mysteries ever to happen in the natural world - the abrupt disappearance of the bees that pollinate crops. Late last week, some bee-keepers claimed that the phenomenon - which started in the US, then spread to continental Europe - was beginning to hit Britain as well.

The theory is that radiation from mobile phones interferes with bees' navigation systems, preventing the famously homeloving species from finding their way back to their hives. Improbable as it may seem, there is now evidence to back this up.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) occurs when a hive's inhabitants suddenly disappear, leaving only queens, eggs and a few immature workers, like so many apian Mary Celestes. The vanished bees are never found, but thought to die singly far from home. The parasites, wildlife and other bees that normally raid the honey and pollen left behind when a colony dies, refuse to go anywhere near the abandoned hives.

The alarm was first sounded last autumn, but has now hit half of all American states. The West Coast is thought to have lost 60 per cent of its commercial bee population, with 70 per cent missing on the East Coast.

CCD has since spread to Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece. And last week John Chapple, one of London's biggest bee-keepers, announced that 23 of his 40 hives have been abruptly abandoned.

Other apiarists have recorded losses in Scotland, Wales and north-west England, but the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs insisted: "There is absolutely no evidence of CCD in the UK."

The implications of the spread are alarming. Most of the world's crops depend on pollination by bees. Albert Einstein once said that if the bees disappeared, "man would have only four years of life left".

No one knows why it is happening. Theories involving mites, pesticides, global warming and GM crops have been proposed, but all have drawbacks.

German research has long shown that bees' behaviour changes near power lines.

Now a limited study at Landau University has found that bees refuse to return to their hives when mobile phones are placed nearby. Dr Jochen Kuhn, who carried it out, said this could provide a "hint" to a possible cause.

Dr George Carlo, who headed a massive study by the US government and mobile phone industry of hazards from mobiles in the Nineties, said: "I am convinced the possibility is real."

The case against handsets

Evidence of dangers to people from mobile phones is increasing. But proof is still lacking, largely because many of the biggest perils, such as cancer, take decades to show up.

Most research on cancer has so far proved inconclusive. But an official Finnish study found that people who used the phones for more than 10 years were 40 per cent more likely to get a brain tumour on the same side as they held the handset.

Equally alarming, blue-chip Swedish research revealed that radiation from mobile phones killed off brain cells, suggesting that today's teenagers could go senile in the prime of their lives.

Studies in India and the US have raised the possibility that men who use mobile phones heavily have reduced sperm counts. And, more prosaically, doctors have identified the condition of "text thumb", a form of RSI from constant texting.

Professor Sir William Stewart, who has headed two official inquiries, warned that children under eight should not use mobiles and made a series of safety recommendations, largely ignored by ministers.

posted in Bees - 3 replies

backyard beekeeping encouraged - we need more bees!

2007-04-16T15:34:42Z

link:

http://www.michiganfarmbureau.com/farmnews/transform.php?xml=20070315/cover.xml

posted in Bees - 15 replies

Backyard Beekeeping Class, Davis CA

2007-04-11T21:12:44Z

Backyard Beekeeping

April 14th – June 2nd
Saturdays, 11:00am—12:30pm
UC Davis Campus
Experimental College Course# 559-1

contact Eli (ndemik@yahoo.com)
www.daviswiki.org/davis_bee_collective

The Backyard Beekeeping course will give you the background you need to establish and manage beehives of your own. The course is open to people of all experience levels, integrates hands-on learning with classroom discussion, and focuses on using ecologically sound practices to raise healthy hives. Topics of the course include:

Honeybee biology
History of honey-hunters & beekeepers
Beekeeping equipment
Beekeeping through the seasons
Management for honey production
Harvesting honey, wax & other hive products
Diseases & enemies of the honey bee

posted in Bees - 2 replies

Portland Beekeeping

2007-04-09T23:54:44Z

Hi everyone! I just joined Tribe and I'm so surprised and excited that there are beefreaks like me in the Tribe world! I have 3 hives in my back yard in Portland, and I'm soon to have a hive in a friend's yard off Freemont and 7th.

Thanks for beeing so beeutiful!

LaTisha

posted in Bees - 13 replies

Could genetically modified crops be killing bees?

2007-03-30T19:16:39Z

With reports coming in about a scourge affecting honeybees, researchers are launching a drive to find the cause of the destruction. The reasons for rapid colony collapse are not clear. Old diseases, parasites and new diseases are being looked at.

Over the past 100 or so years, beekeepers have experienced colony losses from bacterial agents (foulbrood), mites (varroa and tracheal) and other parasites and pathogens. Beekeepers have dealt with these problems by using antibiotics, miticides or integrated pest management.

While losses, particularly in overwintering, are a chronic condition, most beekeepers have learned to limit their losses by staying on top of new advice from entomologists. Unlike the more common problems, this new die-off has been virtually instantaneous throughout the country, not spreading at the slower pace of conventional classical disease.

As an interested beekeeper with some background in biology, I think it might be fruitful to investigate the role of genetically modified or transgenic farm crops. Although we are assured by nearly every bit of research that these manipulations of the crop genome are safe for both human consumption and the environment, looking more closely at what is involved here might raise questions about those assumptions.

The most commonly transplanted segment of transgenic DNA involves genes from a well-known bacterium, bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which has been used for decades by farmers and gardeners to control butterflies that damage cole crops such as cabbage and broccoli. Instead of the bacterial solution being sprayed on the plant, where it is eaten by the target insect, the genes that contain the insecticidal traits are incorporated into the genome of the farm crop. As the transformed plant grows, these Bt genes are replicated along with the plant genes so that each cell contains its own poison pill that kills the target insect.

In the case of field corn, these insects are stem- and root-borers, lepidopterans (butterflies) that, in their larval stage, dine on some region of the corn plant, ingesting the bacterial gene, which eventually causes a crystallization effect in the guts of the borer larvae, thus killing them.

What is not generally known to the public is that Bt variants are available that also target coleopterans (beetles) and dipterids (flies and mosquitoes). We are assured that the bee family, hymenopterans, is not affected.

That there is Bt in beehives is not a question. Beekeepers spray Bt under hive lids sometimes to control the wax moth, an insect whose larval forms produce messy webs on honey. Canadian beekeepers have detected the disappearance of the wax moth in untreated hives, apparently a result of worker bees foraging in fields of transgenic canola plants.

Bees forage heavily on corn flowers to obtain pollen for the rearing of young broods, and these pollen grains also contain the Bt gene of the parent plant, because they are present in the cells from which pollen forms.

Is it not possible that while there is no lethal effect directly to the new bees, there might be some sublethal effect, such as immune suppression, acting as a slow killer?

The planting of transgenic corn and soybean has increased exponentially, according to statistics from farm states. Tens of millions of acres of transgenic crops are allowing Bt genes to move off crop fields.

A quick and easy way to get an approximate answer would be to make a comparison of colony losses of bees from regions where no genetically modified crops are grown, and to put test hives in areas where modern farming practices are so distant from the hives that the foraging worker bees would have no exposure to them.

Given that nearly every bite of food that we eat has a pollinator, the seriousness of this emerging problem could dwarf all previous food disruptions.

John McDonald is a beekeeper in Pennsylvania. He welcomes comments or questions about the bee problem at mcbee_77@yahoo.com. General comments to home@sfchronicle.com.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/10/HOG5FOH9VQ1.DTL

posted in Bees - 6 replies

UNDIAGNOSED DIE-OFF, APIS - USA (MULTISTATE)

2007-03-20T02:51:51Z

Honey Bee Die-off Alarms Beekeepers
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/promed/f?p=2400:1001:9716922635297190873::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,36252
---------------------------------------------
Something is wiping out honey bees across North America, and a team
of researchers is rushing to find out what it is.

What is being called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has now been seen
in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia and way out in
California. Some bee keepers have lost up to 80 percent of their
colonies to the mysterious disorder.

Those are quite scary numbers," said Dennis vanEngelsdorp,
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's lead apiarist. Whatever
kills the bees targets adult workers, which die outside the colony,
with few adults left inside, either alive or dead. The disorder
decimates the worker bee population in a matter of weeks.

Aside from making honey, honey bees are essential for the pollination
of tens of million of dollars worth of cash crops all over the United
States. That's why almond growers of California, for instance, are
taking notice and pledging funds to help identify and fight the honey
bee disorder.

Among the possible culprits are a fungus, virus, or a variety of
microbes and pesticides. No one knows just yet. On 1st inspection,
the pattern of die-offs resembles something that has been seen in
more isolated cases in Louisiana, Texas and Australia, vanEngelsdorp said.

"Right now, our efforts are on collecting as many samples as
possible," said vanEngelsdorp. Bees that are collected are carefully
dissected and analyzed to see what might have killed them.

Other researchers are keeping track of the problem using Google Earth
as well as cutting-edge hive-sniffing and eavesdropping technology to
investigate the problem.

"We're trying to sort out the myriad of variables," said Jerry
Bromenshank of the University of Montana and Bee Alert Technology,
Inc. "We've sent teams to Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania, and
California. The scenario was about exactly the same everywhere we looked."

The locations of the bees are put on a global database to see whether
there is any geographic pattern. Bromenshank also uses a
groundbreaking audio analysis technique that allows hearing specific
changes in bee colony sounds when specific chemicals are present.
Chemical air sampling in hives is also being planned, he said.

Just how bad the bee problem is right now is unknown, since the 1st
cases came at the end of 2006, and many colonies in northern states
are not active yet.

As spring awakens honey bee colonies, it will be vital for beekeepers
to send information to the scientists, regardless of how well or
poorly their bee colonies are faring, said Bromenshank. For that
purpose the scientists have put together a confidential beekeeper
survey on their website
<http://maarec.org/>.

"Beekeepers over-wintering in the north may not know the status of
their colonies until they are able to make early spring inspections,"
said Maryann Frazier, apiculture extension associate in Penn State's
College of Agricultural Sciences. "This should occur in late February
or early March [2007]. Regardless, there is little doubt that honey
bees are going to be in short supply this spring and possibly into the summer."

[Byline: Larry O'Hanlon]

posted in Bees - 3 replies

MY Bees..

2007-03-10T01:50:34Z

checked my hive today,temp here was 80,nice warm day,I have about 40 to 50 bees per minute bringing in pollen,don't know how this compares to others,let me know what you think..

posted in Bees - 0 replies

Bees and Mint.

2007-02-26T10:06:04Z

Have any of you heard much about or had much success with using varieties of mint near your hives?

I have read a few studies that indicate that it greatly suppresses many of the current diseases going around, including mite problems.

posted in Bees - 12 replies

any norcal beekeeps here?

2007-02-22T05:15:26Z

Im in the bayarea

posted in Bees - 15 replies

Berkeley, Feb 7th- top bar hive and organic beekeepers' meeting

2007-01-31T02:32:02Z

Hello beeks,

Myself and K. Ruby are having a get-together for top bar hive beekeepers in Berkeley/East Bay area on Feb 7th. I think the meetup will be at my house in west Berkeley unless we have an unusually high rate of RSVP's in which case I"ll find another site nearby.

Wednesday, Feb 7
7-9 PM
RSVP to girlmark_list_email@localb100.com for exact address

If you have photos, gear to show off, or any other object of discussion, feel free to bring it (we don't have a projector but can probably set up a largescreen computer monitor for viewing digital photos if you bring them on a CD).

I have a hive in the backyard (not that we'll be able to see much of it in the evening) and I'll bring an empty screen bottom TBH and some of those cool cutout-handling top bars (see this thread: http://www.beesource.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=16;t=000454#000018)that "Tx_ashhurst" from the beesource forum invented.

I want to discuss varroa strategies, small cell and natural cell beekeeping (see http://bwrangler.farvista.net/ for more information on all these things)

Ruby wants to discuss the following:
"I would like to network on who has strong colonies they'd be willing
to split come spring. I have bought commercial hygenic bees the last
2 years and have not had good luck with them through the winter--not
mites as far as I know--just dwindling populations until there's not
enough bees to maintain the hive...

I know folks have lots of different experiences with our east bay
sweet ants--that might also be a topic to share.

I have a few cool bee photos--mostly of honey bees but also a few
shots of wild bees that people might like to see. "

posted in Bees - 0 replies

Beekeeping book I mentioned.

2007-01-04T03:45:40Z

I finally got a chance to look up the proper name of the book I mentioned before.

It is called "The Backyard Beekeeper: an absolute beginners guide"

posted in Bees - 4 replies

The Wizard of Oz

2007-01-01T05:40:27Z

I watched this movie for the first time in quite a few years recently, and I'd completely forgotten that the Wicked Witch of the West threatens to turn the Tin Man into a beehive. All I could think was, "Cool!"

posted in Bees - 2 replies

Give the gift of bees (or buffalo...)!

2006-12-10T03:24:26Z

If you or someone you know gives or receives charity gifts, I thought I'd post about this for the holidays. Heifer.org is a charity where you can sponsor an animal or animals for a family in need. There are all different levels of gifts, with animals used for different purposes, including bees:

http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.204586/

And once you buy a gift, you can print a card (so you can write on it and send it yourself), send a card (their mail deadline is Dec. 6 for Christmas, though), or send an ecard letting someone know you sponsored the animal on their behalf. They have cards for more than one holiday, or no holiday:
http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.901767/

posted in Bees - 2 replies

Novice questions.

2006-11-13T19:46:54Z

How many hives does it take to make extracting worth while?
My father found a brand new professional extracter at the dump, and picked it up for really cheep. But we only have two hives so it isn't worth it. We are thinking of having more bees next year.

posted in Bees - 13 replies

Fossil bee, 100 million years old found.

2006-10-27T16:50:28Z

Check out this article. It is highly interesting.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6084974.stm

posted in Bees - 2 replies

Very weird and distorted take on honey...

2006-10-20T21:24:04Z

Someone in another tribe pointed me to this website.

Their views on honey and beekeeping would be laughable if they were not so delusionally serious about it.

Check out this web page:

http://www.vegansociety.com/html/animals/exploitation/bees.php

posted in Bees - 7 replies

Backyard beekeeping

2006-10-05T17:50:35Z

Do people do this very often? Do Eugene laws permit it? I'm still fairly green, but I have to assume that even an experienced keeper is taking risks by having a hive or three so close to other people's homes. Even if there isn't a "genuine" health/safety risk, I'd think it would be very bad neighborhood PR if an occasional swarm gets out and needs recovering.

posted in Bees - 5 replies

Bees in Vancouver, Canada

2006-08-28T17:02:10Z

Hello all,
I am very interested in bees and am looking to find a group or bee keeper in Vancouver who may be interested in chatting and showing me their bees.
Thank you,
Cassandra

posted in Bees - 0 replies

looking for beeloving roommates in austin, texas

2006-08-25T05:36:53Z

i'm going to need 2 housemates in about one month-- mid-august or somewhere around there-- and i need to find folks who are either enthusiastic about beekeeping or who at least don't mind if i'm a beekeeper. i'd also prefer my housemates to be trustworthy and sort of nice (though sociopaths who love bees are certainly more appealing than sociopaths who don't, i still don't want to live with a sociopath). if you know of anyone in austin who might make a good match for my home, please let me know! thank you!

posted in Bees - 6 replies

Mead

2006-08-24T20:48:20Z

I'm fermenting some Strawberry, Cherry, Pineapple, Vanilla Bean Mead. It should be ready by Thanksgiving.

posted in Bees - 5 replies

beekeepers in austin

2006-08-11T20:02:04Z

ok, so i'm not having much luck finding housemates who are OK with me keeping bees in the backyard. but i don't want to put off the desire to be involved with beekeeping, so i'm wondering if there might be beekeepers who'd like to take on a volunteer/ apprentice??

posted in Bees - 0 replies

Looking for a BEELOVING family!

2006-07-21T15:59:22Z

Hello all! My name is Michelle, and I work in Casting for ABC's WifeSwap. We are currently looking for families with unique hobbies, and we would love to feature a Bee Loving family.

Families selected to appear on the show receive $20,000 from ABC Television. Any person who refers a featured family receives a $1,000 referral award. Families with strong personalities, who have unique hobbies, or who have anything unusual about their lifestyles are encouraged to apply. We're also seeking families that are strict, lenient, extremely clean or messy, extremely regimented, or who all work together at a business. Applicants must be two-parent households with at least one child between the ages of 5 and 20 living at home. Wife Swap is the series where two moms switch houses for six days and live in the shoes of the other woman. It’s a great experience for any open-minded family!

If you or anyone you know have questions or are interested in applying, please email Michelle at michelle.silva@rdfusa.com. Thanks, I look forward to hearing from you soon!

posted in Bees - 1 reply

Chocolate Spiced Fruit Heather: Ambrosia Of The Gods!!

2006-06-30T07:59:47Z

just mixed up 5 Gallons of the following potion 4 days ago:

1 1/2 Gal. Raw Organic Fireweed/Wildflower Honey
1 1/2 Gal. Raw Organic Orange Blossom Honey
1 Gal. Canned Black Cherries and Juice
1 Gal Frozen Strawberries
1/2 Gal. Blueberries
1 Quart Blackberries
5 Lb. Mixed Pineapple, Banana, Papaya and Mango
1 Qt. Mangosteen Juice
1 Qt. Pomegranate Juice
1/4 Cup Allspice
1/4 Cup Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Nutmeg
1/4 Cup Allspice
1/4 Cup Cloves
2 Oz. Dried Heather Flowers and Tips
4 Vanilla Beans
1 Cup Dark Raw Chocolate Powder
2 Cups Scottish Yeast and the 2 Cups of Beer it was stored in
2 Oz.Yeast Nutrients

It is chock-full of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants and is very healing. Gauranteed to raise your spirits, too!!

It has just begun to ferment at the rate of one bubble every 30 seconds. Our batch of Dark Heineken got fermenting faster than 1 bubble per second! I hope it is ready for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

I tried real hard to get Heather Honey, but had no luck. Can anybody help? I'm willing to pay quite a bit of money for it to be shipped from Scotland. I've read in Buhner's Sacred And Healing Herbal Beers that Pure Heather Blossom Honey is the consistency of Jello, which may account for the confusion over whether the Ambrosia of the Gods was a solid or a liquid.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Liquify all ingredients in blender.
Mix together all ingredients in a large glass water jug (carboy).
Wait 6 months to 5 Years, freely sampling as it progresses!!
Repeat making recipe and sampling as necessary. CAUTION!! There will be pieces of Cherry Pit in your Mead!!

After 6 Months you can begin using Mead in your cooking. It makes a great sauce for beef, lamb, poultry, and pork. Add some Cayenne Pepper and Horseradish for a great seafood dip.

This is a very flexible recipe. Add any fruits and spices that get your taste buds quivering. The only ESSENTIAL ingredients for it to be Mead are Honey and Heather. Well, technically, only Honey. Preferably Heather Honey.

posted in Bees - 0 replies

Bee inspiration and info galore!

2006-06-18T15:18:44Z

Just thougt to infuse you with total bee mania and heaven. This group is amazingly active with the biggest masters of Organic Beekeeping on the planet mentoring the rest of us! There are amazing resources on the group too.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Organicbeekeepers

http://www.beesource.com
This site also has an amazing and very active discussion group.
Golden Angel Blessings Palika

posted in Bees - 0 replies

Top Bar Hives

2006-06-06T00:54:45Z

Has anyone in this tribe used a top bar hives

posted in Bees - 6 replies

Beekeeping Workshop, Davis (CA), May 27th

2006-05-21T20:42:45Z

A hands-on introduction to the tricks, trades & joys of raising honeybees in your own back yard!

Davis Student Co-Op
Saturday May 27th, 10am

• Bee Basics: initiation into the fascinating biology of nature’s most renowned insect society!

• Equipment: what you need to manage honeybees for honey, pollen, propolis & other products of the hive!

• Secrets of the Hive: learn to recognize the hallmarks of a healthy hive, including workers, queens, drones, honey, pollen, propolis, mites & more!

• Management Strategies: The tricks & trades of natural, chemical-free management for healthy, happy & productive bees!

Contact:
Eli Sarnat
530-902-7866
ndemik@yahoo.com

posted in Bees - 0 replies

chalk brood

2006-05-18T19:55:44Z

I am struggleing to get some new hives going. I lost three queens, and now found one strong hive has chalk brood. Any advice on how to strengthen them through it?

posted in Bees - 1 reply

IPM steps to control varroa mites the organic way.

2006-05-11T00:01:56Z

Varroa wiped out 50% of commercial hives last year. AS the commericalization and standardization of beekeeping practice continues to be focused on making bees fit to our capitalist needs, more and more toxic routes which actually weaken the bees continue to flourish. Integrated Pest Management is a wholistic approach using principles of "organics" and wholism to approach disease or parasites.

Here are effective and easy non-toxic steps you can take right now to reduce varroa mite damage to your colony, and strengthen your hives. The primary goal is to keep bees in a way that mimics all the conditions of a wild hive. Wild hives are not decimated by varroa - why?

1. GET RID OF THE BOTTOM BOARD & lift colony 2 feet off the ground - By putting a screen bottom board under your hive you effect two factors. A. Mites fall down and through screen unable to climb back up and get a free ride on a bee. B. The increased air to the colony makes stronger bees as they evolve tough to tolerate the weather. Wild hives do not have bottom boards.

2.This is the most critical step you can take. IF you currently use foundation - try to change over to foundationless hives. In the wild bees do not - read do not- create standard cell sizes throughout the hives. In fact, and the most critical truth is that wild bees are smaller that commercial or packaged bees. Natures perfect bee which evolved through thousands of years is smaller. When bees draw their own comb not only do they make the brood comb with a smaller cell size, they also have a different cell size to store honey, and pollen in addition to different cell size for drone brood. Fact is that folks who let their bees draw their own comb, have way less trouble with varooa and many other diseases and mites AND notice that the bees actually over 2-3 seasons REGRESS to a smaller size as Nature intended. Humans uniintentionally created a larger honey bee by forcing bees to use foundation to draw comb. The larger bee just isn't as resistant to all kinds of maladies as the way nature intended.

It is easy to go foundationless. Take a normal frame without foundation and simply place it between two drawn out combes. The bees will attach comb to the top bar and draw it down within the frame eventually attaching to the sides and bottom bars, just as if foundation were in the frame. Ideally if you make your own top bar and bottom bar with a beveled edge to use with standard side bars its even easier to get them to draw comb. But they will draw and attach to a standard frame top bar in your box. Replace frames bit by bit always putting a foundationless frame in between two drawn out framses. Eventually your whole hive body, or super will have drawn comb from the top bars and the bees will make the cell size they prefer.

There is lots of info at http://www.beesource.com on top bars and their wonders. You can do top bar foundationless frames in a standard Langstroth box.

3. Instead of buying package bees, try to hive swarms. These bees are usually strong and resistant if they've overwintered in the wild.

4. If you must start with package bees, buy a queen that has been bred for grooming and hygeinic behaviour. Bees who groom more have less mites.

5. Stay away from all chemical treatments, you will only weaken your bees over time. Lots of air, naturally drawn comb, lifting the hive 2 feet off the ground, sourcing hives from wild swarms will all serve the bee population in the long run and help you to be a better servant to the bees.

blessings palika

posted in Bees - 1 reply

Building equipment

2006-03-13T05:04:59Z

Anyone have experience building bee boxes? My partner and I are looking for good designs for this winter.

We've decided to go with medium or Western boxes for brood and for supers. The reasons are as follows:

1) Not too heavy to lift as a deeps.
2) Colony sizes have shrunk post mite introduction.
3) All the parts are interchangable. One year's brood boxes are next years supers, and last years honey frames are next year's brood frames.

Any advice or shared experience is appreciated!
eli

posted in Bees - 11 replies

The Beekeepers Collective

2006-03-01T15:54:06Z

Whatup gang?

I just had this thought that I thought I'd throw out to ya'll: The Beekeeper's Collective. The idea is to form a network of small-scale and hobby beekeepers to take advantage of opportunities and equipment that is often accessible only to the larger-scale opperations. A couple ideas might be the sharing of honey extractors, cooperation with extracting, cooperation with moving hives, sale, barter, and gifting of hive products like honey and wax, mentorship opportunities, workshops, etc.

Another thought would be for a small group of beekeepers to pool their hives together for pollination jobs. For example, the almond growers were paying upwards of $100/hive last season. Perhaps if smaller operations get together, we can score contracts for pollination gigs.

Just some thoughts that came tumbling out of my head just now, but anyone got input?

For the love of honeybeasts,
eli

posted in Bees - 8 replies

ordering Bees

2006-01-08T23:36:09Z

Where can I order bees for this season?

posted in Bees - 2 replies

Shamanic Way of the Bee

2006-01-08T17:32:01Z

Has anyone here read Simon Buxton's "The Shamanic Way of the Bee"? Does anyone have first hand knowledge of what he is talking about?

posted in Bees - 1 reply

Hollywood movies with bee's or apiarys

2006-01-04T20:30:07Z

I think it would be cool to list and keep building a list where you have seen apiaries in film...
the first one that of course comes to mind..

Ulee's Gold

then there was a Steven Seagal movie, where he is in the appalacians near a radioactive mine, and the lead woman is a beekeeper...cant think of the name of it..
and of course there are recent best sellers...
like the Beekeeper (was that the title?) of the women in the south..?

posted in Bees - 0 replies

documentary about bees

2006-01-04T20:27:48Z

Hi!
I have loved bees since I was a small child. Does anyone know of a good documentary about the life of bees?
Thanks!

posted in Bees - 3 replies

capturing a wild hive...

2005-12-18T02:47:43Z

two evenings back i went to water my vegetable garden, only to find a wonderful surprise of bees had taken up residence in a sapling tree right where i needed to spray. the weight of the bees was enough to bend it clear to the ground (i've posted images in the gallery). all of us in the house are really enthusiastic about keeping them around for honey and such---but we do need to move them to a safer, more out-of-the-way location to do so. we live in Glendale, CA, presently, and if there's anyone out there with experience, tips, et. al that would get us on our way, we would be so pleased to have your assistance!

posted in Bees - 2 replies

where to start learning?

2005-10-15T16:49:49Z

i don't know much at all about bees-- read a bit, but definitely a novice-- and i'm wondering if there are any books you guys would recommend. i'd also like to watch some beekeepers in action- would like to see some hives-- if anyone knows if folks in the l.a. area who'd be willing to show me. i'd like to work a beekeeper into a screenplay i'm writing but don't want to attempt if i can't get some solid, interesting, informed perspective first. thanks!

posted in Bees - 2 replies

Beekeepers ,,,,, screened bottom board pro/con?

2005-09-10T04:20:42Z

Do any beekeepers in this tribe use screened bottom board. If you have please provide some feedback. I tring this for the first time this year and wanted some information.

posted in Bees - 5 replies

Bear

2005-08-08T13:35:45Z

Theres been a brown bear hanging around my apiary the last few days. We've been chasing it away but there are a few claw marks on the hives. I hope it doesn't do anymore damage.

posted in Bees - 1 reply

Beekeeping Classes or Workshops in Los Angeles area?

2005-05-20T23:16:45Z

I am an amateur beekeeper who caught a wild hive two years ago with a friend and we and have been managing it ever since. (my photos from that experience are posted here). Everything we know is from reading books on the subject, but we would like to have some formal training and some hands-on training with a pro. Personally, I'd like to learn bee anatomy, learn more about diseases and parasites that can affect the hive, requeening, wintering and so forth. I feel like I've been flying by the seat of my pants for two years, stabbing in the dark and crossing my fingers that I'm doing everything correctly. We've had some nice honey harvests from this hive (I gave everyone honey for Christmas!), but we want to really be managing the hive on a more active / aware / educated level.

Does anyone know of Beekeeping or Apiculture classes or workshops anywhere in the Greater Los Angeles area?

Much appreciated,

Mary Ellen

posted in Bees - 2 replies

wintering

2005-04-22T22:46:29Z

How's everyone's winter going?

We've had some brutal cold weather here in Massachusetts, but the past couple of days got up into the 40s. Yesterday one of my hives was out flying- bringing out the dead. There's a really cool pattern of holes in the snow radiating out from the hive. At the bottom of each of the holes is a dead bee.

My other hive seems to be totally dead. Oh well. It was weak going into winter. I'm not looking forward to cracking it open in the spring. Its strange how the hive can go from being a vibrant city into a mausoleum.

posted in Bees - 2 replies

Beekeepers

2005-04-04T05:09:22Z

Is anyone in this group currently a beekeeper?

posted in Bees - 12 replies

"Our Little Sugar Factory" article and links

2005-02-19T19:42:28Z

Here's a good article from a very old issue of Mother Earth News (1970) on getting started with bees: http://www.motherearthnews.com/arc/5479/

also a couple other links I've found in my research:
http://outdoorplace.org/beekeeping/index.htm
http://www.beehoo.com/
http://www.beemaster.com/
http://www.gobeekeeping.com/

Jennifer

posted in Bees - 0 replies

beautiful book - The Secret Life of Bees

2005-02-19T19:34:23Z

I just read a really good novel - The Secret Life of Bees. Beekeeping plays a large role in the plot and symbolism of the story. It's a quick read and so beautful. Here is the review from Amazon (but buy it from your local independent bookstore if you can rather than a big chain).

Jennifer

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sue Monk Kidd's ravishing debut novel has stolen the hearts of reviewers and readers alike with its strong, assured voice. Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the town's fiercest racists, Lily decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household. This is a remarkable story about divine female power and the transforming power of love--a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.

posted in Bees - 0 replies

beekeeper Seattle?

2005-02-03T15:21:11Z

Hi - I'm in Seattle and I want to learn all about the beekeeping. Are any of you beekeepers in Seattle?

posted in Bees - 0 replies

Stoner Food

2005-01-07T22:59:29Z

Pure honey is a great food when your stoned. It satisfies your sweet tooth, w/o the weight gain, unless of course you eat it like a bear. Mmmm, mmm - herb, honey and cable TV. :)

posted in Bees - 0 replies

community gardens

2005-01-04T20:29:26Z

I'm thinking about establishing a colony at a local community garden. Anyone have any thoughts about that, experiences?

posted in Bees - 5 replies

Bee Shaman

2004-12-25T06:08:55Z

I've wondered about Bees and healing...This is really cool!!!

www.sacredtrust.org/beemain.htm

posted in Bees - 4 replies

Bee check.

2004-09-02T02:02:41Z

How's the season going so far for all the beekeepers?

posted in Bees - 2 replies

bee mantra

2004-04-21T18:03:13Z

hey y'all beepeople

I just wanted to share my favorite mantra

pure love
simple love
bee love
buzz buzz

posted in Bees - 1 reply

winter bees

2004-04-07T01:58:41Z

just a quick question (hopefully not a stupid one). what do bees do during winter?

posted in Bees - 6 replies

Hive removal

2004-03-23T01:25:36Z

Hello all,
There is a hive in the outside wall of my house. I love bees and hope to keep them one day, so the idea of getting an exterminator out gives me the creeps. I've heard that sometimes local beekeepers will come rescue a hive and move it to their property. Anyone know anything about this?
-Sara

posted in Bees - 6 replies

WHOO HOO Were getting bee's!

2004-03-18T07:19:48Z

I'm so excited! one of my property mates is going to get a hive here soon! He's getting Italian bees. Were in the city on a 1 acre property.

-Gordo

posted in Bees - 2 replies

There are no posts here!

2003-11-19T22:32:21Z

I'm fascinated by beekeeping and some day I'd love to. Let's talk about it!

posted in Bees - 1 reply