Attorney General Jim Hood has published an opinion on taxation of honey bees and honey bee products. Click here to read the full opinion.
Nov
20
Major Nectar Producing Plants to bloom in November and December
Asters are about the only nectar producing plants blooming in November Readers must understand that the number of blooming plants available within 1 mile, soil types, soil moisture, other environmental factors and especially hive strength will determine the amount of honey stored.
Nov
20
Beginner’s Column
By Harry Fulton
It is almost mid-November and even though we have had spotty frosting on the pumpkins, the days have been warm for the most part, meaning that bees for the most part have been able to get out and forage. The goldenrod, spanish needle and aster bloom has been prolonged into November this year, and a great fall flow has resulted in many parts of the state. Hives should be in great shape for winter with good clusters of overwintering bees and enough honey to get them through March.
So what should you enthusiastic beekeepers do or not do until February? Once your bees are treated for mites, pests and disease in the fall and surplus honey removed (hopefully at least by Thanksgiving), beekeepers should let their bees rest in peace and not open them during the winter months. If by chance something is wrong at this time, it is too late to correct the problem. If a hive was or is queenless in October or November, it should be combined with another weaker colony to boost its population for winter, providing it is not diseased.
Entrance reducers, if used should in place by now. In the south they serve mainly to help keep mice and rodents out of the hives.
Temperatures do not get critically low here to justify reducing the entrances for that reason. Now is the time to store surplus honey supers. Do not leave empty supers above the brood chambers during the winter. Empty space is hard to keep warm and if above the cluster will steal the heat away from the cluster. Heat rises and if the air is moist, it will enhance moisture condensation in the top of the hive as it comes in contact with the cold hive cover. The colony needs to be crowded into two brood chambers and compacted with honey and food stores with the cluster in the bottom chamber going into the winter with frames of honey/pollen to the sides and above.
So, how do you store empty supers during the winter? For small beekeeping operations there are some options.
- For a person with only a few supers, they can be stored safely in a freezer at or near 32 degrees F.
- A fumigant, para- dichlorobenzene moth crystals, may be used. They can be purchased from a bee supply company. Follow label directions for beekeeping equipment. Stack as high as you can and place crystals between several supers on top of frames. Fumes fall, so be sure to place them well up into the supers. Caution! Do not use moth balls containing naphthalene because they leave toxic residues which will kill bees.
- Wax moths do not like light; therefore, if supers are stacked criss-cross in an open shed or under clear plastic where light can penetrate between the frames they are protected from damage until needed back on the hives in early spring. Caution! If placed under plastic be sure to leave plenty of opportunity for good ventilation and air flow. Wet and humid the combs will mold, so allow for lots of air flow among the supers as well as light penetration. However, if combs contain pollen, there may be some damage in these combs. Therefore, combs with pollen should be stored on top or separated one by one so lots of light can penetrate them.
But what about beekeeping chores for winter? Things to be done are:
- Clean and restore damaged frames/supers as needed,
- Order supplies for the next season and assemble new equipment.
- Sell honey at fall festivals, flea markets and retail outlets.
How should honey be stored in the colder months? Room temperature is optimum. If stored in unheated areas, it will granulate rapidly and then the beekeeper has a problem re- liquefying it. And still yet, some floral source honeys will granulate at room temperature. Honey can be safely kept in an old freezer/refrigerator with a 60-75 watt light bulb to keep it warm. Be careful and use the right wattage for the size freezer as it can heat the honey too much. The honey should not be heated to more that 140 degrees F. for over 1 hour. After that it should only be kept at 90-100 degrees to avoid darkening it. Remember heat rises and the temperature will be higher near the top. Place the bulb near the bottom, if possible. Heating also keeps it from fermenting. If honey granulates, the light bulb method can be used to re-liquefy it.
Nov
20
Save Shipping Costs on Beekeeping Equipment
Three options are available to save paying shipping on beekeeping equipment:
- Sean Burgess of Walter T. Kelley Co. comes to Mississippi routinely to care for colonies in South, MS. He will bring you orders from Walter T. Kelly at no shipping cost or very little. When ordering, just tell them you would like for Sean to bring your order on his next trip to Mississippi. You will likely have to go to Tylertown to pick it up or make other arrangements.
- Mark Lewis, a beekeeper in Mayhew near Columbus, Ms routinely goes to Rossman Apiaries in Georgia. He is willing to bring equipment back for customers. He may be contacted at mark@msland.com or phone (662) 418-4422
- Mann Lake LTD in Minnesota offers free shipping on most items ordered with orders exceeding $100.
Nov
20
Hivastan® voluntarily removed from the market by manufacturer
The maker of Hivastan®, a miticide that has been approved for emergency use in Mississippi and other states for several years to control varroa mites was pulled from the market. The manufacturer quotes lack of sales, meaning not enough revenue to justify the cost of obtaining full registration of the product by the U.S. Environmental Agency.
Several beekeepers in Mississippi have used the product with success. On another note, the registration of amitraz for mite control is still being pursued with EPA. For those of you who remember the old product “Miticure” registered back in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, amitraz is a product that does a great job controlling both tracheal and varroa mites. It has been used widely in other countries and resistance to it has not developed yet. Hopefully, we can get it approved again for use in the U.S. “Miticure” was voluntarily pulled from the market by the manufacturer.
Nov
20
Members Needed!!! Mississippi Beekeepers Association
At the end of the 2011 fiscal year MBA had 497 members. The fiscal year ends with the close of the annual meeting each year. To date only 176 members have paid dues for the coming year. MBA has a potential for 600+ members for 2012. Please keep renewals and new members coming. We need you and think it is a good deal for $10 (one quart of honey).
It is important to show our legislators and the general public that we support our industry. Also, members get 20% discounts to “The American Bee Journal”, “Bee Culture Magazine” and “The Speedy Bee”, which pays for the membership. An application is enclosed or you may go to www.mshoneybee.org under “beekeeping news” for an application.
Nov
20
New Local Club Being Proposed in Southwest Mississippi
Mike Guice of Franklin County is interested in beginning a SW Miss. Beekeepers Association. If you are interested in forming an association in the Franklin County area, please meet at the County Extension Office in Meadville on Tuesday, December 6th at 7 p.m.
The Extension Office is located on Walnut Street immediately behind the Franklin County Museum–part of the same building across the street from the bank. You can contact him at 601-384-5735 or guice.mike@yahoo.com
Nov
20
Collison’s Corner
By
Dr. Clarence Collison
Honey bees are social insects that exhibit striking caste specific differences in longevity. All honey bee castes exhibit different developmental times and life spans. Drones have a developmental time of 24 days, and they live on average 21-32 days in the spring and summer, the only times when drones are produced (Winston 1987). Drones under some conditions can live at least 59 days (Page and Peng 2001). Workers develop in 21 days and their life spans vary depending on season. Workers live on average 15-38 days in the summer (Free and Spencer- Booth 1959), 30-60 days in the spring and fall, and 150-200 days in the winter (Remolina and Hughes 2008). Queens take the shortest time to develop (16 days) and have the longest life span. Queens in a commercial hive are generally replaced after 1-2 years (for productivity reasons) and have adult life spans of 2-5 years (Sammataro and Avitabile 1998) with the longest recorded lifespan for a honey bee queen being 8 years (Bozina 1961 cited by Page and Peng 2001).
Caste differentiation for larvae that become queens or workers has been associated with the quantity and quality of food that larvae receive before the third larval instar. Larvae fed a rich diet composed of royal jelly develop into queens; whereas larvae fed a diet composed of glandular secretions, honey, and pollen develop into workers (Winston 1987). The dimorphism observed in the honey bee female caste is particularly interesting because workers and queens have the same genotype yet exhibit a 10- fold difference in life span.
With the exception of the mating flights queens take early in life, they do not leave the protected hive environment except during colony swarming. Adult queens are protected from predators and environmental extremes by the physical structure of their nests and defensive behaviors of non- reproductive workers, which may increase their chances of having a longer life span. The physiological and molecular basis of queen longevity and the dramatic lifespan differences between queens and workers is just beginning to be explored.
Worker honey bees undergo age development after they become adults. Workers usually initiate foraging behavior when they are 2-3 weeks old. The age at which a worker initiates foraging is a strong determinant of her length of life. This is presumed to be a result of the hazards of foraging, but natural senescence also occurs (Page and Peng 2001). Senescence can be defined demographically as an age-dependent increase in mortality risk, or functionally as a decline in performance. The relationship between the two phenomena is central for understanding the biological aging process (Rueppell et al. 2007b).
Studies of senescence in the honey bee have focused on establishing the importance of extrinsic mortality factors (predation, weather) and behavior (nursing and foraging) in worker honey bee longevity. Senescence can be delayed or speeded up by preventing workers from leaving the nest or forcing them to do so earlier (Rueppell et al. 2007a). Hive bees, which are prevented from foraging, can live over eight times longer than foragers (Neukirch 1982, Rueppell et al. 2007a, Amdam et al. 2004), and non-flying winter bees in the ‘diutinus stage’ (stress resistant form) can live up to eight months (Amdam et al. 2004, Omholt and Amdam 2004). Senescence obviously starts with foraging: workers show a decline in physiological resistance to stress, such as heat, desiccation and starvation (Remolina et al. 2007) and their hemocyte count drops (Amdam et al. 2005), while their behavioral performance appears to remain unchanged (Rueppell et al. 2007b).
In an explicit effort to compare intrinsic vs extrinsic mortality factors in the determination of worker lifespan, Rueppell et al. (2007a) compared the lifespan of workers that foraged in a protected environment (flight cage) and workers that foraged in a natural setting. They also varied the amount of time bees were allowed to forage in a flight cage. Free-foraging mortality was higher than flight- cage mortality, but both groups showed increasing mortality rates with age consistent with senescence. Limited foraging opportunities in the cage had no overall effect on lifespan. There was also a negative correlation between age at first foraging and foraging lifespan, suggestive of pre-foraging senescence. In a separate study, Rueppell et al. (2007b) assessed age-dependent mortality and behavioral performance of foragers. They found that workers experienced an increase in mortality with chronological age, but their performance in behavioral assays related to foraging activity did not decline with age.
To eliminate the confounding effects of increased extrinsic hazard and energy expenditure faced by foraging bees, Remolina et al. (2007) used a social manipulation to prevent nurse bees from transitioning to foraging. They tested whether older nurses were more susceptible to different kinds of stress: starvation, heat and oxidative damage. In this study, all forms of stress resistance decreased in older bees, and this manifestation of senescence was evident by 30 days of age. They therefore concluded that intrinsic senescence affects nurse lifespan independently of extrinsic mortality force. Although there are a few contradictory reports, overall the evidence supports the proposition that worker bees (both nurses and foragers) exhibit senescence.
References:
Amdam, G.V., A. Aase, S.C. Seehuus, M.K. Fondrk and K. Hartfelder 2005. Social reversal of immunosenescence in honey bee workers. Exp. Gerontol. 40: 939-947.
Amdam, G.V., Z.L.P. Simões, A. Hagen, K. Norberg, K. Schrøder, Ø. Mikkelsen, T.B.L. Kirkwood and S.W. Omholt 2004. Hormonal control of the yolk precursor vitellogenin regulates immune function and longevity in honeybees. Exp. Gerontol. 39: 767- 773.
Bozina, K.D. 1961. How long does the queen live? Pchelovodstvo 38: 13. Free, J.B. and Y. Spencer-Booth 1959. The longevity of worker honey bees (Apis mellifera). Proc. R. Entomol. Soc. 34: 141- 150.
Neukirch, A. 1982. Dependence of the lifespan of the honey bee (Apis mellifica) upon flight performance and energy consumption. J. Comp. Physiol. 146: 35- 40.
Omholt, S.W. and G.V. Amdam 2004. Epigenetic regulation of aging in honeybee workers. Sci. Aging Knowl. Environ. 26: pe28. Bee. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
Beekeepers Welcome! Page, R.E. and C.Y.-S. Peng 2001. Aging and development in social insects with emphasis on the honey bee, Apis mellifera L. Exp. Gerontol. 36: 695-711.
Remolina, S.C. and K.A. Hughes 2008. Evolution and mechanisms of long life and high fertility in queen honey bees. Age 30: 177-185.
Remolina, S.C., D.M. Hafez, G.E. Robinson and K.A. Hughes 2007. Senescence in the worker honey bee Apis mellifera. J. Insect Physiol. 53: 1027-1033. Rueppell, O., C. Bachelier, M.K. Fondrk and R.E. Page, Jr. 2007a. Regulation of life history determines lifespan of workers honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) Exp. Gerontol. 42: 1020-1032.
Rueppell, O., S. Christine, C. Mulcrone and L. Groves 2007b. Aging without functional senescence in honey bee workers. Curr. Biol. 17: R274-R275.
Sammataro, D. and A. Avitabile 1998. The Beekeeper’s Handbook, Third Edition, Cornell Univ. Press., Ithaca, NY.
Nov
20
Mississippi Farm Bureau “A big-bee supporter”
The Mississippi Farm Bureau (MFB) has been a big supporter of the beekeeping industry. MBA encourages all beekeepers to become MFB members. You do not have to buy insurance to be a member. Beekeepers should become involved in the local Farm Bureau activities.After all they are supporting you at the state level. Members can get other benefits by becoming members as follows:
- Provides for Accidental Death Benefit (details available)
- ADT Home Security System installed free with 3 year contract.
- 15% discount on truck rentals at Budget.
- Reduced rates to purchase child safety seats.
- 20% discount on certain hotel rates.
- Reduced closing costs if finance home through Cimarron Mortage Company.
- 10% discount on Lifelock ID Theft Protection
- And several other benefits.
Below are resolutions approved recently and on the agenda to be adopted at their annual meeting in early December:
1. We support the development of a standard of identity for Honey in Mississippi.
2. We support funding for research to find practical, effective methods to control or reduce infection of varroa mites, tracheal mites, small hive
beetles, Colony Collapse Disorder.
3. We support programs at the federal and state level to evaluate and register effective compounds and management techniques to enable beekeepers
to have alternative control strategies and materials.
4. We support funding for MSU Extension Specialist for Honeybees.
5. We support creating a liability insurance policy for the beekeepers through the Mississippi Farm Bureau Insurance Company.
6. Recognizing that the honeybee industry is Important to Mississippi, we wish to establish the right to keep bees in the state of Mississippi.
Resolutions submitted by: Terry Norwood, who is designated by Farm Bureau as their Beekeeping Staff person to work with the bee industry.
Aug
12
New Product approved in Mississippi for mite control in 2011
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HopGuard Video on YouTube
HopGuard 18 exemption 3-10-2011
HOPGUARD Label – revised 2-16-11
FROM LABEL:
HOPGUARD TM
SECTION 18 SPECIFIC EXEMPTION
THIS IS AN UNREGISTERED PRODUCT AND MAY BE USED FOR DISTRIBUTION AND USE ONLY
IN STATES WITH A VALID SECTION 18 EXEMPTION AUTHORIZATION. THE EXEMPTIONS
EXPIRE ON DECEMBER 31, 2011.
For use in beehives to control Varroa mites (Varroa destructor) on honey bees
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS:
BY WEIGHT
Potassium Salt of Hop Beta Acids…………………………16.0%
INERT INGREDIENTS: ………………………………………………..84.0%
TOTAL
100.0%
KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN
PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENTS
Product may cause eye irritation – flood eyes with plenty of water if contact is made with eyes. Wearing
protective eyewear when handling treated strips will reduce the potential for eye irritation. Avoid contact with
skin, eyes or clothing. Wash thoroughly with soap and water after handling and before eating, drinking,
chewing gum or smoking tobacco. Remove and wash contaminated clothing before reuse.
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
Applicators must wear chemical-resistant gloves when handling treated strips.
DIRECTIONS FOR USE
Strips must be applied at the rate of one strip per five deep combs covered with bees in each brood super or for
example two strips per ten frame brood super (chamber) when all combs are covered with bees. Strips are to be
placed only in the brood chamber (not in the honey super). Folded strips must be opened and hung over one of
the center brood frames near the middle of the frame with one-half of the strip on each side of the frame. If
using a second strip, apply it to an adjacent center frame about four inches away from the first strip. Do not lay
the strips on top of the frames. A maximum of three applications per year (six strips or approximately 11.52
grams of potassium salt of hop beta acids) per ten frame brood super (chamber) is allowed. Application timing
(usually during spring, summer, and fall) should be based on levels of Varroa mite observed in the colony.
Users may not take honey and wax from the brood chambers, only from the honey supers.
Any adverse effects resulting from the use of HopGuardTM under this emergency exemption must be
immediately reported to your State Department of Agriculture.
RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT
Using this product in rotation with another approved miticide with a different mode of action will decrease the
potential for Varroa mites to develop resistance. If the strip remains in the hive more than 4 weeks remove.
STORAGE AND DISPOSAL
Unused strips should be stored in a tightly sealed, cool, dark area. Unused, unregistered product must either be
returned to the manufacturer or distributor in unopened containers or disposed of in accordance with the
Resource Conservation Recovery Act following the expiration of this emergency exemption.
NET CONTENTS
Each HopGuardTM kit contains 50 cardboard strips. Each strip is folded in half and contains 1.92 grams of
potassium salt of hop beta acids, and the kit contains 96 grams (3.4 ounces) of potassium salt of hop beta acids.
Manufactured by: BetaTec Hop Products, Inc., A Division of John I. Haas, Inc., P.O. Box 1441, Yakima, WA 9890