Vol. 1 No. 7
Free to Every Home and Business Every Month
June 1. 2011
What’s the Buzz? In Swarming Season, Remember to Protect Beneficial Honeybees BY J.D. O’GARA
land, while they send out scouts to find a more permanent hive.
It’s late spring or early summer. You see something moving, and you realize it’s a cluster of bees. They are swarming. Why do they do it, and what do you do?
Luleck, in his second year as NCBA President, says bees get a bad rap. People commonly mistake wasps and yellow jackets for honeybees. “I’ve already had two calls this spring,” he says. “I’ve asked people to really identify that it’s a honeybee. Both of those were not honeybees, they were another type of bee.”
According to Tony Luleck, the President of the nonprofit Norfolk County Beekeepers Association (NCBA), the last thing you should do is kill them. “A natural thing that happens during the springtime is swarming,” says Luleck, who is also President of the Holliston Garden Club and Director of the Holliston Agricultural Commission. “When that happens, the bees need to take up a residence somewhere. We get a lot of calls to catch swarms.” Luleck says that swarming, which is not something to fear, is very common from about May 15 until July 15. According to the NCBA website, honeybee swarms can be found in trees, homes, barns or sheds. Honeybees, when swarming, are searching for a suitable place to build a hive. In the meantime, they will gather into a tight ball and form a temporary cluster virtually anywhere they can
Luleck says honeybees don’t usually take up residence in homes, but if it does happen, he says, “it is not advisable to kill honeybees at all.” In addition to considering the threat of colony collapse disorder to the bees, he says, “You can’t kill the bees, because the honey will start to run. It will go bad if it’s not capped off (by the bees), and all that stuff in your wall will rot, and mold will start to grow. You’re not protecting the home if you kill a honeybee while it’s in there. You have to remove it.”
BY ANNE PARKER Jefferson Elementary School teacher Barbara Mitchell was recognized by Random Smiles on May 4th for her contributions to the school and the students. The popular 5th grade teacher is celebrated as their unsung hero for many things she has done at Jefferson. The Random Smiles organization honored Mrs. Mitchell by donating a podium to the school with her name engraved on a brass plaque on the front. Random Smiles also donated balls for the children to play with during their school day.
BEES
Some of her accomplishments include her spearheading the Too Good for Drugs Club 15 years ago. “We meet six times a year and talk
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RANDOM SMILES
According to Bee Culture Magazine, following are differences to Franklin beekeeper Howard Crawford points out that honeybees are why gardens bear any fruit. Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Mushnick.
Elementary Teacher Recognized by Random Smiles Organization
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