2006 Newsletter Collection by Missouri State Beekeepers Association

2006 Newsletter Collection Sponsored By:

Missouri State Beekeepers Association P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075 www.mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

The 75 or so attendees were treated to excellent presentations on honeybee pests and their control by Robert Cox and Dr. Pedro Rodriguez, with a demonstration on mineral oil fogging by Mark Cushman. Bonnie Woodworth, Dakota representative of the National Honey Board, gave an excellent presentation highlighting the wonderful work that organization is doing to fund bee research and to promote hive products both in this country and abroad. For more on these informative seminars, see stories on pages 3-4. The annual business meeting resulted in one change to the list of officers, with Newsletter Editor Glenda Richardson stepping down due

to increasing demands on her time from family responsibilities. She was replaced by Eugene Makovec. (Thanks again, Glenda, for all your hard work over the past year!) And finally, 2004 Honey Queen Lauren Whitney ended a successful reign, and another beautiful queen was sworn in. Sarah Jackson is a University of Missouri freshman from New Cambria, MO, majoring in Agricultural Journalism. Sarah introduces herself on page 11.

Eugene Makovec Editor INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Fall Meeting Draws 75 to Tan-Tar-A The MSBA 2005 Fall Meeting was held on October 28-29 at Tan-Tar-A resort in Osage Beach.

January 2006

From the President Monte Richardson

The Rodriguez Method: 3 Controlling varroa mites with FGMO Fall Meeting Reports from Tan-Tar-A

3-4

Think Spring! 5-8 Preview the Missouri-Kansas joint meeting coming up in

Sarah Jackson 2006 Honey Queen

Local Club Information

Join us or renew your membership now!

Honey Queen Report

Directory of Officers

Fogging Demo is an Attention-Getter It was a bit slow getting started, as cool morning temperatures made for difficult lighting. But once ignition was achieved, all assembled knew it. Mark Cushman, Sales Engineer for the Fountainhead Group, was in TanTar-A to demonstrate use of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s propane foggers for the apMark Cushman of The Fountain- plication of food head Group shows off his grade mineral oil propane foggers as Dr. Pedro (FGMO) to a beehive (an empty one Rodriguez looks on. in this case). Assisting in the proceedings was Pedro. Rodriguez, Ph.D., a veterinarian, fourth-generation beekeeper and pioneer in the use of FGMO for control of varroa mites. Once ignited, the foggers lived up to their name, as dense vapors covered the assembly and much of the

adjoining parking lot. Passers-by gawked at the curious gathering, and many in the area must have wondered at the interesting odor wafting over the grounds. But no emergency vehicles arrived, and after a few minutes the crowd moved back inside for the next session.

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Page 2

From the President Monte Richardson Hello All, It’s that time of year again, time to reflect on events from the past year and plan for the upcoming year. Mites are becoming resistant to conventional treatments, but other methods are showing promise. Small Hive Beetles appear to be manageable here in the Midwest. Honey prices are said to be on the rise, but we’ll have to wait and see. This upcoming year will be my last as an active leader of the Association. The last three years have been fun and educational. I’ve met some outstanding people that have inspired me to rise to the occasion as a member of the leadership of the organization. If there is anything that I can claim as a desire and accomplishment it has been the diversification of the Executive Board. I am glad to say that we have people on the board from almost every section of the state. This year I would like to strengthen the relationship between the State Association and the local organizations. On a monthly basis I receive several requests for information or a contact from State or Federal agencies, a plea for help from some homeowner that has bees in their attic, or some other group or individual requesting information about bees and beekeeping in Missouri. The state association has never existed to detract or diminish the importance of the local organizations, but exists to strengthen the local organizations and, through a partnership with the local organizations, become more than what any single organization could be on its own. This newsletter is one means for local associations to share news and information from their areas. I welcome any and all contributions to the newsletter. If your local association isn’t listed in the newsletter or on the web site, contact anybody on the Executive Board and we’ll address that issue.

graphic areas of interest. My only concern is that people would misunderstand our intentions and think that we are mandating “districts”. That is not our intention. I would like to hear from local associations. Would you like to have your area designated on a map that would be available to new beekeepers so that they would know whom to contact about beekeeping? The Executive Board holds three meetings a year besides meetings at the Spring and Fall meetings. Every local organization can designate somebody to attend these meetings, contribute to the decision making process and vote on issues. Members of the state association can attend any executive meeting as well but cannot vote. The next Board meeting will be held January 21, 2006 in Columbia, MO. If you are interested in attending, feel free to contact me or any other board member for details. The Missouri State Beekeeper’s Association and Kansas Honey Producers Association will be holding a joint Spring Meeting in March in Overland Park, Kansas. Overland Park is part of the Kansas City metro area and just a couple of miles over the Missouri-Kansas Border. Sharon Gibbons and Joli Winer have gone to great lengths to put together an excellent meeting. The accommodations will be first-rate and affordable, and the speakers are great as well. I hope all of you will take some time out of your busy spring schedule and come to the meeting. And finally, I received some sad news today. Many of you know Rose Terrill from Midwestern Beekeeper’s Association. She has been a strong supporter of the State Association for many years. Rose became ill last year and hadn’t been doing well for some time. I had the opportunity to visit with her last weekend and tell her how much I appreciated her contribution and friendship. Rose passed away this morning, 12/16/05. Please remember her husband, Bill, and the rest of the family during their time of grief.

Steve Harris and I have been kicking around the idea of making a map of the state showing the local associations and their geo-

MIscellaneous FOR SALE NEW Speed Queen Uncapping Knife -- $65.00 NEW VHS “Wild America: The Beauty of Butterflies” by Marty Stouffer. Running time 30 minutes. $5.00 NEW hardback books: “Cooking Class Holiday Recipes”: 95 pages, publisher’s price $16.00, selling for $8.00, three (3) available “Basic Flavorings VINEGAR”: 63 pages, by Clare Gordon-Smith & James Merrell, $6.00 “Wasps at Home” by Blanca Lavies, reinforced library edition by Dutton Children’s Books, publishers price $13.95, selling for 7.00, three (3) available Ian Brown ibrown@mail.win.org H 636-498-5014 C 314-306-8368

January 2006

Page 3

The Rodriguez FGMO/Thymol Method Dr. Pedro Rodriguez provided the following instructions for the mixture and use of food grade mineral oil (FGMO) in both the emulsion-soaked cords and the fogger mixture. Emulsion-Soaked Cords 1000 cc FGMO @ 0.86 density (weighs 860 grams) 100 grams thymol 1000 g honey (2.25#) 1000 g beeswax (2.25#) 100 cotton cords (40” long) Add the weight of the ingredients without the cords, and divide into 100g thymol. Thus: 100÷2960 = 3.38% thymol Fogger 1000 cc FGMO @ 0.86 density (weighs 860 grams) 50 grams thymol Add weight of ingredients and divide into 50g thymol. Thus: 50÷910 = 5.49% thymol

Diluting the Thymol To ensure proper mixing, thymol should first be diluted as follows: Remove 100 cc FGMO from the 1000 cc intended for mixture, and place in a glass mason jar. Add the thymol to this oil, and secure cap tightly. Place a metal or ceramic container of water on a heat source and place jar in water. Swish/swirl the jar as water heats up until thymol dissolves completely. Solution will become slightly amber in color, and is then ready to be added to the rest of the FGMO and mixed for use as follows: Preparing FGMO-Thymol Emulsion Place FGMO in metal or ceramic container and place over heat source. Allow oil to heat. Add beeswax and stir well until wax is totally melted. Remove container from heat source. Add honey and stir until it blends into mexture. Add the previously-diluted thymol. Add cords immediately and stir until they are wellsoaked with the solution. Pack cords in a tightly sealed container and store in a cool place. The cords will be ready for use as soon as the emulsion cools. Preparing and Using FGMO-Thymol Fogger Mixture Add the previously-diluted thymol to FGMO and shake well. Fill your fogger

container. You are now ready to fog. Set fogger on a level, steady surface. Turn gas valve to the left 1/4 turn and listen for a slight hissing sound. Light your fogger from underneath. (A butane stove lighter is recommended for this purpose.) Wait. You should notice a drop or two of oil dripping from the spout of the fogger. Next, you should notice a small emission of oil mist similar to that of a lit cigarette. Next, the fogger will emit a larger puff of oil mist. The fogger is now ready for fogging. Holding the foggger parallel to the ground, point the nozzle directly at your hive entrance. DO NOT AIM THE FOGGER DOWNWARD! Place a tray or shield below the hive if you use screened bottom boards in order to direct the mist into the hive. Pull the trigger of the fogger 3-4 times, while you count 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, depending on the hive population. When fogging, please wear a respirator for safety reasons. Never add any other ingredient to your fogger. Do not use foggers that may have been used to spray pesticides, as residues may ramain embedded in the container, transfer to your FGMO/thymol solution and result in probable bee kills. Questions? Dr. Rodriguez can be contacted at DronebeeR@netscape.net

Highlights From the Fall 2005 State Meeting Kenny Norman,Vice President

The Fall Meeting can be divided into three parts: National Honey Board — Bonnie Woodworth: The first part explained the influence of the National Honey Board on your local Honey Sales. Bonnie Woodworth highlighted the Tailgating recipe contest where a few thousand contestants send in Honey BBQ recipes to the National Honey Board and the finalist won a trip for two to Hawaii for the NFL’s Pro Bowl. The contest is being continued this year and can be accessed at www.nhb.org. Bonnie Woodworth related some of her experiences marrying into a commercial beekeeping operation in Halliday, North Dakota where she and her husband Brent run a few thousand hives for honey production and pollination in California and other coastal states. Their favorite plants for honey production in North Dakota are the different clovers and canola. Pest Control — Bob Cox: The second part was the topics covered by Robert Cox, an entomologist from the Kiki de la Garza Sub Tropical Agricultural Research Station in Weslaco, Texas. He covered the topic of dealing with Varroa and the

small hive beetle. He put forth the following concepts with dealing with Varroa. Accurate Id and estimate of the pest This is accomplished by an ether roll and/or sugar roll. The sugar roll technique can be found at http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/ insects/g1430.htm . The ether roll can be found at http:// maarec.cas.psu.edu/pest&disease/sl19.html. With more then 10 mites in the jars it is time to treat. Multiple pronged method of dealing with Varroa A. A screen bottom board: He found that hives with a screen bottom board had 50% fewer mites then those that did not. B. Use several methods when dealing with Varroa, including soft chemicals. They tested many thymol based products which had success. These included: Apiguard 95% which is not legal yet but will be soon; Api var Life which is legal; and Oxalic acid treatment of 3.5 % which was mentioned at the last Beekeepers (Continued on page 4)

Page 4

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Fall Meeting Highlights (Continued from page 3)

Association of the Ozarks meeting in September and October. Oxalic acid showed a success rate of 90% and 95%, but this method is not yet legal in the United States. C. Genetically resistant bees 1. Russian bees, SMR Bees and Hygienic bees have tested resistant to Varroa mites. (Africanized bees and Africanized hybrid bees also have resistance.) SMR and Hygienic have the same technique when dealing with varroa; they uncap the cells where the varroa are and remove them from the hive. (SMR bees have the greater tested result of doing that.) Africanized bees abscond from an infested hive and go somewhere else. D. Deal with Varroa before Threshold is reached. The threshold, or point when the hive cannot recover from a varroa attack, is reached here in Missouri in late summer and/or early fall. Varroa must be dealt with before or at that time so the winter bees can be the healthiest. Bob Cox also spoke on Africanized honeybees. They have to wear three suits and duct tape them up to work with AHB and they can only work a few hours due to the fact it is very hot when wearing 3 suits. When they lift a frame of bees from an AHB hive the bees run and festoon on the bottom of the frame

making it difficult to locate a queen. To deal with AHB you must requeen the hive. According to Bob, the first generation hybrid from the hive is a great honey producer and is not as mean as the next generation. Robert Cox spoke on the small hive beetle, its problems and solutions to deal with it. Most legal traps dealing with small hive beetle have slots that the beetle falls into and dies; these can be seen at http://www.dadant.com/catalog/product_info.php? products_id=724. (Side note: A sample of beetles from Springfield was given to State Entomologist Mike Brown and he has determined them to be small hive beetle. This pest has now crossed the state from the St. Louis area to Springfield.) The final part of the state meeting was dealing with another soft control of Varroa mites: Mineral Oil Fogging — Dr. Pedro Rodriguez: Dr Rodriguez gave a speech on using food grade mineral oil (FGMO) for varroa mite control. This method entails fogging mineral oil with Thymol into the front of the hives with a fogger produced by The Fountain Head Group Inc. Their website is Mention the Beekeepers www.thefountainheadgroup.com. Discount for special pricing. (See page 3 for details on the Rodriguez method.)

Tidbits from Tan-Tar-A

Sharon Gibbons, Program Chairperson We had a great fall meeting at Tan-Tar-A. The weather was beautiful so it hurt our attendance. Whenever the weather is warm, we have members who choose to work their bees instead of attending the meeting. Thank you to all that did come. We had about 76 in attendance. Dr Pedro Rodriguez presented his research on treating beehives with mineral oil to reduce mite populations. Mark Cushman donated four of his company’s foggers for our raffle. Several of our beekeepers are already using his method successfully to treat Varroa mites. Our main speaker was Bob Cox from the Weslaco Bee Lab in Texas. Many of you remember Bob because he was apiary inspector in Iowa prior to going to Weslaco. He gave programs on Africanized bees, small hive beetles and varroa controls.

and Chris Gibbons with set up. We appreciate the participation of our vendors. This meeting we had Mid-Con, Drapers, and Sharon Waddel. Support is appreciated from other bee supply companies who sent items to be raffled off. They were as listed: Heitkams Queen Bees, Bee Culture, Mid-Con, Drapers, Walter T. Kelley Co., B. Weavers, Wilbanks Apiaries, Dadant, Koehnen Queens, Strachan Apiaries, Eastern MO Beekeepers, Midwestern Beekeepers, Beekeepers of the Ozarks, The Fountainhead Group, and Bees and Trees Bee Supply. In another part of this newsletter is the information on the Spring meeting in Kansas City, the first weekend of March. Hope to see you all there.

Bonnie Woodworth came from North Dakota. She represented the NHB and also gave a program on the hectic life of commercial beekeeping. The fun part of the meeting included a Halloween costume party. The winners for best couple were Donna and Mike Brahms dressed as “Red Riding Hood (Mike) and the Big Bad Wolf (Donna)”. The best single costume was Bonnie Woodworth as a cat, and best child costume was given to May Schmidt dressed as a clown... We had at least 15 dressed in costume. Such clever costumes were worn. Thanks to those who helped me with the meeting, especially Gary Blackwell and Siobhan Thouvenot at the registration table,

DRAPER’S SUPER BEE 914 S. Street Auburn, NE 68305 Ph. (402) 274-3725

Fax: (402) 274-3128

Free delivery at the Joint Missouri-Kansas Beekeepers Spring meeting

January 2006

Page 5

for sale Complete stainless steel extracting setup. 1. Uncapping tank with stand – 48”L x 13½”H x 18”W 2. Cold knife 3. NEW Speed King Electric Uncapping Knife 4. 20 gallon tank with lid 18” x 18” 5. Four (4) frame tangential electric extractor (Dadant) with honey gate and variable speed control 6. Plastic strainer bucket, tank adaptor and strainer bag

Sold as one unit.

Price $1200

Ian Brown ibrown@mail.win.org H 636-498-5014 C 314-306-8368

Three Queen Bees and a Drone Kansas’ Honey Producers Association & Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Spring 2006 Meeting Friday & Saturday, March 3 & 4 Overland Park Marriott 10800 Metcalf, (I-435 & Exit 169 Highway-Metcalf) Room rate $75.00 plus tax ($85.14); make reservations by February 9th. Call 800-228-9290 Group code: mkbmkba Our guest speakers are excellent—Three Queens and a Drone! •

• •

•

Dr. Marla Spivak is at the University of Minnesota, Department of Entomology. She is part of the Minnesota Extension Service. She has been instrumental in developing bees with hygienic traits so that we can use fewer chemicals in our hives. She has written several books, including “Successful Queen Rearing” and “Beekeeping in the Upper Midwest” Dr. Diana Sammatara is with the USDA Bee Lab in Tucson AZ. She has written the book “The Beekeeper’s Handbook.” Dr. Nancy Ostiguy is at Pennsylvania State University. Her interests are in the area of sustainable and organic agriculture. The current focus of her research is in the area of environmental consequences of pest control strategies, including non-pesticidal approaches to pest control (IPM), and pesticide residues in foods and other products. Dr. Tom Seeley is a professor of Biology in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell University. He teaches courses in animal behavior and does research on honey bee behavior. He recently has had articles in Bee Culture magazine.

See the following pages for Program and Registration form.

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Page 6

Spring Meeting Program

Thursday night, March 2nd: Board meeting for the Missouri State Beekeepers, 8:00 p.m., Sunflower Room Board meeting for the Kansas State Beekeepers, 8:30 p.m., Boulevard Suite, 922

Friday, March 3rd 7:30-8:30 8:30-8:45 8:45-9:30 9:30-10:15 10:15-10:45 10:45-11:30 11:30-12:15 12:15-1:15 1:15-2:00

Registration & coffee & tea (Silent Auction Set-up) Welcome & announcements, President Monte Richardson “Accurately Sample Colonies for Mites - A New Method” — Dr. Marla Spivak “House Hunting by Honey Bees” — Dr. Tom Seeley Break “Mite Management” research update from the USDA Bee Labs — Dr. Diana Sammataro “Organic Certified Honey: Can it be done?” — Dr. Nancy Ostiguy Lunch on your own To be announced

Workshops – choose 4: “How Viruses Change Beekeeping,” —Nancy Ostiguy “Plastic Foundation: Good for the beekeeper. Good for the Bees?” — Tom Seeley “Drone Selection” — Marla Spivak “Pollination” — Diana Sammataro “Nutritional Analysis of Honey & Honey Products” — Jackie Rowan “Dealing with Small Hive Beetles” “Installing Package Bees” “Making Nucs” — Chris Gibbons “Making Mead” — Robert Burns “Putting Together Gift Bags & Gift Baskets” “Soaps & Salves” 2:05-2:45 2:45-3:15 3:15-4:00 4:05-4:50

6:30

Break, visit vendors & bid on silent auction

Banquet & Entertainment Presentation of Missouri Beekeeper of the Year Award Coronation of Kansas Honey Queen

Program continued next page Mid-Continent Agrimarketing, Inc. 1150 W. 151st St., Suite D Olathe, KS 66061 (913) 768-8967 (Kansas City Area) Toll-Free 1-800-547-1392 www.mid-conagri.com We will deliver your order free at the Missouri State Beekeeper’s Association Spring meeting

January 2006

Page 7

Spring Meeting Program (continued from previous page)

Saturday, March 4th 7:45-8:15 8:15-8:30 8:30-9:15 9:15-10:00 10:00-10:30 10:30-11:15 11:15-12:00 12:00-1:00 1:00-1:45

Registration, coffee Welcome & announcements, Tim Tucker “The Beehive as a Honey Factory” Tom Seeley “Breeding Bees—News from the Minnesota Ivory Tower” Marla Spivak Break Diana Sammataro (topic to be announced) “Pesticide Residues in Honey and Beeswax” Nancy Ostiguy Lunch on your own or Deli Luncheon (paid with registration) Vendors will be packing up at this time TBA

Workshops — choose 3: “How Viruses Change Beekeeping,” — Nancy Ostiguy “Plastic Foundation: Good for the beekeeper. Good for the Bees?” — Tom Seeley “Drone Selection” — Marla Spivak “Pollination” — Diana Sammataro “Pollen Collecting” “Preparing Honey for Shows” — Kristi Sanderson “Insect Photography” — Betsy Betros 1:50-2:30 2:35-3:15 3:20-4:00 4:00-

Door Prizes & Drawings

Program and speakers subject to change

FOR SALE Complete Small Beekeeping Business •

Approx. 450 double hive bodied colonies (Most 2005 queens)

•

Complete Cowen Extracting Operation De-boxer, Silverqueen uncapper, capping auger, 60-frame extractor

•

Fager wax press

• •

Kelly waterjacketed bottling tanks Lots of new equipment, enough hive bodies & supers to run 1000 colonies efficiently (two 48-foot van trailers full of equipment)

•

Good accounts set up

573-248-1850 daytime 573-221-7895 evening

Kansas’ Honey Producers Association & Missouri State Beekeepers Spring 2006 Meeting Registration Form NAME_____________________________________________________________ ADDRESS__________________________________________________________ CITY___________________STATE_________ZIP+4_______________________ PHONE________________________E-MAIL _____________________________

Pre-registration fees: Registration must be received by February 24th, 2006 Member -- 2-day, per person

$17.00_______

Or Member – 1 day, per person

$12.00_______

(This rate is for husband-wife, parent-child, boyfriend-girlfriend, etc.) Member Family— 2 day

$25.00_______

Or Member family— 1 day

$20.00_______

For name tag fill in names ________________________, _________________________ Non-member – 2-day, per person

$24.00_______

Or Non-member – 1 day, per person

$15.00_______

Registrations made after February 24th: (No family discount on late registrations) Member -- 2-day, per person

$21.00_______

Or Member – 1 day, per person

$16.00_______

Non-member – 2-day, per person

$28.00_______

Or Non-member – 1 day, per person

$20.00_______

Friday Night Banquet & Entertainment: Honey-orange chicken, rice, salad, vegetable, dessert Adult - $20.00/person

($20.00 x _____)

_______

Child - $10.00/person ages 4 and older

($10.00 x _____)

_______

Adult - $15.00/person

($15.00 x _____)

_______

Child - $7.50/person ages 4 and older

($ 7.50 x _____)

_______

This is Lent if you prefer fish tell us how many _________ Saturday, Deli Plate Lunch

Donation $_______

Total $______ Please make checks payable to: Kansas’ Honey Producers Assn or KHPA. Send to Robert Burns, 7601 w 54TH Terr. Overland Park, KS 66202 913-831-6096 email rburns@kc.rr.com (Registration will not be accepted by email) If you

pre-register and then can not attend, your registration fee will be considered a donation and no refunds will be made. If you pay for meals and we are able to sell them you will be reimbursed for those.

January 2006

Page 9

The Empty Super … Diary of a Hopeful Hobbyist by Eugene Makovec

Where there’s smoke ... I was wrapping up a routine hive inspection when I heard a dog barking. I had the feeling it had been barking for some time and the sound had finally elbowed its way into my consciousness, not unlike the phone at 3:00 a.m. The owner of the property had two beautiful yellow Labradors, neither of which had ever let out the slightest whimper in my dozen or so visits to this location. Today there had been only one (I later learned that his brother had died), and when I looked up he was barking at a man at the opposite end of the yard. This location could not be referred to as a “bee yard” in the sense that commercial beekeepers think of them. It was in fact, just a yard -- a backyard, to be precise, and a small one at that. I had come upon this location much the way I usually do – through a gift of honey and casual conversation. We’d finally replaced As I backed out of the old galvanized pipes in our basement, and when the plumber the driveway, I saw it had finished I’d offered him a small – one of Kirkwood’s fire trucks, bottle of honey for a job well done. finest (Unfortunately, he insisted I also parked in front of the write him a check.) Well, we got to neighbor’s house with talking about bees, and he asked if I all the lights flashing. could put a hive in his yard to pollinate his fruit trees. There was really nothing in it for me, but I’m always on the lookout for alternate locations — just in case my primary bee yard changes hands and the new owners are not thrilled about playing landlord to a few hundred thousand stinging insects. As always, I began by asking him if he was on good terms with his neighbors. “You’ll want to make sure you discuss this with them first”, I advised, in order to head off any difficulties down the road. No problem, he said. So I’d put down a hive in early Spring and populated it with a four-frame nucleus. It was along his back fence, on a mulched area between two small pine trees and screened from the neighbor behind by a dense row of shrubs. Unfortunately, the nucleus had not performed well. They’d gone queenless in May, and it had taken two attempts to requeen them. So now, in mid-July, the hive still consisted of just two hive bodies and an overly optimistic super. And here I was, about to close up this sorry hive, when I heard the dog barking. Turning toward the sound, I saw a man in a white dress shirt and black pants at the front edge of the yard, about 20 yards from me. Held at bay by the rather large dog (or perhaps by my appearance in what could, at that distance, have passed for a haz-mat suit), he motioned for me to come over. After taking a few seconds to replace the super and lid, I picked up my smoker and headed toward him. On the way, I removed my helmet and veil and put a cork (actually a thick twig with a knob at one end) in the smoker – it being one of those rare occa-

sions when it hadn’t gone out on its own. “Hello,” he said as I approached. I nodded in reply. “We got a report about a funny smell, like smoke.” At that point I noticed that his white shirt was actually a uniform shirt, with the words “Kirkwood Fire Department” stitched on the pocket. “That would be my smoker,” I replied sheepishly. I then explained briefly who I was and what I was doing. “No problem,” he said. “But you may want to explain about the bees to the lady next door,” he said with a grin. “Thanks,” I said, and headed for my car. As I backed out of the driveway, I saw it – one of Kirkwood’s finest fire trucks, parked in front of the neighbor’s house with all the lights flashing. “Oh, man,” I thought. “Thank God they didn’t use the siren!” The next morning I called my plumber. “You may want to explain about the bees to the lady next door,” I began.

Local Club Meeting Information Jefferson County Beekeeper’s Association 2nd Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m., Jefferson County Extension Center, Hwy B & 21, Hillsboro Contact Scott Moser (636) 285-7295 Midwestern Beekeeper’s Association Third Wednesday of each month 7:00 p.m. YMCA, 10301 E. 350 Hwy, Raytown Contact President Bob Justice, 816-358-3893 Eastern Missouri Beekeeper’s Association 1st Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m., Kirkwood Community Center, 111 Geyer Rd, Kirkwood Contact President Steve Harris, 636-946-5520 Beekeeper’s Association of the Ozarks 4th Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. The Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell, Springfield www.ozarkbees.org South Central Missouri Beekeepers Association Contact President May Schmitt 417-256-9447 Missouri Valley Beekeepers Association 3rd Monday of each month, 7:00 p.m. Scenic Regional Library, Union Beginner’s class March 25 (Union Middle School) Contact Rodney Angell 573-764-2922 Or bee143@fidnet.com

Is your club listed? Contact Eugene at editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Page 10

Missouri State Beekeepers Association Membership Application Name Spouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Name Address City/State/Zip Phone Number Email Address Does your local club forward dues to the State Association? If so, please pay through your local association. State Association Dues (Check only one box) Adult Membership

$10.00

Family Membership

$15.00

Student Membership

$5.00

Magazine Subscriptions (Check as many boxes as apply) American Bee Journal

1 year $18.00

Renewal

2 years $34.05

Bee Culture Renewal The Speedy Bee Renewal

1 year $19.00 2 years $36.00 1 year $13.60 2 years $25.60 TOTAL:

Make check payable to: Missouri State Beekeepers Association P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075

January 2006

Page 11

Honey Queen Report

Directory of Officers

Hello, Beekeepers!

President: Monte Richardson 1405 S. Prospect Ave., Sedalia MO 65301 president@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

Sarah Jackson

I’m really excited to be writing my first newsletter report as your 2006 Missouri Honey Queen. First of all, let me just say that I would like to say a big THANK YOU! for the warm welcome I received at your fall meeting over Halloween weekend. My family and I greatly enjoyed ourselves and I had a wonderful time getting acquainted with all of you. I’m looking forward to serving Missouri’s beekeepers and promoting honey throughout my reign in any way I can.

For those of you who didn’t get to meet me at the fall meeting, let me tell you a little about myself. My name is Sarah Jackson, and I’m from New Cambria, Missouri, a tiny town in the north central part of the state. I have two younger sisters at home, and am a freshman at the University of Missouri-Columbia. I’m majoring in Agricultural Journalism, and am very active on campus. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my first semester of college life, and am excitedly anticipating the remainder of my college career. In my spare time, I enjoy showing cattle, reading, dancing, and traveling. My great-uncle was a beekeeper and he always regaled my sisters and I with adventures of his little charges. As a child, I was fascinated; perhaps this is where my interest in agriculture was rooted. Today, agriculture is definitely where my heart and passion lie, and that definitely includes the work of Missouri’s beekeepers.

Treasurer: Ron Vivian 443 Fricke Road, Bates City, MO 64011 treasurer@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

As this year’s Honey Queen, I fully intend to take advantage of this opportunity God has blessed me with. Please let me know about all your meetings, activities, and special events. I’m also very happy and willing to travel to schools in your area to speak to little ones about the amazing process of making honey! Any fairs, festivals, or any other happenings where honey is being promoted, I would love to participate in. Please let May Schmitt, Honey Queen Director, know about these events so she can relay them to me. Her address is on the association website.

Eastern Area Director: Steve Harris 1224 Sherbrooke Road, St. Charles, MO 63303 eastdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

Once again, I am anticipating a fun-filled, educational year, and I can’t wait to get started representing you and advocating the use of honey and other products of the hive. God Bless, Sarah

Past-President: Chris Gibbons 500 East Starla Drive, Columbia,MO 65202 pastpresident@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Western Area Director: Glenn Davis 4618 Highway Z, Bates City, MO 64011 westdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Southern Area Director: May Schmitt 10250 County Road 6970, West Plains, MO 65775 southdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

Southeastern Area Director: Ray Batton 3032 N. 14th St., Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 northdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Program Chairperson: Sharon Gibbons 314 Quinnmoor Dr., Ballwin, MO 63011 sgibbs314@earthlink.net Newsletter Editor: Eugene Makovec 643 Pearl Ave., Kirkwood, MO 63122 editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Librarian: John Sauls 52 Saline Valley Dr., Eldon, MO 65026

Order between January 7 and March 1

2006 Russian Nucs

Auxilliary President: Joanne Davis 4618 Highway Z, Bates City, MO 64011 auxpres@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Price to be determined

Ian Brown ibrown@mail.win.org H 636-498-5014 C 314-306-8368

Queen Chairperson: May Schmitt 10250 County Road 6970, West Plains, MO 65775 queenchair@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org State Entomologist: Mike Brown P.O. Box 630, Jefferson City, MO 65102 Assist. Prof. Entomology/Extension Spec.: Dr. Richard Houseman 1-87 Agricultural Building, University of MissouriColumbia, Columbia, MO 65211

Missouri State Beekeepers Association P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075 www.mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

It’s a long winter — How’s your fuel supply?

Still Getting This By Snail-Mail? Okay, so trees can be considered a renewable resource. But what’s not renewable is your editor’s time. And your Association’s resources are renewed out of your wallet. So I’m asking you, please, to consider the email option. Here are the benefits of an email newsletter:

•

Cost Savings: MSBA currently spends about $2000 annually printing and mailing newsletters to over 200 members. Reducing that quantity will help to offset postage increases and keep funds available for things like meeting rooms, speakers’ fees and state fair activities.

•

Quality: The electronic version of this newsletter contains color photographs and graphics, as well as hyperlinks to any website addresses contained herein. (A hyperlink means when you click on the address, it automatically takes you there.) The printed version may not contain all the photos, and those that appear have been printed in black-and-white to save on ink costs.

Okay, I’m convinced. Where do I sign up?

•

First, send an email to editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org with “email newsletter” in the subject line. I’ll reply with a confirmation, and I’ll add you to my list.

•

Download Acrobat Reader. The newsletter is sent as a pdf (portable document format), created by a program called Adobe Acrobat. To open it, you’ll need Acrobat Reader, which is FREE. Just go to www.adobe.com and click on the left side of the screen where it says “Get Adobe Reader”. You will then download an installation file that you’ll use to install Reader. (Acrobat Reader also comes in handy for lots of things you find on the internet.)

If you have any problems downloading or installing Reader, just email me and I’ll be happy to assist you. The Editor

Missouri State Beekeepers Association P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075 www.mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

Spring Meeting Just What the Doctor Ordered Program is heavy on the science of beekeeping Thought you’d never use your high school biology? Think again. This year’s Spring meeting, held jointly with our neighbors in Kansas, is geared heavily toward the science of beekeeping, with “Drone Selection”, “Breeding Bees” and “Pollination” among the offerings.

If State meetings are great for camaraderie, they are essential for continuing education. And program chairs Joli Winer (KS) and Sharon Gibbons (MO) have brought in some heavyhitters to instruct us. A look back at apiculture texts from a century ago finds beekeepers arguing over many of the same issues as today. Extracted vs. comb honey, whether to use queen excluders, and what to do about the evil foulbrood. But a lot has changed, too. Deadly mites. New medications, followed by resistance and still more medications. More recently, hive beetles (Continued on page 5)

March 2006 Eugene Makovec Editor INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

From the President Monte Richardson

The Empty Super 3 Diary of a Hopeful Hobbyist Tylosin Mixing Instructions

Spring Meeting Program and Speaker Bios for Joint MO/KS meeting

5-7

Beginner’s Workshops

Local Club Information

Membership Application 10 Honey Queen Report

Directory of Officers

New Foulbrood Medication Approved by FDA The following information was provided to us in the form of a National Honey Board press release: On October 20, 2005, the Food and Drug Administration approved tylosin (brand name Tylan) for the control of American foulbrood disease (AFB) of honey bees. The label and other information can be found on the Elanco website: http://www.elancous.com/products/tylan_soluble.htm The approval has several stipulations, including that tylosin:

Signs of Spring

Coming soon to a garden near you: The grape hyacinth is among the first perennials to bloom in the early Spring, attracting local honeybees with its generous supply of sweet nectar. Plant a few bulbs in full sun or partial shade, and they will spread over a few years to create a sea of April azure. According to the Iowa State University Extension service, grape hyacinths multiply via both bulb offsets and seed dispersal. — photo by Eugene Makovec

is used for the control of AFB (not the prevention);

is applied as a dust in confectioners/powdered sugar (not in syrup or patty form);

treatments consist of three (3) applications of 200 mg tylosin in 20g sugar per application, dusted over the top bars of the brood chamber, once weekly;

is consumed by the bees before the honey flow; and

treatments are completed at least four (4) weeks prior to main honey flow (withdrawal period).

(Continued on page 4)

Page 2

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

From the President Monte Richardson Hello Everybody, It’s the first of February and winter is just now hitting us here in West Central Missouri. Those 60-degree days in January were simply unbelievable. Hopefully all the warmer weather hasn’t made the bees eat up all their spring stores. There were a couple of items at the recent Executive Board Meeting that I would like to share with all of you. The first is that Sarah Jackson, YOUR 2006 Honey Queen, has been busy. She has attended some local association meetings and is in the process of making arrangements to attend some beginner workshops. These are excellent opportunities for local associations to make a media event. Sarah is a charming individual and is YOUR spokesman to the media, promoting honey, bees, and beekeeping. I hope all of you will take advantage of her abilities and willingness to contribute to OUR avocation. The second item that I would like to bring to your attention is the Spring Meeting, “Three Queen Bees and a Drone”, March 3rd & 4th in Overland Park, KS (Kansas City Metro Area). The Missouri and Kansas Beekeepers Associations have come together for this meeting. Some of you may be asking why we do this, combine associations for such meetings. For some of you it means a terribly long drive. For others it means fighting big city traffic. I’m going to be frank for a moment and explain some logistical facts of life. We have two wonderful ladies that can, and do, get the most qualified bee researchers and practical beekeepers available for our meetings. However, these people are in high demand and must prioritize their time and efforts. These researchers and beekeepers are dedicated to getting “the

VIDEO FOR SALE

“A Year With the Honeybees” This video follows Dick Blake, of Shenandoah, Iowa, through an entire production season. It starts with spring feeding, progresses through splitting, supering and honey removal, and finishes with the barrels of honey being loaded on the truck. With a running time of 35 minutes, this video offers information for beekeepers on all levels. Produced and directed by the Iowa Honey Producers. Available on DVD or VCR tape. Price is $22.00 per copy (shipping included). Make checks payable to The Iowa Honey Producers. Remit to 14808 S. 102nd Ave. E., Lynnville, IA 50153. For more information contact Phil Ebert at 641-5272639 or email ehoney37@netins.net

word” out to as many people as possible, as efficiently as possible. The bottom line is that the more people we have attending a meeting, the better chance we have of attracting the quality speakers that we have all come to expect at these meetings. Sharon and Joli have crammed as much as possible into this meeting. There will be an E-Board meeting on Thursday evening 3/2, but there won’t be time for a “business meeting” during the weekend. Sharon and Joli have done a marvelous job of scheduling the breakout sessions so that you can pick and choose several of them to attend. It seems that my wife and I have to have a major discussion before the meeting to see which one of us will attend which breakout session so that we can learn as much as possible for our business. Given the quality of our speakers and the accommodations, the prices are very reasonable. I hope to see as many of you at the Spring Meeting as possible. For more information see the rest of the newsletter or go to www.mostatebeepersassociation.org. One last thought as I shake off the chill. The Missouri State Fair will be held August 10th – 20th. For those that have to make arrangements early, please consider donating a half or whole day to the State Association’s State Fair Booth. It truly makes a wonderful impact on the children. And adults come back year after year. Don Reinkemeyer and Dean Sanders will be supervising the booth this year and would appreciate your help. We also have some cooking demonstrations scheduled during the fair that we could use some help with. See You Soon!!! Monte Richardson

March 2006

Page 3

The Empty Super … Diary of a Hopeful Hobbyist by Eugene Makovec Flight Path

with little discernible progress. But now it was gone, and in its place stood Ray with a large push broom.

I was in the back yard when my son brought the phone out. It was Ray Downing, my neighbor across the street.

Picture a man in his mid-50s, with bad knees, a bit of a paunch and a full grey beard. (One of the neighbors had joked that “Jerry Garcia didn’t die; he retired and moved to Pearl Avenue.”) He was breathing heavily, sweating profusely, and as I approached he swatted furiously at a passing bee. I almost busted out laughing, and I know the smirk on my face didn’t help his mood any.

“What’s with these bees attacking me?” he asked. He sounded perturbed. “You may want to ask their owner,” I responded, trying to be funny. I wasn’t, and the line was silent for a moment. The bees’ owner was Jackie, Ray’s wife. The Downings had moved in a couple of years prior, and she’d asked me to place a “small hive” in her backyard to pollinate the humongous garden she was putting in. I explained to her that a “small hive” would not stay small for long – I could install a small package of bees in the spring, but by summer Jackie would have herself a “big hive” with many thousands of bees. (I should mention here that I was not completely honest with Jackie. I am actually quite adept at keeping small hives small – each year at least one of my four hives (usually the one I spend the most time on) manages to remain undersized. So in truth, her chances of having a puny, unproductive hive were at least 25 percent – maybe higher if I gave He was them my constant attention.) The deal was, she would pay for the equipment and all expenses, I would take care of the bees, and we’d split the extracting duties and the honey. Jackie’s bees had been there over two years with no incidents. Until now.

“Like I said --”, he stammered, swinging an arm around his head again, “like I said, I was just sweeping up the rest of this mulch when they came after me.” “Hmmm,” I wondered aloud. “Which way were you sweeping it?” “That way.” He pointed toward the fence. “So … right across their flight path,” I observed. I proceeded to explain the compost thing to him, along with the sweat thing, and for good measure I threw in a little advice about flailing at passing bees.

A few days later I was back in the Downings’ backyard, this time for a graduation party. Honeybees were a popubreathing lar topic of conversation. I said hello to Ray, and heavily, sweating did a double-take. He was sitting in a lawn chair profusely, and as I with shorts on. His entire right thigh was blackand-blue, like someone had taken a baseball bat approached he swat- to it. “Is that where you got stung?” I asked inted furiously at a credulously.

passing bee.

I tried a more inquisitive tack. “What are you doing?” I asked Ray. “I was just cleaning up this compost pile,” he answered. “I’ve been out here all afternoon, and all of a sudden they just attacked me. I got stung once and there’s a couple more that keep dive-bombing me.” “Hmmm,” I thought. “Compost.” “I’ll be right over,” I said. I knew from what I’d read that there are certain scents almost universally despised by bees. Things like perfume and bananas. Horses and sweat. And compost. The Downings’ asphalt driveway went straight back past the left side of their house to a detached garage which, like ours, was ancient and cluttered, with doors too narrow for easy automotive storage. Instead, the drive opened to a larger slab behind the house with room to park a couple of cars. Beyond this was a four-foot chain link fence covered with vines and lined with shrubs on the back neighbor’s side. To the left, tucked away behind the garage, were my – er, Jackie’s – bees, a bustling, O’Hare-like enterprise whose flight path paralleled the fence. As recently as last week there had been a huge pile of compost on the asphalt slab. It had been delivered in the early spring and Ray and Jackie had been chipping away at it ever since, though

“That’s where I pulled a muscle trying to get away,” he replied. “I can hardly walk.” Again, I had to suppress my mirth. And again, I was only marginally successful. But this time my smirks were joined by snickers from Ray’s brother and several others, and finally even a chuckle from Ray. Ray’s actually a good guy, a great person to have as a neighbor, and while he never cared for the bees, he loved the honey. When Jackie couldn’t make it once on extracting day, Ray cheerfully volunteered, and found that honey from the comb is even better than that from the bottle. Jackie’s bees remained in her yard for another year, without incident, until the Downings moved across town. She hasn’t gotten around to a garden at the new place. As for Ray, he’s my right-hand man every year at extracting time. It’s all I can do to keep him from eating up the profits.

DRAPER’S SUPER BEE 914 S. Street Auburn, NE 68305 Ph. (402) 274-3725

Fax: (402) 274-3128

Free delivery at the Joint Missouri-Kansas Beekeepers Spring meeting

Page 4

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Tylosin Approved for Treatment of American Foulbrood (Continued from page 1)

TOLERANCES Since the residue levels in our human food safety studies were low and the per capita consumption of honey is low (relative to other food items), the FDA decided: “… the exposure resulting from the consumption of honey from treated hives does not represent a human safety concern and a tolerance for tylosin in honey is not needed.” This is quite different from a “zero tolerance” where no (“zero”) amount is allowed. MIXING TYLAN (the ELANCO formulation of tylosin) comes in a 100 gram bottle.

rial for 500 treatments. If each colony was treated 3 times, one week apart, 500 treatments would be enough for about 166 colonies. That is a large amount to mix in a single batch, particularly since Tylan and sugar are similar in color. Mixing smaller portions may be appropriate. Editor’s Note — Tylosin is an antibiotic. As noted above, it is indicated for AHB control, not prevention. The reason we have a new foulbrood control measure is that the old one, Terramycin, no longer works for many beekeepers. Years of misuse (treating preemptively when no AHB is evident, or not following label instructions) are thought to have sped up the natural process of resistance. Apistan misuse has been blamed for similar resistance by varroa mites.

100 grams = 100,000 milligrams; if each treatment is 200 milligrams then the bottle is enough for 500 treatments (100,000 divided by 200). What about SUGAR? If each treatment is 20 grams (approximately 1/4 cup) of confectioner’s sugar and the TYLAN bottle is enough for 500 treatments, then 500 X 20 grams = 10,000 grams or 10 kilograms. A kilogram is 2.2 lbs so 10 kilograms is 22 lbs. Therefore, one 100-gram bottle of TYLAN would be mixed with 22 lbs of confectioner’s sugar to yield mate-

Camdenton Cancer Society Seeks Honey Donations The following request was received via email by MSBA President Monte Richardson: Hi, my name is Debbie Cribb. I have recently moved to Missouri and being new I decided to get involved in my community. I have joined our local chapter of the American Cancer Society and am a Team Leader for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Each team leader was asked to create a theme for their team, (please be patient with me while I explain myself) to help with fundraising efforts to find a cure for cancer and help the folks in our community who are battling the disease. My team will be called, "Cribb's Queen Bees - Working for a Cure, cuz we Bee the Best" (please find humor in that!!). Anyway, I am looking for someone who can donate some honey for our fund raising. We'd like to sell honey as part of our team’s efforts. We are also dressing up like bees (wearing tiaras and antennae), washing car windows for donations, etc. My family has personally been effected by this disease as has every other family I have ever met, in one form or another. So instead of complaining about it, I have decided to take action, however meager it may seem. Please help direct me to someone who might be willing to join my cause. Looking forward to your reply, Debbie Cribb, Team Captain, Cribb's Queen Bees

March 2006

Page 5

Spring Meeting Just What the Doctor Ordered (Continued from page 1)

and the continued northward march of Africanized bees. Clearly, this is not your father’s honey business. We’re no longer just farmers — we’re pharmacists. Even the hobbyists among us have to take this stuff seriously if we want to survive. Our Spring program can help. Our four primary presenters, PhDs all, come to us from top university and research facilities. All have studied and written extensively on the biology and behavior of the honeybee, and can’t wait to share their knowledge with us. But if your eyes should start to glaze over from all those science classes, we also have a variety of electives, ranging from “Installing Package Bees” and “Making Nucs” to “Gift Baskets” and “Insect Photography”.

Need to order supplies for the upcoming season? Here’s your chance to save on shipping costs, while at the same time supporting our exhibiting vendors. Time is getting short, but if you contact them now, you can probably pick up your order at the meeting. Vendor contact information is as follows: Dadant and Sons: (Sioux City office) 877-732-3268 Mid-Continent Agrimarketing: 800-547-1392 Draper’s Super Bee: 402-274-3725 All of these vendors also support this newsletter with their advertising. This joint meeting of the Missouri State Beekeepers Association and the Kansas Honey Producers Association will convene on Friday morning, March 3, 2006 in Overland Park, KS.

Three Queen Bees and a Drone Kansas’ Honey Producers Association & Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Spring 2006 Meeting Friday & Saturday, March 3 & 4 Overland Park Marriott 10800 Metcalf, (I-435 & Exit 169 Highway-Metcalf) Call 800-228-9290 for hotel reservations. Our guest speakers: •

• •

•

Dr. Marla Spivak is at the University of Minnesota, Department of Entomology. She is part of the Minnesota Extension Service. She has been instrumental in developing bees with hygienic traits so that we can use fewer chemicals in our hives. She has written several books, including “Successful Queen Rearing” and “Beekeeping in the Upper Midwest” Dr. Diana Sammatara is with the USDA Bee Lab in Tucson AZ. She has written the book “The Beekeeper’s Handbook.” Dr. Nancy Ostiguy is at Pennsylvania State University. Her research is on varroa and virus impacts on honey bees and the environmental consequences of pest control strategies, including non-pesticidal approaches to pest control (IPM), and pesticide residues in foods and other products. She also has interests in sustainable and organic agriculture. Dr. Tom Seeley is a professor of Biology in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell University. He teaches courses in animal behavior and does research on honey bee behavior. He recently has had articles in Bee Culture magazine. Tom has written the following books and is working on a third: Seeley, T.D. 1985. Honeybee Ecology. Princeton Unversity Press. Seeley, T.D. 1995. The Wisdom of the Hive. Harvard University Press. Bruce Boynton is the CEO of the National Honey Board.

See the following pages for complete meeting program.

Page 6

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Spring Meeting Program

Thursday night, March 2nd: Board meeting for the Missouri State Beekeepers, 8:00 p.m., Sunflower Room Board meeting for the Kansas Honey Producers, 8:30 p.m., Boulevard Suite, 922

Friday, March 3rd 7:30-8:30 8:30-8:45 8:45-9:30 9:30-10:15 10:15-10:45 10:45-11:30 11:30-12:15 12:15-1:15 1:15-1:20 1:20-2:00

Registration & coffee & tea (Silent Auction Set-up) Welcome & announcements, Missouri President Monte Richardson “Bee Breeding — News from the Minnesota Ivory Tower” Dr. Marla Spivak “House Hunting by Honey Bees” Dr. Tom Seeley Break “Mite Management” research update from the USDA Bee Labs Dr. Diana Sammataro “Organic Certified Honey: Can it be done?” Dr. Nancy Ostiguy Lunch on your own Honey Essay presented by Kansas Honey Queen candidate Britinna Brown “How Viruses Change Beekeeping,” Nancy Ostiguy

Workshops: Each workshop session consists of several concurrent presentations. 2:05-2:50 Workshop 1 (Choose one) “Plastic Foundation: Good for the Beekeeper. Good for the Bees?” Tom Seeley “Making Mead” Robert Burns “Easy Herbal Salves and Infused Oils” Joan Vibert “Making Nucs” Chris Gibbons 2:55-3:25 Break — Visit vendors & bid on silent auction Workshop 2 (Choose one) 3:25-4:10 “What You Need to Know about Labels for Your Honey Products” Bill Bruder, Viking Label “Dealing with Small Hive Beetles” Ted Jansen “Preparing Honey for Shows” Cecil Sweeney 4:15-5:00 Workshop 3 (Choose one) “Using an Observation Hive as an Educational Tool” Don and Jan Morey “Putting Together Gift Baskets” Kristi Sanderson “Honey Plants” Diana Sammataro “Spring Management” Steve & Becky Tipton 6:30

Banquet & Entertainment, with guest speaker Dr. Chip Taylor, University of Kansas: “Adventures in Beedom — Strange Things Happen When You Work With Bees” Presentation of Missouri Beekeeper of the Year Award Coronation of the Kansas Honey Queen

Program continued next page

March 2006

Page 7

Spring Meeting Program (continued from previous page)

Saturday, March 4th 7:45-8:15 8:15-8:30 8:30-9:15 9:15-10:00 10:00-10:30 10:30-11:15 11:15-12:00 12:00-1:00 1:00-1:10 1:10-1:55

Registration, coffee Welcome & announcements, Kansas President Tim Tucker “The Beehive as a Honey Factory” Tom Seeley “Questions and Qualms about Queens” Marla Spivak Break “The Origin of Parasitic Mites” and “Tracheal Mites — the forgotten mite” Diana Sammataro “Pesticide Residues in Honey and Beeswax” Nancy Ostiguy Lunch on your own, or Deli Luncheon (paid with registration) — Vendors will be packing up at this time — “My Activities as Honey Queen” Missouri State Beekeepers Honey Queen Sarah Jackson “Update on the National Honey Board Programs” and “Market Research & Consumer Confusion and Label Issues” Bruce Boynton

Workshops: Each workshop session consists of several concurrent presentations. 2:00-2:45 Workshop 1 (Choose one) “Plastic Foundation: Good for the Beekeeper. Good for the Bees?” Tom Seeley “Cooking with Honey, Giving Presentations to School-agers” MO Honey Queen, Sarah Jackson “Pollen Collecting” Steve Tipton 2:50-3:35 Workshop 2 (Choose one) “Studs” Marla Spivak “Commonsense Methods for Installing Package Bees” Kristi Sanderson “Making Soap” Diana Sammataro 3:40-4:25 Workshop 3 (Choose one) “Russian Queens” Bob Harrison “Insect Photography” Betsy Betros “Nutritional Analysis of Honey & Honey Products” Jackie Rowan 4:30-

Door Prizes & Drawings

Program and speakers subject to change

Fall Meeting Preview Mark your calendars: The MSBA annual Fall Meeting will be held October 27-28 in Jefferson City, and will feature Larry Connor, owner of Wicwas Press and frequent contributor to beekeeping magazines. Watch for more information in future newsletters.

March 2006

Beginning Beekeeping Class Presented by:

Missouri Valley Beekeepers Association The MVBA will be offering a beginning beekeeping class this spring. The one-day class will cover the basics of beekeeping in our area. It will introduce you to this wonderful and exciting facet of the agricultural industry. The course will explain how to obtain bees, care for bees and harvest the honey the first year. Date

Saturday March 25th

Time

8:30 AM- 4:00 P.M.

Location Union Middle School Union, MO. Cost

$20.00 per person, or $25.00 per family. This fee includes a free one-year membership with MVBA.

Contact Rodney Angell 573-764-2922 or Bob Magill 314-302-8775

bee143@fidnet.com

aloina@sbcglobal.net

The Basics of Beekeeping Workshop Presented by:

Midwestern Beekeepers Association Topics covered in this one-day course will include the acquisition and installation of bees, equipment needs, basic honeybee biology, disease prevention, seasonal management techniques, pollination and honey extraction. Several door prizes will be awarded, including a hive and bees. Date

Saturday March 11th

Time

8:45 AM– 5:00 P.M.

Location YMCA, 10301 E. 350 Highway, Raytown, MO. Cost

$25.00 per family. This fee includes course notebook and a one-year individual Midwestern membership. Some refreshments are provided but lunch is on your own.

Contact Glenn Davis 816-690-8007 for more information and a registration form.

Page 9

Selling Honey Ken Sona (St. Louis) 314-303-4646

Honey Tradin’ Post

Buying Honey Sharon Gibbons (St. Louis) 636-394-5395 5-gallon pails or larger Walk-About Acres (Columbia) 573-474-8837 Buying honey and wax, especially from Boone County

Want to be included? Just send an email to Eugene at editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org with “Trading Post” in the subject line. Or call 314-965-4631.

Local Club Meeting Information Jefferson County Beekeepers Association 2nd Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m., Jefferson County Extension Center, Hwy B & 21, Hillsboro Contact Scott Moser (636) 285-7295 Midwestern Beekeepers Association Third Wednesday of each month 7:00 p.m. YMCA, 10301 E. 350 Hwy, Raytown Contact President Bob Justice, 816-358-3893 Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association 1st Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m., Kirkwood Community Center, 111 Geyer Rd, Kirkwood Contact President Steve Harris, 636-946-5520 Beekeeper’s Association of the Ozarks 4th Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. The Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell, Springfield www.ozarkbees.org South Central Missouri Beekeepers Association Contact President May Schmitt 417-256-9447 Missouri Valley Beekeepers Association 3rd Monday of each month, 7:00 p.m. Scenic Regional Library, Union Contact Rodney Angell 573-764-2922 Or bee143@fidnet.com Boone Regional Beekeepers Association 3rd Sunday of every odd months, 1:00 p.m., University Outreach & Extension Office, Rt. UU, Columbia Contact: Art Gelder 573-474-8837 Jackson Area Beekeepers 4th Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. First Pres. Church of Jackson, 206 E. Washington Contact: Grant Gillard 573-243-6568 Or gillard5@charter.net

Is your club listed? Contact Eugene at editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Page 10

Missouri State Beekeepers Association Membership Application Name Spouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Name Address City/State/Zip Phone Number Email Address NOTE: If you belong to a local association, please pay your state dues and magazine subscriptions through your local club. State Association Dues (Check Adult Membership

$10.00

Family Membership

$15.00

Student Membership

$5.00

only one box)

Magazine Subscriptions (Check as many American Bee Journal Renewal

1 year

$19.00

2 years $36.00

The Speedy Bee Renewal

$18.00

2 years $34.05

Bee Culture Renewal

1 year

boxes as apply)

1 year

$13.60

2 years $25.60 TOTAL:

Make check payable to: Missouri State Beekeepers Association P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075

March 2006

Page 11

Honey Queen Report

Directory of Officers

Hello, Beekeepers!

President: Monte Richardson 1405 S. Prospect Ave., Sedalia MO 65301 president@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

Sarah Jackson

Once again, I’m excited to be writing to you all. I hope all of you had a wonderful, blessed Holiday season and are enjoying the fantastic weather we’ve been having this winter! My duties as Honey Queen have really picked up this month, much to my delight. In January, I traveled to Raytown to attend the Midwestern Beekeepers’ regular meeting. As it turned out, the presenter wasn’t able to come, so the members just shared stories and strategies for difficult situations that pop up occasionally in beekeeping. It was amazing to listen to everyone’s interesting tales! I also got to attend a workshop and dinner hosted by the Boone Regional Beekeepers in Columbia in late January. The workshop was for beginning beekeepers, and I encouraged them to continue this new endeavor and to jump right in! The dinner was fantastic as well, with all the foods having honey used in them in some way. It was a delicious and fun evening! A unique publicity experience was presented to me by a writer for the Columbia Missourian newspaper. The reporter was doing an article on the beginning beekeeper workshop, and upon discovering the existence of a statewide Honey Queen, interviewed me about the Missouri Beekeepers Association, beekeeping, and my responsibilities as your ambassador. The finished article was posted on the website for the newspaper along with some of the footage that the journalist had taped during the interview and at the Boone Beekeepers dinner. I can certainly relate to celebrities being followed by the paparazzi after that evening! It was quite the experience! I would like to again offer to come to any events or festivals in your area where honey or other products of the hive are being sold or promoted, schools in your area to speak to little ones about the incredible process of making honey, local association happenings or meetings, and even parades in your home area. I’m your Honey Queen, here to serve you, so don’t be shy! Please contact May Schmitt, Honey Queen Chairperson, to make arrangements. I would also like to encourage each and every one of you to come to the spring meeting in Overland Park, Kansas, on March 3-4. I look forward to seeing all of you there! God Bless, Sarah

Mid-Continent Agrimarketing, Inc. 1150 W. 151st St., Suite D Olathe, KS 66061 (913) 768-8967 (Kansas City Area) Toll-Free 1-800-547-1392 www.mid-conagri.com We will deliver your order free at the Missouri State Beekeeper’s Association Spring meeting

Vice President: Kenny Norman 3634 Shiloh Church Road, Marionville, MO 65705 vp@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Secretary: Scott Moser 6600 Davis Lane, Cedar Hill, MO 63016 secretary@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Treasurer: Ron Vivian 443 Fricke Road, Bates City, MO 64011 treasurer@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Past-President: Chris Gibbons 500 East Starla Drive, Columbia,MO 65202 pastpresident@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Western Area Director: Glenn Davis 4618 Highway Z, Bates City, MO 64011 westdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Southern Area Director: May Schmitt 10250 County Road 6970, West Plains, MO 65775 southdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Eastern Area Director: Steve Harris 1224 Sherbrooke Road, St. Charles, MO 63303 eastdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Southeastern Area Director: Ray Batton 3032 N. 14th St., Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 northdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Program Chairperson: Sharon Gibbons 314 Quinnmoor Dr., Ballwin, MO 63011 sgibbs314@earthlink.net Newsletter Editor: Eugene Makovec 314-965-4631 643 Pearl Ave., Kirkwood, MO 63122 314-965-4631 editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Auxilliary President: Joanne Davis 4618 Highway Z, Bates City, MO 64011 auxpres@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Queen Chairperson: May Schmitt 10250 County Road 6970, West Plains, MO 65775 queenchair@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org State Entomologist: Mike Brown P.O. Box 630, Jefferson City, MO 65102 Assist. Prof. Entomology/Extension Spec.: Dr. Richard Houseman 1-87 Agricultural Building, University of MissouriColumbia, Columbia, MO 65211

Missouri State Beekeepers Association P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075 www.mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

There She Is! What a joy it is to peer into a new hive and see a big, beautiful queen at work. A brightly painted thorax advertises her presence to the novice beekeeper, her age to the more experienced, while intoxicating pheromones stimulate an eager coterie to tend to her every need. Her abdomen ripe with the young colony’s future, she moves with seeming purpose, though she knows not her destiny. I know not my own destiny, and for today I care not. For it is Spring, and all things are new. All of the setbacks and disappointments of previous seasons lie as detritus on winter’s bottom board, while the new year’s hopes take shape in pure, unstained wax born of the nectar of apple blossoms. — photo by Eugene Makovec

This newsletter is published six times per year, on the first of each odd month. Submissions are due three weeks prior to publication. The email edition is in color, contains hyperlinks and possibly an extra photo or two, while the print version is in black-and-white. If you currently receive the printed newsletter and wish to upgrade, just send an email to editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org with “email newsletter” in the subject line. I’ll reply with confirmation, and add you to my list. Advertising rates are as follows: Business card size $15.00

Half page

$50.00

Quarter page

Full page

$100.00

$35.00

Classified Ads: Advertise one to three beekeeping-related items in a one-line ad at no charge. This service is for non-commercial MSBA members only, and is limited to one ad per item per calendar year. Honey Trading Post: This is a free service to members wishing to buy or sell honey on a wholesale basis. Just email or call the editor with contact information and whether you are buying or selling. Pricing is between the interested parties.

Missouri State Beekeepers Association P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075 www.mostatebeekeepers.org

May 2006 Eugene Makovec Editor

Joint Meeting with Kansas a “complete success” The MSBA’s joint meeting with the Kansas Honey Producers was, in the words of Program Director Sharon Gibbons, “a complete success”. (See Sharon’s report on page 5.) Over 270 attendees packed the Overland Park Marriott to hear some of the most impressive speakers ever assembled for a regional meeting: Marla Spivak detailed the traits of her vaunted Minnesota Hygienic bees, along with the considerably less-pleasant habits of varroa mites. According to Dr. Spivak, there are four things necessary in a hygienic line: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Hygienic behavior (removal of diseased brood) Reduced mite reproductive success Grooming Beekeepers willing to reduce chemical input

Diana Sammataro discussed the latest research in mite management from the USDA Bee Labs. One of the simplest, most effective treatments available for tracheal mites, she said, is the standard grease patty, a mixture of one part shortening to two parts cane sugar.

The Delectable Dandelion

This gold-crowned perennial is as complicated as it is versatile. There are over 60 (and possibly hundreds of) dandelion species. Some are diploid, requiring pollination, while others are polyploid (more than two sets of chromosomes) and reproduce asexually, meaning their flowers have no obvious purpose. Through the ages, the dandelion has been used for many purposes, including wine, salad, insect repellent (sap), coffee substitute (roots) and diuretic and other medicinal uses. And of course, bees value them for both pollen and prodigious quantities of nectar. — photo by Eugene Makovec

The grease patty works by confusing the mite’s sense of smell. Tracheal mites hang from the ends of a bee’s body hairs and “quest” for young bees, which they need in order to reproduce. They determine the victims’ age by smell, and when this sense is disrupted, they just hang there until they fall off and die. (Continued on page 4)

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: From the President Monte Richardson

The Empty Super Diary of a Hopeful Hobbyist

Beekeeper of the Year Chesterfield’s Ted Jansen

Program Chair Report Sharon Gibbons

Russian Bee DVD

Shamrock Shindig

Local Club Information

Membership Application 10 Honey Queen Report

Directory of Officers

Beekeeper of the Year Ted Jansen is presented with his well-deserved recognition by MSBA Vice-President Ken Norman. See story on Page 4.

Page 2

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

From the President Monte Richardson Hello Everybody, I hope this newsletter finds you doing well. We’ve had a bunch of nasty weather already this spring. I want to thank everybody that called and emailed us here in Sedalia. Here in town we got a nasty bit of hail. A tornado hit a few miles south of town. Since then many parts of the state have been struck by tornados. Caruthersville probably got hit the worst. My hopes and prayers go out to those that have suffered a loss. I got a phone call the other day. It seems that there were some mixed messages going around about AHB (Africanized Honey Bees). Jann Amos told me last year that AHB were found in Oklahoma. I made a mental note to myself to pay attention to that. I had been telling myself for years that AHB weren’t going to be a problem in Missouri. The Kansas Department of Agriculture has issued a news release in regard to AHB. Their news release was pretty positive and upbeat. The release said that AHB HAS NOT been found in Kansas. However, because of the mild winter it is expected that AHB MAY reach Kansas this summer. The rest of the news release gave good common sense advice on how the public should respond to swarms and feral bee colonies. You can read the entire press release on page 6 of this newsletter. It can also be downloaded from the Intenet at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/ sedgwick/DesktopModules/ViewDocument.aspx? DocumentID=3393. Several years ago I thought that AHB would be thinned out by breeding with other bees long before it would have a chance to get to Missouri. Then I learned that AHB drones are more “aggressive” maters than their European counterparts. So much for that idea. Then I heard that AHB didn’t appear to be spreading east of Texas because of the rain and humidity. This is a very generalized description of a precise principle that I can’t seem to find right now. It seems that the AHBs forgot that they aren’t supposed to be moving this far north. My “ace in the hole”, so to speak, is climate. Most if not all of Missouri does “enjoy” a stiff bout of 0º weather each winter. This last winter has been the mildest I can remember and we still had two weeks of single digit temperatures. AHB colonies are significantly smaller that European colonies. I am hopeful that smaller colony sizes combined with good ‘ole Missouri winters will help curb the AHB from getting established in Missouri. Mike Brown of the Missouri Department of Agriculture shares this view that Missouri winters will do a lot to keep the AHB in check. We both also recognize that our combination of warm spring/summer and cold winter is a mixed blessing. Generally speaking the harsh winter should keep the AHB in check. However, the warm spring/summer will probably allow AHB to migrate north into Missouri each year. What does this all mean to us as beekeepers? First of all we are the front line of information to the public. Learn about African-

ized Honey Bees. A calm, knowledgeable explanation of what AHB actually are is important. For example, AHB are no more deadly than their European counterparts. Their venom is virtually the same. As such the words killer and bee should not be used in the same sentence. Secondly, maintain your hives. Weak hives are of no use and only invite AHB, SHB, etc. If you have a hive of bees that Monte Richardson acts as Master of nails the shirt to your Ceremonies at the Spring Meeting’s back, requeen it even if it Friday night banquet. is your best producer. If/ when AHB does reach Missouri people are going to be sensitive to bad tempered bees. It’s hard to explain the difference between bad tempered European bees and AHB. And thirdly, don’t panic. Beekeepers in the southern U.S. have been doing just fine. There’s no reason to think we won’t be able to handle this challenge too. We are truly fortunate that we live in a locale where the winters should help keep the AHB in check. On a brighter note……. It won’t be long and the Missouri State Fair will be starting. Anybody that is interested in submitting a bid for honey, beeswax, honey/bee related products, and educational material should submit their name to me. Approximately the first of June I’ll be sending out bid sheets for products for the Fair. This is an excellent way to make some money and promote your own product. The State Fair is also the single largest opportunity for beekeepers to educate the public about bees, beekeeping, and honey. A big thank you for those of you that attended the Spring Meeting in Overland Park Kansas. The meeting was a huge success. We had marvelous speakers from the “Pros” to the “local” speakers for the breakout sessions. Next time you see Sharon Gibbons and Joli Winer be sure to thank them for their hard work. I’d also like to thank all the other people that helped “make things happen” before and during the meeting. And finally…. Remember to work safe out there with your bees. A first aid kit, water, and sunscreen are always a good idea. Cell phones are great but also let somebody know where you will be, just in case. Be careful out there and I look forward to seeing you at the fall meeting if not sooner. Monte Richardson

May 2006

Page 3

The Empty Super … Diary of a Hopeful Hobbyist by Eugene Makovec The Queen is dead This Spring I did something I never imagined I would do. I killed my queen. On purpose. Oh, it’s not the first time I’ve been responsible for the untimely death of a queen bee. I’ve accidentally killed at least one, and there have been several over the years whose disappearances have been suspicious, with Yours Truly the primary suspect. But this is the first time I’vd purposely killed a queen. The fact that it was intentional didn’t make me feel any better about it. She was only a year old, a beautiful specimen and a prolific egglayer. I bought her with a nuc last Spring, and she headed the strongest of my four hives. (Okay, that’s not saying much, but this hive produced about 150 pounds of honey last year.) So clearly, production was not the problem. Rather, her demise can be attributed to a personality conflict. It’s rather like having a star employee, one who excels at every task she undertakes, who outperforms everyone in her department, but who just can’t get along with the boss. She reacts to every interaction, no matter how positive, by lashing out. She can’t even accept a compliment, much less constructive criticism. Of course, in the case of bees, it’s not the queen but her workers who exhibit irritability. Whereas I normally have to work to get a colony riled up, I couldn’t pop the lid on this hive without them letting me know I wasn’t welcome.

Judging by the weight of the hive, these bees were also on the brink of starvation, so I came back the next day for what could almost be described as a drive-by feeding. I’d swung by Shop’n Save for a sale on cane sugar, and decided to give them a little in granulated form on the way home. When I opened the hive, the inner cover came off with the outer lid, and most of the bees on top of the frames went straight for me. I dumped about a pound of sugar right on the frames, then another pound on the inner cover. I replaced the lid and got the heck out of there. Three weeks later I returned to begin implementation of my split plan. As I looked through this colony I noted early brood buildup, not as impressive as a couple of the others, but promising nonetheless. And then I saw her. She was large and plump, a beautiful specimen. I hesitated. Would I spot her so easily come April? Finding queens has never been my forte, and six weeks from now, with the colony much more populous and mean as the devil, I might not want to spend the time searching for her. Plus, if her brood production is anything like last year, I might just change my mind and choose honey over harmony again. In which case, I’d be kicking myself come fall. And so, with uncharacteristic decisiveness, I acted.

As I zeroed in on the villainous vamp, she seemed to sense what I had in mind, and moved hastily across the frame.

This antisocial behavior started late last Spring, after they’d ramped up in population and were storing honey like nobody’s business. I’d know it’s customary to re-queen such “hot” colonies, but it’s not easy for a guy like me to buy just one queen, especially not in the Spring. Besides, I couldn’t see interrupting such a productive colony with the loss of a full brood cycle that such a replacement would entail. After a time, I just left them alone; I was happy to remove supers, but going downstairs for a detailed inspection wasn’t worth the aggravation. I had a similar colony several years ago. I called them my African bees, even though they were a Buckfast variety. Those bees were both nasty and unproductive; they didn’t even warrant the addition of a honey super. Come fall, I left them to their own devices and they were dead of starvation by December. In the more recent case, I checked for mites in the fall (taking a couple of stings in the process) and wished them good riddance for the winter. Come Spring, I had a plan to get even: I’d make a split from another colony, let them raise their own queen and, once she’d begun laying, pull the “African queen” and make a seamless replacement, probably in early to mid April. But all that changed in February. On the first of the month, I went by to check stores on all four hives. I lifted one end of each hive to gauge weight, then raised the cover to check the size and location of the cluster. Of the four, this was the only one that greeted me with a contingent of stormtroopers, fully armed and with weapons drawn. I gotta do something, I thought.

As I zeroed in on the villainous vamp, she seemed to sense what I had in mind. She moved hastily across the frame, but just as she reached the wooden edge, I flicked her off with my hive tool. She landed awkwardly on the pallet, and I stepped on her. It was all over but the second-guessing.

Why had I been so impatient? Couldn’t I have just waited a few weeks for my well-hatched plan to play out? Had I just cost myself a hive’s worth of honey production? Fast-forward to April 15. I now have a laying queen (started from a frame of eggs and larvae from another hive) and two-and-a-half frames of sealed worker brood. They’re not as populous as they would have been under my original plan, but they’re further along than package bees and roughly equivalent to the nuc I had this time last year. More importantly, I can look through this hive now without feeling like an eight-point buck on opening day of deer season. I read recently that the simple act of replacing the queen can quickly turn a nasty colony into a more even-tempered one, even though the existing workers are all offspring of the old queen. Call me a believer. Which brings us back to the analogy of the star employee. If you’ve ever managed people, you’ve probably had someone who fit that earlier description. At some point, you figured out that whatever positives she brought to the job weren’t worth the headaches she caused, and the moment you replaced her the morale of everyone around her improved noticeably. You may even have discovered afterward that she hadn’t been as irreplaceable as you’d thought. The solution had been there all along; you’d just been afraid to act.

Page 4

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Joint Meeting a Success (Continued from page 1)

Tom Seeley shared his intricate knowledge of honeybee communication, including a fascinating discussion of swarm mechanics. Incredibly, in a swarm of 10,000 bees, only about 400 scouts are active. These scouts visit potential nesting sites and lobby each other, via waggle dances on the surface of the swarm, for their preferred choices. Once a consensus is finally reached, they then have to rouse the rest of the swarm to “warm up” their wings for flight. The April 14 Wall Street Journal featured Dr. Seeley’s swarm research in a “Science Journal” article on animal communication. Nancy Ostiguy spoke of the do’s and don’ts of organic beekeeping. For those of us not ready to go that route, she also warned that what we put in our hives to hurt the mites may eventually wind up hurting the bees and/or beekeepers. Dr Ostiguy cited research findings of pesticide residues in both brood chambers and honey supers. In addition to practicing nonchemical Integrated Pest Management wherever possible, it is recommended that beekeepers routinely cycle old comb out of production to minimize such residues. In addition to these headliners, numerous members pitched in to provide 45-minute workshops. These ranged from the beekeeping-related (Russian queens, making nucs) to peripheral subjects (mead- and soap-making, insect photography).

Beekeeper of the Year Ted Jansen is congratulated by his wife, Marlene, upon his March 3rd introduction as 2005 Missouri State Beekeeper of the Year.

Ted Jansen, Beekeeper of the Year Ted Jansen has been keeping bees in the heart of Chesterfield for 30 years. For most of that time, his three-acre spread, about 20 miles from downtown St. Louis, was relatively secluded. Hardly anyone around even knew he had bees, he says. But that was not the case in the beekeeping community. Ted has long been known as the area’s expert beekeeper, and the guy who helps everyone. From the beginning hobbyist looking for advice, to the veteran commercial beekeeper who needs a hand with harvesting or extracting, Ted spends so much time with other people’s bees, it’s a wonder he finds time to tend to his own. In addition to one-on-one advice, Ted volunteers to speak on a variety of topics. These include disease prevention and treatment, and the Spring management techniques he uses to achieve honey production averaging around 200 pounds per hive. When Ted was one of the first area beekeepers to spot the hive beetle, he alerted others to their arrival, and has for the last couple of years addressed local, state and regional groups on how to deal with this latest threat. Ted has also been featured numerous times in the local media, where he has done a stellar job of educating the public about bees. As for his own operations, he has scaled back some. At one time he had 120 hives spread over 10 locations, but is now down to five locations totaling 60 hives. Ted says he has concentrated more on raising and selling nucs over the past several years. Last year he had 100 nucs in his backyard, and says he could have sold more. “People called me from all over the state,” he says.

University of Kansas Professor Chip Taylor, beekeeper and world traveler, regales banquet attendees with his stories of “Adventures in Beedom — Strange Things Happen When You Work With Bees”.

Speaking of his home yard, it’s not so secluded anymore. Several years ago, developers began tearing down the woods behind him, exposing his hives to the view of the 93 villas to be built. So Ted went to the city fathers, telling them in no uncertain terms: I was here first and have no intention of leaving. The city stood behind him, and development proceeded. The developer let buyers know about the local beekeeper — “he put it on the contracts” — and Ted says he hasn’t gotten a single complaint from the residents. It is unlikely the MSBA will get any complaints about its recent award presentation. Expert apiarist, selfless mentor, spokesman to the community — all add up to make Ted Jansen our 2005 Beekeeper of the Year.

May 2006

Page 5

Report from the Program Chair By Sharon Gibbons

The meeting held March 3rd & 4th in conjunction with the Kansas Honey Producers was a complete success. Joli and I anticipated about 150 attendees, but we topped 270. As you could expect, it caused problems with hotel space. The hotel worked with us the best they could. We were very crowded on Friday morning, but on Saturday morning they were able to give us an extra room. Thanks to everyone for their patience. We have heard back from members who took the survey. The majority who filled out the form would like us to have this kind of meeting every year. It is easier to get good speakers when we can assure them (the speakers) of a larger audience. I personally do not want to organize this kind of event every year. I did have interest from Arkansas and Oklahoma in holding a Tri-state meeting, perhaps in the Branson area. Let me know how you feel about pursuing such an event. The meeting did cost us a little more than we collected from attendees. Some unexpected expenses included an increase in air fares for our speakers, plus the hotel room was a little more than normal. I think that it will cost each state about $400 extra.

Program Chairs Joli Winer (Kansas, at left) and Sharon Gibbons (Missouri) are recognized by Glenda Richardson for a job well done.

Joli Winer (Kansas’ Program Chair) and I both have concluded that costs for speakers have gone up. Speaker stipends have increased by about $100 and airfares are up. Also, unless we have a meeting in a low budget hotel, the room rates have gone up at least $10 a night. We no longer are able to capitalize on the 911 aftermath of low hotel rates. We will have to consider an increase in the registration meeting fees. The Fall meeting will be held at the Lodge of the Four Seasons at Lake Ozark on October 27th and 28th. It is a very nice facility, with no steps to climb. (This had inconvenienced a lot of attendees at Tan-Tar-A.) Our featured speaker will be Larry Conner, who will be able to talk on numerous topics. I’m working on an agenda now. We thank all the vendors who attended and/or supplied gifts for our raffles. These included Mid-Con, Dadant, Drapers, B.L. Plastics, Bees’n Trees (Sharon Waddell) and Pam Brown. Raffle prizes were donated by the following companies: Kelley Bee Supply, Glorybee Foods, Parson’s Gold, Wilbanks Apiaries, Brushy Mountain, Mann Lake, Humble Abodes, A.I. Root, B & B Honey, Ruhl Bee Supply, Fred Rossman, Western Bee Supply, Betterbee, Lapp’s Bee Supply, Hardeman Apiaries, Miller Bee Supply, H & R Apiaries, Strachan Apiaries, Beekeepers of the Ozarks (who donated a full hive), Eastern Missouri Beekeepers, Midwestern Beekeepers and South Central Beekeepers.

Fall Meeting Preview Mark your calendars: The MSBA annual Fall Meeting will be held October 27-28 at Lodge of the Four Seasons in Lake Ozark, and will feature Larry Connor, owner of Wicwas Press and frequent contributor to beekeeping magazines. Watch for more information in the July/ August newsletter.

Africanized Honeybee A fact sheet by the Kansas Department of Agriculture 109 SW 9th Street, Topeka, KS 66612 • (785) 296-3556 • www.ksda.gov

Honeybees are Important Most honeybees in Kansas are descended from the European variety, and they are extremely beneficial. They pollinate fruit, vegetable, flower and seed crops, as well as forage crops like alfalfa and clover. They also produce honey, wax and other products. One-third of our diet comes from crops pollinated by honeybees. Each year, honeybees add more than $10 billion to the value of more than 90 crops grown in the United States. What are Africanized honeybees? Africanized honeybees are the same species as the European honeybee used to produce honey and pollinate crops, but a different subspecies. They are called Africanized honeybees because they are thought to be the result of interbreeding between European bees and bees from Africa inadvertently released in Brazil in the 1950s. Recent research indicates the African traits are more dominant, so the bees are not likely to become more gentle from interbreeding with other subspecies. Why should I be concerned about the Africanized honeybee? The Africanized honeybee can be extremely aggressive when defending its colony. At any perceived threat, the Africanized honeybee can swarm out of the colony and attack. A person walking within 50 feet of a colony can trigger an attack. Operating power tools or lawn equipment as far as 100 feet from a hive can trigger an attack. It’s not unheard of for a swarm of Africanized honeybees to chase a victim up to a half mile. Are Africanized honeybees the “killer bees” I’ve seen on the news and in movies? Yes and no. The two names do refer to the same bee, but the term “killer bee” is a name Hollywood made famous. However, because of their extremely aggressive nature, a swarm of Africanized honeybees is likely to deliver more stings than a swarm of European honeybees.

Is one sting from an Africanized honeybee deadly? No. One sting is no more or less painful or dangerous than a sting from any other honeybee. The venom from the two types of honeybees is almost identical, but Africanized honeybees sting in greater numbers with less provocation than the European honeybees we are used to in the United States. How many times can an Africanized honeybee sting? Like all honeybees, the Africanized honeybee can sting only once. They leave the stinger in the wound with a tiny venom sac attached, and they die shortly after delivering a sting. Are Africanized honeybees in Kansas? Under normal conditions, Africanized honeybees move northward about 100 miles to 300 miles a year. They have spread throughout most of Mexico, southern Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Arkansas and Oklahoma. They have been detected two counties south of Kansas in Oklahoma. They could arrive in Kansas as early as 2006. Will I recognize Africanized honeybees if they come to my area? If you see honeybees now, you will probably see Africanized honeybees if they move into your area. The common sighting is to see a swarm of bees as they look for a new home. However, it is impossible for the average person to distinguish an Africanized honeybee from a European honeybee. Africanized honeybees are less discriminating when it comes to nesting sites. They build nests in the ground, in cavities in trees or buildings, under bridges, and in utility boxes, if they can find a hole through which to enter. Can I make my property bee proof? You can seal all cracks and holes larger than one-eighth inch that lead into a wall void, attic or subarea. You can use stucco patch, caulking or screen. Most vent screens are a one-quarter inch mesh, but you can purchase one-eighth

inch mesh hardware cloth and cut it to fit existing vent screens. You also should remove junk piles, upturned pots, old bee equipment, or any item that could offer a sheltered home for bees. What should I do if I think I’ve found Africanized honeybees in my area? If you see a large number of bees in a given area, see bees swarming, or hear loud buzzing coming from an enclosed area, DO NOT approach the bees or attempt to destroy the colony yourself. What you can DO is call: • the Kansas Department of Agriculture at (785) 862-2180, or • your county’s K-State Research and Extension office. What should I do if I’m attacked by a swarm of bees? • Run away as fast as possible. Get into a building or vehicle if you can. Do not try to hide in water or thick brush. • Try to cover your face and head as you run. Stings to the head and face pose the greatest danger. Use a towel or shirt to protect yourself. • Scrape (do not pull) stingers from skin as soon as possible. • Wash stung areas with soap and water, and apply a cold compress to reduce pain and swelling. • Seek medical attention if you feel sick, breathing is difficult, you are having an allergic reaction, or if you have been stung many times. • If the situation is life-threatening, call 911. This fact sheet was prepared by the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Plant Protection and Weed Control Program, Forbes Field, Building 282, P.O. Box 19282, Topeka, KS 66619-0282, (785) 862-2180. Visit us on the web at www.ksda.gov.

May 2006 DVD Available on Russian Bees, Small Hive Beetle Program provided by Institute for Rural America

A new beekeeper DVD is available to organizations and individuals showing the latest natural methods to combat varroa and tracheal mites by integrating Russian queens into colonies. “This video is a must see for beekeepers because it provides the latest information on a natural method for treatment of varroa and tracheal mites, along with a segment on the small hive beetle,” said Gary Reynolds, president of the Mid-U.S. Honey Producers Marketing Association and a consulting producer for the video. Reynolds operates Rainbow Honey Farms in Concordia, KS.

Page 7

MSBA Attends Shamrock Shindig by Chris Gibbons

In the evening of March 7th, the Missouri Department of Agriculture held a dinner for the state legislators and their staffs at the Capital Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City. MSBA was represented by serving honey based salads. Two dressings were offered; one was a Honey Blueberry Vinaigrette, and the other was a Honey Dijon Salad Dressing. The table was decorated with an Irish Theme and all of the commodity groups did the same. The food was judged by the Kelley Twins, who have a radio program in St. Louis called “Twice Baked”. Unfortunately our table didn’t win a prize, but we tried hard. Beekeepers who worked the booth were Jann Amos and his daughter, John and Delores Sauls, our Honey Queen, Sarah Jackson, and Chris and Sharon Gibbons.

In the video Richard Adde, of Adde Honey Farms, is interviewed about the critical nature of the research to America’s beekeeping industry from his operational headquarters in Bruce, S.D. A special segment of the video features Dr. Lilia I. de Guzman, a Baton Rouge USDA Research Entomologist, who provides an overview of the small hive beetle. Small hive beetles are a growing concern for domestic beekeepers in parts of the U.S. “Because they pollinate more than 90 food, fiber and seed crops valued at more than $9 billion annually, honeybees fill a unique position in U.S. agriculture,” said Reynolds. The DVD is available from the Institute for Rural America. http://ruralusa.org/html/grants.html To order the DVD, contact Perry Garner at perry@ruralusa.org or 1-800-8586636, or Gary Reynolds at 785-243-3619. There is a $15.00 charge for the DVD. (Shipping is included in the price.) Gary is also available for presentations to organizations, and for consulting to individual beekeepers about avoiding varroa and tracheal mites by using Russian Queen bees. This program was funded in part by a grant from the North Central Risk Management Education Center. http:// www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/ncrisk/current_programs/ competitive_KS_3_reynolds.html

Corned beef and … honey? Missouri Honey Queen Sarah Jackson enjoys a light moment with the Ethanol Corn Man.

Mid-Continent Agrimarketing, Inc. 1150 W. 151st St., Suite D Olathe, KS 66061 (913) 768-8967 (Kansas City Area) Toll-Free 1-800-547-1392 www.mid-conagri.com

May 2006

Page 9

Ian Brown Named Eastern’s Beekeeper of the Year

Selling Honey Ken Sona (St. Louis) 314-303-4646

Honey Tradin’ Post

Beekeeper of the Year Ian Brown is honored as the Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association’s 2005 Beekeeper of the Year, at the group’s annual banquet March 9. Board member Kirby Vonshouse presents the award and the traveling “Copper Smoker” trophy, as Ian’s grandchildren look on.

Iowa Honey Producers Association presents

SUMMER FIELD DAY July 8, 2006

1991 Peach Avenue Madrid Iowa 50156 (515)-759-3338 www.extension.iastate.edu/4hcenter

This year’s Summer Field Day will be held at the BBQ shelter at the Iowa 4-H Center in Madrid (just north of Des Moines). Come and get the latest information on the treatment of varroa and tracheal mites, with guest speaker David VanderDussen from Canada. David is the CEO of NOD Apiary Products, LTD, makers of Mite-Away 11tm. Registration will be start at 8:30am, and field day will start at 9:00am. going until 4:00pm. Along with classroom discussion, we will be breaking into small group workshops working on mite detection and product application in bee hives, so remember to bring your bee veil!! Break at noon with a BBQ and potluck. REGISTRATION: Members, $10.00 for individuals, $15.00 for families with one child, and $2.50 for each additional child. Nonmembers, $15.00 for individuals, $22.50 for families with one child and $3.00 for each additional child. Send registration and/or questions to:

Pat Ennis, 1040 Union Ave., Goodell, IA 50439

1-641-444-4767

Buying Honey Sharon Gibbons (St. Louis) 636-394-5395 5-gallon pails or larger Walk-About Acres (Columbia) 573-474-8837 Buying honey and wax, especially from Boone County

Want to be included? Just send an email to Eugene at editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org with “Trading Post” in the subject line. Or call 314-965-4631.

Is your club missing? Contact Eugene at editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Page 10

MSBA Membership Application Name Spouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Name

*Check here to receive your newsletter via email.

Address City/State/Zip Phone Number

Email*

NOTE: If you belong to a local association, please pay your state dues through your local club. State Association Dues (Check only one box) Adult Membership

$10.00

Amount Enclosed $

Family Membership

$15.00

Make check payable to: Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Student Membership

$5.00

Mail to: P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075

Magazine Discounts: Discounts are available for MSBA members to two beekeeping magazines. You may use the following forms and mail them yourself to the publishers as shown below:

May 2006 Honey Queen Report Sarah Jackson Dear Beekeepers, Spring is here! Everyone has done a great job keeping me busy during the past couple months — I think I had a bee event every weekend in March! While it was exhausting, it was also a lot of fun and of course, there is much to learn about bees! The joint spring meeting with the Kansas beekeepers was a great weekend. I definitely learned a lot, and it was so nice to see all the familiar faces again. I gave one of the workshops during the afternoon, which was very well attended. It was really fun, and I think everyone who came enjoyed it. A big thank-you to Sharon Gibbons for all of her help to me during the meeting. That week, the beekeepers and I swarmed on the capital city for the Shamrock Shindig commodities dinner at the Capitol Plaza Hotel. It was a St. Patrick’s Day theme, of course, and that night was a total blast! There were some really funny pictures that resulted from that night, with Jann Amos dressed as a leprechaun and of myself with the Ethanol Corn Man. The beekeepers also talked me into wearing a little shamrock headband in addition to my regular headgear, so I fit the theme as well.

Page 11

Directory of Officers President: Monte Richardson 660-826-4917 1405 S. Prospect Ave., Sedalia MO 65301 president@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Vice President: Kenny Norman 3634 Shiloh Church Road, Marionville, MO 65705 vp@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Secretary: Scott Moser 636-285-7295 6600 Davis Lane, Cedar Hill, MO 63016 secretary@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Treasurer: Ron Vivian 443 Fricke Road, Bates City, MO 64011 treasurer@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Past-President: Chris Gibbons 500 East Starla Drive, Columbia,MO 65202 pastpresident@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Western Area Director: Glenn Davis 816-690-8007 4618 Highway Z, Bates City, MO 64011 westdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Southern Area Director: May Schmitt 10250 County Road 6970, West Plains, MO 65775 southdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Eastern Area Director: Steve Harris 636-946-5520 1224 Sherbrooke Road, St. Charles, MO 63303 eastdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

The second weekend in March, I once again ventured to Raytown for the Midwestern Beekeepers’ beginning beekeeping class. It was a long day, but we were crammed full of knowledge about beekeeping. I also got to try a dozen different types of honey, which was really neat.

Southeastern Area Director: Ray Batton 3032 N. 14th St., Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 northdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

The following weekend, I made the trek down to Hillsboro, MO, for the Jefferson County Soils and Crops Conference. I got to help man their booth, where we sold honey and had a rack on display. I gave a workshop there as well.

Program Chairperson: Sharon Gibbons 314 Quinnmoor Dr., Ballwin, MO 63011 sgibbs314@earthlink.net

Over my spring break, I got the chance to finally visit some schools and give presentations to schoolchildren. I gave 5 presentations in two days, and they were the most awesome experience yet! The kids were fantastic, asking lots of good questions, but I did get one that threw me for a loop. When explaining to the younger grades how queens mate, I just explained that the queen had lots of boyfriends. One little boy raised his hand and asked, “Since you’re the honey queen, do you have lots of boyfriends?” It was so cute the way he asked! I had to explain that it didn’t work that way for the Honey Queen. They sent me some adorable handmade thank you cards which will be sure to go in my scrapbook! I’m really looking forward to some more school visits next month, and to an eventful, sweet summer! God Bless, Sarah

State Fair Chairman: Don Reinkemeyer 636-949-9515 100 Berlekamp, St. Charles, MO 63303 Newsletter Editor: Eugene Makovec 314-965-4631 643 Pearl Ave., Kirkwood, MO 63122 314-965-4631 editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Auxilliary President: Joanne Davis 4618 Highway Z, Bates City, MO 64011 auxpres@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Queen Chairperson: May Schmitt 10250 County Road 6970, West Plains, MO 65775 queenchair@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org State Entomologist: Mike Brown P.O. Box 630, Jefferson City, MO 65102 Assist. Prof. Entomology/Extension Spec.: Dr. Richard Houseman 1-87 Agricultural Building, University of MissouriColumbia, Columbia, MO 65211

Missouri State Beekeepers Association P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075 www.mostatebeekeepers.org

A Bumper Crop … of queens, that is! Which is not normally what you want to see when you look into your strongest April hive. Swarm cells generally hang at the bottom of the frame, while supersedure cells lay across the comb as seen at left. Either way, it’s bad news if your goal is honey production. By the time the replacement queen has emerged, mated and begun laying, the colony has lost about five weeks’ worth of brood production. So if you see this sight in April, don’t expect a bumper crop of honey come June. A version of this photo first graced the month of April in “Bee Culture’s 2006 Beekeeping Calendar”.

Half page

$50.00

Quarter page

Full page

$100.00

$35.00

Missouri State Beekeepers Association P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075 www.mostatebeekeepers.org

“Let the Fun Shine” at MO State Fair August 10-20 Missouri’s State Fair runs this year in Sedalia from Thursday, August 10 through Sunday, August 20. With the theme “Let the Fun Shine”, the fair features a variety of musical acts, from James Taylor to George Jones. There will be the usual carnival rides and games, plus rodeos, tractor pulls, auto racing and equestrian competitions.

MSBA booth attendants needed

And of course, no state fair would be complete without agricultural exhibits, including the MSBA Honey Booth. Chairman Don Reinkemeyer and his dedicated group of volunteers expend a great deal of energy each year promoting honey and beekeeping to the public. We owe them a great deal of thanks for the service they provide. But they could also use our help. If you have the time, consider making a trip to Sedalia for a couple of days. Spend some time manning our booth (four-hour time blocks requested), then walk the fairgrounds and take in all that our wonderful state has to offer. Please call Don (636-949-9515) to schedule a time slot or two.

Honey bids accepted through August 1

As always, our booth will be selling honey and related items to the public to pay our expenses. Missouri beekeepers wanting to supply such products are encouraged to submit bids to Monte Richardson by August 1. See pages 2-3 for information and a complete bid sheet.

Is your honey worthy of a blue ribbon?

July 2006 Eugene Makovec Editor INSIDE THIS ISSUE: From the President Monte Richardson

State Fair Bid Sheet

Solid Honey Wafer an NHB Release

Fall Meeting Registration 5 Lodge of Four Seasons Apimondia 2007 Going to Melbourne?

Local Club Information

Membership Application 10 Honey Queen Report

Directory of Officers

While you’re at it, why not enter some products for competition at the fair? Categories include everything from extracted and comb honey to blocks of beeswax and even observation hives. A complete list of categories and entry instructions is available at http:// www.mostatefair.com/PremiumGuide/agriculture.pdf. The application form is at http://www.mostatefair.com/ EntryForms/agricultureform.pdf. Or, call the fair’s Competitive Entry Department at 660-827-8116. Good luck, and we’ll see you at the fair!

Fall Meeting to be Oct. 27-28 Sharon Gibbons Please join us for our fall meeting at The Lodge of Four Seasons at the Lake of the Ozarks. We have an exciting agenda planned and we hope that all of our Missouri State Beekeepers will attend. Remember, communication and learning are the keys to successful beekeeping. The two-day meeting will be held at: The Lodge of Four Seasons Horseshoe Bend Parkway P.O. Box 215 Lake Ozark, MO 65049 888-265-5500 The group room rate is $77.00 for single or a double. Please mention MSBA to get the special rate. The block of rooms will be held for us until September 26, 2006. The hotel’s regular room rate for 2006 is $164. Make (Continued on page 4)

Are Swarms on Your Shopping List?

They don’t get much easier than this. Thanks to an active swarm call program administered by Linda Hibbits of the Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association, member Eugene Makovec plucked this low-hanging fruit from the parking lot of the Lake Saint Louis Schnucks supermarket. They aren’t always this straightforward. But besides garnering a free colony for the beekeeper, swarm collecting provides a valuable service to the community — not to mention an unequaled educational opportunity. — photo by Eugene Makovec

Page 2

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

From the President Monte Richardson Hello Everybody, I hope this newsletter finds all of you healthy and prosperous. It’s been a busy Spring here getting everything ready for the honey flow. Checking my bees I can smell the honey being evaporated. Some hives are doing quite well, others aren’t doing well at all. I can trace it back to queens. I knew going into the honey flow that I had some problems with a few hives. The queens were getting old or just weren’t up to par but I just haven’t had the time to replace the queen. It’s a good reminder that nothing beats a healthy and prolific queen. We are less than two months from the Missouri State Fair. I can’t emphasize enough how much of a positive impact the Missouri State Beekeepers Association makes on fair goers. We have people that come visit our booth year after year. I have fielded several calls from beginning beekeepers that first got interested in beekeeping through exposure to the fair booth. Our booth at the fair is also some people’s primary source of honey for the year. People that would never be exposed to the virtues of honey try it for the first time at the Fair and become potential customers for your products. Others are long time honey users and come to the Fair to buy their honey for the year. Please consider taking a day or two out of your busy schedule to help man the honey booth. It is our grassroots efforts that really make an impression on people. You can contact me at 660-826-4917, or Don Reinkemeyer at 636-949-9515, to volunteer for the booth. Our busiest time is naturally on the weekends but we also need lots of help during the week. And don’t

worry if you think you are shy or can’t talk to people. There are plenty of things that need to be done for all kinds of people. It’s also an excellent opportunity to meet with other beekeepers from around the state. The Executive Board will be meeting on June 24th, before this newsletter gets to you. We will be making plans for the Fair and also for the Fall Meeting. I’m sure there will be discussion about the Africanized Honey Bee and its impact on the Missouri beekeeping industry. I encourage everybody to contact me or one of the Directors with any comments or concerns that you have. I would also encourage local association leaders to maintain contact with us as well. We want to know what is on your mind! Be safe out there and as always, bee careful in this hot summer weather. On all but the shortest of trips to the bee yards I take a water jug with me, just in case. And let somebody know where you are going and when you should be back, just in case. Monte Richardson

Missouri State Fair Bid Sheet To be returned to Monte Richardson by August 1, 2006 On page 3 is a bid sheet for beekeepers wishing to supply honey and other apiculture-related items to be sold at the MSBA’s state fair booth. You may bid on one or as many items as desired. It is the winning bidder’s responsibility to have items at, and picked up from, the fair grounds on the day and time specified by the fair manager. All winning bidders agree to take back any unsold items and present the MSBA Treasurer with a bill within 15 days of the close of the fair. The “Quantity Needed” is only an approximation; actual quantities needed may be more or less than what is specified on this bid sheet. All honey must be produced in the State of Missouri and bottled at a location that has a current health inspection certificate. Preference will be given to bidders that are members of the Missouri State Beekeepers Association. The MSBA Fair Committee reserves the right to reject any and all bids. Bids may be emailed to richhoneyco@swbell.net or sent via USPS to Monte Richardson, 1405 S. Prospect Ave., Sedalia MO 65301 (postmarked by 08/01/06). Questions can be directed to Monte Richardson at 660-826-4917 (after 5:00 p.m.).

YOUR PRICE EACH

QUANTITY ITEM NEEDED 50 pcs Lip Balm Containing Honey/Beeswax Describe: 50 pcs Hand Lotion Containing Honey/Beeswax Describe: Pollen 8 oz 30 pcs 1 lb 20 pcs Hard Candy Assorted Novelty Items Honey Dippers Honey Pot Style ______________ Style ______________ Clothing Describe: Describe: Describe: Describe: Beekeeping Related Books Describe: Describe: Describe: Describe: Describe: COMMENTS:

Missouri State Fair Bid Sheet QUANTITY NEEDED

16 singles 25 singles

ITEM Extracted Honey Gallon 5 lb Jug 10 cases 15 cases 14 cases 17 cases 4 cases 4 cases

50 pcs 20 pcs 50 pcs

200 singles 1 case ea

200 pcs 50 pcs

2 lb Jar 1 lb Jar 24 oz Bear 12 oz Bear Chunk Honey; Size _____ (Large Jar) Niblet; Size _____ (Small Jar) Comb Honey Cut Comb Ross Rounds Creamed Honey Plain Honey Sticks, assorted flavors BEESWAX & BYPRODUCTS Candles Rolled Dipped Molded Novelty Candle Rolling Sheets, assorted Wicking material for candles 1 oz Molded Beeswax (approx wt.) 1 lb Beeswax Block Soap containing honey and/or beeswax Describe: Describe:

YOUR PRICE EACH

Page 4

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Solid Honey Wafer Offers Hands Off Solution For Beekeepers A National Honey Board News Release

Next time you’re considering adding a little honey to your tea, picture yourself reaching for a solid honey wafer. Amazingly, thanks to research sponsored by the National Honey Board (NHB), the ease and convenience of solid honey is now more than wishful thinking, it’s reality.

uct development, product identity, packaging and distribution would be the manufacturer’s responsibility. While commodity boards primarily focus on generic promotion programs, the National Honey Board proactively assists the industry by identifying opportunistic honey applications and consumerfriendly honey concepts. Since joining the NHB as Marketing Director, Bruce Wolk has spearheaded industry efforts to make honey more accessible to 21st century consumers. “Our goal is to keep honey top of mind when consumers reach for a sweetener. Market research and focus group feedback shows us that honey’s natural appeal and unique flavor are no longer strong enough to influence that decision, whereas a form of honey that is easy to handle and store adds considerably to its attractiveness.”

Prompted by growing interest from food manufacturers in dried honey, the Board initiated a product concept program on behalf of the U.S. honey industry to optimize the utility of the various forms and styles of honey. Early in the project, due to honey’s hygroscopic properties, the Board realized honey’s sticky restraints. By removing a portion of the water content of honey (honey contains roughly 17% water), technologists solved the stickiness problem and created a new concept/product — solid honey. Launched with the tentative name “Simply Honey”, the honey wafer has a single ingredient: pure honey (no additives or stabilizers). With dimensions approximating the size and thickness of a quarter, it dissolves quickly in hot liquid. National Honey Board photo To monitor public response, the Honey Board introduced “Simply Honey” as a hot beverage sweetener at food trade shows during 2006, beginning with the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas (March), the Specialty Coffee Association of America conference in Charlotte, NC (April) and at the annual Food Marketing Institute show in Chicago (May). At these events, the board prospected for food manufacturers willing to implement the Honey Board’s primary objective: moving the concept from ideation to the store shelves. The concept comes at no cost to the manufacturer; however, additional prod-

For more information on current and concept forms and styles of honey, contact Charlotte Jordan at (303) 776-2337 or charlotte@nhb.org. For more information about the National Honey Board and its marketing and promotion programs, visit www.honey.com.

The Honey Board, through its staff in Longmont, CO, conducts research, advertising and promotion programs to help maintain and expand domestic and foreign markets for honey. The Board’s work, funded by an assessment of one cent per pound on domestic and imported honey, is designed to expand the awareness and use of honey by consumers, the foodservice industry and food manufacturers.

Fall Meeting to Feature Larry Conner, Marion Ellis (Continued from page 1)

sure that you are quoted the $77 rate. All rooms include irons, ironing boards, hair dryers and in-room coffee service. The hotel has both heated pools, outdoor pools, and an exercise facility. We have not had a meeting at the Lodge of Four Seasons before. It is a premier resort at the Lake. It is smaller than Tan-Tar-A, but walking is minimal. I will include directions in the next newsletter. Make this meeting a mini-vacation. The special rate includes Thursday night through Sunday. If you want to add more days, please let me know, and I will arrange the same rate. The Friday morning Executive Board meeting will be at 9 am in a room to be announced later. The evening banquet will be in Sea Chase. The meeting is in the Marbella Ballroom. Our program will begin at 1 pm, with the banquet set for 6:00. Once again we will celebrate Halloween with a costume party. It was a huge success last year, with winners coming from Iowa and North Dakota.

Speakers for our meeting include Dr. Marion Ellis, who is an entomology professor at the University of Nebraska. He will speak on “Varroa Detection and Control Methods”, “Making Mead”, and “Everything to know about Bumblebees”. The other speaker is Dr. Larry Connor, who writes numerous articles in the bee journals, and owns Wicwas Press. He will talk on “Fall and Winter Management”, “Drone Biology and Saturation”, and “Survivor Stock—What is it and how can I use it?” Please support our meetings by attending. It is more difficult and expensive to book speakers and hotels. We have a good meeting scheduled, but costs have gone up with the increase in fuel costs. We have increased minimums on the food contracts for the next two meetings. If you support our banquet and lunches, we will be able to meet the $3000 food minimum required. If we can’t meet the minimums, it has to come out of our treasury. All other questions can be directed to Sharon Gibbons at sgibbs314@earthlink.net

July 2006

Page 5

MSBA Fall 2006 Meeting Registration Form NAME_______________________________________________________ ADDRESS____________________________________________________ CITY___________________STATE_________ZIP+4__________________ PHONE_________________E-MAIL _______________________________

Pre-Registration Fees: Registration must be received by October 10, 2006 Member – 2 day per person

$20.00_______

Member---1 day per person

$15.00_______

Member Family— 2 day

$30.00_______

Or Member family— 1 day

$25.00_______

Non-member – 2-day, per person

$28.00_______

Or Non-member – 1 day, per person

$23.00_______

Registrations made after October 10th: Member -- 2-day, per person

$25.00_______

Or Member – 1 day, per person

$20.00_______

Non-member – 2-day, per person

$35.00_______

Or Non-member – 1 day, per person

$30.00_______

(No family discount on late registrations)

Friday Night Banquet & Entertainment: Filet Mignon, salad, vegetables, dessert Adult - $23.50 per person

($23.50 x _____)

_______

Child - $12.00/child under 12

($12.00 x _____)

_______

Adult - $15.00/person

($15.00 x _____)

_______

Child - $7.50/child under 12

($ 7.50 x _____)

_______

Saturday Lunch

Membership 2006 Missouri State Beekeepers Assn. Individual:

Renewal

New

$10.00_______

Membership 2006 Missouri State Beekeepers Assn. Family:

Renewal

New

$15.00_______

Queen fund donation

Donation $__________

Meeting fund donation

Donation $__________

Total

$__________

Please make checks payable to: MO State Beekeepers Assn . Send to Sharon Gibbons, 314 Quinnmoor Drive. Ballwin, MO 63011. If you pre-register and then cannot attend, your registration fee will be considered a donation and no refunds will be made. If you pay for meals and we are able to sell them you will be refunded for those.

Page 6

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

The Empty Super … Diary of a Hopeful Hobbyist by Eugene Makovec My plate is half empty

husband can show you where the bees are.”

I got a call from Linda Hibbits, swarm coordinator for Eastern Missouri. It was late May, and I’d already collected three swarms for the season, a lot for me. I’d combined two to make a new colony, and used the other to bolster a weak hive. I now had five colonies and enough equipment to house four. A couple of brood boxes were old homemade ones my dad had given me over ten years ago when I started. They’d worked fine with his homemade frames, but the new ones were a little small and wanted to slip down on one end. Not to mention, they were just old — one of them was now held together with duct tape.

I followed the husband around back, accompanied by a large, barking dog, who was soon corralled and put into the screenedin back porch. We passed the house, headed across the back yard and started down a narrow path into a wooded area. Finally, a good 20 yards from the house, he stopped and pointed. “There they are.”

In short, I love catching swarms, but I’d probably want a pretty good reason to go after one now. And by most standards, this was not a good one. It was well after six in the evening, and I was just about to sit down for supper. The swarm was in O’Fallon, every bit of 30 miles from home. But Linda said there was no one else available between here and there. The caller had told her the swarm was on the ground, and was “about the size of two dinner plates”, whatever that meant. I hated to see bees go to waste, and these at least sounded easy to collect, so I took down the phone number. The lady who answered was named Angie. Yes, the bees were on the ground, and they’d been there over two weeks. “Two weeks?” I asked. “At least,” she said. “A big pile of them, about the size of two dinner plates.” “You mean like two plates stacked on each other?” I asked.

I looked down at the ground, and my heart sank at the sight of a very small cluster of bees, maybe about the size of a salad plate. Then my jaw dropped as I noticed, three feet to one side, a mass of dead bees as big as a turkey platter. “What are those?” I asked after a moment. “Oh, um, I dumped gas on them,” he replied with an embarrassed tone. I tried to think of something nice to say. I felt like I’d arrived at the all-you-can-eat buffet behind the Buffalo Bills’ offensive line. “How long ago was that?”

“Maybe about a week ago.” That might explain why the bees were still here after two weeks. The survivors were the lucky ones who were out scouting, or at least airborne, while my friend here was showering the rest with his highI tried to think of octane persuasion. “I didn’t know it would kill them,” he explained further. “I was just trying to something nice to get them to leave.”

say. I felt like I’d arrived at the all-youcan-eat buffet behind the Buffalo Bills’ offensive line.

“No, like side by side. There are tons of bees.” I began to take an interest, but all this talk about dinner plates reminded me that I still hadn’t eaten anything. It was getting late anyway. I was busy the following evening, but I figured if they’d been there for two weeks already, they probably weren’t going anywhere tomorrow. “They’re right by the house,” she added. “They attacked the dog, and they’re bothering the kids, and I’m ready for them to leave.” This awoke my humanitarian side, which is seldom a good thing. I figured if I skipped the leisurely dinner I had planned and gathered a few swarm-catching necessities, I could be there and get them packed up before the sun went down. I took down the directions, informed my skeptical spouse of this latest apicultural opportunity, and grabbed an apple for the road. The directions led me through downtown O’Fallon, down a side road and right into the boondocks. Suddenly the lots were huge and heavily wooded. Angie, her husband and two kids were all in the yard when I arrived. (Apparently they had had their dinner.) They had a decent-sized house and a humongous yard (four acres, as I later learned, which threw some light on her curious definition of “right by the house”). “Thanks for coming,” Angie said as I got out of the car. “My

That didn’t help any. Following another awkward silence, I said, “Boy, if I’d known that, I wouldn’t have driven all this way. But since I’m here, I might as well take what I can home."

As he headed back to the house, I retrieved some things from the car. I put down a medium super with a couple of drawn frames, a lid and bottom board. I pushed it right up to the bees and they started moving in, just like ants into a picnic basket. A great big basket, filled with country fried chicken, potato salad and corn on the cob. And strawberry shortcake with whipped cream. Man, was I hungry! As I waited, Angie came out with the kids, a girl and a boy, maybe 12 and 10. “My husband feels bad,” she said. “He didn’t tell me he dumped gas on them.” She looked at the small pile of bees that was left. “I’m sorry you wasted a trip out here.” I was a little aggravated, but I decided to make the best of the situation. “It’s not your fault,” I told her. I gave the three of them a short primer on honeybee biology and swarming, and asked a few questions myself. It turns out the bees had started in a tree, then dropped to the ground after a couple of days. (Was the queen injured?) The dog was a little too curious and got stung as a result. The light was going quickly now, so I brushed a few of the stragglers out of the grass as best I could and closed it up. By the time I got home it was too late to eat a good dinner, at least not if I wanted to sleep. I settled for a snack and a beer, and a well-deserved “told you so” from my wife, and went to bed.

July 2006

Page 7

The Call for Abstracts has been posted on the Apimondia website which is www.apimondia2007.com. Go to the website then click on the “Call for Abstracts” in the menu on the left hand side. We would encourage bee researchers and beekeepers from all around the world to consider submitting an abstract with a view to presenting a paper at Apimondia 2007. We will be looking for papers on various topics. Please note the dates for acceptance of the abstracts and also the deadline for registration by presenters. It may seem a long way off but for those coming to Australia from overseas please visit the website and look at the Travel Information. You will need to obtain a visa to come to Australia and, except for New Zealand residents, this visa must be obtained before leaving home. Secure your visa early to avoid any delays. We are pleased to announce that His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery AC CVO MC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia has agreed to be the Patron for Apimondia 2007. To learn more about His Excellency and the role of the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia go to www.gg.gov.au

Trevor Weatherhead (Organising Committee)

queenbee@gil.com.au

Almond Crop up Eleven Percent over 2005 Thanks in part to the efforts of itinerant beekeepers from around the country, California’s 2006 almond production is forecast to exceed one billion pounds, an increase of about 11 percent over last year. That prediction is based on a USDA telephone survey of producers representing a quarter of the state’s almond acreage. Way to go, pollinators!

July 2006

Page 9

Mid-Continent Agrimarketing, Inc. 1150 W. 151st St., Suite D Olathe, KS 66061 (913) 768-8967 (Kansas City Area) Toll-Free 1-800-547-1392 www.mid-conagri.com Going out of Business Sale 45-50 Full Hives (2 brood boxes, 3 medium supers, queen excluder, bees included) $75.00 each Extractor — Dadant 6-12 frame stainless steel, radial, variable-speed $300.00 Much miscellaneous — Contact Jim Hahn: (636) 937-0933 14275 Hwy T, Festus, MO 63028

Local Club Meeting Information

Apiguard Approved for use in MO The following is excerpted from a May 19 news release by Vita Ltd: Beekeepers in Missouri now have a powerful treatment to use in the fight against varroa. Apiguard, the easily applied, near-natural, anti-varroa treatment, has been approved for use by the authorities in Missouri following its registration with the USA Environmental Protection Agency late last year. Max Watkins of Vita (Europe) Ltd explained: “Apiguard is proving highly successful in the fight against varroa in a variety of climatic conditions across the world. The product’s active ingredient is thymol, a naturally occurring substance derived from Thyme. We have developed Apiguard as a slow-release gel which is very easy to apply and is highly effective in killing varroa mites. It is entirely safe for users, consumers and bees and leaves no harmful residues.” A small dosing tray of Apiguard is placed on top of the brood frames in the hive and replaced with a second dosing tray when its contents have evaporated (usually after 10 to 14 days). The bees’ normal social and cleaning behaviour disperses the treatment throughout the colony. Apiguard is normally best used towards the end of the season whilst temperatures are still high enough to maintain colony activity. Apiguard is an ideal component of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program which is essential to control the development of mites that inevitably become resistant to any single treatment regime. Full details can be found at www.vita-europe.com/faq.htm

Jefferson County Beekeepers Association 2nd Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m., Jefferson County Extension Center, Hwy B & 21, Hillsboro Contact Scott Moser (636) 285-7295 Midwestern Beekeepers Association Third Wednesday of each month 7:00 p.m. YMCA, 10301 E. 350 Hwy, Raytown Contact President Bob Justice, 816-358-3893 Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association 1st Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m., Kirkwood Community Center, 111 Geyer Rd, Kirkwood Contact President Steve Harris, 636-946-5520 Beekeeper’s Association of the Ozarks 4th Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. The Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell, Springfield www.ozarkbees.org South Central Missouri Beekeepers Association Contact President May Schmitt 417-256-9447 Missouri Valley Beekeepers Association 3rd Monday of each month, 7:00 p.m. Scenic Regional Library, Union Contact Rodney Angell 573-764-2922 Or bee143@fidnet.com Boone Regional Beekeepers Association 3rd Sunday of every odd months, 1:00 p.m., University Outreach & Extension Office, Rt. UU, Columbia Contact: Art Gelder 573-474-8837 Jackson Area Beekeepers 4th Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. First Pres. Church of Jackson, 206 E. Washington Contact: Grant Gillard 573-243-6568 Or gillard5@charter.net

Is your club missing? Contact Eugene at editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Page 10

MSBA Membership Application Name Spouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Name

*Check here to receive your newsletter via email.

Address City/State/Zip Phone Number

Email*

NOTE: If you belong to a local association, please pay your state dues through your local club. State Association Dues (Check only one box) Adult Membership

$10.00

Amount Enclosed $

Family Membership

$15.00

Make check payable to: Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Student Membership

$5.00

Mail to: P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075

Magazine Discounts: Discounts are available for MSBA members to two beekeeping magazines. You may use the following forms and mail them yourself to the publishers as shown below:

July 2006 Honey Queen Report Sarah Jackson Dear Beekeepers, It has been a quiet spring for your “Queen Bee”, as far as my appearances go. I am really looking forward to summer and hopefully more events as Missouri Honey Queen. The only event I have attended since the last time I wrote was last month when I traveled to Ellisville, Missouri, in the St. Louis area, to speak at an elementary school. I spoke to first and third graders, and they were a delightful bunch — so full of questions and awe at how bees go about their work. I really enjoyed talking to the little ones — their reactions and questions to and about my facts and information are always amusing and fun. This month, I am anticipating attending a weekend festival down in West Plains, Missouri, where I may be giving some kind of presentation. Details are yet to be finalized about that little excursion, but I think it will be a great experience. I am also starting to put together my scrapbook for you all to see at the fall meeting. It is still very much in the planning stages, and I am hoping it will go together quickly. What a fun project I have ahead of me! Also, I have an exciting announcement to make. I have decided to proudly represent Missouri this January at the National Honey Queen Contest in Fort Worth, Texas. I think it is an experience and opportunity that I have been blessed with; therefore, I am not going to pass it up. I will definitely need everyone’s help to get ready and be as prepared as possible to represent everyone to the best of my ability, but I am embracing the hard work it will take to get ready for the contest.

Page 11

Directory of Officers President: Monte Richardson 660-826-4917 1405 S. Prospect Ave., Sedalia MO 65301 president@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Vice President: Kenny Norman 3634 Shiloh Church Road, Marionville, MO 65705 vp@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Secretary: Scott Moser 636-285-7295 6600 Davis Lane, Cedar Hill, MO 63016 secretary@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Treasurer: Ron Vivian 816-690-7516 PO Box 448, Bates City, MO 64011 treasurer@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Past-President: Chris Gibbons 500 East Starla Drive, Columbia,MO 65202 pastpresident@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Western Area Director: Glenn Davis 816-690-8007 4618 Highway Z, Bates City, MO 64011 westdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Southern Area Director: May Schmitt 10250 County Road 6970, West Plains, MO 65775 southdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Eastern Area Director: Steve Harris 636-946-5520 1224 Sherbrooke Road, St. Charles, MO 63303 eastdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Southeastern Area Director: Ray Batton 3032 N. 14th St., Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 northdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

In the meantime, to get in some good practice for the National contest, I will also be representing the Missouri Beekeepers Association at the Missouri State Fair Queen Contest in August. The contest will be held on August 10 and 11, with the talent competition at 2:00 on the 10th and the Evening Gown competition on the 11th at 2:00. I would greatly appreciate everyone’s support as I give my speech (my talent—what I do best—talking!) and at the evening wear competition. I also am looking forward to working in the beekeepers’ booth in the Agriculture building at the State Fair as well. I hope to see everyone there!

Program Chairperson: Sharon Gibbons 636-394-5395 314 Quinnmoor Dr., Ballwin, MO 63011 sgibbs314@earthlink.net

I sincerely hope your summer is fantastic!

Auxilliary President: Joanne Davis 816-690-8007 4618 Highway Z, Bates City, MO 64011 auxpres@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

God Bless, Sarah

DRAPER’S SUPER BEE 914 S. Street Auburn, NE 68305 Ph. (402) 274-3725

Queen Chairperson: May Schmitt 10250 County Road 6970, West Plains, MO 65775 queenchair@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org State Entomologist: Mike Brown P.O. Box 630, Jefferson City, MO 65102

Fax: (402) 274-3128

Free delivery at the Missouri State Beekeepers Fall meeting

Assist. Prof. Entomology/Extension Spec.: Dr. Richard Houseman 1-87 Agricultural Building, University of MissouriColumbia, Columbia, MO 65211

Missouri State Beekeepers Association P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075 www.mostatebeekeepers.org

This newsletter is published six times per year, on the first of each odd month. Submissions are due three weeks prior to publication. The email edition is in color, contains hyperlinks and an extra photo or two, while the print version is in blackand-white. If you are a member currently receiving the printed newsletter and you wish to upgrade, just send an email to editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org with “email newsletter” in the subject line. I’ll reply with confirmation, and add you to my list. Advertising rates are as follows: Business card size $15.00

Half page

$50.00

Quarter page

Full page

$100.00

$35.00

Missouri State Beekeepers Association P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075 www.mostatebeekeepers.org

September 2006 Eugene Makovec Editor

A Prickly Business

The Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare), a member of the aster family, was among many thistle varieties introduced to the U.S. from Europe and Asia in the early 1800s. Though now widely considered an invasive species, it is sometimes planted in gardens to attract birds, butterflies and bees. Commonly found in pastures and along roadsides, thistle is distasteful to most grazing animals, which gives it a competitive advantage. Each plant can grow three to six feet high, and flowerheads sport hundreds of individual purple florets. After pollintion, straw-colored seeds are dispersed on the wind, and can remain viable in soil for over 10 years. — photo by Eugene Makovec

Fall Meeting to Feature Author, University Researcher The annual Fall Meeting of the Missouri State Beekeepers Association will be held October 27-28 at The Lodge of Four Seasons in Lake Ozark, Missouri. The Lodge is a premier resort at the Lake of the Ozarks. It is smaller than Tan-Tar-A, but walking is minimal. The meeting will feature the 2006 Missouri Honey Queen Banquet on Friday evening, and the crowning of our 2007 Honey Queen on Saturday. And like last year, Friday’s banquet will feature a Halloween costume party, with prizes awarded for Best Costume, Best Couple in Costume and Best Child Costume. Learn from the experts True to form, Program Director Sharon Gibbons is bringing in two beekeeping experts to share their knowledge with us:

•

Larry Connor, Ph.D., is author of several beekeeping books and a regular contributor to the trade magazines. He owns Wicwas Press, a publisher of books on beekeeping and other subjects. He will speak on such topics as “Fall and Winter Management”, “Drone Biology and Saturation” and “Survivor Stock — What is it and How Can I Use it?” Nick Aliano is a graduate entomology student at the University of Nebraska working under Marion Ellis, Ph.D. His primary research project has been on the use of Oxalic Acid for the (Continued on page 4)

Midwestern Takes Top Honors in State Fair Judging Hutchison is Individual Grand Champion The Midwestern Beekeepers Association, based in Raytown, was named Club Grand Champion in Apiculture judging at the 2006 Missouri State Fair. The club took First Place honors in Light Extracted Honey (Lowell Hutchison), Cut Comb Honey (Glenn Davis) and Light Bulk Comb Honey (Glenn Davis). Lowell Hutchison was awarded Individual Grand Champion for his impressive array of entries. Hutchison earned First Place awards for Cut Comb Honey, Light Extracted Honey and Candles, along with two Second Place finishes. A complete list of categories and winners can be found on Page 3.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

From the President Monte Richardson

State Fair Winners

Honey Production Survey

Fall Meeting Registration Lodge of Four Seasons

Fall Meeting Agenda

6-7

Local Club Information

Membership Application

Honey Queen Report

Directory of Officers

Page 2

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

From the President Monte Richardson Hello Everybody, I hope this issue finds you healthy and happy. Over the past three years or so I have had a couple of simple goals as president of the state association; to improve the newsletter and encourage more participation and interaction with the local associations. Why the newsletter? It’s the primary means of communication with beekeepers all over the state. It has been my hope that by producing a quality, eye-appealing newsletter, we would help foster communication between the various regions of the state. I hoped that it would become a forum where beekeepers could proudly exchange ideas about beekeeping. I couldn’t hope for a better newsletter. It LOOKS great. Now it’s up to our members to take it to the next step and contribute to the CONTENT of the newsletter. Why encourage participation and interaction with the local associations? I believe that we should all belong to something bigger than ourselves. The first settlers of this country pooled their resources and formed villages, then cities, and so on. People of Faith joined together to strengthen and support each other, and spread the Word locally and abroad. The same applies to the MSBA with one major difference. The State Association does not exist to pull resources from the local clubs but to lend support and assistance to them. The money that the state association gets from dues barely covers the newsletter’s expenses. Charges for the Fall and Spring Meetings haven’t even covered all the expenses involved in providing very high quality speakers. I for one am glad to know that varroa are attracted to drone cells, and why. I’m relieved to know that my plastic foundation doesn’t interfere with the bees’ communication through their waggle dance. I can speak with authority when I say that drone saturation doesn’t help in combating AHB encroachment. Let me say that I truly believe that there are always setbacks and discouragement in any undertaking. I don’t believe that dwelling on mistakes and shortcomings is helpful or productive. And while I certainly don’t believe that sticking my head in the proverbial sand makes things better, I do believe that being positive at the prospect of being successful in spite of setbacks is important. I subscribe to the belief that success is brought about by cooperation and teamwork. While success isn’t dependent on the actions of one person, I also believe that the ultimate success or failure of any undertaking is the responsibility of the leader of the given project. The successes we enjoy as an association are a direct result of the sacrifice and dedication of countless people. Any failures over the last couple of years are a direct result of my shortcomings. Countless times I have asked myself and every member of your executive board, “What can we do to help the local associations?” I have struggled trying to find some meaningful way to promote beekeeping at the state level that would in turn strengthen the local associations. After four years of searching and asking I still don’t have a clear answer. There are many members of the local and state associations that have given — sacrificed — to grow an organization that fosters responsible beekeeping, public awareness about beekeeping, and promotion of the lost commodity of honey. Knowing all this I still ask, “What can I do for the local associations?” The idea has been discussed that the president and other officers

should travel the state and attend local association meetings. We have discussed hosting beginning beekeeping classes at the local level, hosting essay contests, sponsoring student scholarships, hosting beekeeping seminars, moving state meetings to different locales to promote local clubs, etc, etc, etc. Not wanting to even give the impression of “stepping” on local associations we have stood by and waited to be invited to work with local associations. The funny thing is that every single member of the State Executive Board is an active member in his or her local Association too! Many of them are presidents of their local clubs. I am probably the exception, I rarely even get the chance to attend my local club meetings, let alone serve as an officer or other role. Now, I don’t usually drop names. I don’t like embarrassing people or drawing unwanted attention. But I owe a huge apology to a local association. I recently got a phone call that made me giddy with excitement. I finally had a chance to DO what I been trying to do for three years. Gene Foley of the Joplin Beekeepers Association called me. He was excited about an opportunity that his club had to promote beekeeping and the Joplin Association. His phone call to me was timely. There was plenty of time to make preparations. His request was simple: Could the state association provide some literature to promote the state association? I told him that I would be happy to send him literature or anything else at my disposal to assist in their endeavor. And then I suggested that the Honey Queen might be able to attend. Gene and I had a very nice conversation and I was pleased that I had been given an opportunity to help a local association make a positive impact on their community. Let me make it perfectly clear, Mr. Foley treated the occasion with the attention and dedication that it deserved. He called me with plenty of time to spare to make preparations. I dropped the ball. Each one of us has priorities in life. Very few of us have the luxury of having plenty of time to do what we need, want, or desire to do. I have priorities too. One of those priorities is to find a way to support local associations. Unfortunately other priorities sidetracked me. I won't bore you with excuses. Excuses are like bills, we all have them. Mine don't taste any better now than when I gave them to Mr. Foley. Mr. Foley, being much more organized and dedicated than me, sent me an email a couple of weeks after our conversation, reminding me of my commitment. Embarrassed, I promptly made a phone call to put in place the things that I had promised. But I made another mistake, I forgot to follow up on my phone call and make sure that things were being done. In fact my phone call was a waste, the message didn’t get received, and no preparations were made to support the Joplin Association. Now it’s too late. Through my failure I’m afraid that Joplin Beekeepers Association will feel that there is nothing that the State Association can do for them. To the Joplin Beekeepers Association: Please don’t take my mistakes as a lack of appreciation or unwillingness to support you in an opportunity to promote beekeeping and your Association. In all the time that I have been associated with this association I have never, ever, ever heard anybody say that one local association is better, more important, more anything than another. Nobody at the state board level has ever said that because a local association was this (Continued on page 4)

MISSOURI STATE FAIR 2006 Apiculture Judging Contest Results Candied Honey Cut Comb Light Extracted

Dark Extracted

Bulk Wax Sealed Deep Frame Sealed Shallow Frame Wax Art Design Candles Observation Hive

INDIVIDUAL ENTRIES 1st Place Glenn Davis 2nd Place Evelyn Sanford 1st Place Lowell Hutchison 1st Place Lowell Hutchison 2nd Place Don Reinkemeyer 3rd Place Ted Jansen 4th Place Larry Hensley 5th Place Glenn Davis 6th Place Jim Fisher 7th Place Bob Finck 8th Place Van Jones 1st Place Ted Jansen 2nd Place Kirby von Shouse 3rd Place Don Reinkemeyer st 1 Place Bob Finck 2nd Place Lowell Hutchison 1st Place Glenn Davis 1st Place Glenn Davis 2nd Place Lowell Hutchison 1st Place Larry Hensley st 1 Place Lowell Hutchison 1st Place Don Reinkemeyer

INDIVIDUAL GRAND CHAMPION

Light Extracted

Cut Comb Dark Extracted Light Bulk Comb Sealed Deep Frame Sealed Shallow Frame Wax Art Design Candles

Lowell Hutchison

LOCAL ASSOCIATION ENTRIES 1st Place Midwestern 2nd Place Eastern 3rd Place Eastern 4th Place Midwestern 5th Place Midwestern 6th Place Midwestern 7th Place Midwestern 1st Place Midwestern 1st Place Eastern 1st Place Midwestern 2nd Place Lowell Hutchison 1st Place Glenn Davis st 1 Place Glenn Davis 2nd Place Lowell Hutchison 1st Place Larry Hensley 1st Place Lowell Hutchison

CLUB GRAND CHAMPION

Bates City Raymore St. Joseph St. Joseph St. Charles Chesterfield Florissant Bates City Raymore Fenton Sedalia Chesterfield Overland St. Charles Fenton St. Joseph Bates City Bates City St. Joseph Florissant St. Joseph St. Charles

St. Joseph

Lowell Hutchison Ted Jansen Bob Finck Jim Fisher Glenn Davis Roger Nichols Gerald Foster Glenn Davis Ted Jansen Glenn Davis St. Joseph Bates City Bates City St. Joseph Florissant St. Joseph

Midwestern Beekeepers

Page 4

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Fall Meeting is October 27-28 at Lodge of Four Seasons (Continued from page 1)

control of varroa mites. In addition to this topic, he will lecture on ”Honeybee Biology”, “Queen Rearing” and “Varroa Detection and Control Methods”. NOTE: Dr. Ellis was originally booked to speak at this meeting but had to withdraw due to a scheduling conflict. The Lodge of Four Seasons is located at: Horseshoe Bend Parkway (State Road HH), P.O. Box 215, Lake Ozark, MO 65049 888-265-5500 From Business 54, Take State Road HH toward Four Seasons. The Lodge is three miles down on the left. Call the Lodge or visit www.4seasonsresort.com for more information.

chance to save on shipping costs, while at the same time supporting our exhibiting vendors. Just contact them beforehand to place your order, and tell them you’d like to pick it up at the meeting. They’ll be happy to oblige. At the time this newsletter went to print, the following vendors had arranged to exhibit at the meeting: Mid-Continent Agrimarketing: 913-768-8967 (800-547-1392) Draper’s Super Bee: 402-274-3725 Walk-About Acres: 573-474-8837 walkabot@midamerica.net Dadant (Hamilton Branch): 888-922-1293

The group room rate is $77.00 for single or double. Please mention MSBA to get the special rate. Rooms will be held for us until September 26, 2006. The hotel’s regular room rate is $164. Make sure that you are quoted the $77 rate. All rooms include irons, ironing boards, hair dryers and in-room coffee service. The hotel has both indoor and outdoor pools and an exercise facility. Please support our meetings by attending. It is becoming more difficult and expensive to book speakers and hotels. We have a good meeting scheduled, but costs have gone up with the increase in fuel costs. We have increased minimums on the food contracts for the next two meetings. If you support our banquet and lunches, we will be able to meet the $3000 food minimum required. Otherwise it has to come out of our treasury. Please support our vendors Need to order supplies for the upcoming season? Here’s your

From the President (from page 2) big, or that small, that they got more or less attention or resources than anybody else. In this case size doesn’t matter. Gene Foley did everything that was expected of him. He deserves to be disappointed and disenchanted. However, I would ask that both Mr. Foley and the Joplin Beekeepers Association put the blame where it belongs: Be disappointed and disenchanted with me personally. How can I help the local associations? By following through on my commitments. By getting to know individuals at the local level and sharing with them my sincere desire to help them. And hopefully be invited to be a part of their journey. My term will be over shortly. My opportunity to serve as your president is almost over. I have contemplated life after presidency and feel like I might make a good coat check at a local meeting. Twenty years ago the Varroa Mite brought beekeeping to its knees. Because the industry banded together (loosely) and tried various methods and shared what worked and what didn’t work, we are approaching the point where mites are controllable. It was due to the process of keeping communication open, sharing ideas, and supporting each other that there is even a beekeeping industry in the U.S. today. I want to be a part of that process when AHB, adulterated honey, or some other unforeseen situation threatens our avocation in the future. What do you say? Sincerely, Monte Richardson

Survey says ...

Honey Production Down in 2006 Beekeepers on this newsletter’s email list were invited to participate in a survey on this year’s honey production. Questions asked included: 1. Was this year’s crop better or worse than last year’s? 2. To what, if anything, do you attribute the difference? 3. In what area are you located? 4. How many hives do you have? Approximately 25 readers responded. Results indicate that overall honey production was down this year in Missouri. See back page for complete results. (Readers of the printed newsletter can access the email version at www.mostatebeekeepers.org.

September 2006

Page 5

Pre-Registration Fees: Registration must be received by October 10, 2006 Member – 2 day per person

$20.00_______

Member---1 day per person

$15.00_______

Member Family— 2 day

$30.00_______

Or Member family— 1 day

$25.00_______

Non-member – 2-day, per person

$28.00_______

Or Non-member – 1 day, per person

$23.00_______

Registrations made after October 10th: Member -- 2-day, per person

$25.00_______

Or Member – 1 day, per person

$20.00_______

Non-member – 2-day, per person

$35.00_______

Or Non-member – 1 day, per person

$30.00_______

(No family discount on late registrations)

Friday Night Banquet & Entertainment: Filet Mignon, salad, vegetables, dessert Adult - $23.50 per person

($23.50 x _____)

_______

Child - $12.00/child under 12

($12.00 x _____)

_______

Adult - $15.00/person

($15.00 x _____)

_______

Child - $7.50/child under 12

($ 7.50 x _____)

_______

Saturday Lunch

Membership 2006 Missouri State Beekeepers Assn. Individual:

Renewal

New

$10.00_______

Membership 2006 Missouri State Beekeepers Assn. Family:

Renewal

New

$15.00_______

Queen fund donation

Donation $__________

Meeting fund donation

Donation $__________

Total

$__________

Page 6

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Fall Meeting Program Friday, October 27th 8:00-12:00

Setup for Vendors in the Marbella Ballroom

9:00 a.m.

Executive Board Meeting — Room to be announced

11:30-12:30

Lunch on your own

12:30-1:15

Registration/Visit with vendors

1:15-1:25

Welcome: President Monte Richardson

1:25-2:15

“Honeybee Biology” Nick Aliano

2:15-3:00

“Fall and Winter Management” Dr. Larry Connor

3:00

Raffle Drawing

3:10-3:30

Break

3:30-4:10

“Getting Missouri Ready for Apis Mellifera Scutellata” Panel discussion of the probable event that the Africanized honeybee will be entering Missouri in the next few years. Panel includes Mike Brown, Monte Richardson and Dr. Larry Connor

4:00

Judging of Queen Contestants — May Schmitt (Queen Chairperson) — Room to be announced

4:20-5:00

“Queen Rearing” Nick Aliano

6:00

2006 MO Honey Queen Banquet and Halloween Costume Party Prizes for Best Costume, Best Couple in Costume, Best Child Costume Welcome and Social Hour — Sea Chase

6:30

Banquet Invocation: Honey Queen Sarah Jackson After-dinner speaker to be announced Menu: Filet Mignon, Salad, Vegetables, Potatoes or Pasta, Dessert

Program continued next page

Mid-Continent Agrimarketing, Inc. 1150 W. 151st St., Suite D Olathe, KS 66061 (913) 768-8967 (Kansas City Area) Toll-Free 1-800-547-1392 www.mid-conagri.com

DRAPER’S SUPER BEE 914 S. Street Auburn, NE 68305 Ph. (402) 274-3725 Fax: (402) 274-3128 Free delivery at the Missouri State Beekeepers Fall meeting

September 2006

Page 7

Fall Meeting Program Saturday, October 28th 7:30-8:15

Registration — Marbella Room

8:15-8:30

Welcome & announcements: President Monte Richardson

8:30-9:15

“Drone Biology and Saturation” Dr. Larry Connor

9:15-10:00

“State of the Union (MSBA) Address” Monte Richardson, Kenny Norman, Ron Vivian

10:00-10:30

Break

10:30-11:30

“Varroa Detection and Control” Nick Aliano

11:30

Raffle Drawing

11:40-12:00

Presentation by 2006 Honey Queen Sarah Jackson Introduction of 2007 Honey Queen

12:00-1:00

Lunch: Italian theme

1:00-1:40

“Survivor Stock — What is it and How Can I Use it?” Dr. Larry Connor

1:45-2:15

“Oxalic Acid and its Effect on Varroa” Nick Aliano (Oxalic Acid research has been Nick’s main project at the University of Nebraska)

2:15-2:45

“How to Purchase Queens and Choose a Queen Breeder” Dr. Larry Connor

3:00-3:20

Break

3:20-4:15

Annual Business Meeting Election of Officers

4:15

Raffle and Door Prizes

Program and speakers subject to change

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP 55% Fructose Available in 55-gallon drums or 5-gallon pails. Andrew Honey Farm

217-938-4975

Near Hamilton, IL — or may be able to deliver at the Missouri State Beekeepers Fall meeting

September 2006

Page 9

Buying Honey

Honey Tradin’ Post

Bob Finck (St. Louis) 636-305-8818 In the market to purchase from 2000-4000 pounds of light extracted 2006 honey in the next few months. Walk-About Acres (Columbia) 573-474-8837 Buying honey and wax, especially from Boone County

Buying Comb Honey

Joli Winer Olathe, KS 913-768-8967 Days 913-856-8356 Nights Will take in supers to cut and return, or already cut. Robert Hughes Kansas City, KS 913-681-5777 Eugene Makovec St. Louis 314-965-4631 or emakovec@sbcglobal.net Need 25-30 packages of comb honey. Want to be included? Just send an email to Eugene at editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org with “Trading Post” in the subject line. Or call 314-965-4631.

Honey Queen Report (Continued from page 11)

As I finish up my year as your queen, there are several people who I should take the time to thank. First of all, I thank God for being blessed with this wonderful opportunity to learn more about this facet of agriculture and to represent a remarkable and unique group of people. Second, I would like to thank my amazing family and friends for always supporting and helping me in all my endeavors. Thanks to May Schmitt for all she’s done as Honey Queen Chairperson. Although circumstances didn’t allow her to be as active as she would’ve liked, I still commend her for all her assistance to me in setting up appearances and being a sounding board for ideas and anything else. A special thank you goes to Sharon Gibbons for taking me under her wing, giving me advice and helping me to better represent the beekeepers. To the Missouri State Beekeepers Association, thank you for your generosity, kindness, and willingness to teach me about the vast industry of beekeeping. Serving as the Missouri Honey Queen has been an awesome experience that I will never forget! God Bless, Sarah

Calling All Locals … Send us your news! We’d love to know what’s going on in your part of the state. If you edit a local newsletter, how about putting us on your mailing list (editor@mostatebeekeepers.org)? We know you have news and ideas worth sharing. So don’t be a stranger!

Is your club missing? Contact Eugene at editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Page 10

MSBA Membership Application Name Spouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Name

*Check here to receive your newsletter via email.

Address City/State/Zip Phone Number

Email*

NOTE: If you belong to a local association, please pay your state dues through your local club. State Association Dues (Check only one box) Adult Membership

$10.00

Amount Enclosed $

Family Membership

$15.00

Make check payable to: Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Student Membership

$5.00

Mail to: P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075

Magazine Discounts: Discounts are available for MSBA members to two beekeeping magazines. You may use the following forms and mail them yourself to the publishers as shown below:

September 2006 Honey Queen Report Sarah Jackson

Page 11

Directory of Officers

Dear Beekeepers, This will be my last letter to you as your 2006 Missouri Honey Queen. It has been a true honor to represent such a fascinating sector of the agriculture industry. I’ve learned SO MUCH about marketing a unique product, the special issues concerning beekeeping, commercial beekeeping, and more about how bees produce the most natural and delicious product available! This summer has been relatively quiet as far as appearances have been. I was proud to represent the MSBA at the Missouri State Fair Queen Pageant. I gave a speech for my talent, and there were 57 contestants in the entire contest. I was blessed to be chosen as 2nd runner up, and received a $300 scholarship to go toward my education expenses. Going into the contest, I felt that it was just great media exposure for the beekeepers in my representing them as their queen. Placing really boosted the publicity of my sponsoring group! I do intend to compete again in next year’s contest, under a different title, but I would still be happy to have the support of each and every one of you in my pursuit of a longtime goal. After the pageant part of the State Fair, I worked four days in the honey booth at the fair. I also feel that this is the best public relations effort we can make in representing the honey industry. Most people don’t even realize that honey production is a part of agriculture, and I know for a fact we informed hundreds of thousands of Missourians just by having our booth there. I really enjoyed handing out the famous bee stickers to kids of all ages, and greeting the public. I took many fun pictures, and had a lot of fun educating people about the hive and Missouri’s state insect. In case you didn’t know, it is the honeybee! Also during my work days at the honey booth, Glenn Davis and I did a radio interview for the Brownfield Network. I didn’t get to hear the interview, but I hope it was a great promotional to bring more people to our booth! This fall promises to be a busy one for me as I wrap up my reign. I’ve got a few appearances planned, and I’ve contacted a beekeeper I met at the State Fair to even hopefully get suited up in the bee suit and go out in the apiary myself! I would also like to once again offer that if you would like me to make any presentations at schools, I have no problem talking to young people of all ages, and would be glad to visit any of your home communities. In addition, I want to encourage everyone to come to the fall meeting in October. It’s sure to be a great time and learning experience for all who attend. I am still considering and praying about representing Missouri at the National Honey Queen Contest at the national convention in Austin, Texas. By the fall meeting, I will have made my decision. I am still trying to find out more about how the contest is run before I decide whether this is something I would like to pursue more. (Continued on page 9)

President: Monte Richardson 660-826-4917 1405 S. Prospect Ave., Sedalia MO 65301 president@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Vice President: Kenny Norman 3634 Shiloh Church Road, Marionville, MO 65705 vp@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Secretary: Scott Moser 636-285-7295 6600 Davis Lane, Cedar Hill, MO 63016 secretary@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Treasurer: Ron Vivian 816-690-7516 PO Box 448, Bates City, MO 64011 treasurer@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Past-President: Chris Gibbons 500 East Starla Drive, Columbia,MO 65202 pastpresident@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Western Area Director: Glenn Davis 816-690-8007 4618 Highway Z, Bates City, MO 64011 westdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Southern Area Director: May Schmitt 10250 County Road 6970, West Plains, MO 65775 southdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Eastern Area Director: Steve Harris 636-946-5520 1224 Sherbrooke Road, St. Charles, MO 63303 eastdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Southeastern Area Director: Ray Batton 3032 N. 14th St., Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 northdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Program Chairperson: Sharon Gibbons 636-394-5395 314 Quinnmoor Dr., Ballwin, MO 63011 sgibbs314@earthlink.net State Fair Chairman: Don Reinkemeyer 636-949-9515 100 Berlekamp, St. Charles, MO 63303 Newsletter Editor: Eugene Makovec 314-965-4631 643 Pearl Ave., Kirkwood, MO 63122 314-965-4631 editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Auxilliary President: Joanne Davis 816-690-8007 4618 Highway Z, Bates City, MO 64011 auxpres@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Queen Chairperson: May Schmitt 10250 County Road 6970, West Plains, MO 65775 queenchair@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org State Entomologist: Mike Brown P.O. Box 630, Jefferson City, MO 65102 Assist. Prof. Entomology/Extension Spec.: Dr. Richard Houseman 1-87 Agricultural Building, University of MissouriColumbia, Columbia, MO 65211

Missouri State Beekeepers Association P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075 www.mostatebeekeepers.org

Survey Results Suggest Honey Production Down in 2006 First of all, thanks to all of you who responded to the production survey. There were 31 responses in all, and in analyzing the results I noticed that we have a lot of new hobbyists with one or two hives. That and the fact that they care enough to weigh in on this issue bodes well for the future of our Association. Your survey responses can be broken down into two groups:

•

Group 1 is made up of hobbyists with fewer than five hives. After discounting several first-year beekeepers, this group was about evenly split on the primary question of whether honey production was better or worse than last year. Reasons given for improvement included such things as “more hives” and “early Spring”, while some declines were attributed to dead-outs, swarms and other catastrophes. (I consider the loss of even one colony to be a catastrophe if I only had two or three to begin with.)

•

Group 2 consists of those with five or more hives, which includes what I would generally consider to be more seasoned hobbyists, sideliners and, of course, commercial beekeepers. Among these, there is a pretty clear consensus that 2006 has been a lousy year. This sentiment reigned from St. Louis in the east to the western areas of Kansas City and Springfield. (Exceptions were noted in Columbia and Cape Girardeau.)

So what was the problem this year? Not surprisingly, the weather; typical responses included “drought”, “dry spell”, “lack of moisture”, and my personal favorite: “Everything has died and dried up to nothing.” One large commercial beekeeper bemoaned the “two weeks of cold weather following the locust bloom. The queen shut down laying, and as a result there were not enough field force for the real honey flow.” A sideliner with 75 hives cited a complete lack of locust honey due to cold weather, and a “lack of nectar in clover blooms due to drought.” This is in line with my own observation was that there was plenty of clover in the St. Louis area, but for the first few weeks the bees had virtually no interest in working it. (See page 4 for the list of survey questions.) The Editor

This newsletter is published six times per year, on the first of each odd month. Submissions are due three weeks prior to publication. The email edition is in color, contains hyperlinks and bonus back-page material, while the print version is in black-and-white. If you are a member currently receiving the printed newsletter and you wish to upgrade, just send an email to editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org with “email newsletter” in the subject line. I’ll reply with confirmation, and add you to my list. Advertising rates are as follows: Business card size $15.00

Half page

$50.00

Quarter page

Full page

$100.00

$35.00

Missouri State Beekeepers Association P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075 www.mostatebeekeepers.org

Spring Meeting Set for March 16-17 in Jefferson City By Sharon Gibbons, Program Director The Fall Meeting at the Lodge of Four Seasons was well attended. I would ask for comments, likes and dislikes about the meeting and the facility. I am planning for next year’s meetings and I need feedback. Keith Delaplane, Reyah Carlson to Speak Plans for the 2007 Spring Meeting are in the works. We have reserved the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City for March 16-17. Our program includes Dr. Keith Delaplane and Reyah Carlson. Delaplane is Professor of Entomology at the University of Georgia, and author of numerous books and articles on honeybees and beekeeping. Carlson, of Bruner, MO, is Secretary of the American Apitherapy Association. She will do a presentation on apitherapy, which will be open to the general public. We will also have a tour of the Capitol (hopefully

by one of our agriculture-minded legislators), and possibly an outdoor beekeeping demonstration. As always, thanks to all our vendors and locals who donated door prizes and raffle items:

•

Dadant and Sons, Hamilton, IL

•

Draper’s Super Bee, Auburn, NE

•

Dr. Larry Connor, Wicwas Press

•

Femme Osage Honey Farms

•

Mid-Continent Agrimarketing, Olathe, KS

•

Motherlode Plastics, Sonora, CA

•

Sailor Plastic, Adrian, MN

•

November 2006 Eugene Makovec Editor

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: From the President Monte Richardson

Africanized Bees MSBA Policy Statement

Apitherapy News Honey Wound Treatment

Honey Balsamic Vinegar 5 From the Honey Board The Empty Super

Fall Meeting Recap

Walk-About Acres, Columbia, MO

Local Club Information

•

Beekeepers of the Ozarks

•

Eastern Missouri Beekeepers

Join us or renew your membership now!

•

Midwestern Beekeepers

Directory of Officers

Page 2

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

From the President Monte Richardson Hello Everybody, If you haven’t finished up your bee yard work I’m sure you don’t have more than a day or two left. It seems that the calendar seasons just don’t jive with beekeepers. It’s still fall by the calendar but it’s all but winter for most of us. A friend of mine gave me a clipping from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch dated 10/26/06 entitled “Forget The Birds, Bees Are The Buzz”. It was a story about the honeybee genome project and what the scientists have discovered from DNA research on honeybees. I found the article to be very interesting. It explained that honeybees have a gene that may aid in age related problems in humans. The other item of interest to me was that of the three insects that have had their DNA mapped -- honeybees, fruit flies and mosquitoes -- bees have fewer immune system genes than the others. That means that they are more susceptible to disease than the others. This is especially interesting considering that bees live more closely together than fruit flies or mosquitoes. Another point worth mentioning is that the story gave a brief economic explanation for bees, citing their $10-20 billion impact on agriculture. We have just finished up the Fall Meeting at The Lodge of Four Seasons. It was a spectacular meeting. Dr. Larry Connor and Nick Aliano provided two full days of presentations concerning various facets of beekeeping. Dr. Connor is very knowledgeable about practical beekeeping and has a vast background in bees that spans decades. Dr. Connor’s talks centered on how to raise healthy hives, which in turn makes it possible to make splits (nuclei) in the spring. This wasn’t a talk about how to take four frames from a hive and introduce a queen as much as how to manage the whole process, the use of drone selection, different options for making new hives, etc. Nick Aliano is a research assistant to Dr. Marion Ellis at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. I have to admit that I find “research” related discussions to be boring. But Nick did an outstanding job! Right from the start I could tell that he was a smooth, organized speaker, able to bring research information into relevant applications for beekeepers. Two years ago I first heard of the possibility of Oxalic Acid as a means of controlling Varroa Mites. Nick Aliano provided the results of his research into the viability of Oxalic Acid and different application methods that could be used. Oxalic Acid HAS NOT been approved for use as a control against Varroa mites. But I feel certain that Nick’s research results will play an important part in the approval process. The fall business meeting was held on Saturday afternoon during the Fall Meeting as well. A new slate of officers was voted in to fill vacancies. Vice President Kenny Norman will be stepping up as President of the Association in January, and Scott Moser will move to the Vice President’s position. I’ve gotten to know Kenny and Scott over the last couple of years. Both of them will bring a wide assortment of talents and abilities to the board. As my term winds down I would like to thank all of the people that have made things happen in the association. The local Presidents have been valuable assets to the Association. Michael Brown, the State Entomologist, has been a keen supporter of beekeeping in Missouri for several years. His insights have been valuable to me personally. I wish that I could have devoted the time to foster more support from others at the State level. I would like to thank everybody that has

Outgoing MSBA President Monte Richardson (left) discusses the Fall Meeting’s activities with Ken Norman, who will assume the group’s leadership role in January. participated on the Executive Board over the last four years. Each and every one of them has been a valuable asset to keeping all of the interests in beekeeping represented. There are a few people that I feel have really sacrificed for this Association over the years and deserve special mention. First of all is Art Gelder. Art managed the State Fair booth for several years and brought it to an enviable position both in exposure to the public and in revenue for the Association. The second person I would like to recognize is John Sauls. John is the definition of courage and sacrifice. John took over a newsletter that was faltering and put a lot of effort into keeping it alive. John and I have had our differences of opinion. But I respect the effort that he put into the newsletter. Eugene Makovec has done a wonderful job with the newsletter. His professional talents with layout and design have made our newsletter very attractive. It takes a lot of time to prepare, print and mail the newsletter. Both John and Eugene have stepped up and put a lot of effort into the task. And let’s not forget their wives. Sharon Gibbons has spent huge amounts of time and effort in putting together our Spring and Fall Meetings. It is a complicated process to get accommodations and speakers for a quality meeting and Sharon has done a wonderful job. We always try to keep costs down as much as possible. The Board is very aware of the travel and hotel costs associated with the meetings and we try to keep expenses as low as possible so that more people can attend the meetings. And finally, there is Ron Vivian. Ron has a long history of service to the Association. I remember how he took me under his wing when I (Continued on page 11)

November 2006

Page 3

MSBA Policy Statement on the Africanized Honey Bee The following policy statement was adopted by the Missouri State Beekeepers Association on June 3, 1994. Given the continued northward march of AHB, their arrival in Missouri may now be more a question of when than if. The apiculture industry in Missouri includes a diverse group of commercial and noncommercial operators, providing pollination services to agricultural producers, and producing honey, beeswax, and other hive products for Missouri consumers. Beekeepers in 1992 assisted apple growers in producing a $7.5 million crop through pollination services. Many other crops require or benefit from bee pollination, accounting for millions of d o l l a rs i n a g r i c u l t u r a l p r o d u c t i on . H o n e y p r od u c t i o n i n Missouri during 1992 was 1,925,000 pounds valued at $1,232,000. Africanized honey bees, Apis mellifera scutellata, sometimes known as Killer Bees, represent a serious threat t o t h e beekeeping industry specifically, and to Missouri c i t i z e n s generally. During their 40 year journey from South America, through Central America and Mexico, and recently into Texas, the African bees experienced very little dilution of their aggressive traits. Crossbreeding with the more docile European honey bee population already established in the Americas, has not helped despite the programs of trapping and drone saturation that were undertaken in Mexico. The Africanized honey bee has retained much o f i t s highly-defensive behavior in spite of this crossbreeding. The trait makes the bees more difficult to manage, for numerous reasons. The Missouri State Beekeepers Association recognizes that management of Africanized honey bees is a problem because of:

• • • •

Extreme defensiveness - multiple stinging incidents - hives must be located remote from people and livestock - very difficult to do in Missouri. Excessive swarming --- 10-15 swarms per year. Reduced p o l l i n a t i n g efficiency. Increased liability to beekeepers.

Members of the Missouri State Beekeepers Association also recognize that the state beekeepers neither want n o r need Africanized honey bees disrupting their production of honey and pollination of agricultural crops, native plants and wild flowers in this state. The Missouri State Beekeepers Association further recognizes that to protect th e a p i c u l t u r e i n d u s t r y , o t h e r agricultural operations, and the general public; the following management strategies should be implemented now, in preparation for the eventual arrival of Africanized honey bees: Education Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri State Beekeepers Association, Missouri University Extension, USDA-Plant Protection and Quarantine, et. al. will be responsible for providing educational materials to the general public (particularly urban), public health officials, media and public land use managers. Apicultural Training The Missouri State Beekeepers Association and the State Ento-

mologist should cooperate in a training program for the following:

•

Fire Department Personnel — for removal of Africanized honey swarms in cities • Public Land Use Managers — State and Federal parks personnel for Africanized honey bee inspection and swarm removal. • Public Health officials -- to deal with stinging incidents. • Emergency Medical Technicians — to respond to accidents. • Paramedics — to respond to accidents. • First Responders — to respond to accidents. Regulation & Quarantine Current Missouri Apiculture Law is adequate to deal with Africanized honey bees except for abandoned apiaries. Begin legislative action to require care or destruction of abandoned apiaries that will be suitable nesting sites for Africanized honey bees. Ability to rapidly detect, identify and destroy isolated colonies when necessary (State Entomologist and field personnel). Establish Quarantine if necessary. Other Strategies In conjunction with all Missouri Beekeepers:

• • • •

The Missouri State Beekeepers Association should publicly recommend requeening of hives with gentle European bees on an annual basis. Care in selecting apiary sites. Management of colonies for European drone production. Management of feral colonies through: • Use of bait hives and destruction of all Africanized honeybee swarms captured; and • Destruction of all feral Africanized Honey bee colonies when discovered in nature.

Actual economic and environmental impacts of Africanized honey bees are speculative at this point; however, it seems r e as on a b l e t o a s s u m e t h a t t h e i r e v e n t u a l introduction into Missouri will cause irreparable harm to the beekeeping industry as it currently exists. This will be a direct result of the Af ricanized honey bee’s defensive nature, making hobbyists and sideline beekeepers both unwilling to work with the more hostile bees, and unable to accept the increased liabilities associated with maintaining bees. Most hobby beekeepers will cease to exist, thus creating a potential problem of pollinating native plants and wildflowers. Tourist activity could be negatively impacted also, should Africanized honey bees become established throughout Missouri. Therefore, an immediate proactive campaign to provide all citizens with information relative to the positive aspects of beekeeping, as well as protective guidelines for dealing with the harmful Africanized Honey Bee, should begin now.

Page 4

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Apitherapy News ...

Researchers Taste Success With Honey Cure August 8, 2006 Jennifer Harper The Washington Times It could be sweet news, indeed. German medical researchers have announced that honey -- yes, the breakfast favorite -- is more effective in healing problem wounds, ulcers and skin conditions than standard antibiotics. "In hospitals today we are faced with germs which are resistant to almost all the current antibiotics," said Dr. Arne Simon, an oncologist with the Children's Hospital at the University of Bonn. "As a result, the medical use of honey is becoming attractive again for the treatment of wounds." Dr. Simon is the first to acknowledge that honey is a "millennia old" panacea for all sorts of ills, from baldness to intestinal distress. But the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria in the last decade has generated new interest in an old remedy. With cooperation from specialists in a dozen German hospitals, Dr. Simon is planning a large-scale study on honey's curative effects. He has already charted the success of traditional honey poultices on troublesome surgical wounds and skin conditions. "Even chronic wounds infected with multi-drug resistant bacteria often healed within a few weeks," Dr. Simon noted, adding that the honey method was particularly helpful for young patients with weakened immune systems -- deeming it "astonishing." Honey also made dressings easier to change and even reduced distressing smells associated with some skin conditions. Ancient Egyptians, soldiers in the field and assorted healers who have relied on honey over time may not have understood the science behind it all. The bees -- who typically visit 2 million flowers to produce a pound of honey -- may not know it either. It's the bees themselves who are the heroes, however. During the honey-making process, they add an enzyme called glucose-oxidase, ultimately generating a mild form of hydrogen peroxide -- an antibacterial agent.

Mid-Continent Agrimarketing, Inc. 1150 W. 151st St., Suite D Olathe, KS 66061 (913) 768-8967 (Kansas City Area) Toll-Free 1-800-547-1392 www.mid-conagri.com

In the last five years, researchers in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the U.S. have found that honey is effective against about 60 strains of bacteria -- including staphylococcus and heliobacter pylori, which causes stomach ulcers. Honey is also thought to reduce inflammation and provide a source of cancer-fighting antioxidants. None of this has escaped the commercial sector. "Medicalgrade honey" is now a reality. MediHoney -- sterile, prepackaged applications of honey -- is now manufactured by Australia's Capilano Honey to treat stubborn surgical wounds, oral infections and skin conditions. New Zealand's Comvita annually sells $30 million worth of wound dressings that combine "medical-grade active manuka honey" -- made from a local plant -- and seaweed fibers. British-based Medlock Medical and Advancis Medical also offer sterile honey dressings and creams, noting the only potential caution for patients is "known allergy to bee venom." Will Americans have access? Perhaps. According to a recent report from CNN, MediHoney has applied for approval from the Food and Drug Administration and expects an answer late this year -- and a potential gateway into our annual $2.8 billion "wound care market."

November 2006

Page 5

Press Release

Walter T. Kelley Company … Alive and Well! Although there has been some buzz about the Kelley Company, we want our customers and friends to know we are alive and well and will be continuing “business as usual”. For those of you not familiar with the Kelley Company, here is a bit of background: The founders of the company, Walter and Ida Babin Kelley, began their business in Houma, Louisiana in 1924. They moved to Paducah, Kentucky in 1934 and then to Clarkson, Kentucky in 1952, where the business continues today. After Mrs. Kelley’s death in 1978, Walter Kelley made public their desire to have the legacy of their life’s work continue to benefit Grayson County and its residents after their passing. The Grayson County Hospital Foundation was named as the sole benefactor of their estate. However, the business and assets were to be placed in a 20-year operating trust to begin immediately after the death of the remaining spouse.

suming full ownership as the Kelleys had intended. Despite rumors to the contrary, the new owners have no plans to sell the company. Their goal is to continue and build upon what the Kelleys began. They have appointed a new CEO, Mr. Tom Oller, a local resident with more than 33 years of manufacturing and management experience. Sarah Manion will remain the company’s President and Earl King will remain as Vice-President. These three, working with the five-member Board of Directors, hope to make slow and positive changes that will benefit the Hospital Foundation, Kelley employees and the beekeeping industry. The transition can only be good news and good medicine for all concerned. The team has plans to expand the company and, at the same time, continue the proud tradition of Walter and Ida Kelley of providing the same quality products and fast, efficient, dependable service that has kept the Kelley Company in business more than eighty years.

Upon the death of Walter T. Kelley in 1986, the trust was established according to the Kelleys’ will and wishes. That trust expired on September 4, 2006, with the Hospital Foundation as-

We welcome you to visit our plant, tour our facility and become a partner in keeping the Kelley Company alive and well, far into the future.

NHB Introduces First 100% Honey Balsamic Vinegar Old World Taste Meets New World Innovation Longmont, Colorado (August 2006)— Honey Balsamic Vinegar, the first balsamic vinegar made exclusively from honey, is the newest brainchild of the National Honey Board’s product development program. Committed to increasing the demand for honey, the National Honey Board (NHB) has established a product development program utilizing honey’s unique flavor and attributes to create new twists on familiar foods. The benefits of Honey Balsamic Vinegar start with the label. Consisting of just two honey-based ingredients—naturally brewed honey vinegar (55%) and caramelized honey (45%)—the product contains no sulfites (the Food and Drug Administration estimates one in every 100 consumers is sensitive to sulfites). This pure honey product delivers the deep, mellow flavors typical of traditional balsamic vinegars but ends with a distinctive sweet-tart finish, making it an ideal choice for salad dressings, sauces and reductions, and condiments and relishes. With the popularity of gourmet vinegars and condiments on the rise, the National Honey Board projects their newest product concept is a likely candidate to flourish in both retail and foodservice markets. While honey vinegars can be found on European grocery shelves, purchase options in the U.S. are uncommon, and none are balsamic varieties. National Honey Board Marketing Director Bruce Wolk predicts a promising future for Honey Balsamic Vinegar. “Honey’s all-natural status has a

proven track record for consumer appeal. Coupled with the widespread popularity of Mediterranean cuisines and ingredients, Honey Balsamic Vinegar is positioned for consumer approval,” said Wolk. Honey Balsamic Vinegar has been developed according to modern balsamic production, utilizing industrial acetator fermentation and rapid wood aging. The National Honey Board has taken the concept to the plant trial stage, and is offering the product formulation and process at no charge to any manufacturer interested in producing and marketing Honey Balsamic Vinegar. However, full-scale production, product identity, packaging and distribution would be the responsibility of the manufacturer or marketing entity. To find out more about Honey Balsamic Vinegar or other new honey products, including solid honey disks, contact Charlotte Jordan at (303) 776-2337 or charlotte@nhb.org. For more information about the National Honey Board and its marketing and promotion programs, visit www.honey.com. The National Honey Board, through its staff in Longmont, Colorado, conducts research, advertising and promotion programs to help maintain and expand domestic and foreign markets for honey. The Board’s work, funded by an assessment of one cent per pound on domestic and imported honey, is designed to expand the awareness and use of honey by consumers, the foodservice industry and food manufacturers.

Page 6

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

The Empty Super … Diary of a Hopeful Hobbyist by Eugene Makovec

A hard-earned hornet’s nest

wondered if there were any left in the nest.

It was my first year keeping bees. I’d gotten a late start (a threepound package in early June), managed to kill my queen (another story entirely) and had little hope of getting any honey for my efforts. Nevertheless, I was happy and proud to be a beekeeper. I’d only been stung a couple of times, and was feeling cocky.

At home, I dropped the nest into my basement chest freezer, and didn’t give it another thought until about 2:00 a.m. Tuesday. I was working the night shift at the time, and when I arrived home I pulled the bag out of the freezer and hauled it outside. After shaking a few dozen frozen hornets out onto the grass, I dropped my prize nest back into the bag, set it just inside the front door, and went to bed.

So when a lady named Teresa approached me about getting rid of a hornet’s nest in her yard I quickly obliged. I’d never met Teresa, but she cleaned offices for my father-in-law and he’d told her I was a beekeeper. (Becoming a beekeeper is like buying a pickup truck – soon everyone wants you to help them move.) And besides, I’d always wanted one of those nests. I made a quick visit to Teresa’s house to check it out, and went to a bee club meeting the following evening to ask for guidance. My primary concern was preservation of the nest. I received two recommendations:

At about 9:00 a.m., I awoke to a shriek from my wife. Even in my groggy state, I immediately knew what it was about. I also knew that it was not so much a cry for help as a cry of – well, let’s just say I was the one who was going to need help. My wife had not been thrilled about the whole bee thing to begin with, and the idea that I would bring stinging insects into the house (even if I had every reason to believe they 9:00 a.m., I were dead) -- well, that was just unacceptable.

At about awoke to a shriek from my wife. Even in my groggy state, I immediately knew what it was about.

•

Suit up well: Wear the full bee suit, plus jeans and a long-sleeved shirt underneath. Hornets have industrial-strength stingers, and they pack a wallop.

•

As for removing the nest, it’s pretty simple: Just go out at night, snip the branch on both sides, drop the whole nest into a plastic bag and tie it tight. After a night in the deep freeze, shake the dead critters out on the ground and the nest is yours.

I went by Teresa’s house on a Sunday evening. The nest was football-shaped but beach ball-sized. It hung in a bush along the driveway, about five feet off the ground and 15 feet from the house. It was pretty dark in that part of the yard, though there was a small light on the house by the side door. I suited up as advised, grabbed my trash bag and pruning shears and approached the target. I shined a flashlight on the nest, and one of its denizens immediately crawled out to investigate. Well, they’re not sleeping, I thought. I hated to arouse them further, but I was going to need light to see what I was doing. After a minute or two, I was able to prop the flashlight in the grass in such a way that it illuminated the nest. I picked up the shears and went to work. My initial surveillance had not been thorough. I soon found that there were about a dozen branches routed through the nest. It took several minutes and quite a bit of jostling to snip them all, and by that time I was pretty well surrounded by curious hornets. I say curious because, amazingly enough, they did not seem aggressive. Not that the sight and sound of them wasn’t a little unnerving – I was used to the hum of honeybees, but this tone was of a deeper, more ominous nature. I finally extricated the huge nest from the bush and, with some further effort, managed to stuff it, branch amputees and all, into the trash bag and seal it. I turned to head for the car and saw scores of disoriented hornets circling the light on the house. I

After a brief, futile attempt to explain myself, I stalked and killed the revivified varmint, then hauled the nest back outside. Upon opening the bag, I was greeted by two more live hornets, who buzzed lazily away. I shook the nest for a few seconds and out fell a handful of dead ones, on top of what looked like the majority of those I’d shaken out the previous night. I still wonder why some survived the zero-degree temps while the rest perished.

As for the original job, Teresa called a couple of days later to say that the hornets were busy building another nest in a neighboring bush. I went back that night, this time stopping off at the hardware store for some wasp spray. (The heck with the nest — I was getting tired of this.) The new nest was already about the size of a football, but rounder. I didn’t mess around this time. No need to suit up — I just soaked it down with wasp killer, clipped the branches and stuffed it into a bag, this time for trash. Teresa was very appreciative. She gave me a whole $5.00, which marked the beginning of a lucrative career in pest removal. Minus the cost of the wasp spray, and not counting gas, I cleared almost 75 cents. The trash bags I was able to reuse. And as for my time — well, I’ve learned in the 10 years since that I’m much better off not keeping track.

November 2006

Page 7

Connor and Aliano Impress, Educate Fall Meeting Attendees By Scott Moser, Secretary

The 2006 fall MSBA meeting was held the weekend of October 27-28 at The Lodge of Four Seasons at Lake of the Ozarks. This was a new venue for our meetings, and aside from a little much needed rain on Friday, the meeting went very well. As usual, vendors were present, selling and explaining their wares. Draper’s, Femme Osage, Dadant, Mid-Con, Wikwas Press, and Walk-About Acres were all present displaying their products. Due to a scheduling conflict, Dr. Marion Ellis was unable to attend, but in his place, his graduate entomology student Nick Aliano filled in exceptionally well. President Monte Richardson opened the meeting after lunch on Friday with some encouraging words about beekeeping and the State Fair. Despite poor weather and low attendance, the State Fair did pretty well for the MSBA. The remainder of the day and all of Saturday were filled with outstanding presentations by the guest speakers. Throughout the course of the two-day meeting, Nick Aliano proved to be a worthy speaker. He covered a wide variety of topics, including Honeybee Biology, Queen Rearing, Varroa Detection and Control, and the use of Oxalic Acid. Many members expressed a desire to hear Nick speak at another function, either local or state.

Speakers Larry Connor and Nick Aliano share a light moment between Friday afternoon sessions. Email subscribers: See costume contest photos on page 12.

Dr. Larry Connor enlightened the audience on a variety of topics, which included Fall and Winter Management, Drone Biology and Saturation, Survivor Stock, and How to Purchase Queens and Pick a Queen Breeder. In addition, a panel discussion about the eventual arrival of the African Honeybee was held, which included Monte Richardson, Mike Brown (Missouri State Entomologist) and Dr. Larry Connor. The panel agreed that it is just a matter of time before the African Honeybee gets here; the big question seemed to be the extent of the invasion. The meeting wrapped up with the business meeting and elec-

Congratulations to Eve Riley of St. Louis, who won our email membership drawing for a free 2007 MSBA membership. Our email subscribers save the Association considerable time and money on the printing and mailing of newsletters, and this is our way of saying, “Thanks!” So if you’re not currently receiving your newsletter via email, please contact the editor and become eligible for our next drawing, to be held at the Spring meeting. (You need not be present to win.)

tion of officers. This will be the last meeting for current President Monte Richardson. Ken Norman became President, Scott Moser was elected Vice President, Paul Harris was elected Secretary, Ron Vivian remained as Treasurer, Marlin Trout was elected to serve as southern director, Sharon Gibbons as Program Chairperson, and Kathy Hogan as Queen Chairperson. It was announced that the Spring 2007 meeting will be held at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City, and that Dr. Keith Delaplane will be the guest speaker. The meeting was wrapped up with the raffle of door prizes. If you didn’t attend, you missed out on another wonderful meeting. Thanks to Sharon, and all who worked to make this meeting possible.

November 2006

Page 9

Local Club Meeting Information Selling Honey

Honey Tradin’ Post

Jim Buxton (St. Louis) 636-274-2096 or 636-285-7295 Amber 2006 honey in 5-gallon (60#) pails — $125

Want to be included? Just send an email to Eugene at editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org with “Trading Post” in the subject line. Or call 314-965-4631.

New MSBA Logo Needed Your state association is in the market for a new logo, and we would like your help. Whether you’re an expert in computer-assisted design, are good with a pencil and paper, or just have some ideas, we’d like to hear from you. Send your ideas to the editor in one of the following ways: Eugene Makovec 643 Pearl Ave. Kirkwood, MO 63122 editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org 314-965-4631 Please respond by December 31, as we would like to complete the new logo design in time for the Spring Meeting.

Beginning Beekeeping Workshop Boone Regional Beekeepers Association Over the course of two days, experienced beekeepers will teach you all of the basics of beekeeping, including how to establish and keep up an active beehive, how to collect honey, basic hive troubleshooting and much more! Date

January 20-21, 2007 (Saturday 9-5 and Sunday 11-4)

Location Columbia Insurance Group — Clark Lane Columbia, MO (directions available) Cost

$50 ($40 students with ID). This fee includes a beekeeping manual and a catered, honey-themed Saturday evening dinner.

Contact Art Gelder at walkabot@midamerica.net or 573474-8837.

Jefferson County Beekeepers Association 2nd Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m., Hwy B & 21 Jefferson County Extension Center, Hillsboro Contact Scott Moser 636-285-7295 Midwestern Beekeepers Association Third Wednesday of each month 7:00 p.m. YMCA, 10301 E. 350 Hwy, Raytown Bob Justice, President, 816-358-3893 Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association 1st Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m., Kirkwood Community Center, 111 Geyer Rd, Kirkwood Steve Harris, President 636-946-5520

Beekeeper’s Association of the Ozarks 4th Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. The Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell, Springfield www.ozarkbees.org South Central Missouri Beekeepers Association May Schmitt, President 417-256-9447 Missouri Valley Beekeepers Association 3rd Monday of each month, 7:00 p.m. Scenic Regional Library, Union Contact Rodney Angell 573-764-2922 or bee143@fidnet.com Boone Regional Beekeepers Association 3rd Sunday of every odd months, 1:00 p.m., University Outreach & Extension Office, Rt. UU, Columbia Contact Art Gelder 573-474-8837 Jackson Area Beekeepers 4th Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. First Pres. Church of Jackson, 206 E. Washington Contact Grant Gillard 573-243-6568 or gillard5@charter.net Southwest Beekeepers Association 1st Tuesday of each month Neosho High School FFA Building Contact Herb Spencer 417-472-7743 Joplin Area Beekeepers Last Tuesday of each month, SW MO Bank Annex (7th and Duquesne) Contact Gene Foley 417-624-6831 Parkland Beekeepers 3rd Tuesday of each month, 108 Harrison Farmington, MO Contact Gene Wood 573-431-1436 Mid Missouri Beekeepers 3rd Sunday of each month, Bank of Salem Salem, MO Mel Williams, President

Is your club missing? Contact Eugene at editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Page 10

MSBA Membership Application Name

*Check here to receive your newsletter via email. This save us roughly $5.00 per year in printing and mailing costs.

Spouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Name Address City/State/Zip Phone Number

Email*

NOTE: If you belong to a local association, please pay your state dues through your local club. State Association Dues (Check only one box) Adult Membership

$15.00

Amount Enclosed $

Family Membership

$20.00

Make check payable to: Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Student Membership

$5.00

Mail to: P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075

Magazine Discounts: Discounts are available for MSBA members to two beekeeping magazines. You may use their order forms and mail them yourself to the publishers as shown below:

November 2006 Officers Elected for 2007 A new slate of officers for 2007 was put together by the MSBA Executive Board and approved by voice vote at the Fall meeting. The slate is as follows: President

Ken Norman

Vice President

Scott Moser

Page 11

Directory of Officers President: Monte Richardson

660-826-4917

1405 S. Prospect Ave., Sedalia MO 65301 president@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Vice President: Kenny Norman

Secretary

Paul Harris

3634 Shiloh Church Road, Marionville, MO 65705

Treasurer

Ron Vivian*

vp@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

Program Chair

Sharon Gibbons*

Queen Chair

Cathy Hogan

Directors

636-285-7295

6600 Davis Lane, Cedar Hill, MO 63016

West

Glenn Davis*

South

Marlin Trout

East

Steve Harris*

Southeast

Ray Batton*

*Held in 2006

From the President (Continued from page 2)

was Vice President and started educating me about the affairs and issues that needed to be handled. If it hadn’t been for him I would have made a mess of things. As the Treasurer he has been a good steward of the funds entrusted to him, including the Association and Auxiliary accounts. Ron took this organization from the brink of literal poverty to a point where we have a cushion in case of a rainy day. Some people might say that he has been too frugal. I say that he has been right on target. It makes good fiscal sense to have a certain amount of funds set aside for emergencies. I would like to see more in savings but we have enough for “just in case”. As I leave office there are issues that will need our attention as beekeepers. Honey quality, mite treatment and pollination will remain factors that significantly affect our hobby and industry. But probably the most pressing issue that will affect all of us is the Africanized Honey Bee. Educating the public about Africanized Honey Bees will become an issue in the next few years. Most of Missouri will only have intermittent problems with AHB. A brash attitude can be just as destructive as sticking your head in the sand in this case. If handled correctly, this “issue” can strengthen the bond between beekeepers and their local community. It will be our responsibility to educate our local citizens, public officials and state leaders as well about the dangers of AHB and how important it is to support the local “managed” bee population. Through relatively minor adjustments to our beekeeping practices we can manage the threat of AHB infestation and maintain strong colony counts in our local area. Maintaining managed beehives has been shown to reduce the likelihood of AHB infestations. I wish all of you luck in your endeavors and look forward to seeing you soon. Monte Richardson

Secretary: Scott Moser

secretary@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Treasurer: Ron Vivian

816-690-7516

443 Fricke Road, Bates City, MO 64011-8280 treasurer@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Past-President: Chris Gibbons 500 East Starla Drive, Columbia,MO 65202 pastpresident@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Western Area Director: Glenn Davis

816-690-8007

4618 Highway Z, Bates City, MO 64011 westdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Southern Area Director: May Schmitt 10250 County Road 6970, West Plains, MO 65775 southdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Eastern Area Director: Steve Harris

636-946-5520

1224 Sherbrooke Road, St. Charles, MO 63303 eastdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Southeastern Area Director: Ray Batton 3032 N. 14th St., Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 northdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Program Chairperson: Sharon Gibbons

636-394-5395

314 Quinnmoor Dr., Ballwin, MO 63011 sgibbs314@earthlink.net State Fair Chairman: Don Reinkemeyer

636-949-9515

100 Berlekamp, St. Charles, MO 63303

Missouri State Beekeepers Association P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075 www.mostatebeekeepers.org

Friday evening’s banquet included the Second Annual Halloween Costume Party, which brought out the best (and some might say the worst) in beekeepers’ costume creativity. Clockwise from left: Leprechaun Chris Gibbons with sons Nicholas the Spider and Matthew the Pirate (tied for Best Child Costume); Ron Vivian, the “World’s Smartest Beekeeper”; Brian Norris, the Hunter (Best Costume); and Monte and Glenda Richardson, the “World’s Oldest Beekeepers” (Best Couple).

This newsletter is published six times per year, on the first of each odd month. Submissions are due three weeks prior to publication. The email edition is in color, has hyperlinks and contains extra information on this back page, while the print version is in black-and-white. If you are a member currently receiving the printed newsletter and you wish to upgrade, just send an email to editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org with “email newsletter” in the subject line. I’ll reply with confirmation, and add you to my list. Advertising rates are as follows: Business card size $50.00 Quarter page

$35.00

$15.00

Half page Full page

$100.00