2007 Newsletter Collection by Missouri State Beekeepers Association

2007 Newsletter Collection Sponsored By:

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

January 2007 Eugene Makovec Editor

Evening sun illuminates snowcovered beehives in the St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood, MO. A picture of serenity, this tiny apiary stands in stark contrast to snarled rush hour traffic less than a mile away on Interstate 270. The area bore the brunt of a half day of sleet and freezing rain on November 30, followed by three to four inches of snow overnight. “What do your bees do in the winter?” “Are they hibernating?” “Where do they find food?” These are questions often asked of beekeepers this time of year. It is difficult for people to imagine that the insects they see ambling from blossom to blossom in sunny June are able to survive in a wooden box outside in the dead of winter. photo by Eugene Makovec

Make Reservations Now for Spring Meeting in Jefferson City by Sharon Gibbons, Program Director

Please join us for our Spring Meeting on Friday and Saturday, March 16-17 in Jefferson City, MO. We have an exciting agenda planned and we hope that all of our members will attend. Remember, communication and learning are the keys to successful beekeeping.

We also are featuring a hands-on session in Apitherapy, conducted by Reyah Carlson. Reyah is Secretary of the American Apitherapy Society. She will speak on the medicinal and nutritional qualities of all honeybee made products. She will also demonstrate sting technique.

This two-day meeting will be held at:

Reyah has been on the National Geographic Channel and the Discovery Channel. She has spoken to the American Honey Producers and the California Beekeepers, and will be speaking at

The Capitol Plaza Hotel 415 W. McCarty Street Jefferson City, MO 65101 573-635-1234 800-338-8088 The group room rate is $69.00 plus taxes. Please mention MSBA to get the special rate. The block of rooms will be held for us until February 13. Make reservations quickly, as there is a large soccer tournament in town that weekend. Our featured speaker is Dr. Keith Delaplane from the University of Georgia in Athens. He has written several books, one of which is “Honeybees and Beekeeping — a Year in the Life of an Apiary”. He is Senior Editor of The Journal of Apicultural Research, and a professor at the University of Georgia in the Department of Entomology. Keith is fascinated with state capitols, and has agreed to come to our meeting because we are meeting in Jefferson City.

(Continued on page 11)

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: From the President

Ken Norman

Past President’s Report

Don’t Believe All You Read 6 Eugene Makovec

Meeting Registration

Local Club Information

Membership Application 10

2007 Honey Queen

Monte Richardson

Obituaries Don Reinkemeyer, Howard Hileman

Beekeeping — Pass it On Scott Moser

Apitherapy News Honey Heals Diabetic Ulcers

Have you paid your 2007 dues? Congrats to Lori Guthals

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Missouri State Beekeepers Association

From the President by Ken Norman

Kansas Spring Meeting March 2-3, 2007 — Hays, Kansas

The holidays are behind us and now one thing we have to look forward to is the spring meeting on March 16 and 17 in Jefferson City. We will have our new Honey Queen in attendance. Lori Guthals was crowned at the Governor’s Conference on December 10 at Tan Tar A in Osage Beach, MO. Take time to get acquainted with her and help her to promote beekeeping around the state with invitations to the different fairs and promotional sites.

The Kansas Honey Producers Association will hold their Spring Meeting in Hays, Kansas on Friday and Saturday, March 2nd & 3rd. Guest speakers will be Paul Jackson, State Entomologist of Texas, and Lyle Johnston, a commercial beekeeper from Colorado. This meeting will include a great deal of beginning beekeeping concepts — just good old basic information.

I wish to thank the membership for the opportunity to serve as president and will endeavor to help the association to expand beekeeping throughout Missouri.

The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn at 3603 Vine St. in Hays, KS (785-625-7371). Room reservations must be made by February 1st. Rates are $67.00 per night. Mention the Kansas Honey Producers to get this rate.

I went looking through several state beekeepers newsletters to determine what I was supposed to write about in the presidential column. In the 2006 Iowa Honey Producers newsletter, called The Buzz, the presidential column dealt with President Donna Brahms wanting to make a new resolution not to procrastinate. Well, I’m not wanting to go that direction; in fact, being from the Ozarks, the thought of just sitting on the porch with my faithful dog, Todd, and watching the bees buzz by sounds good to me. So I am making a 2007 resolution to spend more time contemplating about beekeeping with Todd the dog, and you all can join with me to slow down and watch the bees go by. For all officers and two delegates from each of the local associations: The next Executive Board meeting will be in Columbia, Missouri at the Ryan’s restaurant, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Ryan’s is located at 908 I-70 Dr. SW (phone 573-499-0133). Contact me with any questions at 417-669-4452. One last sad note: With the death of Don Reinkemeyer the Association has lost a great worker and asset for the Missouri State Beekeepers Association. Don was the overseer at the MSBA booth at the Missouri State Fair. He was the type of person you could always rely on and he enjoyed working at the fair and talking about bees.

Midwest Beekeeping Symposium

June 9, 2007 — Illinois State Beekeepers Association SAVE THE DATE: The ISBA is proud to announce its upcoming Beekeeping Symposium. This full day meeting will feature:

• • • • • •

Keynote presentations General sessions Breakout sessions A “Beginner’s Track” of sessions Beekeeping supply vendors A provided lunch

Please save the date and look for further details to be released in early 2007. Please also refer to the ISBA website for the latest information at www.isba.us The Symposium will be located at the McHenry County College (MCC) Conference Center in Crystal Lake, IL. For a campus map and driving directions, you may visit www.mchenry.edu/Maps Questions can be directed to ISBA President Ken Haller via email at vikinghoneyfarm@comcast.net

For more information call Joli Winer at 913-768-8967 (daytime) or 913-856-8356 (evenings). The entire program will be available at www.mid-conagri.com. Click on events.

A Letter From the Past President by Monte Richardson Hello Everybody, By now we’ve all dug out of the snow and ice. I was a bit worried about my bees being covered in snow and checked a couple of days after the snow to find that the sun had melted the snow within a couple of feet of each hive. I typically put my hives up off the ground anyway so they were doing fine. I was a bit surprised to find several dead bees as far as 50-75 yards away from the hive. As the Past President my duties include doing whatever the President tells me to do. Payback is a bugger. The other responsibility that I have is to coordinate activities and communication with the Directors. You know, those folks that live and work in your neighborhood and know a lot about bees. I hope that we, the Directors, can increase the public awareness of the benefits of honeybees and the beekeeping industry as a whole. As many of you know, Don Reinkemeyer has passed away. I first got to know Don when he attended Board meetings. He was always friendly and upbeat. He worked for years as Art Gelder’s assistant at the Missouri State Fair. When it came time for Art to move on to other pursuits, Don continued to help at the fair. Last year Don stepped up to the Fair Manager’s position and did an outstanding job there. Don was also very active with the Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association. He put on beginning beekeeper classes and helped with the various functions of the local club. I also had the pleasure of selecting him as the Beekeeper of the Year for the MSBA from a pool of nominees. The State and Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Associations have lost a wonderful friend and teacher in Don. You will find a list of the Directors in the newsletter and on the MSBA website, www.mostatebeekeepers.org. If there is anything that any of the Directors or I can do for you, just let us know. Monte Richardson

January 2007

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DON REINKEMEYER Experienced beekeeper 2002 EMBA Beekeeper of the Year 2003 MSBA Beekeeper of the Year Member of Elks Club Skilled woodworker Avid fisherman Rams fan Generous giver Good friend Loving father, grandfather & great-grandfather

August 11, 1934 November 22, 2006 We will all miss you, Ticket Guy! And Marge’s best friend

Special thanks to Jo Ann Sona, EMBA newsletter

In Memory of Howard Hileman Howard E. Hileman was born Aug. 8, 1929 in De Soto, MO. He died Sept. 15, 2006 at St. Louis University Hospital at the age of 77 years. Howard kept bees for 62 years, and was a longtime member of the Jefferson County Beekeepers Association. He is survived by his wonderful wife, Opal. Thanks for everything you taught us, dear friend. You will be sadly missed. Scott Moser

Pass it On!

by Scott Moser,Vice President Those of you who have stepped into the electronic age of computers, internet and email know all about the obnoxious and annoying email messages that ask us to “pass this along to all the people in your address book”. I usually just read it quickly to make sure it isn’t something important, and click on the delete button. I figure I have more important things to do, and others don’t want to be bothered either. There is one thing, though, that needs to be “passed on”, and that is beekeeping. As I sit in various beekeeping meetings, I see a population that is growing older by the day. Very seldom do I see a new face in beekeeping, much less a younger face. It seems like beekeeping is becoming a “seasoned citizen’s” activity. As beekeepers, we need to do (Continued on page 5)

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

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Apitherapy News ...

Topical Honey Heals Diabetic Foot Ulcers Journal of Family Practice June 2005 Jennifer J. Eddy, MD and Mark D. Gideonsen, MD University of Wisconsin Medical School, Eau Claire A 79-year-old man with Type 2 diabetes mellitus developed heel and forefoot ulcers, for which he received currently recommended therapy, including an off-loading orthotic, systemic antibiotics selected by infectious disease consultants, and topical therapies directed by a wound care expert. After 4 months of care costing more than $390,000 — which was the cost of five hospitalizations and four surgeries — the ulcers measured 8x5cm and 3x3cm. Deep tissue cultures grew methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSRA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), and Pseudomonas. During this time the patient lost two toes but refused below-theknee amputation. He was informed by two different surgical teams that without this surgery he would likely die. This opinion was based on the patient’s recurrent episodes of heel osteomyelitis and multiple medical complications, including acute renal failure from culture-specific antibiotics. The patient was eventually discharged to his home at his request, after consulting with his family and the hospital’s ethics committee. He lost a third toe before consenting to a trial of topical honey.

•

Honey as wound treatment in the medical literature

Honey has been used to treat wounds for millennia, but the medical evidence supporting its use is limited. While there are many case reports of honey’s effectiveness, seven controlled trials demonstrating effectiveness for treating burns and wounds are limited by poor quality and the use of nonstandard controls, while another trial found minimal benefit when “a very thin smear” was used. Concerns about wound infection from Clostridium spores appear unfounded, as no such complication has been described in more than 500 reports in the literature, and honey has repeatedly been shown to suppress bacterial growth. Gamma-irradiated “medical” honey is available, which has also been selected for its potent antibacterial properties, although most of the cases in the medical literature have used raw honey. A burning or stinging sensation has been described with honey’s topical use. As rates of diabetes increase, it is important to identify effective strategies to reduce amputation rates, both to improve quality of life and to decrease cost. Given honey’s potential for improved outcomes, cost savings, and decreasing antibiotic use and resistance, we advocate publicly funded randomized controlled trials to determine its efficacy. Meanwhile, we encourage others to consider topical honey therapy for patients with refractory diabetic foot ulcers.

Course of treatment with honey

Once-daily, thick applications of ordinary honey purchased at a supermarket were smeared on gauze 4x4s and placed on the wounds, which were then wrapped. Oral antibiotics and saline dressings were discontinued, but otherwise treatment was unchanged. Since the patient’s family purchased and applied the honey, the cost of this therapy was merely that of the dressings. Dressing changes were painless and the serum glucose remained in excellent control. Granulation tissue appeared within two weeks; in six to 12 months the ulcers resolved. Two years later, the ulcers have not recurred; the patient ambulates with a walker and reports improved quality-of-life.

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PACKAGE BEES We generally have all of the basic supplies in stock.

January 2007

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Beekeeping … Pass it on! (Continued from page 3)

more to promote beekeeping to more people, especially younger ones. Recently, a wonderful member of the Jefferson County Beekeepers passed away. Howard Hileman died at 77 years of age, and had been keeping bees continuously since he was 15 years old. For 62 years, Howard had tended hives faithfully, attended beekeeping meetings, sold honey, and educated others about the wonders of the honeybee. He was a grandfatherly figure, with dancing eyes, quick wit and captivating stories. He had an uncanny knack of drawing you into his tales, and keeping your attention whether he was discussing bees, cattle, border collies, or old motorcycles. Throughout the years, Howard taught countless others how to keep bees; some of them still keep a hive or two. Howard was the association’s “goto guy” when you had a problem or needed advice. If anyone could solve the problem, he could. He and his wife Opal made countless appearances at schools and fairs explaining the job of honeybees and the virtues of honey. Not only was Howard a beekeeper, he was a teacher as well. He knew that to ensure the future of beekeeping, he had to involve others, and especially the younger generations. He and Opal would seldom turn down an invitation to talk to others about beekeeping. One of his most powerful tools was the observation hive that traveled with him to most of his engagements. Before he was finished, he would have managed to have someone interested

enough in bees to suit up and go through a hive with him. To me, Howard embodied the spirit of what it is to be a successful beekeeper. As beekeepers, we should continue the work that Howard began. We need to go out into the community, talk about beekeeping, and get others, especially young people, involved in beekeeping. Take a few moments to tell about what you do, explain why bees are important, and get other people interested in the honeybee. Refrain from discussing in detail the negative aspects of beekeeping like stings, pests, diseases and other less interesting aspects of beekeeping. Your goal isn’t to scare them away. The media does that well enough; we don’t need to help them. Take the time to visit a local classroom, be it elementary, middle or high school. No matter the age, kids are fascinated by honeybees. If you can’t go, find a fellow beekeeper that is willing to go and do it instead. If someone seems generally interested, steer them to the local or state association, and take them out to go through a hive or two. Help them find a beekeeping class, or better yet, become a mentor to them. Finally, discuss the possibility of your local association donating a hive or two and sponsoring some 4H or FFA students. As you look around the meetings, it is easy to see that the average age of beekeepers is increasing each year. If something isn’t done to draw younger blood into beekeeping, beekeeping will continue its downward trend. Unlike that annoying chain email, let’s all “pass this along”.

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Missouri State Beekeepers Association

This Just In … Don’t Believe Everything You Read in the Papers by Eugene Makovec

An international media survey released last May by the BBC identified the United States as one of three industrialized countries whose citizens trust the news media even less than the government. Much of that distrust is due to reporting scandals that pop up periodically. The Boston Globe, New York Times, Washington Post and CBS News have all been forced to discipline reporters for plagiarizing or even fabricating stories. Columnists have been fired, and one reporter even returned her Pulitzer Prize. (Her story was a great one – it just wasn’t true.) But I also believe that as more people come into contact with journalists, they come away with their own personal reasons for skepticism. This has certainly been the case with me. I have been featured in local media on five occasions (four bee-related), and three of them left a bad taste in my mouth. My journalism degree may make me more sensitive than some to poor reporting. But just as you don’t need a football background to be critical of a dropped pass or a missed tackle, I don’t think it’s unreasonable for an ordinary reader or viewer to expect reporters to get their facts right. People are always calling to my attention the latest bee-related stories they’ve seen in the print or broadcast media. And I don’t think I’ve seen more than a couple where the reporter got everything right. Granted, some issues are debatable, like the number of bees in a hive or the particulars of the waggle dance. But many of the “facts” I’ve seen have been way off the mark. One local weekly here in St. Louis, in a feature on a historic neighborhood, mentioned the existence of a “bee tree”. It had been there for years and, to their credit, residents not only tolerated the bees but were happy to have them. After all, said the reporter, the existence of such a hive is a known deterrent to so-called African killer bees. This was stated matter-of-factly, and not in any way attributed to anyone in particular. Several years ago the local daily’s science reporter (!), in an errorriddled story on Africanized honeybees, made the statement that “all the workers are males.” I emailed the guy with a polite list of corrections, and did not even receive a response.) A recent Time Magazine article stated that tracheal mites “can kill an entire hive in a matter of hours”. Hmmm. But my all-time favorite has to be this gem from a St. Paul, MN, weekly: In an article called “The Secret Life of Apiarists”, the reporter cites as her main source “my friend Lorraine”, who had recently attended a beginning beekeeping class. People’s fear of bees is largely unfounded, the reporter writes: “Lorraine said bees only sting at night, when they’re crawling around and it is possible to step or lean on them.” On the downside, she writes, beekeepers are forced to kill large numbers of their stock, as “bees multiply really fast … hives are divided regularly and … if this procedure continued indefinitely, the beekeeper would eventually end up with thousands of hives, too many to maintain.” It’s okay, though, this mass murder of bees; Lorraine “assured [the reporter] it was painless. ‘They roll in the snow and go to sleep’”.

All this stuff can make for great entertainment, but it makes one wonder: If they are so far wrong about the things that I know, how can I trust them on the things that I don’t? What about economics, or politics, or the environment? I think the key is, you have to take everything with a healthy dose of skepticism. Based on my own experiences with reporters, whenever I watch or read anything in the news, I try to keep the following points in mind:

•

Words between quotation marks are not necessarily a quote. They may be a summary of what you said, written the way the interviewer wishes you had said it. A story looks more credible if it contains quotes, and if a good quote is not available, they might just make one up.

•

Originality and imagination are secondary to cute catchwords. Hackneyed phrases like “a honey of a hobby” and “the buzz about beekeeping” were clever when they were first used during the reign of Ramses II. Now they are just annoying.

•

Journalists are not good with details. I know this is harsh , but here’s a prime example: After an extensive interview and tour of Bob Finck’s operation, a reporter came away with, “Starting in mid-July, the honey-flow activity begins.” ((How’s that Anchorage yard doing, Bob?) In addition to being flat-out wrong, this statement is in the form of a quote attributed to Bob. (See first bullet point above.)

Like the old adage says, “Don’t believe everything you read.” Journalists have their biases like everyone else; if a reporter is scared to death of bees, the likely result will be a story with a sensationalist spin. And remember, reporters are usually working under tight deadlines; as much as they’d love to get the story right, their main concern is getting it finished. The irony is that as media outlets try harder to connect with the community via human interest stories, sloppy and sensationalist reporting ends up alienating the very people whose lives they are spotlighting. Imagine calling your friends and family to tell them you’re going to be on TV or in the paper, only to find yourself misrepresented, misquoted or, worse yet, the butt of some anchorman’s joke. All of these things have happened to me. (Not that I’m bitter or anything.) The more I think about it, the more I think maybe the Pulitzer board was too hard on that Washington Post reporter. I know it sounds bad when a writer pulls both her story and her sources out of thin air, but at least no real people were hurt in the process. I’m not suggesting that we all shy away from reporters from now on. Our industry can certainly benefit from media attention, and it can be pretty cool to be the subject of a human interest story. I’m just saying that, should the opportunity arise, speak slooowly and deliberately. Only a small fraction of what you say will end up in the story anyway, so try not to confuse things with too much technical information. You might even ply the reporter with a bottle of honey and offer to review the final edit for accuracy. That’s not likely to happen, but it’s worth a try.

January 2007

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MSBA Spring 2007 Meeting Registration Form NAME_______________________________________________________ ADDRESS____________________________________________________ CITY___________________STATE_________ZIP+4__________________ PHONE_________________E-MAIL _______________________________

Pre-Registration Fees: Registration must be received by March 7, 2007 Member – 2 day per person Member---1 day per person

$20.00_______ $15.00_______

Member Family— 2 day

$30.00_______

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 March 7, 2007: 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: To be announced 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 2007 Missouri State Beekeepers Assn. Individual:

Renewal

New

$15.00______

Membership 2007 Missouri State Beekeepers Assn. Family:

Renewal

New

$20.00______

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.

January 2007 Beginning Beekeeping Class Jefferson County Beekeepers Association This is a four-night beekeeping class for beginning beekeepers. Date

Beginning Monday, February 12, 2007 from 6-9 pm

Location Jefferson County Courthouse Extension Office Hillsboro, MO (directions available) Cost

$50 (including textbooks).

Contact www.jeffcobeekeepers.com (To register, call Wanda Kiggins at 636-797-5391

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 & 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.

Local News Needed Send us your news! We’d love to know what’s going on in your part of the state. Send us your announcements of things like: •

Newly formed organizations

•

Beekeeping classes (beginning or otherwise)

•

Beekeeper of the Year awards

•

Beekeepers in the news

If you edit a local newsletter, how about putting us on your mailing list? You can send it either via email (editor@mostatebeekeepers.org) or to the editor’s mailing address shown on page 11.

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Local Club Meeting Information 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 FOR SALE: 4-Frame nucs. Young 2007, Rossman queens. Price $70.00, transferred into your equipment. (No frame swap.) Contact Scott Moser at 636-285-7295.

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

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January 2007

Page 11

Lori Guthals, 2007 Honey Queen

Directory of Officers

Missouri's 2007 Honey Queen was crowned by 2006 Queen Sarah Jackson. She is Lori Guthals from Gower, MO. Lori is a junior at the University of Missouri-Columbia, majoring in Agriculture. Lori has two sisters, Wendy and Cheri, who also were Missouri Honey Queens. Lori will be a great representative for our association.

Vice President: Scott Moser 636-285-7295 6600 Davis Lane, Cedar Hill, MO 63016 vp@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

Sharon Gibbons

She was crowned in front of a crowd of about 700 people attending the Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conference on Agriculture at TanTar-A Resort. The Director of Agriculture, Fred Ferrell, introduced President Kenny Norman, who then introduced Sarah. Sarah proceeded to introduce Lori Guthals as our 2007 Queen. We thank Sarah for all she has done for our association this past year. Beekeepers attending and working at the banquet were Chris and Sharon Gibbons, Ken Norman, Jann Amos, and Dan and Cathy Hogan.

Spring Meeting is March 16-17

President: Ken Norman 417-669-4452 3634 Shiloh Church Road, Marionville, MO 65705 president@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

Secretary: Paul Harris Jfasl;fksdflksdjfdas secretary@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Treasurer: Ron Vivian 816-690-7516 443 Fricke Road, Bates City, MO 64011-8280 treasurer@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Past-President: Monte Richardson 660-826-4917 1405 S. Prospect Ave., Sedalia, MO 65301 pastpresident@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Western Area Director: Glenn Davis 816-690-8007 4618 Highway Z, Bates City, MO 64011 westdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Southern Area Director: Marlin Trout 20445 Lawrence 2070, Ash Grove, MO 65604 southdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

(Continued from page 1)

the American Beekeeping Federation meeting. Friday afternoon will be filled with a tour of the Capitol, conducted by one of our state legislators, and a live beekeeping demonstration (weather permitting). More complete information on the meeting and the Friday banquet will be included in the March newsletter. The Thursday evening Executive Board meeting will be at 7:30 in a conference room yet to be determined. All meeting questions can be directed to Sharon Gibbons at sgibbs314@earthlink.net or 636-394-5395.

Did you know? It costs about $10.00 per year to produce your hard copy newsletter. Not to mention, it takes a great deal of time to print, staple, stamp and mail them.

Please consider adding your name to our email list! â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Editor

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 Newsletter Editor: Eugene Makovec 314-965-4631 643 Pearl Ave., Kirkwood, MO 63122 editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Auxilliary President: Dolores Vivian 816-690-7516 443 Fricke Road, Bates City, MO 64011-8280 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 If lab your el d m oes ailing not or say late r, p l e me mb ase re ers hip new y now our .

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This newsletter is published six times per year, on about 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

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$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

March 2007 Eugene Makovec Editor

Kick Off Spring Meeting With Capitol Tour Exclusive dome tour to be led by Senator Clemens Please join us for our Spring Meeting on Friday and Saturday, March 16-17 in Jefferson City, MO. We have an exciting agenda planned and we hope that all of our members will attend. Remember, communication and learning are the keys to successful beekeeping. In addition to the two-day agenda detailed on pages 6-7, early arrivals can accompany us on a special tour of our beautiful state Capitol building on Friday morning. We will leave the hotel in two groups, at 8:45 and 9:05, for an hour-long tour led by Capitol staff. Following this, we are in in for a real treat, as Senator Dan Clemens, R-Marshfield, Chairman of the Agriculture, Conservation, Parks and Natural Resources Committee, will lead us upstairs for a rare tour of the Capitol Dome. This will include a walk around the outside of the dome. Keep in mind that there are 250 steps to the top of the dome, but there is an elevator that goes to the halfway point. If you have not yet made hotel reservations, you will no longer be able to receive our group rate at the Capitol Plaza. A map of the immediate area, including hotels, is located on page 12 of this newsletter (for email subscribers), or is available from the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau, at 573-6322820 or www.visitjeffersoncity.com. Our featured speaker is Dr. Keith Delaplane (at left), a professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Georgia in Athens. He is Senior Editor of The Journal of Aprcultural Research, and has written several books, including “Honeybees and Beekeeping — a Year in the Life of an Apiary”. Keith is fascinated with state capitols, and has agreed to come to our meeting because we are meeting in Jefferson City.

This is one small area of a huge mural of 19th Century Missouri life on display in the Missouri State Capitol. Painted by renowned artist Thomas Hart Benton, it is one of the attractions to be seen on the Capitol tour. photo by Eugene Makovec

We also are featuring a hands-on session in Apitherapy, conducted by Reyah Carlson. Reyah is Secretary of the American Apitherapy Society. She recently returned from India where she taught apitherapy (story on page 4). In January 2007, she gave a program at the American Beekeeping Convention, and the year before she spoke to the American Honey Producers. She has also been featured on the Discovery Channel and the National Geographic Channel. Reyah makes her home in Bruner, MO, and her website is www.reyahsbeesness.com. She will speak on the medicinal and nutritional qualities of all honeybee made products. She will also demonstrate sting technique. Other Speakers Andy Cutter is Sales Manager for Jost Chemical in St. Louis.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: From the President

Spring Meeting Agenda

6-7

SHB in Bumblebees

New Gasconade Co. Club 9

Preserving Historic ABJs

Local Club Information

Apitherapy News

Membership Application 10

Ken Norman

Reyah Carlson treats MS in India

Have you renewed for 2007?

2007 Honey Queen

Time is getting short

Congrats to Lori Guthals

Dr. Wes Stricker is a Columbia physician whose practice specializes in allergies, especially to stinging insect venom. Several members of our Association will also be speaking and/ or assisting in demonstrations. These include Rev. Grant Gillard from the Parkland Beekeepers, Jann Amos, Carol and Bob Wade, Robert Speradio from Beekeepers of the Ozarks, and Chris Gibbons. All meeting questions can be directed to Sharon Gibbons at sgibbs314@earthlink.net or 636-394-5395.

Page 2

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

From the President by Ken Norman Hello Missouri beekeepers, I would like to thank all the new beekeepers that have chosen to enrich their beekeeping experience by joining the Missouri State Beekeepers Association. The Association will do all it can to aid you in your beekeeping experience. At any time you can contact the officers or members with any questions or suggestions you might have. I hope to see all the Missouri State beekeepers in Jefferson City at the Spring meeting in March. After contemplating on the porch with Todd the dog, I have decided to look at one of the tools of beekeeping, the infamous smoker. After looking at the research on the effects of using smoke on bees, I have decided it would be good to understand the effect it has on bees so a beekeeper can maximize the use of this tool. When using a smoker, always practice caution as you would with any device that produces heat and flame. 1.

When you first approach a hive entrance, smoke any opening that a bee could fly out of using five or six puffs of smoke. Using research from the Department of Entomology of Illinois, we see that the ability of the honeybee to perceive the alarm odor is diminished by smoke.1 The smoke clogs up the antennae of the honeybee, which slows the perception of any alarm odors put forth by the guard bees in the entrance, and then causes a series of events to happen in the hive. The first event is that the guard bees are reduced in numbers at the entrance of the hive because many of them are headed for the honeycomb to fill up on honey. Then the rest of the hive engorges on honey in preparation of flying away from danger. The smoke then makes it more difficult for the other bees to perceive the intruder by odor because the alarm odor cannot pass through the clogged antennae.2

Use a hive tool to crack the lid and apply three or four puffs of smoke. Remove lid and inner cover and direct a few puffs between the frames.

When you notice the bees are lining up to stare at you, it is time for a few more puffs

Email Subscribers: We will once again be conducting a drawing for a free one-year 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 showing our appreciation. So if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 in Jefferson City. (You need not be present to win.)

Four frame Overwintered Nucs, transferred into your equipment, about May 15. No Frame Exchange.10% deposit required. $70.00 Locally raised, gentle, productive Queens. After May 30, weather permitting. 10% Deposit required. Orders must be picked up at my home in Dittmer, MO. Bob Graham 636-274-4609

The effect of smoke lasts about 10 to15 minutes in blocking the alarm odor, and must be reapplied to keep the bees in the dark about any intruder at the hive.3 This tool of the beekeeper stops the recruitment of more guard bees because their antennae are clogged and the alarm odor is not sent out or it is masked. Smoke makes it more difficult for the bees to locate the beekeeper by odor and finally the bees become engorged with honey and are less likely to sting.

Journal of Insect Behavior, Vol. 8, No. 1, 1995 Alarm Pheromone Perception in Honey Bees Is Decreased by Smoke (Hymenoptera: Apidae) 1

P. Kirk Visscher, l Richard S. Vetter, l and Gene E. Robinson 2

Accepted May 27, 1994; revised June 20, 1994 2 3

Ibid Ibid

DRAPERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SUPER BEE 914 S. Street Auburn, NE 68305 Ph. (402) 274-3725 Fax: (402) 274-3128 Free delivery at the Missouri State Beekeepers Spring Meeting

March 2007

Page 3

Bumblebee Colonies Afflicted by Small Hive Beetle An abstract from the journal Ecological Entomology Evidently the small hive beetle is an equal opportunity parasite. Its presence in bumblebee colonies was detailed in a recent issue of Ecological Entomology, a scientific journal published on behalf of the Royal Entomological Society in London. The following abstract is from the December 2006 issue (Volume 31, Issue 6, page 623): Infestation of commercial bumblebee (Bombus impatiens) field colonies by small hive beetles (Aethina tumida) Authors: Sebastian Spiewok and Peter Neumann Abstract: 1. The small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, is a parasite of honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies native to subSaharan Africa and has become an invasive species. In North America the beetle is now sympatric with bumblebees, Bombus, not occurring in its native range. Laboratory studies have shown that small hive beetles can reproduce in bumblebee colonies but it was not known whether infestations occur in the field. Sharing the harvest: A bumblebee (Bombus impatiens) shares an autumn 2. For the first time, infestation of bumblebee colonies by sunflower with its cousin the honeybee (Apis mellifera), here seen imbedded small hive beetles was investigated in the field. Comhead-first in the center of the flower. mercial Bombus impatiens colonies (n=10) were installed in proximity to infested apiaries. Within eight As it turns out, these two species share more than food sources. Like our honweeks, all colonies that were alive in the five-week eybees, bumblebee colonies have recently been found to be afflicted by the observation period (n=9) became naturally infested small hive beetle (Aethina tumida). with adult small hive beetles and successful small hive photo by Eugene Makovec beetle reproduction occurred in five colonies. 3. In four-square choice tests, the beetles were attracted to both adult bumblebee workers and pollen from bumblebee native hosts for small hive beetles in the field. To foster the nests, suggesting that these odours may serve as cues for host conservation of these essential native pollinators, investigations finding. on the actual impact of small hive beetles on wild bumblebee 4. The data indicate that bumblebee colonies may serve as alterpopulations are suggested.

Help Needed to Preserve Earliest Issues of American Bee Journal Volumes range from 1861 to 1880

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note: The following plea comes via the Bee-L internet beekeeping forum:

but these items are very fragile and get the best of care while being scanned.

Fellow beekeepers --I need your help!

Our local club acknowledges our officersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; efforts and past members by gifting to this cause. It is a gift that will be useful to beekeepers worldwide.

As you may know I have been working with the Cornell Library to get Books from the EF Phillips rare beekeeping book collection digitized for all beekeepers everywhere. If you have a computer and (fast) internet connection you can view these important volumes from early American beekeeping. Our latest choice has been the first 20 volumes of American Bee Journal from the years 1861 through 1880. This would be an incredible new addition. I have had great assistance from the beekeeping community from across the U.S. This last effort has slowed and we are only halfway to our goal of $3000 to complete this segment of digitization. I agree that it does seem expensive

I was hoping that I could get each of you to bring this up at your state or local beekeeping meetings to see if we could get to this target! If you have any questions see http://bees.library.cornell.edu/ or ask me or the library. Thanx, Mike Griggs President, Fingerlakes Beekeepers Ithaca, NY

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Page 4

Apitherapy News ...

Now, A ‘Sting Operation’ on Multiple Sclerosis Patient Express News Service http://cities.expressindia.com Vadodara, India — February 2, 2007 Vadodara-based Deepthi Waghela is more than happy to be stung by honeybees. The reason: This 40-year-old woman, who is suffering from multiple sclerosis, is undergoing Apitherapy, an ancient cure, which involves treating disorders with the help of bee venom. Helping her out is 49-year-old Reyah Carlson, an Apitherapy expert from the U.S., who has come all the way to Vadodara to treat Deepthi free of cost after the Waghelas contacted her through the internet. Carlson, who herself was a multiple sclerosis patient, says she has used the therapy on herself, and has had positive results. She now runs an Apitherapy clinic in Missouri, U.S., and claims she has helped around 2000 other multiple sclerosis patients through the bee-bite treatment. “If a bee-bite can help my wife who is suffering from multiple sclerosis, it’s good news,” says a happy Pradeepsinh Waghela, Deepthi’s husband. ‘For nine years, we had tried a host of treatments to cure Deepthi but nothing worked much. In fact, my wife’s condition worsened due to the progressive nature of the illness.” He adds that they did not prefer to go in for chemotherapy because of its side-effects.

A nurse by profession, Carlson did courses in Apitherapy from the Charles Mraz Therapy School in California. Apart from her clinic, she is also involved in manufacturing of api-products (honeybee products). Carlson has traveled the world over to acquaint people with the ‘bee-sting’ therapy. She laughs, “Just like bees, I was swarmed by television channels like Discovery, National Geographic as well as local journalists.” The apitherapist is in Vadodara for one more week and plans to teach Deepthi’s husband the method of the therapy before she leaves. Carlson says, “With a cocktail of medicinal agents, the ‘beevenom’ therapy is the oldest form of acupuncture practiced by the Chinese and even Hippocrates to treat arthritis and gout.” She says the venom contains melatin which is a hundred times more effective than cortisone, a steroid, which is believed to be harmful in the long run. Bee-venom also has anesthetic properties. When asked what she felt about the treatment, Deepthi’s tonguein-cheek response was, “In six months, I can ‘bee-healthy’ and can ‘bee-dazzle’ people with its effects.” Editor’s Note: Reyah Carlson will be a guest speaker at the upcoming Spring Meeting of the Missouri State Beekeepers Association. She will also conduct a hands-on apitherapy session that will be open to the public.

“Then my brother Yograjsinh mentioned Reyah Carlson. So I Googled for her and then got in touch with her,” says Pradeep. Carlson, who is in India for the first time, says, “Although there is no treatment for multiple sclerosis, Apitherapy has been successful in helping people with severe rheumatic diseases and is accepted in many countries, because its results are evident.” Talking about her own experience, she adds, “I experimented on myself with the help of my husband and had honeybees stinging me 25,000 times in seven years.” Her husband used to insert bee venom into her body-points affected by the disease. In fact, she says there is no spot on her body which had not been stung by honey bees.

Your local dealer for

BEEKEEPING SUPPLIES

March 2007

Page 5

Pre-Registration Fees: Registration must be received by March 7, 2007 Member – 2 day per person Member---1 day per person

$20.00_______ $15.00_______

Member Family— 2 day

$30.00_______

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 March 7, 2007: 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: To be announced 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 2007 Missouri State Beekeepers Assn. Individual:

Renewal

New

$15.00______

Membership 2007 Missouri State Beekeepers Assn. Family:

Renewal

New

$20.00______

Queen fund donation

Donation $__________

Meeting fund donation

Donation $__________

Total

$__________

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Page 6

Spring Meeting Program Thursday, March 15th 8:00 p.m.

Executive Board Meeting, Springfield Room

Friday, March 16th 8:00-8:45

Registration for early birds — Hall outside Carnegies Room

GROUP 1

GROUP 2

(First 50 people)

(Remainder of people)

Group Leader: Chris Gibbons

Group Leader: Jann Amos

Meet in hotel lobby at 8:30 a.m.

Meet in hotel lobby at 9:00 a.m.

Start for Capitol at 8:45

Start for Capitol at 9:05

Tour begins at 9:00

Tour begins at 9:20

CAPITOL TOUR Join us for a special tour of our State Capitol including a walk up to the top of the Dome. Then walk over to the Jefferson Landing Historical Site. This site is housed in the Lohman Building, one block east from the Capitol. The Lohman Building was built in 1839, and is significant as a rare surviving Missouri River landing. It houses exhibits on the city’s history. You can then tour the Carnahan Memorial Garden, on your way to view the Governor’s Mansion. Wear comfortable shoes! Our tour of the Governor’s Mansion is scheduled for 11:00 am. I need to know how many people are planning on going on the tours. Please call me at 877-736-8607, or e-mail me at sgibbs314@earthlink.net. The Capitol Tour will take about one hour, and is given by the regular Capitol Tour guides. We then go to Senator Clemens’ office at Room 418 Riverside. They will help us tour the dome. Senator Clemens is chairman of the Agriculture Committee and represents the Southwest part of the state. Unfortunately the last day for viewing our legislators in action is March 15th. They then leave for Easter recess. One word of caution: The dome tour is not for the faint-hearted. Most everyone can go to the Whispering Gallery, but it is a total of 250 steps to the dome. This dome tour is arranged for us by Senator Clemens’ office and is not available to all tour groups. Please bring “thank-you” jars of honey as gifts. 10:30-12:00

Set-up for vendors in the Lincoln Ballroom

12:00-1:00

Registration open, Lincoln Room

1:00-1:15

Welcome and announcements: President Ken Norman

1:15-2:00

“Varroa IPM: Does it work? Does it pay?” Dr. Keith Delaplane

2:00-2:30

“Introduction to Apitherapy for Beekeepers” Reyah Carlson “Small Hive Beetle — How they will change the way we keep bees” Dr. Keith Delaplane

2:30-3:15

Lunch on your own

Program continued next page

March 2007

Page 7

Spring Meeting Program (continued from Page 6) 3:15-3:30

Break and some door prizes

3:30-5:00

“Beekeeping 101” Move to the bee yard set up in nearby Jeff City Park. Maps available. Bring protective gear. If weather is bad, we will move the demonstration (without live bees) into our meeting room. Demo will include requeening, making splits and nucs. For beginners: How to open and smoke the hive. How to tell if your bees are doing okay! How to feed, etc. Assembling equipment. Supering and honey removal techniques. We will be set up in work stations at the park. This will be run by experienced beekeepers, including Chris Gibbons, Jann Amos, Bob Wade and Robert Sperandio.

6:00

Beekeeper of the Year Banquet in the Carnegies Room: Special guest is Deputy Director of Agriculture Matt Boatright. He will speak about the future of Missouri Agriculture.

8:30

“Beekeeping in Other Countries” Dr. Keith Delaplane

Saturday, March 17th 7:30-8:00

Registration — Hall outside Carnegies Room

8:00-8:15

Welcome & announcements

8:15-8:45

Greetings from Queen Chairperson Cathy Hogan and introduction of our 2007 Honey Queen Lori Guthals. Bring silent auction items as a donation to support the queen program.

8:45-9:45 9:45-10:05

“Beekeeping 101: The Big 4 of Swarms: Prevention, Control, Capture and Calls” Rev. Grant Gillard “Introducing Copper Gluconate to Your Feed for Varroa Control” Andy Cutter of Jost Chemicals

10:05-10:30

Break — raffle prize drawing

10:30-11:30 11:30-12:00

“Pollination: What do Varroa and All the Problems Have to Say About Pollination? Also an update on the new problem called Colony Collapse Disorder” Dr. Keith Delaplane “Allergic Reactions to Insect Stings” Dr. Wes Stricker

12:00-1:00

Lunch in the Carnegies Room

1:00-2:15 2:15-2:45

Apitherapy Workshop Reyah Carlson — Open to the public for a $5.00 charge “Using Beeswax in Lotions and Creams” Carol Wade

2:45-3:15

Break — end of silent auction — raffle prize drawing

3:15-4:15

Annual Business Meeting More door prizes

Program and speakers subject to change

Fall Meeting Preview The MSBA Fall Meeting will be held at the Quality Inn in Hannibal on November 2-3, 2007. The main speaker will be University of Delaware Entomologist Dewey Caron.

March 2007 Beginning Beekeeping Class Midwestern Beekeepers Association The Midwestern Beekeepers Association will hold its annual Basic Beekeeping Class on Saturday, March 24th. It will be held in Raytown, Missouri, at the YMCA at 10301 E. 350 Highway. Registration begins at 8:45 with the program running from 9:15-4:30. The fee includes a notebook of information and a chance to win valuable door prizes (including a hive and bees). The fee for non-members is $25.00 and includes a oneyear membership. For more information call Glenn Davis at 816-690-8007 or Joli Winer at 913-768-8967. For a program and registration form please call or visit www.mid-conagri.com. We really appreciate those that pre-register so we have enough notebooks.

Gasconade County Beekeepers New club forming in Owensville Starting in March, there will be a club in Owensville to answer your questions regarding the fascinating world of beekeeping. Find out how to enjoy this amazing hobby. Produce your own honey and beeswax. Talk to experienced beekeepers about the many rewards of beekeeping. There will also be a one-day beginner’s beekeeping class offered in March with a one-year membership included. Meetings will be held the second Monday of each month starting in March, at the Progressive Bank in Owensville. For more information: 573-764-2922 bee143@fidnet.com

Local Honey Wanted The following query came to one of our members via email, and he passed it along to us: I was referred to you in reference to purchasing some honey. I use it for a sugar substitute so I don’t need gallons of it but I would prefer getting the natural whole honey from the beekeeper and not the store. If you do sell some to individuals please let me know the size you carry and the pricing please. Rodger Myers

South St. Louis

Cell 314-596-6920

Page 9

Beekeeper’s Association of the Ozarks 4th Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. The Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell, Springfield www.ozarksbeekeepers.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 Howard Thompson 417-781-0587 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 Gasconade County Beekeepers Association 2nd Sunday of month, Progressive Bank of Owensville Contact Rodney Angell 573-764-2922 Or bee143@fidnet.com

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 $10.00 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:

March 2007

Page 11

Honey Queen Report

Directory of Officers

Hello, Beekeepers!

President: Ken Norman 417-669-4452 3634 Shiloh Church Road, Marionville, MO 65705 president@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org

Lori Guthals

First of all, I cannot begin to say thank you enough times! I am so very excited to be serving as your 2007 Missouri Honey Queen! If being awarded the title of Missouri Honey Queen wasn’t enough, having the opportunity to be crowned at the Governor’s Conference on Agriculture in December was amazing! Everyone was very warm and welcoming towards me and, I can see this year’s going to be just as great! In case you didn’t have the opportunity to attend the conference or meet me in person. I’d like to tell you a little more about myself. My name is Lori Guthals and I am a junior at the University of Missouri-Columbia. I am majoring in Agricultural EducationLeadership, with a minor in Animal Science. At the University I am very involved in Collegiate Cattlewomen, Block and Bridle, and Sigma Alpha Professional Sorority. I was born and raised on a farm in Gower, Missouri. In my spare time, I love to show cattle, scrapbook, spend time with friends and family, and cook. I am the youngest of six children, with four sisters and one brother. Two of my older sisters, Wendy and Cheri, were past honey queens. Wendy competed at the national level and was also crowned National Honey Princess. Traveling alongside those two has greatly contributed to my passion for agriculture and desire to promote Missouri honey. As this year’s Honey Queen, I look forward to serving you! Wherever honey is being promoted, I look forward to being there! If you have a fair, festival, meeting or activity you would like me to attend, please contact Kathy Hogan, Queen Chairperson, and she will relay the message to me. Her address in shown in the column to the right, and on the association website. Once again, I want to say thank you for this amazing opportunity! I anticipate an exciting year ahead and can’t wait to get started! Lori Guthals

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP 55% Fructose 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 Spring Meeting

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

Vice President: Scott Moser 636-285-7295 6600 Davis Lane, Cedar Hill, MO 63016 vp@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Secretary: Paul Harris 417-890-1008 3876 South State Hwy J, Springfield, MO 65809 secretary@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Treasurer: Ron Vivian 816-690-7516 443 Fricke Road, Bates City, MO 64011-8280 treasurer@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Past-President: Monte Richardson 660-826-4917 1405 S. Prospect Ave., Sedalia, MO 65301 pastpresident@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Western Area Director: Glenn Davis 816-690-8007 4618 Highway Z, Bates City, MO 64011 westdirector@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Southern Area Director: Marlin Trout 417-839-2992 20445 Lawrence 2070, Ash Grove, MO 65604 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 (573) 686-4888 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 Newsletter Editor: Eugene Makovec 314-965-4631 643 Pearl Ave., Kirkwood, MO 63122 editor@mostatebeekeepersassociation.org Auxilliary Treasurer: Dolores Vivian 816-690-7516 443 Fricke Road, Bates City, MO 64011-8280 H1ybee@aol.com Queen Chairperson: Cathy Hogan P.O. Box 281, Boss, MO 65440 573-626-4493 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

This newsletter is published six times per year, on about 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 â&#x20AC;&#x153;email newsletterâ&#x20AC;? in the subject line. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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

May 2007 Eugene Makovec

www.mostatebeekeepers.org

Editor

Beekeepers Swarm State Capitol

MSBA

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Close to 100 beekeepers decended on the Capitol Plaza Hotel in downtown Jefferson City in March for the annual Spring Meeting of the Missouri State Beekeepers Association. The Missouri State Capitol building took on the characteristics of a giant bee skep on the morning of Friday, March 16, as scores of beekeepers arrived for a tour of the premises. In addition to the standard Capitol tour given to tourists, staffers of Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Dan Clemens arranged for the adventurous among us to climb to the top of the dome, step outside and walk around the base of the cupola upon which stands Ceres, the Roman goddess of grain. Dr. Keith Delaplane, our main speaker for the meeting that followed, is pictured below right, looking out from the dome with the Missouri River in the background. Following lunch on Friday, the meeting officially opened and we heard from our primary speaker, Dr. Keith Delaplane, an entomologist at the University of Georgia. Dr. Delaplane lectured on the value and methods of Integrated Pest Management for control of varroa mites. Among other things, he shared results of a study showing that colonies hived with screened bottom boards experienced higher honey production and lower queen replacement rates over a two-year period than both chemically treated colonies and control colonies. 5

MSBA

Later, Dr. Delaplane spoke about the small hive beetle, and shared the following interesting tidbit: A type of yeast that lives on the body of the hive beetle interacts with stored pollen in the hive to create a volatile odor, which attracts other beetles to the hive. This could explain why a particular hive may have a high load of beetles, while an adjacent hive has virtually none. Continued on page 7

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: From the President Ken Norman

NHB Funds CCD Research

Hivastan Approved for Varroa (But not yet in Missouri)

Apitherapy News Propolis extract as drug preservative

Beekeeper of the Year Eugene Makovec

Why are Honey Bees Collapsing? 6 A look at Colony Collapse Disorder A Lighter Look at Cell Phones

Local Club Information

Fall Meeting Preview

Membership Application

Honey Queen Report

Directory of Officers

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Missouri State Beekeepers Association

From the President by Ken Norman Queens and Disappearing bees

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenrearingsimplified.htm

It is tax day, April 15, 2007, except this year of course, my son Jakob and I am trying to graft some queen cells so I can have some extra queens in mid-May. I am using some of Grant Gillard’s thoughts (from the recent Spring Meeting) on selecting queens for grafting. I am grafting from the queen that has the most bees flying the quickest in the morning, and a gentle and solid brood pattern.

I would read this one first. It helped me to understand some of the timing of queen rearing that I was deficient in.

I have been thinking a lot about queens because I haven’t received the queens I ordered back in December for April 3, 2007. A oneweek delay is my fault because I told them I could wait because of the sudden cold we experienced the first of April, which would wipe out all the apple and peach blossoms in the Marionville area.The rest of the wait I will attribute to the queen breeder in Georgia. I ordered some more queens out of northern California to be here April 25, and after talking with Sheryl Pendell of Pendell Apiaries of northern California I have decided that in the future I will order from several breeders from different parts of the country, so that no matter what the weather in one area or the demand from other beekeepers, I will have a portion of my queens coming in on the first of April -- I hope. I have located two books out of print on queen rearing by Jay Smith that have been placed on the Internet by Bush Farms. They are the following:

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesbetterqueens.htm This one perfects some of his techniques in queen rearing. I appreciate Michael Bush of Bush Farms for placing these books on the web and developing a great information website for beekeepers. Even if you are not into queen breeding, he has other great information on beekeeping on the web at: http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm One other site on the web that you should not be without if you are raising queens is the following: http://queencalendar.markfarm.com/ This website takes the guesswork out of queen rearing by calculating important times like when to remove the queen cell or when the virgin queen in the nucleus has been bred. Depending on when you want your queens, this program will give you the dates to begin the grafting or when you give your JZ or BZ cage to the breeder queen. I will try to attend as many of the local beekeeping meetings as possible throughout Missouri to speak about the Missouri State Beekeepers Association in the coming year. So far I have attended meetings in Monett, Carthage and, of course, Springfield. Most of these associations are bringing in new members by having beginning beekeeping classes. The first line of offense in making and keeping beekeepers will be the holding of classes on beekeeping at the local level. So if your local beekeeping association doesn’t have beginning beekeeping classes, work with your local officers to encourage the classes. If there is a need for literature and speakers for your local, those can be developed at the spring and fall meetings of the Missouri State Beekeepers Association; that is one more aspect of being an MSBA member. Disappearing bees have been in the news lately, and some of the possible causes were addressed at the spring meeting with Keith Delaplane. So I will add another cause, which comes from some scientists from England. It is your cell phone, and this can be read at: http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/wildlife/ar ticle2449968.ece I wish to thank all those who helped with the spring meeting in Jefferson City; I appreciate all those who helped to run a smooth meeting with no surprises. The executive board meeting will be June 23, 2007 at Ryan’s Restaurant in Columbia at 9:00 am. All officers and representatives from locals are invited to attend. Ken Norman

May 2007

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NHB Adds Funding for Research of Colony Collapse Disorder The National Honey Board (NHB) has approved $100,000 in additional funding for research on the phenomenon recently termed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), bringing NHB’s total funding to date for CCD research to $158,000. The funding has been awarded to a CCD Working Group composed of university faculty researchers, state regulatory officials, cooperative extension educators and industry representatives. In January, NHB approved an emergency funding request for $13,000 for the group. In addition, NHB approved $45,000 for a CCD research project as part of its 2007 production research funding. In late 2006, some beekeepers began reporting large losses in honey bee colonies. Although bee experts have identified several possible causes, a prevailing theory has yet to emerge. The CCD group and Bee Alert Technology are asking beekeepers’ assistance in reporting instances of honey bee CCD. Beekeepers can assist with this effort by participating in the National Bee Loss Survey at www.beesurvey.com. For more information about CCD and the CCD Working Group, visit http://maarec.cas.psu.edu/index.html.

BeeMovie:Your Input Is Needed for this Unique Marketing Opportunity! The honey industry will have an exciting and unprecedented marketing opportunity this fall when the animated “Bee Movie” is scheduled to play in movie theaters throughout the United States. “Bee Movie” is a production of DreamWorks, which has produced such popular animated movies as “Shrek” and other films.The movie was written by comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who also provides the voice of the movie’s main character, Barry Bee. (For more information about the movie, visit www.beemovie.com or http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389790/. The movie is expected to generate positive publicity about beekeeping and highlight the important role bee pollination plays in plant production.

Heartland Honey and Beekeeping Supplies 19201 South Clare Road Spring Hill, KS 66061 913-856-8356 www.heartlandhoney.com

NHB conducts research, advertising and promotion programs to help maintain and expand domestic and foreign markets for honey. These programs are funded by an assessment of one cent per pound on domestic and imported honey.

Hivastan Gets Section 18 Approval New Treatment for Varroa Mites The following is a press release from Central Life Sciences. Schaumburg, IL, March 19, 2007 -- The Environmental Protection Agency has granted Section 18 clearance for Hivastan, a powerful new weapon to help beekeepers protect their bees against Varroa mites, and in the process, become more profitable. “Because Hivastan’s active ingredient is not used elsewhere for Varroa mites, it eliminates some of the resistance issues that have plagued other treatments,” explains Mark Taylor, business manager for Central Life Sciences. “Once it’s applied, there’s no need to go back to the hive to remove a used-up strip, so it’s less labor intensive.” Hivastan contains fenpyroximate, a highly effective miticide, that has been formulated into a “patty” delivery system. During testing with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Hivastan provided up to six weeks of no-mess, easy-to-use Varroa control. When used as directed, bees transfer the active ingredient thoughout the colony while they work to remove the product (which they perceive as a foreign substance) from the hive. To provide maximum control, Central Life Sciences recommends treating all infested bee colonies with Hivastan twice a year -prior to the first honey flow in the spring, and again in the fall after the last honey flow. “Varroa mite control requires integrated pest management,” says Taylor. “Current alternatives are proving to be merely temporary solutions, and rotational products like Hivastan are necessary to control Varroa populations.” According to the USDA, the number of honeybees and managed beehives is down so much that production of pollinated plants has fallen by about a third in the last two years.Varroa mites, a type of parasite which came to the United States in the 1980s, are considered the primary culprits for wiping out the honey bee population. Hivastan is available in a 30-patty tub. For more information call 1800-248-7763. To find out if Hivastan has been approved in your state, please contact your local Department of Agriculture. Apiary is part of the Central Life Sciences strategic business unit of Central Garden and Pet.As inventors of insect growth technology more than 30 years ago, Central Life Sciences pioneered biorational pest control -- using the insect’s chemistry as a means to reduce pest populations. Editor’s Note: As of press time, Hivistan had not yet been approved for use in Missouri. Beekeepers can call the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s interim Director’s office at 573-526-0948, or via email at Matt.Boatright@mda.mo.gov.

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Missouri State Beekeepers Association Apitherapy News ... Propolis Extract Can Replace Chemical Agents in Medications Monday, April 2, 2007 Dangoule Vanseviclute, JSC “Valentis” Vilnius, Lithuania

Presented at: 5th German Apitherapy Congress, March 23-25, 2007, Passau, Germany Propolis (bee glue) and its preparations are widely used in medical practice, due to their antimicrobial, anesthetic, immunity boosting effect; they act against fungus, suppress inflammation, promote synthesis of antibodies, and facilitate healing of wounds and ulcers. It was identified that propolis ethanol extract of as little as 0.08 percent concentrations prevents the growth of microorganisms. Preparations containing propolis not only have a wide antimicrobial effect, but, different than with intake of antibiotics, resistant microorganism forms do not develop while using the preparations containing propolis. From the chemical point of view, propolis is a very complex compound. Propolis contains over 200 different chemical components. These are polyphenoles (chalcones, flavones, flavonones, flavonoles), aromatic acids, terpenoids, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, amino acids, sugars, vitamins, minerals, waxes, fatty acids, steroids, etc. Antimicrobial effect of propolis extract is determined by flavonoids, caffeic, cinnamic, benzoic acids contained in the extract, and other chemical compounds, their amount and their synergistic interaction. JSC “Valentis” began propolis research in 2005. The goal of the work was to produce the purified soft propolis extract, to perform its chemical analysis, to research the antimicrobial effect and to use it as an antimicrobial conservation agent in medication manufacture. We developed the manufacturing technology of purified propolis extract. Manufacture consisted of several stages. During the course of manufacture, the concentration, temperature, pressure of extractant (ethanol) was being changed. We manufactured five batches of purified propolis extract. The purified propolis extract is a soft material of dark brown colour of specific odour, it easily and without residue dissolves in 96 percent V/V ethanol. Dry residue of extract is 80 +/- 5%. We did not find waxes in the purified propolis extract. Its oxidation rate did not exceed 10 seconds. Unpurified propolis extract contained 3 +/- 0.6% of waxes, and its oxidation rate did not exceed 22 seconds. We identified the polyphenolic compounds (precipitate of yellow colour) qualitatively with the solution of lead acetate, flavonoids (precipitate of green colour) with the solution of aluminum trichloride, flavonone pinostrobin was identified by a method of thin-layer chromatography (solvent system: chloroform -- 96 percent V/V ethanol 90:10). We developed the spots in UV light at a 254 nm wavelength, and afterwards with diazotized sulfanilic acid. Quantitatively we identified the phenolic compounds by a spec-

trophotometric method, by measuring the absorption amount of ethanol solution in the wavelength of 290 nm. We found that the extract should contain 45 =+/- 3% (n=5) of phenolic compounds. By making the coloured compound with Folin-Ciocalteu agent and by measuring the absorption rate in the wavelength of 760 nm, we identified the amount of polyphenolic compounds, recalculating them into gallic acid. We found that the extract must contain 0.7 +/- 0.05% (n=5) of polyphenolic compounds recalculated into gallic acid. The specific component in propolis is flavonone pinostrobin. Its amount was identified by a spectrophotometric method, by measuring the absorption amount of ethanol solution in the wavelength of 289 nm.We found that the extract must contain 25 +/- 1% (n=5) pinostrobin. The amounts of active substances in the unpurified propolis extract differed very insignificantly.We analyzed the antimicrobial activity of purified propolis extract. We used nine reference cultures of microorganisms: Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 33499), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), Proteus mirabilis (ATCC 12459), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6623), Bacillus cereus (ATCC 8035) and Candida albicans (ATCC 60193). We estimated the antimicrobial activity by the dilution method, using the Muller-Hinton broth and 0.9% solution of sodium chloride.We made five dilutions up to 3200 times.We found that after diluting the extract by 400 times (concentration of purified propolis extact is 0.044 mg%), it completely suppresses the growth and proliferation of the above cultures.After diluting the extract by 800 times (concentration of purified propolis extract is 0.011 mg%), it suppresses the growth and profiferation of the above cultures except Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilus. After diluting the extract by 1600 times and more, its antimicrobial activity was not manifested anymore. Due to its strong and wide antimicrobial effect, the propolis extract can be used as an antimicrobial concentration agent in manufacture of different medications, replacing substances of chemical nature. Currently JSC “ Valentis” is in the stage of research of the stability of different syrups, where the purified propolis extract is used as an antimicrobial conservation agent.The research is in progress.

May 2007

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Eugene Makovec Named 2006 MSBA Beekeeper of the Year by Scott Moser Eugene Makovec was named the 2006 Missouri State Beekeeper of the Year at the MSBA’s 2007 Spring Meeting, held at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City. Eugene has been working hard for the Association for years doing a variety of tasks. He has served as Newsletter Editor for the past year and a half, and has done an outstanding job in that capacity. In addition, Eugene has volunteered to help on various projects when needed. Eugene is a third generation beekeeper and is one of ten kids raised on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. His father was a hobbyist beekeeper who kept up to 12 hives in various locations around the farm. Though thinking they were cool and interesting, Eugene didn’t have interest in keeping them himself. It wasn’t until almost a decade after leaving home that he decided to take up the hobby. With some used equipment and advice from his Dad, Eugene got started with a three-pound package. Unfortunately, he managed to kill the queen the first year, but somehow the colony survived the winter. The next year, Eugene added another hive. The number of colonies he now maintains fluctuates from three to five each year. One of Eugene’s goals is to educate the public about honeybees, honey and beekeeping. He has been a member of Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association and the MSBA since 1996. In 1997, he began to give beekeeping talks to elementary school students.According to Eugene, “I find that the best age is about 4th-5th grade, as they are old enough to ask intelligent questions, but young enough to still pay attention.” According to Eugene, his favorite part of beekeeping is catching swarms. He is fascinated by the whole swarming mechanism, though he admits he is largely powerless to prevent his own bees from swarming. He is also impressed by the varied sizes and locations of the swarms, and gets a kick out of the public’s widely varied reac-

tions to swarms. He finds a swarm call to be the perfect opportunity to educate people about the honeybee. As editor, Eugene has implemented many changes to the newsletter and the format. In this day and age of technology, Eugene has brought us an expanded electronic version of the newsletter that the recipients receive sooner, and in color. He still maintains the printed version, but it lacks color and a few other “extras” that the electronic verphoto by Glenn Davis sion contains. In addition, he prints the newsletter six times per year so that the membership can keep up to date easier. Due to Eugene’s upgrades and changes, the amount of advertising space sold has increased, along with the variety of advertisers. One challenge that Eugene has taken on is to decrease the number of newsletters that are sent via “snail mail”, by increasing the number of people who receive it electronically.When mailed, the postage costs are quite high. In an effort to decrease these costs, Eugene has asked that members with computer access request to receive the newsletter via email. Eugene’s persistence and hard work have increased the number of electronic copies that are sent out. Eugene Makovec is an important member of the MSBA. He has worked hard, and continues to work hard for the members of the Association. He is present at every meeting and volunteers whenever someone is needed. For all of his hard work and dedication, I am proud to name him 2006 Missouri State Beekeeper of the Year. Congratulations, Eugene!

DRAPER’S SUPER BEE 914 S. Street Auburn, NE 68305 Ph. (402) 274-3725 Fax: (402) 274-3128

MSBA President Ken Norman presents banquet speaker Matt Boatright, Interim Director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, with a gift of honey-related products.

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Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Why Are Honey Bees Collapsing? Marla Spivak and Gary Reuter, Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota Editor’s note: Marla Spivak is one of our nation’s foremost bee researchers, and is best known for development of the varroa-resistant Minnesota Hygienic honeybees. She spoke at the MSBA’s Spring Meeting in 2006. Honey bee colonies in the U.S. are overworked and under-appreciated.They are the world’s most important pollinators of many fruits, vegetables and seed crops, contributing billions of dollars in value to agriculture and our diet. Bees also pollinate wildflowers in our natural ecosystems and much of what we plant in our home gardens. Without honey bees, and other bee pollinators, the produce section in our grocery stores would have about 1/3 fewer fruits and vegetables and it is impossible to estimate how many flowers would not set seed.

the nation to pollinate crops for our nation’s food supply face extreme difficulties in supplying bees that are strong and healthy enough for pollination. Often, a large number of bee colonies are required to pollinate a particular crop. For example, over 1 million bee colonies are required to pollinate almonds in California during late February and March. Moving such large numbers of colonies into a relatively small area places even more stress on bees. In these conditions, the bees may become nutritionally stressed, they may be at increased risk of pesticide exposure, and definitely are at increased risk of disease and mite transmission among colonies.

Honey bees in the U.S. are maintained by beekeepers, who keep them as a hobby, as a side-line profession, or commercially as a livelihood. All beekeepers harvest honey from their colonies, a wholesome and healthful product. Some harvest other products such as beeswax, pollen, royal jelly, and propolis, which are used to make candles and cosmetics, or serve as nutritional supplements and medicine. Beekeepers keep their colonies of bees in cities, suburbs, and the countryside. Some maintain their colonies in one location year round, and some transport their colonies long distances to follow the blooming plants for honey and to provide pollination service to crops. Some beekeepers propagate “nursery” stock (more bee colonies and queen bees) for sale around the country.

It is no wonder bees are suffering. But the biggest question is: Is the collapse of honey bee colonies this year due to yet another factor? Is there a new disease afflicting bees? Are the effects of new classes of pesticides contributing to bee deaths? Why are the bees leaving the colony and not returning? What is the so-called Colony Collapse Disorder? Scientists across the nation are trying to figure this out.At this point, it is unclear why so many bee colonies are dying, and the name Colony Collapse Disorder is a placeholder until its nature can be determined for certain. Most likely, the bees are dying from a number of contributing factors that collectively place an enormous burden on the immune and detoxification systems of bees, eventually “putting them over the edge.”

Unfortunately, honey bees are subject to diseases and parasitic mites. The mites were inadvertently introduced into the U.S. in the 1980s.These maladies weaken colonies and can lead to the collapse and death of colonies. Beekeepers are careful to control these pathogens and pests in their colonies, but it has become increasingly difficult because the diseases and mites have developed resistance to some of the treatments. New treatments are currently available which reduce the risk of the pests developing resistance. Fortunately, colonies that die from diseases and mite parasites can be replaced with nursery stock, but overall, the number of bee colonies in the US, and the number of beekeepers, has been drastically reduced over the last 20 years.

What can you do? Don’t panic. Educate yourself.

In addition to the stress that diseases and mites place on the immune system of bees, our environment is not as friendly to bees as it was in the distant past, which also adds to the overall stress on bees. Urban sprawl and agricultural practices have limited the amount of bee “pasture” (flowers such as clover, alfalfa) available to the bees for their food.The use of pesticides on crops to kill pest insects can have the negative side-effect of killing beneficial insects such as bees. Many pesticide applicators choose pesticides with low residual and low toxicity to bees. But new classes of pesticides, such as those that are systemic (move through plant tissue) may contribute to the stress on bees’ immune and detoxification systems because the pesticide may be incorporated into the pollen and nectar.While we know that pesticides can adversely affect bee health, GMO crops have not been shown to directly affect honey bees.

Dr. Marla Spivak, Gary Reuter and students focus all of their research and extension efforts on keeping bees healthy. They teach several classes to the public, including keeping bees in northern climates, and raising and breeding queen bees. A new on-line course will be available soon that deals exclusively with beekeeping management techniques that can be used to prevent and mitigate disease and mite transmission.The Bee Lab web site has education materials on how to protect bees from pesticides, as well as materials on many general beekeeping practices. The research efforts in Spivak’s lab concentrate on breeding bees for “hygienic behavior” -- a mechanism of resistance against bee diseases and parasitic mites. They are also researching ways to bolster the immune system of bees. Please take a few minutes to navigate this web site for more information: www.extension.umn.edu/honeybees/

March 23, 2007

Finally, the beekeeping heroes that transport their colonies across

Dr. Marla Spivak

If you are a beekeeper, make sure your colonies have adequate pollen and nectar stores at all times. Replace old brood combs with new “foundation” to eliminate disease spores, and sample your colonies for mites regularly so you can control them when needed. Enroll in our on-line course, soon to be available, called “Healthy Bees.’ If you are not a beekeeper, please appreciate the bees in our environment! Spread the word about the benefits of bees. Support research and extension efforts to promote the health of honey bees. Learn to keep bees yourself! What is the University of Minnesota doing about the problem?

May 2007 Continued from page 1 (According to Delaplane, African bees have been known to jettison their pollen stores upon the introduction of small hive beetles.) On the subject of the latest disaster to befall the industry, Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), Delaplane cautioned that little is known about its causes, but that it is not uncommon for bee populations to Dr. Keith Delaplane experience large die-offs. Possible culprits include parasitic mite syndrome, viral agents, a new type of nosema and chemical buildup in honeycombs from years of miticide use. For perspective, he noted that new bee tree colonies have only a 25 percent survival rate the first year, while those that make it through that first winter will only last about three and a half years on average.

Page 7 The next day, Ms. Carlson gave an apitherapy workshop in which she used live bees to demonstrate sting technique on a volunteer attendee. Also on Saturday, we heard from Peggy White, a nurse specializing in allergies. Ms. White stated that, while 15-25 percent of the population will test positive to a skin test for bee sting allergy, only 0.5-3.0 percent will actually experience a systemic reaction when stung.

Rev. Grant Gillard

Though the weather was only in the 50s, several dozen attendees gathered in a park in sight of the capitol dome for outdoor bee demonstrations. Sessions included woodenware construction, basic hive inspection, requeening and making splits. On Saturday morning, Rev. Grant Gillard shared his PowerPoint presentation on swarm prevention and control.The root cause of swarming, he said, is congestion, which he defined as “the competition for available cell space between incoming nectar and the queen’s need to lay eggs and their need to raise brood”. This condition is often triggered by a sudden warm spell, which causes an intense nectar flow and gives the queen license to lay more eggs.

Next we heard from Reyah Carlson of the American Apitherapy Society. Ms. Carlson said she personally has treated over 2000 people with bee sting therapy, for a variety of illnesses ranging from The key to prevention, therefore, is to alleviate (or arthritis to multiple sclerosis. Although better yet, prevent) the aforementioned congestion, she said she keeps an EpiPen handy for Jann Amos discusses hive colony splits and via such means as making splits or replacing frames emergency purposes, she has never had to package bee installation. of honey with wax foundation. use it. Moreover, according to Carlson, Later that afternoon, Carol Wade instructed listeners on the use of although some 400,000 people die every year from adverse reacbeeswax in lotions and creams. tions to perscribed medication, no one in 65 years of apitherapy has ever died due to intentional bee stings. On the subject of sting allergies, Carlson said a person who is truly allergic to bee stings will die of anaphalactic shock within 20 minutes of being stung. She also stated that she can cure a person of such an allergy within six weeks. Ms. Carlson also gave a brief explanation of the body’s mechanism for reacting to bee venom.After a sting, she said, the body releases a chemical called adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) into the bloodstream, after which cortisol is produced to counter inflammation from the reaction. Interestingly, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories like Aleve and ibuprofen acutally increase the body’s reaction to a sting, and therefore should not be used in conjunction with sting therapy. In addition, bee stings should never be adminisProgram Director Sharon tered to patients using beta blockers, Gibbons “puts on the green” said Carlson. for St. Patrick’s Day.

Robert Sperandio demonstrates woodenware assembly for beginners.

May 2007

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Local Club Information Beekeepers Association of the Ozarks 4th Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. The Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell, Springfield www.ozarksbeekeepers.org Boone Regional Beekeepers Association 3rd Sunday of odd months, 1:00 p.m., University Outreach and Extension Office, Rt. UU, Columbia Contact Art Gelder 573-474-8837 Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association 1st Thursday of each month, 7:30 p.m., Kirkwood Community Center, 111 Geyer Rd., Kirkwood Steve Harris, President 636-946-5520 Gasconade County Beekeepers Association 2nd Monday of month, Progressive Bank of Owensville Contact Rodney Angell 573-764-2922 bee143@fidnet.com Jackson Area Beekeepers 4th Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. First Pres. of Jackson, 206 E.Washington Contact Grant Gillard 573-243-6568 gillard5@charter.net

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

Southern Missouri Beekeepers of Monett (“MOBees”) 3rd Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. Monett High School VO-AG Building Robert Sperandio, President 417-235-6959 Southwest Beekeepers Association 1st Tuesday of each month Neosho High School FFA Building Contact Herb Spencer 417-472-7743

Joplin Area Beekeepers Last Thursday of each month, SW MO Bank Annex (7th and Duquesne) Contact Howard Thompson 417-781-0587

Is your club missing? Send your information to: editor@mostatebeekeepers.org

Fall Meeting Preview Date: November 2-3, 2007 Location: Quality Inn, Hannibal, MO Speakers: Dewey Caron, Entomologist, University of Delaware Dann Purvis, Purvis Brothers Goldline Queens We also plan a side trip to the honey house of Bernie Andrews, who spoke at a previous meeting about his method for setting up such an operation.

More to Come! Congratulations to Art and Vera Gelder of Columbia, who won our email membership drawing for a free 2008 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!” If you’re not receiving your newsletter via email, please contact the editor and become eligible for our next drawing, to be held at the Fall meeting. (You need not be present to win.)

Are Cell Phones Killing Your Bees? Don’t let this happen to you! The following was posted on the Bee-L Internet beekeeping forum: Are cell phones killing our bees? I never let my bees use cell phones. They are social insects and I have found once I let them have cell phones it is impossible to control their use. The charges from time overruns can bankrupt even the most efficient apiary operation. Once they learn to use them they become dependent: They stop returning to the hive to dance and just phone in the location of their forage discoveries. Furthermore, the increased peer-to-peer communication plays havoc with traditional bee values. “To heck with pheromones!” they say.“Chemical communication is passe compared with digital.” As in many societies, the young are the early adopters, spending their time text messaging instead of doing their jobs. In the end we observe a breakdown in heirarchy and, fatally, anti-royalist sentiment. This, then, is the cause of CCD -- foolish notions of independence among the immature, loss of authority of the elders, breakdown of group cohesion, and collapse of the aristocracy. by permission of Marc Hoffman, Silver Springs, Maryland

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

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May 2007 Honey Queen Report Lori Guthals Hello, Beekeepers! Well, it sure looks like spring has sprung! Some may be fooled with the occasional 40 degree days here and there, but the calendar says it’s here, so get excited! I always enjoy this time of year when the birds begin chirping, the green grass grows and the flowers are in full bloom. The school year is nearing its end with only a few more weeks of class remaining, and then I will be heading home for the summer. Before I can do that, I must tell you of the semester I have had so far. On March 16 and 17, I was fortunate enough to attend the MSBA Spring Meeting in Jefferson City, Missouri.That was very exciting for me as it was the first time for me to really get to know any of Missouri’s Beekeepers. Everyone welcomed me with open arms and made me feel right at home! I had a very good time, especially when they let me MC the raffle drawings.That was a lot of fun! Throughout the meeting I was also able to listen to some really interesting speakers, from a professor on honey bee research to all the different products you can use on your body made from beeswax. I had a very good time all weekend and would like to thank all the beekeepers for their warm welcoming! As always, I would like to say that, as this year’s Honey Queen, I look forward to serving you! If you have a fair, festival, meeting or activity you would like me to attend, please contact Kathy Hogan, Honey Queen Director, so she may relay the message on to me. Her address is located on this page, and on the association website. Again, I thank you for this amazing opportunity, and I look forward to promoting all aspects of honey throughout the coming year! Sincerely, Lori Guthals

Silent Auction Benefits Queen Program The silent auction at the Spring Meeting raised $263.50.The money was put into the Women’s Auxiliary bank account and will be used to fund the Queen Program.Thanks to all who bid on these auction items! For more information about either the Auxiliary or the Queen Program, contact Auxiliary Treasurer Dolores Vivian or Queen Chairperson Cathy Hogan. And don’t forget to bring your auction items for the Fall meeting!

Page 11 Directory of Officers President: Ken Norman 417-669-4452 3634 Shiloh Church Road, Marionville, MO 65705 president@mostatebeekeepers.org Vice President: Scott Moser 636-285-7295 6600 Davis Lane, Cedar Hill, MO 63016 vicepresident@mostatebeekeepers.org Secretary: Paul Harris 419-890-1008 3876 South State Hwy J, Springfield, MO 65809 secretary@mostatebeekeepers.org Treasurer: Ron Vivian 816-690-7516 443 Fricke Road, Bates City, MO 64011-8280 treasurer@mostatebeekeepers.org Past-President: Monte Richardson 660-826-4917 1405 S. Prospect Ave., Sedalia, MO 65301 pastpresident@mostatebeekeepers.org Western Area Director: Glenn Davis 816-690-8007 4618 Highway Z, Bates City, MO 64011 westdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Southern Area Director: Marlin Trout 417-839-2992 20445 Lawrence 2070, Ash Grove, MO 65604 southwdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Eastern Area Director: Steve Harris 636-946-5520 1224 Sherbrooke Road, St. Charles, MO 63303 eastdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Southeastern Area Director: Ray Batton 573-686-4888 3032 N. 14th St., Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 southedir@mostatebeekeepers.org Program Chairperson: Sharon Gibbons 636-394-5395 314 Quinnmoor Dr., Ballwin, MO 63011 sgibbs314@earthlink.net Newsletter Editor: Eugene Makovec 314-965-4631 643 Pearl Ave., Kirkwood, MO 63122 editor@mostatebeekeepers.org Auxilliary Treasurer: Dolores Vivian 816-690-7516 443 Fricke Road, Bates City, MO 64011-8280 H1ybee@aol.com Queen Chairperson: Cathy Hogan P.O. Box 281, Boss, MO 65440 573-626-4493 queenchair@mostatebeekeepers.org State Fair Chairman: Dean Sanders cell 816-456-4683 37804 Old Pink Hill Road, Oak Grove, MO 64075 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

Magnolia x soulangiana, commonly called tulip or saucer magnolia, blooms profusely in March and early April in Missouri. Blossoms can exceed four inches in diameter, and are commonly pollinated by beetles and other insects. This popular ornamental grows to 20 feet or more, but is best pruned to within 15 feet, as its branches are prone to storm damage. Due to its early bloom, the flowers are often chilled by cold temperatures, snow or ice.The morning after this photo was taken, this and other trees around the Capitol were adorned with a late-season snow.

This newsletter is published six times per year, on about the first of each odd month. Submissions are due three weeks prior to publication. The email edition is in color, and 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@mostatebeekeepers.org with â&#x20AC;&#x153;email newsletterâ&#x20AC;? in the subject line. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll reply with confirmation, and add you to my list. Advertising rates are as follows: Business card size $15.00

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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

July 2007 Eugene Makovec

www.mostatebeekeepers.org

Editor

Honeybee Swarms Scarce in Missouri in 2007 Beekeepers Blame Weather Patterns Blame CCD. Last year’s drought. Or this Spring’s extended cold snap. Whatever the reason, swarms have been few and far between this year in Missouri and much of the Midwest. Linda Hibbits is the long-time Swarm Coordinator for the Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association. In a typical year, swarm calls keep her hopping from late April through the month of May. But that wasn’t the case this year. “I’ve only had a couple of calls,” she said on May 18. “I think I only sent one person out.” An informal survey of the Bee-L internet beekeeping forum found similar comments from members. Rob Rauch, of Higginsville, in West Central Missouri, said the cold spell in April “eliminated” the normal Spring honey flow, making it “touch and go to avoid starvation so far. There are no stores at all in most hives. No stores equals plenty of space, equals no swarms.” Likewise, Bob Harrison, a commercial beekeeper in Odessa, says he’s been “feeding bees to keep bees from starving.” In a normal year, Missouri bee populations begin building quickly in late February to early March. By mid-April a healthy colony, left to its own devices, will Continued on page 6

Ahhh, sweet clover! This worker seems wide-eyed with excitement at her first taste of clover nectar. A wide variety of nectar sources contribute to the colony’s Spring buildup. But for most Missouri beekeepers, clover is what really fills the supers. -- photo by Eugene Makovec

State Fair Set For August 9-19 Volunteers Needed for MSBA Honey Booth

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

The 2007 Missouri State Fair will be held August 9-19 in Sedalia.With the theme “It’s Show Time!”, the annual event will feature carnival rides and games, rodeos and tractor pulls, musical acts including Counting Crows and Alice Cooper, and a plethora of agricultural exhibits. As always, the MSBA will host its Honey Booth to promote honey and beekeeping to the public. Missouri beekeepers will again have an opportunity to supply honey and related products for sale at the booth. Anyone interested is asked to submit bids by July 27 to Ron Vivian, Treasurer; Missouri State Beekeepers Association; PO Box 448; Oak Grove, MO 64075.A bid sheet is printed on page 3 of this newsletter. Beekeepers can also enter the fruits of their labor in competition. Categories include everything from extracted and comb honey to beeswax and even observation hives. For a list of categories visit www.mostatefair.com/premium.html. Scroll down to “Agriculture” and download the pdf. In addition to competing against individual beekeepers, local organizations will compete against each other. Last year’s club winner was Midwestern Beekeepers Association, based in Raytown, while Midwestern member Lowell Hutchison took the Individual Grand Champion award.

Continued on page 2

From the President Ken Norman

State Fair Bid Sheet

Apitherapy News The many health benefits of honey

Hive Beetle Research Yeasty brew attracts pests to hives

Fall Meeting Preview Hannibal, MO, November 2-3

Fall Meeting Registration Form

New State Entomologist Collin Wamsley

Hivastan Approved for MO

Local Club Information

Membership Application

Honey Queen Report

Directory of Officers

Page 2

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

From the President by Ken Norman Swarms, Bee problems, “Show Time”, Bee nutrition The last few months I have received several calls from around the state with problems: Honeybees in new subdivisions in Kansas City, bees in older homes in St. Louis, and a swarm in Jefferson City, to name a few. I was talking to Paul Harris, president of Beekeepers of the Ozarks and secretary of Missouri State Beekeepers Association, who also was receiving calls from different parts of the state that he was unable to help with. In the past I would call the president of the local association nearest the area, or someone I knew off the top of my head. But I can tell you that is very inefficient and not always helpful. Paul volunteered to set up a database and network so when a call comes in about a bee problem or swarm it can efficiently be taken care of in any part of the state. If you wish to be a part of such a database, send your information to Paul Harris at 3876 South State Hwy J, Springfield, MO 65809.You can also call him at 417-890-1008 or e-mail him at harrissmengdr@earthlink.net. The lazy days of summer have arrived and the Missouri State Fair is around the corner, with the dates being August 9 to August 19th. Dean Sanders, the new fair coordinator, will be handling all the arrangements at the Fair. Please call his cell phone number at 816456-4683 to arrange any work time at the fair. The Missouri State Beekeepers Association booth at the Fair is our

main attraction for exposing new beekeepers to our association and to the art of beekeeping. This booth shares with all fairgoers the virtues of honey, and becomes one of their primary sources of honey for the year. “It’s Show Time” is this year’s theme for the Missouri State Fair, so let’s show the fairgoers what the Missouri State Beekeepers Association is all about. One way all members can do this is by volunteering. So spend some time manning the booth (four-hour time slots requested), and then take in the Fair and see what our wonderful state has to offer. The ARS and the Tucson Bee Lab have announced a joint venture with a private company to produce a new bee supplement called MegaBee. MegaBee was tested last fall and winter (2006-2007) on bee colonies getting ready to go into almonds. It was a good time to test because there wasn’t much out there for bees to forage on. Essentially they were living off the MegaBee diet. “Results look very good,” says Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman, a researcher with the Tucson Bee Lab. After four years of research, the product is ready for production, with plans for market availability by August 2007. Available as a liquid and in patty form, the new supplement is likely to be manufactured in Yuma, Arizona. I personally will be looking at better ways to keep my bees healthier, and feeding pollen or substitutes is one way to enhance their health.Whether this product is good or not, time will tell. The MSBA Executive Board Meeting will be July 28, 2007 at 9am at Ryan’s Restaurant; the address is 908 Interstate 70 Dr SW, Columbia, MO 65203.

Heartland Honey and Beekeeping Supplies 19201 South Clare Road Spring Hill, KS 66061 913-856-8356 www.heartlandhoney.com State Fair Workers Needed Continued from page 1 Booth Workers Needed As always, our Honey Booth cannot operate without the generous help of MSBA members. State Fair Chairman Dean Sanders is currently recruiting for volunteers to work in four-hour shifts. It’s a great excuse to spend a couple of days in Sedalia taking in all that this wonderful state has to offer. Please call Dean at 816-456-4683 to volunteer your time.

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

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Page 4

Apitherapy News ... Honey Rivals Antibiotics in Benefits to Human Health BellaOnline Holistic Health Site (www.BellaOnline.com) “The Voice of Women” Victoria Abreo, Holistic Health Editor

Honey has been used for 5,000 years to treat many health conditions. It is also the first food sweetener known to man. It is frequently mentioned in the Bible and is depicted in prehistoric cave paintings.The Romans and Greeks called honey “the nectar of the gods”.The Egyptian papyri are full of praise about the properties of honey (especially the medicinal value). How is honey produced?

sions...” Honey heals abrasions, skin rashes and burns by drawing excess water from the tissues and reducing swelling. Honey also contains a germ-killing substance called inhibine, which helps prevent infections. Spread the honey directly on the wound and cover with a sterile bandage. When applying honey over the affected area, you can cover the area with a dressing or a dusting of cornstarch to reduce any stickiness. As a moisturizer: Smooth a small amount of honey lightly over the skin; easily remove later with splashes of cold water or comfortable warm water. It will leave your skin baby soft.

Honeybees prepare this natural sweetener by mixing nectar, the sweet substance secreted by flowers, with bee enzymes.To make the honey from nectar, honeybees evaporate much of the moisture and add compounds called enzymes that change the composition of the nectar. Some of the complex sugars are broken down into simpler ones; and some of the sugar is converted into an edible acid called gluconic acid.When the moisture content of the honey is reduced to about 17%, the bees fill the small cells of the comb and seal them with a white beeswax capping.

As a bath and antibacterial soap: Wash with honey straight from the jar and enjoy sparkling clean skin. Facial blemishes and acne caused by cosmetics or allergies will clear up quickly using a nightly treatment of honey. Only a small amount is needed.

What is honey composed of?

Hair and scalp treatment:Apply honey (with or without olive oil) to dry or damp hair about one half hour before washing.

Honey is made up of 35 percent protein and contains half of all the amino acids, and is a highly concentrated source of many essential nutrients. Honey contains large amount of some minerals, B-complex vitamins, and vitamins C, D and E.

Relaxing honey bath: Put two ounces of honey in a glass with five drops of lavender oil. If the honey is too thick, heat it by placing the glass in warm water. Add one or two tablespoons of the honey-lavender mixture to your bathwater to help you relax and combat insomnia.

Dental care and mouth sores: Cleans teeth, mouth and dentures and stops bleeding gums. Canker sores, blisters and mouth ulcers respond to application of raw honey.

Because honey is derived from the nectar of flowers and, unlike refined sugar, consists of various sugars that enter the blood stream at different times, it therefore has less effect on blood sugar levels than refined sugar.

For hay fever: Honey contains grains of pollen that, over time, may have a desensitizing effect, making it useful for the relief of allergies. Hay fever sufferers are advised to eat honey that has been harvested locally.

What is honey good for?

For relief of asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory ailments: Honey is an outstanding household remedy that can be used in combination with various medicinal herbs. For relief of coughs and wheezing associated with bronchitis or other minor respiratory ailments, mix one teaspoon of finely chopped fresh thyme in a little honey. Take the mixture as needed to soothe inflamed lungs and airways.

Honey has been used as a remedy for everything from arthritis and asthma to burns, constipation, hay fever, hemorrhoids, migraine, shingles, varicose ulcers and battle wounds. One of the powerful benefits of honey was that it could ward off infections and speed healing. How does honey heal? Honey has anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antibiotic, antifungal and antibacterial properties. Honey’s high sugar content kills many kinds of bacteria, including some antibiotic-resistant germs. Honey also forms a moist environment, which speeds healing of wounds and minimizes scarring. What are some uses for honey? A study by Robert Bloomfield, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, reports, “Applied every two to three days under a dry dressing, honey promotes healing of ulcers and burns better than any other local application. It can also be applied to other surface wounds, including cuts and abra-

July 2007

Page 5

Hives ferment a yeasty brew, attract beetle pest Public release date: 16-May-2007 Contact: A’ndrea Elyse Messer, Penn State aem1@psu.edu 814-865-9481 The honeybee’s alarm signal may not only bring help, but also attract the small hive beetle. Now, an international team of researchers has found that small hive beetles can detect some alarm pheromones at levels below that detected by honeybees. The beetles associate the alarm chemicals with a good food source and head for the hive. In Africa, where the small hive beetle is a minor honeybee pest, bees quickly isolate an invading beetle, but domesticated European honeybees are not as diligent in cleaning their hives.The beetles are also aided in their invasion by a yeast that naturally occurs on pollen and produces, as a fermentation product, the alarm chemical that draws the beetles. “It is possible that bees are being habituated to a low level of alarm hormone,” says James H. Tumlinson, the Ralph O. Mumma Professor of Entomology and director of the Penn State Center for Chemical Ecology. While small hive beetles are common in Africa and pose little threat to African honeybee hives, it appears that domesticated European honeybees have a much harder time containing the beetles in their hives. European honeybees were bred to be docile and easy to work with, while African honeybees are noted for aggression and a propensity to sting. The beetles were first seen infesting U.S. beehives in Florida in the late 1990s. The researchers tested the response of both the small hive beetles and honeybees to isopentyl acetate (IPA), the major chemical in the bee’s alarm pheromones. The first tests showed that when worker bees become alarmed, they produce from 1,500 to 10,000 times more IPA than found in an undisturbed hive. Next

the researchers used a gas-chromatograph-electroantennogram to analyze the chemical sensitivity of the insects’ antennae.They report in a recent online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that the beetles could detect the equivalent of 2 nanograms of IPA at the entrance to an undisturbed honeybee colony, but, the antennae of guard and forager bees did not detect this level of IPA. “This indicates strongly that the heightened sensitivity of the beetles to volatiles released from the hive entrance allows them to key in on the bee colonies without bees responding to their attack,” the researchers report. Complicating the issue is the yeast that grows in the hives. The researchers found that this yeast only produced IPA when it grew on pollen. Even pollen substitute, a food sometimes provided for bees, did not increase the amounts of IPA produced. “We are not really sure how the yeast gets into the colony,” says Tumlinson.“Perhaps one beetle finds and carries the yeast in and it reproduces, or, because the yeast grows on pollen in nature, perhaps bees bring it into the hive.” This combination of domestic honeybees, small hive beetles and yeast produced IPA leads to combs so messy that the bees eventually decide to abandon the hive, leaving the beetle larvae to consume all the stored food, reproduce and multiply. “If beekeepers can reverse the trend and eliminate the beetles, the hive can be saved,” says Tumlinson. “If they can stop the beetles and remove eggs in the hive, the hive recovers.” Honeybees are of major economic importance in agriculture as the major pollinating force for much orchard fruit and vegetables. Many of these fruits and vegetables will not produce without honeybees. The small hive beetle can destroy many commercial hives. “If we can find out how this system works, there is a good possibility we will figure out ways to protect against the beetle,” says Tumlinson. Honeybees in the U.S. and Europe have been suffering from a variety of invaders and ailments including varroa mite infestations, fungal infections and beetles. Recently, beekeepers in the U.S. reported occurrences of Colony Collapse Disorder, a syndrome where hives are found abandoned, except for the queen and a few workers. Beekeepers and researchers are unsure of the cause of CCD.

DRAPER’S SUPER BEE 914 S. Street Auburn, NE 68305 Ph. (402) 274-3725 Fax: (402) 274-3128

“Whether or not it has anything to do with Colony Collapse Disorder, a multitude of things are all attacking bees today; these beetles are just one more thing to add to an already embattled species,” says the Penn State researcher. Researchers working on this project include Tumlinson; Baldwyn Torto, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya; Drion G. Boucias, U.S. Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Center, Gainesville, Florida; Richard T.Arbogast and Peter E.A. Teal, University of Florida.The USDA supported this research.

Page 6

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Missouri State Beekeepers Fall 2007 Meeting Friday, November 2nd – Saturday, November 3rd by Sharon Gibbons

Tours of Historic Hannibal, Andrews Honey Farm

Please join us for our Fall Meeting in Hannibal, MO. We have an exciting agenda planned and we hope that all of our members will attend. Perhaps car-pooling can be arranged from the western and southwestern parts of Missouri.

We would like to include a trolley tour of Hannibal.There would be an extra charge for the tour. Please let me know if there is any interest in it. The tour would include stops at Mark Twain Cave, Historic Downtown Hannibal, Molly Brown’s Birthplace, Mark Twain Riverboat, and more. 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.

This two-day meeting will be held at: QUALITY INN & SUITES 120 Lindsey Drive Hannibal, Mo. 63401 (573) 221-4001 E-mail gm.mo179@choicehotels.com The group room rate is $69.95 for single or double. Please mention MSBA to get the special rate.The block of rooms will be held for us until October 18, 2007. The hotel is located on Highway 36, two miles west of the intersection of Highways 36 and 61.The room rate includes a full hot breakfast buffet.The hotel has an indoor heated pool, hot tub, exercise room and game room. The rooms include irons, ironing boards, hair dryers, and in-room coffee service. The hotel is a pet friendly hotel, allowing up to two pets for an additional $10 charge in the smoking section of the hotel. Suites are available at an extra charge.

Dewey Caron, Dan Purvis are Featured Speakers Speakers for our meeting include nationally renowned entomologist Dewey M. Caron from the University of Delaware. His topics will include: Honeybee Nutrition and how it might relate to CCD; Africanized honeybees in the Americas (specifically in Missouri); Fall and Winter Management; and Dewey’s research on mite thresholds. Our second speaker is Dan Purvis, who will discuss queen breeding and selection of the best stock for Missouri.

We also will have a honey house tour of Andrews Honey Farm. You might remember that Bernie showed us slides of the construction of his honey house several years ago. Bernie is an Illinois beekeeper close to Quincy, IL. We will need to arrange a bus or several large vans for the trip to his house. Please support our meetings by attending. If you support our banquet and lunches at the meetings, we will be able to meet the $3000 food minimum required to get free meeting rooms. All meeting questions can be directed to Sharon Gibbons at sgibbs314@earthlink.net.

Swarm Shortage May Be Part of Larger Problem Continued from page 1 be straining the confines of the two deep brood boxes in which it overwintered. As Grant Gillard said in his Spring Meeting lecture on swarm control, it’s all about congestion in the brood nest. Swarming preparations are initiated in response to congestion with bees and/or nectar.When both are in short supply, there is no swarm impulse. In fact, says Grant, “… in Jackson, MO, our swarm calls have been few and far between as well. I blame the freeze we had around Easter. It knocked out the nectar flow… Without any blooms to supply nectar and pollen, I sense the queen reduced her laying.” Whether CCD can in any way be implicated in this year’s dearth of swarms is open to question. But clearly, Missouri’s bees (and beekeepers) have suffered over the past few months. Last year’s extended drought conditions caused negative ripple effects that are still felt today: Low nectar supplies resulted in poor honey production throughout the state. Many beekeepers had to feed to ensure their bees’ survival into December, much less through the winter. Drought conditions also affected the quality of pollen available to the bees.This in turn affected the health of fall brood, which impacted winter survival rates. Flowering trees, when exposed to prolonged drought conditions, not only produce less nectar in the drought year, but head into winter with reduced carbohydrate stores, which can in turn cause a dearth of nectar in the following year. All of these factors -- reduced pollen production, delayed colony buildup, and reduced nectar flow -- add up to another poor honey crop for this year.

July 2007

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Missouri State Beekeepers Association Fall 2007 Meeting Registration Form NAME_______________________________________________________ ADDRESS____________________________________________________ CITY___________________STATE_________ZIP+4_________________ PHONE________________________E-MAIL ____________________________

Pre-Registration Fees: registration must be received by OCTOBER 19, 2007 Member – Pre-registration

$20.00 X_____= __________

Family Member— Must have paid 2007 dues as a family member $30.00 Please list names attending for name badges. _______________________________ Non-member –Pre-registration

_________

$30.00 X _____= ___________

Registrations made after OCTOBER 19, 2007 Member -(No family discount on late registrations)

$25.00 X ______=___________

Non-member –

$35.00 X ______= ___________

Friday Night Banquet & Entertainment: To be announced Adult - $20.00 per person Child - $12.00/child under 12

($20.00 x _____) = ($12.00 x _____) =

_______ _______

Saturday Lunch Adult - $12.50/person Child - $7.50/child under 12

($12.50 x _____) = ($ 7.50 x _____) =

_______ _______

Membership 2008 Missouri State Beekeepers Assn. Individual: Renewal New Membership 2008 Missouri State Beekeepers Assn. Family: Renewal New Queen fund donation Meeting fund donation

$15.00_______ $20.00_______

Donation $___________ Donation $___________ $___________

Total

Please make checks payable to: Mo. State Beekeepers Assn . Send to Pam Brown, 1407 Sneak Rd., Foristell, Mo. 63348. 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 refunded for those.

July 2007

Page 9

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

Joplin Area Beekeepers Last Thursday of each month, SW MO Bank Annex (7th and Duquesne) Contact Howard Thompson 417-781-0587

Is your club missing? Send your information to: editor@mostatebeekeepers.org

Hivastan Receives Section 18 Exemption for Missouri Hivastan, a varroa control agent (active ingredient: Fenpyroximate) has been cleared for use in Missouri for a limited time. Fenpyroximate is used on crops such as citrus, apples and hops, but is not technically approved for use in honeybee colonies. But according the the Environmental Protection Agency’s website, “Section 18 of Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) authorizes EPA to allow States to use a pesticide for an unregistered use for a limited time if EPA determines that emergency conditions exist.” The Missouri Department of Agriculture applied for and received this Section 18 exemption, which applies through February of 2008. According to Collin Wamsley, Missouri State Entomologist, the state can reapply for this exemption every year. “Thanks go to Darryl Slade of our Pesticide Bureau for doing all the work on this,” said Wamsley. “He is the one who actually carries out the application process.”

transfer the active ingredient thoughout the colony while they work to remove the product (which they perceive as a foreign substance) from the hive.” Unfortunately,Wamsley said the chemical is in short supply right now due to high demand from beekeepers.“You will want to contact ... your chemical dealer directly” for availability.

Missouri Names New Entomologist Collin Wamsley was named to the post of Missouri State Entomologist in April, replacing the retiring Michael Brown. Mr.Wamsley holds a B.S. in Agronomy and an M.S. in Agriculture from Northwest Missouri State University. He studied entomology for 2.5 years at Kansas State University before accepting a position with the Missouri Department of Agriculture in 2000. He most recently served MDA as a field entomologist in west central Missouri.

Hivastan is supplied in the form of patties that are placed in the hive in Spring and Fall (before and after the honey flow).

Mr. Wamsley has also assisted his predecessor with the Missouri State Fair’s apiculture contest over the past five years, and has met many of the state’s beekeepers in the process.

According the product’s manufacturer, Central Life Sciences, testing with the USDA showed that it “provided up to six weeks of nomess, easy-to-use Varroa control. When used as directed, bees

Mr. Wamsley grew up near Clarksville, MO, on a crop and livestock farm, and is proud to be a sixth-generation Missouri farmer. He lives with his wife and one-year-old daughter in Columbia.

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Page 10

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$21.00

$38.00

July 2007 Honey Queen Report Lori Guthals Hello Beekeepers! Summer is finally here, and it sure feels like it here in Northwest Missouri. I just got done with school a few weeks ago and it has been all fun since then! Since the school semester ended, I have been super busy. I have been working on the farm (back home), visiting with family and attending numerous livestock shows. I’ve really had a good time so far, but I really can’t wait for what lies ahead the rest of the summer. I will have the opportunity to do some traveling, attend some more livestock shows and then it will be time for the Missouri State Fair! I’m so excited! That always seems to be the highlight of my summer and this year is especially exciting because not only do I get to show my cattle, but I will also have the opportunity to serve as your Queen in the Honey Booth! I’m extremely thrilled about that and can hardly wait! Well, it’s that time again, when I must let you go, but as always, I would like to say as this year’s Honey Queen, I look forward to serving you! If you have a fair, festival, meeting or activity you would like me to attend, please contact Kathy Hogan, Honey Queen Director, so she may relay the message to me. Her address in located in the column to the right and on the association website. Again, I thank you for this amazing opportunity and I look forward to promoting all aspects of honey throughout the remainder of the year! Sincerely, Lori Guthals

Page 11 Directory of Officers President: Ken Norman 417-669-4452 3634 Shiloh Church Road, Marionville, MO 65705 president@mostatebeekeepers.org Vice President: Scott Moser 636-285-7295 6600 Davis Lane, Cedar Hill, MO 63016 vicepresident@mostatebeekeepers.org Secretary: Paul Harris 417-890-1008 3876 South State Hwy J, Springfield, MO 65809 secretary@mostatebeekeepers.org Treasurer: Ron Vivian 816-690-7516 443 Fricke Road, Bates City, MO 64011-8280 treasurer@mostatebeekeepers.org Past-President: Monte Richardson 660-826-4917 1405 S. Prospect Ave., Sedalia, MO 65301 pastpresident@mostatebeekeepers.org Western Area Director: Glenn Davis 816-690-8007 4618 Highway Z, Bates City, MO 64011 westdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Southern Area Director: Marlin Trout 417-839-2992 20445 Lawrence 2070, Ash Grove, MO 65604 southwdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Eastern Area Director: Steve Harris 636-946-5520 1224 Sherbrooke Road, St. Charles, MO 63303 eastdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Southeastern Area Director: Ray Batton 573-686-4888 3032 N. 14th St., Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 southedir@mostatebeekeepers.org Program Chairperson: Sharon Gibbons 636-394-5395 314 Quinnmoor Dr., Ballwin, MO 63011 sgibbs314@earthlink.net Newsletter Editor: Eugene Makovec 314-965-4631 643 Pearl Ave., Kirkwood, MO 63122 editor@mostatebeekeepers.org Auxilliary Treasurer: Dolores Vivian 816-690-7516 443 Fricke Road, Bates City, MO 64011-8280 H1ybee@aol.com Queen Chairperson: Cathy Hogan P.O. Box 281, Boss, MO 65440 573-626-4493 queenchair@mostatebeekeepers.org State Fair Chairman: Dean Sanders cell 816-456-4683 37804 Old Pink Hill Road, Oak Grove, MO 64075

Money doesn’t grow on trees, and for that we can blame the bees. Despite their ability to cultivate honey They NEVER learned how to pollinate money. James M. Cowman

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 carpenter bee (Zylocopa virginica) browses a Clementine in a Kirkwood yard. Commonly mistaken for a bumblebee, the carpenter is distinguished by a longer, darker and shinier abdomen. Also unlike the bumblebee, the carpenter is solitary by nature.The female excavates a perfectly round hole in exposed wood and lays her eggs there. Like many “solitary” species, they often live in communities of a sort; where one carpenter bee nest is found, there are usually several. The sound of burrowing can heard by one standing withing a couple of feet of the site, and small piles of sawdust can be observed below. One trait this insect shares with the bumblebee is its value as a pollinator. Passion fruit, peppers and pole beans are among the species worked by carpenters.They are, however, known for “robbing” certain crops such as blueberries by cutting slits in the sides of flowers to access nectar without contacting the pollen. Some gardeners attract carpenter bees for pollination purposes by hanging boards outside with starter holes drilled 5/8” in diameter. -- photo by Eugene Makovec This newsletter is published six times per year, on about the first of each odd month. Submissions are due three weeks prior to publication. The email edition is in color, and 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@mostatebeekeepers.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

September 2007

P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075 Eugene Makovec

www.mostatebeekeepers.org

Editor

Missouri Beekeepers to Meet in Mark Twain’s Hannibal Fall Meeting to Feature Dewey Caron, Dann Purvis University of Delaware entomologist Dewey M. Caron, Ph. D, will be the primary speaker at the MSBA’s annual Fall Meeting in Hannibal. Dr. Caron, a past Chairman of the Board of Eastern Apiculture Society, holds a Ph.D in Entomology from Cornell University, an M.S. in Ecology from the University of Tennessee and a B.A. in Zoology from the University of Vermont. He has taught at the University of Delaware since 1981, and is nationally renowned for his research in such areas as pollination ecology, honeybee swarming and queen replacement, and integrated pest management (of both plant and insect pests). He teaches on a wide variety of environmental and apicultural subjects, and is in high demand as a speaker. Dr. Caron will lecture on a variety of issues, including Honeybee Nutrition and how it may relate to Colony Collapse Disorder, Africanized Honeybees in the Americas (specifically in Missouri), Fall and Winter Management, and his research on mite thresholds. The two-day meeting will be held Friday and Saturday, November 2 and 3 at: Quality Inn and Suites 120 Lindsey Drive (Hwy 36 two miles west of 61) Hannibal, MO 63401 573-221-4401 gm.mo179@choicehotels.com

Mention the MSBA when booking your room to receive the group rate of $69.95 for single or double, including a full hot breakfast buffet.This rate is good Thursday through Sunday nights, but can be extended if you wish to stay in town longer.The block of rooms will be held for us until October 18. Rooms include irons, hair dryers and coffee makers. The hotel has an indoor pool, hot tub, and exercise and game rooms. Up to two pets are allowed for a $10.00 charge. Suites are available for an extrra charge. Also speaking at the meeting will be Dann Purvis, of Georgia-based Purvis Brothers Apiaries. Purvis Brothers is known for its Goldline Enhanced Survival Queens. Purvis will speak to us about queen breeding and selection for the best Missouri stock. In addition to the regularly scheduled meeting activities, attendees will have the opportunity to tour a state-of-the-art honey house at Andrew Honey Farm, about 45 minutes away in Quincy, IL. MSBA member Bernie Andrew spoke to us several years ago about the construction of the honey house, along with all the regulatory and logistical hurdles that needed to be overcome.We will now have the chance to see the completed project in person. Program Director Sharon Gibbons has also arranged a trolley tour of Hannibal. It will include stops at Mark Twain Cave, historic downtown Hannibal, Molly Brown’s Birthplace, Mark Twain Riverboat and more. There will be a charge for this tour. If interested, please sign up using the meeting registration form on page 5 of this newsletter.There is also a river cruise available via the Mark Twain Riverboat on Saturday afternoon. Please support our meetings by attending. If you support our banquet and lunches at the meetings, we will be able to meet the $3000 food minimum required to get free meeting rooms. All meeting questions can be directed to Sharon Gibbons at sgibbs314@earthlink.net.

One of many species of English Lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, or “Royal Velvet”, shows off its long stems and three-tofour-inch flower spikes. Lavender is known for its rapid growth, low maintenance and lengthy blooming period (late Spring though mid Summer in Missouri).

“Lavender” is derived from the Latin “lavare”, meaning “to wash”; the Romans bathed in lavenderscented water. Other uses for this herb include potpourris, flavoring for food and drink, natural insect repellent and relief for burns and insect bites. -- photo by Eugene Makovec

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: From the President Ken Norman

State Fair Judging Results Lowell Hutchison is Grand Champion Eastern Wins Association Crown

Apitherapy News “Life Mel” Medicinal Honey

Terramycin Resistance Explained 4 Fall Meeting Registration Form Pre-Register by October 19 Fall Meeting Agenda

5 6-7

A CCD Breakthrough? A virus may be the culprit

Local Club Information

Membership Application

Honey Queen Report

Directory of Officers

Page 2

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

From the President by Ken Norman The Missouri State Fair for 2007 is in the past, and what a hot time it was at the Fair. Dean Sanders did an outstanding job handling the Fair and coordinating the workers throughout the heat wave. The Missouri State Beekeepers Association wishes to thank all the twenty-plus workers who gave up their time and gave of their talents to work at the Fair. A special thanks to Ron Vivian for keeping the honey ice cream frozen and ready to be sold, and to Glenn Davis for supplying the main portion of the honey that was sold at the Fair.A special thanks to all the honey and bee product exhibitors at the Fair. It is through their contributions of entries that the Fair is enhanced. So next year all of the associations should look at putting in entrees for the 2008 Fair. Two of the speakers for the fall state meeting will be Dann Purvis and Dewey Caron. Dann Purvis has spoken on the following subjects at the Eastern Apicultural Society in 2006: Setting up swarm boxes and finisher colonies, working in the bee yard, and bee genetics in the New Millennium. In addition to those topics, he posts his breeding philosophy and a list of his training references at the following website: http://web.mac.com/dannpurvis/iWeb/Purvis%20Brothers%20 Bees.com/Reference.html

THE HAWLEY HONEY COMPANY 220 North Elm Iola, KS 66749 620-365-5956 (After 8 pm 620-365-7919) White clover honey strained in 5-gallon buckets. We will pack it in your jars for an extra fee. Bee Equipment - New and Used - Used Extractors Corn syrup, sugar syrup and SUGAR Bees -- Frames of brood Call for prices. Can deliver to Kansas City, Joplin or Butler, MO

Dr. Caron has also spoken at the Eastern Apicultural Society, on the following subjects: Biology of the Honeybee, Africanized Bees in Bolivia, Bees and the Flowers they Love, and Feeding the Honeybee. In addition, Dr. Caron is the author of Honey Bee Biology & Beekeeping, which, according to Amazon.com, explains bee biology, what bees do, and provides the tools which make it possible for an individual to successfully manage bee colonies. The author has concentrated on the “why” aspects of bee biology so that the reader understands “when” and “how” certain things must be done to colonies. Bees and beekeeping are explained in a manner meaningful to a person who lacks an extensive background or knowledge of biology.Yet the author has not oversimplified bee biology to the point where it is meaningless to the serious beekeeper or informed biologist. So get your questions ready for the main speakers and be ready to be informed on your future of beekeeping and the possibilities of queen production. I will see all you in Hannibal in the Fall.

MISSOURI STATE FAIR 2007 Apiculture Judging Contest Results Candied Honey Cut Comb Light Bulk Comb Light/Amber Extracted

Dark Extracted

Bulk Wax

Sealed Shallow Frame Wax Art Design Candles

INDIVIDUAL ENTRIES 1st Place Glenn Davis nd 2 Place Lowell Hutchison 1st Place Lowell Hutchison 2nd Place Sharon Gibbons 1st Place Lowell Hutchison 1st Place Norm Grosche 2nd Place Jim Fisher 3rd Place Glenn Davis 3rd Place Lowell Hutchison 4th Place Bob Sears 5th Place Ted Jansen 6th Place Bob Finck 7th Place Michael Dee 8th Place Glenn Davis 1st Place Bob Sears 2nd Place Jim Fisher 3rd Place Norm Grosche 4th Place Sharon Gibbons 5th Place Kirby von Shouse 6th Place Ted Jansen 1st Place Bob Finck 2nd Place Lowell Hutchison 3rd Place Sharon Gibbons 1st Place Glenn Davis 2nd Place Lowell Hutchison 1st Place Sharon Gibbons st 1 Place Lowell Hutchison 2nd Place Sharon Gibbons

INDIVIDUAL GRAND CHAMPION

Light/Amber Extracted

Cut Comb Dark Extracted

Bulk Wax

Lowell Hutchison

LOCAL ASSOCIATION ENTRIES 1st Place Midwestern nd 2 Place Eastern 3rd Place Eastern 4th Place Eastern 5th Place Midwestern 6th Place Midwestern 7th Place Eastern 8th Place Eastern 1st Place Midwestern nd 2 Place Eastern 1st Place Midwestern 2nd Place Eastern 3rd Place Eastern th 4 Place Eastern 5th Place Midwestern 6th Place Eastern 1st Place Eastern nd 2 Place Eastern

CLUB GRAND CHAMPION

Bates City St. Joseph St. Joseph Ballwin St. Joseph Affton Raymore Bates City St. Joseph St. Louis Chesterfield Fenton Herman Park Bates City St. Louis Raymore Affton Ballwin St. John Chesterfield Fenton St. Joseph Ballwin Bates City St. Joseph Ballwin St. Joseph Ballwin

St. Joseph

Glenn Davis Michael Dee Bob Finck Norm Grosche Lowell Hutchison Jim Fisher Ted Jansen Bob Sears Glenn Davis Sharon Gibbons Glenn Davis Norm Grosche Sharon Gibbons Ted Jansen Jim Fisher Bob Sears Bob Finck Sharon Gibbons

Eastern Missouri Beekeepers

Page 4

Missouri State Beekeepers Association Apitherapy News ... New Medicinal Honey Product Launched in United Kingdom A new medicinal honey product, called “Life Mel Honey,” has been launched in the United Kingdom.

According to the product website: “Life Mel Honey is produced by bees fed on a special food mixture which enables them to make a unique form of honey with all the beneficial properties of the therapeutic herbs and natural ingredients. . . Life Mel Honey uses nectar derived from therapeutic herbs including Siberian Ginseng, Echinacea and Uncaria Tomentosa, combined with a selection of natural ingredients including iron, protein and vitamins.”

A recent hospital study indicated that Life Mel Honey can, in some patients, have a positive effect in increasing counts for red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in the blood, and thus may be beneficial for people with reduced immunity. (Medical Oncology, Vol 23, No 4, 2006) The technique for producing Life Mel Honey seems to be based on the “express” method of honey production developed in Russia by N.Yoirish.

Researchers explain Terramycin Resistance American researchers have discovered why the American foulbrood (AFB) causing bacteria has suddenly developed resistance to the only treatment approved for use in the United States. The antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC), sold under the brand name Terramycin, has been used successfully for more than 50 years to kill the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae. But in the last few years there have been several reports of OTC’s loss of effectiveness. Agricultural Research Service molecular biologist Dan Murray, who works at the ARS Honey Bee Research Unit at Weslaco, Texas, has figured out why. Murray and molecular biologist Katherine Aronstein discovered in P. larvae a natural plasmid - dubbed pMA67 - that contains an OTC resistance gene. Plasmids are small DNA molecules containing up to several dozen genes that bacteria pass on when they reproduce. This is the first report of any tetracycline resistance gene being found in any Paenibacillus bacteria. Among 35 P. larvae strains tested from across the U.S. and one from Canada, all 21 OTC-resistant strains possessed this plasmid and all 15 OTC-sensitive strains did not. “This finding was unexpected,” Murray says.“Other scientists have found plasmids in various AFB bacterial strains but none of them conferred antibiotic resistance. This plasmid is significant because it has rendered useless what until very recently has been the only effective preventive treatment for AFB.” Fortunately, ARS scientists at Beltsville, Maryland, have recently shepherded approval by the Food and Drug Administration of a new antibiotic against AFB called tylosin. The researchers say there are two likely reasons for the relatively rapid spread of OTC resistance: First, bees from broad geographical areas are brought together when beekeepers rent out their hives to agricultural producers for pollination.That means the bees can spread OTC-resistant bacteria to bees they wouldn’t normally encounter.

Second, based on its DNA sequence, plasmid pMA67 is thought to have the ability to transfer to other bacterial cells in a process called plasmid mobilization.This means that, in addition to passing the plasmid - and its OTC resistance genes - on to their descendants, bacteria can physically transfer a copy of the plasmid to other bacterial cells they come in contact with. It is the same phenomenon largely responsible for spread of antibiotic resistance among disease-causing bacteria in humans. OTC resistance in P. larvae is thought to have begun when, at some point, pMA67 was transferred from some other bacterial species into P. larvae. From Alan Harman. This CATCH THE BUZZ Message brought to you by Bee Culture, The Magazine Of American Beekeeping. www.BeeCulture.com

WEAVER’S FAMOUS QUEENS And Package Bees

Buckfast & All-American OVER 118 YEARS OF SERVICE THE R WEAVER APIARIES, INC. 16495 C.R. 319, NAVASOTA, TX 77868 Phone (936) 825-2333 FAX (936) 825-3642 EMAIL: rweaver@rweaver.com WEBSITE: www.rweaver.com

DRAPER’S SUPER BEE 914 S. Street Auburn, NE 68305 Ph. (402) 274-3725 Fax: (402) 274-3128

Pre-Registration Fees: Registration must be received by OCTOBER 19, 2007 Member – Pre-registration

$20.00 X_____= __________

Family Member— Must have paid 2007 dues as a family member $30.00 Please list names attending for name badges: _______________________________ Non-member –Pre-registration

_________

$30.00 X _____= ___________

Registrations made after OCTOBER 19, 2007 Member -(No family discount on late registrations) Non-member –

$25.00 X ______=___________ $35.00 X ______= ___________

Trolley Tour of Historic Hannibal ($7.50 for seniors)

$8.00 X_______=__________

Friday Night Banquet : Crowning of 2008 Missouri Honey Queen Adult - $20.00 per person Child - $12.00/child under 12

($20.00 x _____) = ($12.00 x _____) =

_______ _______

Saturday Lunch Adult - $12.50/person Child - $7.50/child under 12

($12.50 x _____) = ($7.50 x _____) =

_______ _______

Membership 2008 Missouri State Beekeepers Assn. Individual: Renewal New Membership 2008 Missouri State Beekeepers Assn. Family: Renewal New Oueen fund donation Meeting fund donation Plane fares for speakers have gone way up since we figured the registration fee. Any extra donation would be appreciated.

$15.00_______ $20.00_______

Donation $___________ Donation $___________

Total

$___________

Please make checks payable to: MO State Beekeepers Assn. Send to Pam Brown, 1407 Sneak Rd., Foristell, Mo. 63348. 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 2007 Fall Meeting Agenda Friday, November 2nd

8:30-9:30 10:30-12:00

Registration open Set-up for Vendors in the Paradise Ballroom

Depart for Bernie Andrew's Honey House Tour: 9:30 am Bernieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s address is: 2848 E. 1400th St. Loraine, IL. 62349 (Maps will be available at the meeting.) Several years ago Bernie showed a PowerPoint presentation of the construction of his honey house. Come and see the completed structure. Bernie and his wife are planning a big event including refreshments that include honey ice cream (homemade), and cookies and brownies made with honey. Bernie is saving frames of honey to show us how he extracts, etc. Bernie says he needs no help, but maybe some of the officers could vounteer their help, especially with crowd control. 12:00-1:00

Registration open: Paradise Room

1:00-1:15

Announcements from President Ken Norman

1:15-2:00

Honeybee Nutrition, and How it Relates to CCD.

2:00-2:45

How to Prepare Beeswax: From Capping to Candles Cecil Sweeney

2:45-3:10

Break and some door prizes

3:15-3:55

Development of the Purvis Goldline -- Is it a Queen Suitable for the Midwest?

4:00-4:50

Africanized honeybees in the Americas (specifically in Missouri)

6:00 PM

Honey Queen Banquet: Calypso Room

Dr. Dewey Caron

Dann Purvis

Dr. Dewey Caron

Dinner menu: Italian Buffet includes antipasto, pasta salad, tossed greens, shrimp scampi, chicken parmesan, lasagna, seasonal vegetables, potatoes, and chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice of desserts. Presentation by Queen Lori Guthals Crowning of 2008 Missouri Honey Queen, conducted by Cathy Hogan and Queen Lori 8:30

Executive Board Meeting -- Coral Room Meeting is open to all attendees, but a must for all officers and board members. Also a representative from each local should be there.

Saturday, November 3rd 7:30-8:00

Registration

8:00-8:15

Welcome and Announcements-Ken Norman

8:15-8:35

Greetings from Queen Chairperson Cathy Hogan and 2007 Queen Lori Guthals. Introduction of our 2008 Honey Queen. Bring silent auction items as a donation to support the queen program. Auction items will be set up outside Calypso/Aloha Rooms, facing the pool area.

8:40-9:30

Are Your Colonies Wrapped up for Fall?

Dr. Dewey Caron

9:30-10:15

How to Breed for Survival, Breeding a Better Bee

Dann Purvis

September 2007

Page 7

2007 Fall Meeting Agenda (continued) 10:00-11:00

Special trolley tour of Hannibal. Leave hotel at 9:30. See special sign-up on registration form. Limit is 32. Cost for group is $7.50 (senior) or $8.00 per person. Add 50 cents if we don’t reach the group minimum of 20.

10:15-10:40

Break and Raffle prize drawing

10:45-11:10

National Honey Board-What’s Next

11:15-11:55

Value-Added Honey Products Through Craft Shows and Farmers Markets

12:00-1:00

Lunch, in Calypso Room

Chris Gibbons, MO Nominations Committee member Joli Winer

Roasted Chicken Breast/wild rice/vegetables & salad 1:00-2:15

Determining Mite Thresholds (My Research on Mites and IPM Management of Varroa Mites) Dr. Dewey Caron

2:15-2:45

Designing Your Own Web Page (Speaker to be announced) -- Paradise Room Artificial Insemination Of Honeybee Queens

Dann Purvis -- Calypso Room

Building Screen Bottom Boards -- Ian Brown -- Coral Room 2:45-3:15

Break — End of Silent Auction. Raffle Prize Drawing

3:15-4:15

Annual Business Meeting, Election of Officers More door prizes

Weather permitting: Optional 1 hour tour available Saturday afternoon on the Mark Twain Riverboat. Sailing time is 1:30 or 4pm. Cost is $13.00, $10.00 for children ages 5 to 12. If you are interested, check in with Sharon or Pam on Friday morning. Website is www.marktwainriverboat.com

About our Speakers:

Dr. Dewey Caron - Author, award-winning teacher, and our featured presenter this year. Dr. Caron received his doctorate degree at Cornell University studying under Dr. Roger Morse. Dr. Caron has taught at the University of Maryland for 11 years and since 1981 at the University of Delaware. He was EAS Chairman for eight years and is coordinator of MAAREC, a cooperative research and extension group. Dewey has published five books, of which the most familiar are "Africanized Honey Bees", "Observation Hives", which he co-authored with Thomas Webster, and "Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping". Dr. Caron's articles are frequently seen in beekeeping magazines. Dewey's work has been recognized often, but he is most proud of the EAS Roger A. Morse Award for Teaching, Extension, and Regulatory Excellence with Honeybees. Dann Purvis - Founder of the Purvis Brothers Apiaries and Lab in Blainsvilee, Georgia. He began selection for varroa and tracheal mite resistant stock in 1997. He now selects from survivor colonies that have been left untreated. He calls them "goldline" bees. Joli Wiiner and Cecil Sweeney: Owners of Heartland Apiary in Kansas. Long-time contributors to Missouri State Beekeepers.

Support our Vendors As of press time, the following vendors had confirmed plans to attend the meeting.You can save on shipping costs by placing orders ahead of time to be picked up during the meeting. Andrew Honey Farm --

Corn Syrup magic@adams.net

Draper’s Super Bee -- All Beekeeping Supplies 402-274-3725

Dadand & Sons (All Beekeeping Supplies)

888-922-1293

Heartland Honey (All Beekeeping Supplies) 913-856-8356

September 2007

Page 9

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

Joplin Area Beekeepers Last Thursday of each month, SW MO Bank Annex (7th and Duquesne) Contact Howard Thompson 417-781-0587

Is your club missing? Send your information to: editor@mostatebeekeepers.org

A solution to the mystery of Colony Collapse Disorder? by Eugene Makovec In early September, the journal Science reported a breakthrough in research on the causation of this mysterious “disappearing disease”. State-of-the-art gene sequencing technology, made possible by the recent mapping of the honeybee genome, identified a boatload of pathogens (including bacteria, fungi and viruses) present in both healthy bees and those from CCD-afflicted colonies. The results point to a recently discovered organism known as Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV). First observed in Israel in 2004, the virus was characterized by bees with shivering wings, which progressed to paralysis and, eventually, death just outside the hive. That seems at first a rather odd conclusion, considering those symptoms don’t match what we’ve heard about CCD, where the colony just disappears from the hive, often leaving a queen, brood and a handful of young workers, but no dead bees inside or out.

to a variety of factors.Varroa have compromised the health of most of our bees, making them more susceptible to many of the diseases they normally fight off. Maybe if you add just one more stressor, it’s like the straw that broke the camel’s back.This idea is supported, too, by the fact that CCD hit migratory bee colonies the hardest; between the stress of being constantly on the move and the exposure to countless other bees and their respective maladies, these bees are living on the edge to begin with. Then there’s the Australian connection: 2004 was also the year we began importing bees from that continent, and IAPV is thought by some to have hitched a ride with them. (Aussie researchers are questioning that conclusion.)

Still, the connection was compelling: While many disease organisms were present in most of the bees studied, IAPV was present in virtually all CCD samples, and in virtually none of the healthy bees.

Australia was and is varroa-free, and we needed the bees for our growing pollination needs. It is possible that Australian bees can coexist with IAPV where there is no varroa, and that American bees can live with varroa but no IAPV, but that together they provide a one-two punch that proves fatal.

As for the difference in symptoms, it’s possible that IAPV may afflict colonies in different ways depending on what else is going on in the hive. A lot of people have thought all along that CCD could be due

Together, that is, with all the other viruses, bacteria and fungi. After all, it wasn’t really the straw that broke the camel’s back. It was the 200-pound rider, his 300-pound pack, and the long desert journey.

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Page 10

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*Check here to receive your newsletter via email. This saves us roughly $10.00 per year in printing and mailing costs.

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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

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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:

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September 2007 Honey Queen Report by Lori Guthals Hello Beekeepers! It’s that time of year again, when the school year has just begun and fall is lingering around the corner! I hate that fact that summer is almost over, but truthfully, I could definitely use a break from the heat, and I do love watching the leaves change color and fall to the ground! However, summer isn’t quite over yet and the heat doesn’t look like it is going to lighten up anytime soon, so let’s enjoy it while it lasts! Speaking of summer, I have had a terrific one! I just got back from the Missouri State Fair about a week ago and am still trying to recuperate! This year, I had the pleasure of working in the Honey Booth and meeting some really great people! I spent each day doing various activities, from walking the fairgrounds handing out honey sticks, to passing out bee stickers to the fairgoers as they passed by the booth! We had many interesting people pass by, including a giant woman who juggled bowling pins above my head! It was a little frightening, but I survived! It was all very fun and I had a great time doing it! To all the gentlemen working the booth, thank you so much for your kindness and warm welcoming; I really had a great time with you all! Well, it’s that time again, when I must let you go, but as always, I would like to say that as this year’s Honey Queen, I look forward to serving you! If you have a fair, festival, meeting or activity you would like me to attend, please contact Kathy Hogan, Honey Queen Director, so she may relay the message to me. Her contact information is located on the association website, and in the column to the right. Again, I thank you for this amazing opportunity and I look forward to promoting all aspects of honey throughout the remainder of the year! Sincerely, Lori Guthals

Heartland Honey and Beekeeping Supplies 19201 South Clare Road Spring Hill, KS 66061 913-856-8356 www.heartlandhoney.com

Page 11 Directory of Officers

President: Ken Norman 417-669-4452 3634 Shiloh Church Road, Marionville, MO 65705 president@mostatebeekeepers.org Vice President: Scott Moser 636-285-7295 6600 Davis Lane, Cedar Hill, MO 63016 vicepresident@mostatebeekeepers.org Secretary: Paul Harris 417-890-1008 3876 South State Hwy J, Springfield, MO 65809 secretary@mostatebeekeepers.org Treasurer: Ron Vivian 816-690-7516 443 Fricke Road, Bates City, MO 64011-8280 treasurer@mostatebeekeepers.org Past-President: Monte Richardson 660-826-4917 1405 S. Prospect Ave., Sedalia, MO 65301 pastpresident@mostatebeekeepers.org Western Area Director: Glenn Davis 816-690-8007 4618 Highway Z, Bates City, MO 64011 westdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Southern Area Director: Marlin Trout 417-830-7749 20445 Lawrence 2070, Ash Grove, MO 65604 southwdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Eastern Area Director: Steve Harris 636-946-5520 1224 Sherbrooke Road, St. Charles, MO 63303 eastdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Southeastern Area Director: Ray Batton 573-686-4888 3032 N. 14th St., Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 southedir@mostatebeekeepers.org Program Chairperson: Sharon Gibbons 636-394-5395 314 Quinnmoor Dr., Ballwin, MO 63011 sgibbs314@earthlink.net Newsletter Editor: Eugene Makovec 314-965-4631 643 Pearl Ave., Kirkwood, MO 63122 editor@mostatebeekeepers.org Auxilliary Treasurer: Dolores Vivian 816-690-7516 443 Fricke Road, Bates City, MO 64011-8280 H1ybee@aol.com Queen Chairperson: Cathy Hogan P.O. Box 281, Boss, MO 65440 573-626-4493 queenchair@mostatebeekeepers.org State Fair Chairman: Dean Sanders cell 816-456-4683 37804 Old Pink Hill Road, Oak Grove, MO 64075 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

Baking With Bees: Glenda Mastek, (above, center) assists St. Louis area chefs as they prepare to say hello to their culinary friends, the honeybees. Glenda, along with MSBA member Sharon Gibbons, recently had a whirlwind day with the St. Louis media in honor of National Honey Month. Sharon tells the story at right. photo by Sharon Gibbons

Glenda Mostek, a staff member from the National Honey Board, spent two days, August 28th and 29th, in St.Louis to promote September as National Honey Month. Glenda and Sharon Gibbons made contacts with and had interviews on 97.1 FM, 88.7 FM at SIUE, with an editor at the Post Dispatch Food section, and on Wednesday evening hosted an event for the St. Louis Culinary Society. We invited chefs to don beesuits and visit beehives up close. Steve Harris assisted as we had the event at Little Creek Wildlife Center. Eighteen chefs along with Suburban Journal editor Janice Denham attended. We talked about honey and had a tasting of different honey from across the US. Also made sure we told them about the fake honeys on the market, especially in food service. In return, the chefs fixed honey snacks for all of us to enjoy. A nice article was in the Suburban Journal Food section on September 12th, including some of the recipes. I couldn't believe it when 6 very large boxes arrived at my house prior to Glenda's arrival. The boxes held 20 fullsized beesuits, hats and gloves, that are owned by the NHB.The board has been doing promotions with chefs for the past 5 years. Glad that they picked St. Louis.

This newsletter is published six times per year, in odd months. Submissions are due by the 15th of the month prior to publication. The email edition is in color, and 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@mostatebeekeepers.org with “email newsletter” in the subject line. I’ll reply with confirmation, and add you to my list. Business card size $15.00 Half page $50.00 Advertising rates are as follows: Quarter page $35.00 Full page $100.00 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

November 2007

P.O. Box 448 Oak Grove, MO 64075 www.mostatebeekeepers.org

Eugene Makovec Editor

“Bee Hunters” take in Hannibal Caron and Purvis do not disappoint by Eugene Makovec “Do bee hunters like snakes?” asked the trolley driver. “I don’t like bees, but I like snakes.” Having thus exhausted his knowledge of apiculture, our Hannibal tour guide proceeded to educate a couple of dozen out-of-town beekeepers on the history and folklore (sometimes indistinguishable) of the boyhood home of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain. We had taken a break from Saturday morning’s educational sessions for an hour-long trip through and around this historic river city. The autumn scenery was breathtaking, and the guide added his own local color, which your editor took with a grain of salt. I wondered if anyone else caught the discrepancy in his story of the Mark Twain Lighthouse on Cardiff Hill. We were told it was rededicated by President Kennedy in 1960, though JFK did not in fact take office until 1961. Continued on page <None>

Lori Guthals to repeat as queen Will compete in Nationals in January Missouri Honey Queen Lori Guthals has agreed to return for a second year, extending her reign through 2008. She awas asked to stay on after no qualified candidates were found to replace her. As showy as Autumn’s maples but more enduring, Mark Twain looks out over his beloved Mississippi River from Hannibal’s Riverview Park. photo by Eugene Makovec

From the President Ken Norman

Smarter than a 5th-Grader? 5 Talking to kids about bees

Beekeeping of Yesteryear Lone Star Apiarist, 1902

Spring Meeting Photos

7, 12

Local Club Information

Honey Board News Focus on Foodservice

Spring Meeting Preview See you in Springfield

Apitherapy News Honey outperforms Antibiotics

Honey Queen Report

Governor’s Ag Conference St. Louis, January 6-8

Directory of Officers

More Meeting Photos

Lori is a senior at the University of Missouri-Columbia, majoring in Agriculture. Lori also announced at the Fall Meeting that she will compete in the American Honey Queen competition at the National Beekeeping Conference January 8-12 in Sacramento, CA. Queen Program chairperson Cathy Hogan also announced that she would be stepping down from the position due to time considerations and the demands of her career. She will be replaced by Joyce Justice, who said she is looking forward to working with the state’s local organizations, both to support the existing queen and to produce candidates for future years.

Page 2

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

From the President by Ken Norman The Missouri State Beekeepe’s Association Fall meeting in Hannibal was a success, with over 100 beekeepers attending from three or more states. I would like to thank all the officers and workers I had to grab at the meeting to aid in the ebb and flow of the meeting to make it as productive as possible to all the beekeepers. If you were unable to attend, you missed out on discussions by Dr. Dewey Caron on Fat Bees and Skinny Bees and the influence of nutrition on the honeybee population. The web has a site by the Australian Government on Fat Bees and Skinny Bees, and it is located at http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/HBE/05-054.pdf. This 150 page site discusses several methods of feeding, uses of pollen and sugar and other nutrition requirements of bees, and is a welcome addition to the beekeeper’s library. Dann Purvis, the other main speaker, is a queen breeder from the hills of north Georgia. He stated that his main concern with bee problems was there was not enough diversity in the honeybee queen population, and by expanding this diversity it will enable the

honeybee to be healthier. Dr. Malcolm T. Sanford has a website at http://gbba.vze.com. In it he gives the same rationale and several links to aid in breeding the honeybee. I hope to see all the beekeepers from Missouri and other states in Springfield in March, at the Spring meeting of the Missouri State Beekeepers Association. The Governor’s Conference on Agriculture will be held in St. Louis this year, on January 6, with the banquet beginning at 5:00 p.m. If you would like to help the MSBA provide honey products to the conference, contact past President and National Honey Board delegate Chris Gibbons at 573-256-8687 to help in this project. The Executive board meeting will be held Saturday, January 26 at 9:00 a.m. in Columbia, at Ryan’s restaurant off of Interstate 70.All executive board members and a representative from each local are welcome to attend.

Beekeeping of Yesteryear A look back at the literature of a century ago

Bee-Keeping

laws to utilize it, and feeds his family the year round on black sorghum.The harvest is bounteous to those that know how to by E.Y.Terrall manipulate bees and no reason why a man of ordinary intellect and energy should not only make a living, but become wealthy, From The Lone Star Apiarist, January 1902 – Vol. 1, No. 1 Bee-keeping is different from all other pursuits, either connect- keeping bees for honey alone; to say nothing of the production ed or independent of agriculture or other callings. The most of wax, and queens. His laborers can not be numbered, and are ignorant may succeed in almost any calling or profession, but in never idle during harvest. They board and clothe themselves, roaming at will gathering treasures from the hedges bee-keeping, never. and by-ways, from mountains and meadows withUnless the bee-keeper is thoroughly posted in mod- Educate our people out hinderance which cannot be saved by any other in apiculture and means than the agency of the honey bee. ern bee-keeping in connection with several years practical experience, success is impossible. honey will pour Apiculture is the most pleasant and inspiring of all I am satisfied from more than twelve years experi- from Red River to other pursuits. ence in apiculture, that if the honey crop of Texas the Rio Grande. “Erato thy poet’s mind inspire; and fill his soul with could be saved, it would be more valuable than any thy celestial fire.” other crop, cotton not excepted. Every farmer in Texas can produce more honey than his family After research and study for a lifetime, I have failed to master can consume and not miss the time out of his crop if he be edu- the little honey bee. I will give twelve months time and a huncated to manipulate bees. Educate our people in apiculture and dred dollars to any one who knows all about bees to answer to questions that are of great importance to the apiarist, vis: honey will pour from Red River to the Rio Grande. “Wherefore did nature pour her bounties forth with such a full and unwithdrawing hand?”

How to “successfully” fertilize queens in confinement.

The alwise God has placed within easy reach of his most favored creature – man, a bounteous supply of the purest and best of sweets; at times almost dripping from the weeds, trees and vines under which he bask all summer, and he is too ignorant of God’s

Yes, Judge, one can have no idea of the immensity of honey annually going to waste.You should come to see our country down this way. Beekeeping pays, especially for the lucky fellow who should succeed in capturing that nice reward.Who’ll he be?

How to distinguish fertile workers from other bees.

November 2007

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Honey Board focuses on foodservice industry during Honey Month Honey promoted via visits to food editors Top tier editors throughout the U.S. were treated to personalized visits from NHB to learn more about honey and beekeeping. In each city visited, NHB representatives included local honey producers who shared their beekeeping and honey production expertise, as well as information on honey varieties found in their region. The producers included Indiana’s David Shenefield, Ohio’s Jim Tew, Virginia’s Ann Harmon and Missouri’s Sharon Gibbons. NHB representatives met with editors from newspapers, magazines, radio and television in Indianapolis, Cleveland, Washionton, DC, and St. Louis. The visits resulted in extensive media coverage about honey.

Giant honey bear invades NYC To commemorate September’s National Honey Month, NHB, along with architect Bryan Berg, constructed a 13-foot tall honey bear out of 3000 smaller honey bears. The bear was constructed on

September 18 at Citigroup Center in New York City. After the Bear Build-a-Thon, the honey was donated to the New York Food Bank. The event resulted in local and national media coverage. Prior to the bear building event, NHB hosted a rooftop garden editor event promoting honey. The event was attended by 15 editors from consumer and foodservice magazines and web sites. Chef Peter Hoffman of Savoy restaurant, located in the trendy Soho New York City neighborhood, prepared several delicious dishes using honey.

Hands-on honey demos in test kitchens NHB conducted three Test Kitchen Demos during the last year for editors to promote the benefits of using honey in cooking, as well as in beauty applications, and to provide recipes using honey.The demos were conducted at the following locations: Birmingham,AL, at Southern Progress, which owns many magazines such as Southern Living and Cooking Light. Des Moines, IA, at Meredith Publishing, which owns Better Homes and Gardens and Midwest Living. New York, NY, at Woman’s Day and Redbook. Nancy Dell’Aria, Test Kitchen Director at Woman’s Day, said afterward: “We all enjoyed meeting with you and were so impressed by the presentations not only of the food but also the information.We want to thank you and your colleagues for one of the very best desksides we’ve experienced.”

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Missouri State Beekeepers Association Apitherapy News ... Honey shows greater inhibitory effects on some bacteria than antibiotics

Antimicrobial Effect of Bee Honey in Comparison to Antibiotics on Organisms Isolated from Infected Burns Annals of Burns and Fire Disasters - vol. XX - n. 2 - June 2007

Summary: Despite recent advances in antimicrobial chemotherapy and burn wound management, infection continues to be an important problem in burns. Honey is the most famous rediscovered remedy that is used to treat infected wounds and promote healing. The present study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of bee honey on organisms isolated from infected burns in comparison to the antibiotics used in treatment of burn infection, and to evaluate the effects produced when bee honey is added to antibiotic discs… The mean inhibition zones (in mm) produced by honey (18.2 ± 2.5 mm) when applied to isolated gram-negative bacteria were significantly higher than amoxicillin/clavulinic acid, sulbactam/ampicillin, and ceftriaxone (p1 = 0.005 for each). When honey was added to the antibiotic discs there was highly significant increased sensitivity of isolated gram-negative bacteria

compared with each of the antibiotic discs alone and with honey alone. The susceptibility of isolated staphylococci revealed the synergistic effect of added honey to the antibiotic discs tested.The antimicrobial effect of honey (18.7 ± 2.2 mm) was significantly higher than antibiotics - ciprofloxacin, sulbactam/ampicillin, ceftriaxone, and vancomycin (p1 0.05 for each). After the addition of honey to the tested antibiotic discs there were highly significant increased inhibition zones of antibiotic mixed with honey compared with antibiotic alone - ciprofloxacin, vancomycin, and methicillin (p3 0.001 for each). Also, the increase was significant compared with antibiotics alone imipenem, amoxicillin/clavulinic acid, and ceftriaxone (p3 0.05). In conclusion, honey had more inhibitory effect (85.7%) on isolated gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp., Klebsiella) than commonly used antibiotics, while it had an inhibitory effect on all methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (100%) compared with antibiotics used. A synergistic effect of honey was observed when it was added to antibiotics for gram-negative bacteria and also for coagulase-positive staphylococci.

Governor’s Ag Conference to be held in St. Louis January 6-7, 2008 Governor Matt Blunt and Katie Smith, director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, are excited to bring the 41st Missouri Governor’s Conference on Agriculture to St. Louis on January 6-7, 2008 at the Millennium Hotel, presenting opportunities to network with Missouri agricultural producers and agribusiness leaders. Plan to join the Department of Agriculture, Missouri agribusinesses and commodity organizations as they bring a full schedule of speakers and events focused on “Agriculture – Gateway to the Future.” Don’t miss an opportunity to join Missouri producers and agriculture industry leaders as they join together to discuss industry trends, success stories, challenges and new marketing opportunities for the Missouri farmer.

Sunday, Jan. 6, 2008 A Taste of AgriMissouri: A true highlight of Missouri’s commodity organizations and a wonderful display of Missouri’s finest foods and beverages

Live Auction: Benefiting the Missouri FFA Leadership Fund, Missouri 4-H Foundation, Agriculture Future of America (AFA) and Agricultural Leadership of Tomorrow (ALOT)

Monday, Jan. 7, 2008 Presenters and Topics: Governor Matt Blunt Center for Food Integrity Livestock Panel Discussion Dennis Avery Senator Kit Bond (Invited) Carl Hausmann Dr. Jay Lehr Semi-Formal Dinner Banquet featuring Comedian Todd Oliver

November 2007

Page 5

Are you smarter than a fifth-grader? When it comes to honeybees, you are. by Eugene Makovec I am not a talkative guy. I’m not a meeter-greeter.You could put me in a room with a hundred people where I knew no one, and three hours later I might still know no one. I can take a four-hour plane flight, sit between two other passengers and never strike up a conversation. It isn’t that I’m antisocial; I’m just not social. I don’t share a lot of interests with most of the people I run into, and I’ve never been comfortable making small talk with strangers. Give me a newspaper and I’ll happily occupy myself while others around me chitchat about the weather or local sports teams. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be engaged in conversation. Bring up my favorite sports team, and you will likely get my input. Broach the subject of honeybees, and you’ll have trouble shutting me up. That’s one thing you and I have in common.We are passionate about bees. In fact, it’s rare to find a beekeeper who is not. It’s also rare to find a person without some passing fascination with bees. If I happen to be reading a beekeeping magazine on that plane, chances are good that one of my neighbors will ask me about it.And if I happen to know one other person in that crowded room and she asks me about my bees, I’ll likely find myself discussing the subject at length with several of her other acquaintances. Of course, these conversations usually begin with, “Do you ever get stung?”, “What about those killer bees?”, or “Is it true the bees are dying?” Most people know very little about honeybees, and cannot differentiate them from other stinging insects. But what a wonderful teaching opportunity – we’re starting with someone who’s already interested in what we have to say. That’s really every schoolteacher’s wish, isn’t it? Please, God – let just a couple of these kids show an interest in what I’m trying to teach them. But unfortunately, teachers have to cram so much uninteresting information down kids’ throats that it’s hard to get them to pay attention to the good stuff. That’s where we come in. Any time a guest speaker comes in from the outside, the students’ interest is automatically piqued.They begin the class period paying attention; and trust me, when the subject is honeybees, they continue paying attention right up to the closing bell.

WEAVER’S FAMOUS QUEENS And Package Bees

The teacher’s biggest challenge is to keep them from all shouting questions at the same time.When class time is over, there’s no shortage of volunteers helping the guest lecturer pack up, continuing the question-and-answer period all the way out to the car. I have spoken about honeybees and beekeeping to classes ranging from 150 first-graders to a dozen high school Ag students, and have yet to find a group that was not receptive to the topic. Of course, you have to tailor your presentation to the audience. It’s not easy (or advisable) to discuss bee sex with first-graders. I have found that the best audiences are in about the fifth grade. These kids are young enough to pay attention, yet old enough to understand some basic bee biology. I remember the first time I was asked to do a presentation on bees. I was less than a year into keeping bees, and had just written an article about my experiences for a local weekly newspaper.A first-grade teacher who read the story looked me up and gave me a call. “How would you like to come speak to my first graders about honeybees?” she asked. Of course, I was scared to death. “I was just thinking about doing a talk for my daughter’s first grade class,” I said. “How about I do that and get back to you?” I printed a handful of bee photos I had taken (a worker on a purple hyacinth, a blue-marked queen bee, eggs and larvae, emerging workers, honeycomb with fresh white cappings) and affixed them to drymount boards. I drew up a general outline of things I wanted to cover in my talk, packed up my bee suit, smoker and other tools of the trade, and showed up at St. Peter Elementary more than a little apprehensive. Ten minutes into the talk, my apprehension went out the window, along with my outline. Most of my time was spent answering questions, from both the children and their teachers.When the hour was over I realized I had covered only a fraction of what I’d intended. I also realized I’d had a blast! And remember, I had less than a year of beekeeping under my belt. I’d done a good deal of reading and asked a lot of questions, but I was by no means an expert. Someone once said,“You don’t have to be an expert to lecture on a subject.You just need to know more than your audience.” In this case, you just need to be smarter than a fifth-grader.

Heartland Honey and Beekeeping Supplies 19201 South Clare Road Spring Hill, KS 66061 913-856-8356 www.heartlandhoney.com

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Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Nutrition and genetics touted as keys to honeybee health Speakers share their secrets to surviving CCD, varroa Continued from page 1

One could only hope the speakers at the MSBA Fall Meeting had more reliable information for us. They certainly came highly recommended. Dr. Dewey Caron teaches in the Department of Entomology at the University of Delaware. He is a past president of the Eastern Apicultural Society and has written numerous books and research papers on honeybees and beekeeping. Dann Purvis is a renowned queen breeder and researcher, and founder of Purvis Brothers Apiary and Lab in Blainsville, GA. They did not disappoint the crowd of over 100 attendees. Of course, like beekeepers everywhere, they did not agree on every issue either. Although Dr. Caron made liberal mention of CCD and its possible causes, Mr. Purvis questioned whether this newest bee malady even exists. Referring to it as a “money grab”, he at one point asked his audience,“Does anybody know anyone who’s got CCD?” No hands were raised in response. (Later that evening in a less public setting — the hotel bar — one sideliner detailed her experiences from last Spring, describing the classic CCD symptoms of no adult bees, small patches of dead brood and plenty of stores.)

Referring to healthy bees as “fat” bees, Caron said this season’s bees need to be healthy in order to survive the winter. Fat bees raise more brood, produce better drones, and are more responsive to environmental changes. “Skinny” bees, he said, are less hygienic, of poorer temperament, and more susceptible to things like nosema and chalkbrood. Dr. Caron also gave us his take on Africanized Honey Bees (AHB) and how they could affect Missouri beekeepers. To the question of when they might arrive in Missouri, he answered that they are already here; we just don’t realize it. While AHB moved steadily through Central America and some of our western states, migration to southeastern states like Florida came via “repeated isolated instances” – on shipping containers, in package bees and the like. These isolated instances are occurring in our own state, but AHB are having a more difficult time of it in our climate.The fact that we are a border state makes it all the more critical that we are vigilant in re-queening aggressive hives. Caron made several interesting observations about the aggressiveness of AHB:

“I’m not saying we don’t have a problem,” Purvis insisted. But he maintained that the biggest disaster in apiculture was not so much the advent of varroa, but the “missed opportunity” to gather up survivors, both feral and domestic, and use them to breed resistant stock. Instead, he says, researchers rushed to develop chemical treatments, ultimately resulting in the development of a super-race of mites.

AHB greater sensitivity to alarm pheromone quickly ratchets up the response to a perceived threat.

Purvis said he takes issue with researchers giving the latest dieoff a new name so that they can get papers published and prod Congress into providing funding to “the same people who caused the problem to begin with”. He recommended that we instead “find the people who are solving the problem” (those who are breeding mite-resistant bees), ask them how they did it and replicate their methods.

An early warning of such colonization is the death of animals in an area.

Dr. Caron also decried the growing resistance by mites to chemical pesticides.There are, he stated, two causes for this resistance: Chemicals kill all but the strongest of the species, which then breed and adapt further. Some beekeepers use less than toxic doses, giving resulting survivors an opportunity to adapt to the poison. Since the lifespan of varroa is so short, adaptation happens quickly, and the time between miticide development and resistance is also short. Along with developing mite-resistant bees, Caron said, it is extremely important that we make certain our bees have the proper nutrition needed for normal glandular development and disease resistance.This nutrition can be supplemented via pollen substitutes when natural pollen is in short supply.

They tend to leave the hive and defend it from the outside. (It’s already warm inside the hive, and gets even warmer as large numbers of bees get excited and beginning running around.) The most defensive colonies are the first to colonize an area.

Stinging death is not from an allergic response, but from toxin overload. Not all AHB colonies are “killers”; just as in European populations, there is variation in defensiveness among hives. One consolation for us northerners is that AHB appear to be less aggressive in more temperate climes; this has been the case at higher elevations in Latin America. AHB also exhibit some positive characteristics, said Caron: Queens tend to be more fertile. (Of course, this is a negative when they are moving into an area and out-breeding European bees.) They are mite-resistant, due to better grooming and a shorter brood cycle. They work earlier and later in the day. They are excellent pollinators. (They are, however, poorly suited to modern American agriculture, as they are “gleaners” – they bounce from one crop to the next, and tend to fly right over your orchard looking for something else.)

November 2007

From honey house to classroom Clockwise from top left: First four photos: Bernie Andrew (yellow T-shirt) demonstrates his extracting equipment and methods at his honey house near Quincy, IL.; Dann Purvis talks with MSBA President Kenny Norman, bottom right, and with Bernie Andrew, bottom center; Ian Brown begins his demonstration on the construction of screened bottom boards, bottom left; Dr. Dewey Caron answers questions following a lecture on Africanized Honeybees. photos by Eugene Makovec

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November 2007

Page 9

Local Club Information Beekeepers Association of the Ozarks 4th Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. The Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell, Springfield www.ozarksbeekeepers.org Boone Regional Beekeepers Association 3rd Sunday of odd months, 1:00 p.m., University Outreach and Extension Office, Rt. UU, Columbia Contact Art Gelder 573-474-8837 Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association 1st Thursday of each month, 7:30 p.m., Kirkwood Community Center, 111 Geyer Rd., Kirkwood Steve Harris, President 636-946-5520 http://easternmobeekeepers.googlepages.com/ Gasconade County Beekeepers Association 2nd Sunday of month, 7pm, Progressive Bank of Owensville Contact Rodney Angell 573-764-2922 bee143@fidnet.com Jackson Area Beekeepers 4th Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. First Pres. of Jackson, 206 E.Washington Contact Grant Gillard 573-243-6568 gillard5@charter.net 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 Joplin Area Beekeepers Last Thursday of each month, SW MO Bank Annex (7th and Duquesne) Contact Howard Thompson 417-781-0587

Mid Missouri Beekeepers 3rd Sunday of each month, Bank of Salem, Salem Mel Williams, President Midwestern Beekeepers Association 3rd Wednesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. YMCA, 10301 E. 350 Hwy, Raytown Bob Justice, President 816-358-3893 Missouri Valley Beekeepers Association 3rd Monday of each month, 7:00 p.m. Scenic Regional Library, Union Contact Rodney Angell 573-764-2922 bee143@fidnet.com Parkland Beekeepers 3rd Tuesday of each month, 108 Harrison, Farmington Contact Gene Wood 573-431-1436 South Central Missouri Beekeepers Association May Schmitt, President 417-256-9447 Southern Missouri Beekeepers of Monett (“MOBees”) 3rd Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. Monett High School VO-AG Building Robert Sperandio, President 417-235-6959 Southwest Beekeepers Association 1st Tuesday of each month Neosho High School FFA Building Contact Herb Spencer 417-472-7743

Is your club missing? Send your information to: editor@mostatebeekeepers.org

Congratulations to Joseph Baumann of Hartsburg, who won our email subscriber drawing for a free 2008 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!” If you’re not 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.)

Spring Meeting Preview Date: March 14-15, 2008 Location: Springfield, MO (hotel to be announced) Speakers: Eric Mussen, Extension Apiculturist, Department of Entomology, University of California Davis Neila and Larry Kraft, of Conway, MO, clutch the $150.00 they’ve just won in the 50/50 Auction at the close of the MSBA Spring Meeting.

More to Come!

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Page 10

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November 2007 Honey Queen Report by Lori Guthals Hello Beekeepers! Oh, how I love the cool, brisk feeling of fall! There’s really nothing like that nice, chilly morning, when you’ve got your coffee in one hand and morning paper in the other. I just love it, and the time of year it represents! It lets me know that Thanksgiving is here and Christmas is right around the corner! What a fun time for family and fellowship! First off, let me begin by saying this has been one amazing and crazy fall, all in one! I just got back from the Fall Meeting last week in Hannibal. I had a wonderful time and want to start off by saying thank you to all who attended and I hope you all had as much fun as I did! Next, let me fill you all in on a little exciting news for those of you who weren’t able to make it:While at the meeting, I announced my decision to run for Nationals, which will be held in Sacramento, California, in January. I am very excited and nervous, but also ready to represent the Show-Me state and compete for the title of American Honey Queen! Also, one other bit of exciting news:With your blessings, I have also decided to continue my reign as the 2008 Missouri Honey Queen! I have had a wonderful time this year and look forward to doing it again! Well, it’s that time, when I must let you go, but as always, I would like to say that as this year’s Honey Queen, I look forward to serving you! If you have a fair, festival, meeting or activity you would like me to attend, please contact Joyce Justice, Honey Queen Director, so she may relay the message on to me. Her contact information is located on the association website, and in the column to the right. Again, I thank you for this amazing opportunity and I look forward to promoting all aspects of honey throughout the remainder of the year and into the new year! Finally, I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season. God bless! Sincerely, Lori Guthals

Page 11 Directory of Officers

President: Ken Norman 417-669-4452 3634 Shiloh Church Road, Marionville, MO 65705 president@mostatebeekeepers.org Vice President: Scott Moser 636-285-7295 6600 Davis Lane, Cedar Hill, MO 63016 vicepresident@mostatebeekeepers.org Secretary: Paul Harris 417-890-1008 3876 South State Hwy J, Springfield, MO 65809 secretary@mostatebeekeepers.org Treasurer: Ron Vivian 816-690-7516 443 Fricke Road, Bates City, MO 64011-8280 treasurer@mostatebeekeepers.org Past-President: Monte Richardson 660-826-4917 1405 S. Prospect Ave., Sedalia, MO 65301 pastpresident@mostatebeekeepers.org Western Area Director: Glenn Davis 816-690-8007 4618 Highway Z, Bates City, MO 64011 westdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Southern Area Director: Marlin Trout 417-830-7749 20445 Lawrence 2070, Ash Grove, MO 65604 southwdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Eastern Area Director: Steve Harris 636-946-5520 1224 Sherbrooke Road, St. Charles, MO 63303 eastdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Southeastern Area Director: Ray Batton 573-686-4888 3032 N. 14th St., Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 southedir@mostatebeekeepers.org Program Chairperson: Sharon Gibbons 636-394-5395 314 Quinnmoor Dr., Ballwin, MO 63011 sgibbs314@earthlink.net Newsletter Editor: Eugene Makovec 314-965-4631 643 Pearl Ave., Kirkwood, MO 63122 editor@mostatebeekeepers.org Auxilliary Treasurer: Dolores Vivian 816-690-7516 443 Fricke Road, Bates City, MO 64011-8280 H1ybee@aol.com Queen Chairperson: Joyce Justice 816-358-3893 P.O. Box 16566, Raytown, MO 64133-0566 queenchair@mostatebeekeepers.org State Fair Chairman: Dean Sanders cell 816-456-4683 37804 Old Pink Hill Road, Oak Grove, MO 64075 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 Queen Chair Cathy Hogan, at left, displays a “bee catcher” for the Queen Banquet attendees, as auctioneer John Sauls, at right, takes a bid. This item brought $30 from Mike Brahms; over $250 was raised for the Queen Program. Judy Finck and Marlene Jansen, bottom left, attend to their own hobby while Bob and Ted attend meetings. John Gibbons, in red shirt at bottom, is surprised with a 75th birthday cake during Saturday’s lunch. photos by Eugene Makovec