2014 Newsletter Collection by Missouri State Beekeepers Association

2014 Newsletter Collection Sponsored By:

Missouri State Beekeepers Association PO Box 214 Dexter, Missouri 63841 www.mostatebeekeepers.org

February 2014 Eugene Makovec Editor editor@mostatebeekeepers.org

Spring Membership Conference returns to Lake of the Ozarks March 21-22, 2014 (Registration and agenda begin on page 6)

IN THIS ISSUE From the President ............ 2 “Andy the Ant” book review 4 Spring Conference Preview 5 Conference Registration 6-7 Conference Vendors ......... 7 Conference Agenda .......... 8 Contest Manager needed 11 Conference event favorite at risk

Queen & Princess Reports 12 From the Queen Chair ..... 12 Local Associations ........... 13 Is there a club near you?

Membership application .. 14 Local club workshops ....... 15 Directory of Officers ....... 15 Midwestern at AgriMissouri 16

Snow lies in drifts around silent hives the morning of January 6 near Foley, an hour northeast of St. Louis. The soft feel of this image belies the harsh temperatures visited upon the region, about -8°F overnight. photo by Eugene Makovec

Page 2 From the President

Missouri State Beekeepers Association by John Timmons

It seems to me that the beginning of my message in the last newsletter was a comment about the extreme weather. This message starts in a similar fashion – it’s cold out there! A quick check of the hives during a very brief respite from the extreme cold yielded some healthy clusters, yet some loss as well. The weather forecast for tonight tells me it’ll be down into the single digits. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that my bees can deal with one more round of frigid air. Although I’m guessing they’d better be prepared for several more weeks. Spring is a nice thought, even though it’s still a couple months away. Yet, thoughts of spring bring me to a mention of the upcoming Spring 2014 MSBA Membership Conference. We’ve been busy getting everything ready and tying up loose ends. It’s amazing the details that need to be dealt with! Yet, I’m happy to report that everything is in place. The speakers are preparing their presentations, the hotel is preparing the rooms and the hotel chefs are gearing up for some hungry beekeepers. We’ve got new and innovative talent that will be presenting to us in March. Trevor Qualls and John Seaborn, both from the Nashville area, will bring to us creative beekeeping ideas from the world south. A speaker well known to many around the Midwest, David Burns, will bring even more new and innovative thoughts to the MSBA podium and screen. It’s been a while since David presented to us at one of our membership conferences. I’ve known and followed David’s work for several years, and I’m always anxious to hear about his new projects. We’ll also hear presentations on a variety of subjects

from talented beekeepers from across the state, including Jane Sueme, Bruce Snavely and Leo Sharashkin. If you need a reminder, this year’s Spring Membership conference is to be held March 21st – 22nd at the beautiful Country Club Hotel & Spa at Lake of the Ozarks. Online registration opened on the MSBA website on January 22nd. You can get more details, hotel information and a link to the evolving agenda at www.MOStateBeekeepers.org/ meeting. Registration information is also available in this issue of the MSBA Newsletter. Be certain to register early so you can take advantage of early registration discounts. The spring membership conference is the time when we present our Beekeeper of the Year award to that member who has made significant contributions to the Missouri State Beekeepers Association. This year was a tough decision, a decision causing me to hope we could hand out more than one award. It was a tough choice, but we’re pleased to be presenting this year’s award for Beekeeper of the Year to … well, you’re just going to have to wait until the evening of March 21st at our Queen Banquet. Because of the hard work and contributions of so many, we’ll also have some additional awards to express our thanks and gratitude. It’s that time of year when Missouri’s local beekeeping associations begin gearing up for the new season. Everywhere you turn there’s another beginning beekeeping class, workshop, seminar or speaker presentation. It seems as if everyone has something going on! And there are some terrific events to attend, with terrific speakers, and lots of new things to learn. Many of these events are listed in this newsletter. If you’re uncertain of an event in your area, be certain to contact your MSBA Regional Director for more information. They’re all listed on the MSBA website at www.MOStateBeekeepers. org/officers. I have one more thing to mention before I head out to get the wood pile ready for more cold weather. The MSBA Board recently authorized a new free membership program for new beekeepers. That’s right … FREE! This is really a terrific program and will not only get the word out about the value of the MSBA organization, but also bolster membership. So here’s the program: All participants of any beginning beekeeping class held within the state of Missouri are eligible for one free year of membership to the Missouri State Beekeepers Association. There are a few rules to qualify. First, the beginning beekeeper student cannot presently be a member of MSBA – only new members. Second, in order to receive the MSBA newsletter, all free members must have a valid email address for newsletter delivery. We will not deliver the newsletter to free members through the mail. Third, the list of all free memberships must be submitted by the workshop organizer to the MSBA Membership chair, Ron Vivian, in the form of an electronic spreadsheet file. This template file is available from either Ron Vivian or your MSBA Regional Director. It’s a great program and we hope you’ll take advantage of the opportunity to help grow our organization. I hope to see you all in March at our spring conference. John

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Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Book Review:

Andy the Ant Learns the Buzz on Bees Andy the Ant Learns the Buzz on Bees Written by Nancy Blackwell, illustrated by Charles Ettinger Faithful Life Publishers, 40 pages, Softcover $14.99 MSBA member Nancy Blackwell is a beekeeper and former elementary school teacher, so she knows how to talk to kids about bees. She presents a fun and informative story of Andy the Ant’s introduction to the world of honeybees and beekeeping. This book is highly entertaining and very informative, teaching children in terminology they can understand. The story appeals to children of all ages, especially five years and older. With illustrations that are vibrant and fun, the author tells the story of an adventurous ant who befriends a worker bee. Along the way, we learn basic bee and flower biology and get a favorable look at the beekeeper’s association with our insect friends. The book also contains a page of facts about honeybees, a glossary of terms, and recipes and activity pages for children courtesy of the National Honey Board.

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February 2014

Page 5

We’re back at the Lake for Spring Conference 2014! Join us March 21-22 at Country Club Hotel and Spa The Missouri State Beekeepers Association returns to the Lake of the Ozarks in March for our 2014 Spring Conference. Our venue information is as follows: Country Club Hotel & Spa, 301 Carol Road, Lake Ozark MO 65049 Telephone: 573-964-2200 800-964-6698 Fax: 573-964-6438 www.CountryClubHotel.com Check-in time 4:00 PM Check-out time Noon Our MSBA Group Rate is $87.00 (rates do not include current state taxes of 5.475% and county lodging tax of 3%). You must mention that you are with the Missouri State Beekeepers Association. Reservations at the MSBA group rate will be accepted no later than Tuesday, February 18, 2014. All reservations after February 18th will be available at hotel’s space and rate availability only. Our primary speakers will include two Tennesseans new to us, plus a favorite from past meetings: Trevor Qualls is owner of Bon Aqua Springs Apiaries and Woodenware. He is a member of the Nashville Area Beekeepers Association, Columbia Area Beekeepers Association and Vice Trevor Qualls President of the Three Rivers Beekeepers Association (of Dickson, TN). He lectures and speaks throughout Tennessee, Arkansas, Illinois, Florida and Alabama to various beekeeping associations, lawn and garden shows, agricultural groups, and at Walter T. Kelley’s Field Day in Kentucky. For the past five years, Trevor has assisted beekeepers throughout the US in maintaining their hives. He remains committed to chemical free beekeeping and designing and building woodenware. Trevor’s talks will include Bee Math - How Bee Biology can Enhance Your Operation; and An Introduction to Small Cell Beekeeping for the Large Cell Skeptic. Learn more about Trevor and Bon Aqua Springs Apiaries at www. basprings.com. John Seaborn started working bees in the early 1950’s at the age of six with both his dad and John Seaborn

granddad. From that time on he was hooked on bees. The years of the 1980’s and the 1990’s were hard for John. He lost most of his artificially enlarged 5.4mm bees. Then in the year 2000, he acquired two wild feral colonies of the natural size 4.9mm bees. He began to see the difference between the 5.4mm and the 4.9mm bees. John has served for two terms as vice president of the Nashville Area Beekeepers Association and also on the board of David Burns directors. Since 2011, he has served as president of the Three Rivers Beekeepers Association (of Dickson, TN). He is a member of the Tennessee Beekeepers Association and the Georgia Beekeepers Association, plus three other beekeeping clubs. John is the spokesman for his wife’s beekeeping business, Wolf Creek Apiaries LLC, home of the natural 4.9mm bees. John will lecture us on Drones - The Forgotten Step to Better Queens; and Natural Treatments for Hive Pests. Learn more about John and Wolf Creek Apiaries at www. wolfcreekbees.com. David Burns is a very popular and well known beekeeper and speaker throughout the Midwest, and has been our guest at a couple of past conferences. Along with his wife Sheri, David has operated Long Lane Honey Bee Farms in eastern Illinois since 1994. In 2005 he and Sheri began building and marketing their own line of beekeeping equipment and now ship to all fifty states. A thriving business, they also sell package bees, nucs and their own locally raised production queens. They offer beekeeping classes covering a wide range of beekeeping subjects almost every month of the year. David is a certified Master Beekeeper of the Eastern Apiculture Society. He plans to lecture on The Dirty Little Secrets to a Successful Queen Rearing Operation. Learn more about David and Long Lane Honey Bee Farms at www.honeybeesonline.com. Other speakers will include: Dr. Leo Sharashkin, Natural Beekeeping in Horizontal Hives; Bruce Snavely, Hive Management for Swarm Control; and Jane Sueme, Pollen as the Perfect Food. Our schedule is still in flux, so you can continue to check for updates at http://mostatebeekeepers.org/meeting/ See you at the Lake!

Missouri State Beekeepers Association Spring, 2014 Membership Conference Registration

March 21st – 22nd, Country Club Hotel & Spa, Lake Ozark, Missouri P L E A S E P R I N T C A R E F U L L Y Name (First/Last): _____________________________________________________________________ Spouse/Partner/Children: ______________________________________________________________ Badge Name(s):________________________________________________________________________________________ (As you want printed on your name badge) Address: ______________________________________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip: _________________________________________________________________________________________ Email: ________________________________________________________ Telephone: ______________________________ Local Association Name: _________________________________________________________________________________ ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Pre‐Registration Fees (Registration must be postmarked or submitted by March 3rd) Individual Membership: ......................................................................................... $ 45.00 X _____ = _______________ Family Membership: ............................................................................................... $ 60.00

_______________

Non‐Member (per person):..................................................................................... $ 75.00 X _____ = _______________ Registrations made after March 3rd Individual Membership: ......................................................................................... $ 60.00 X _____ = _______________ Family Membership: ............................................................................................... $ 75.00

_______________

Non‐Member (per person):..................................................................................... $ 75.00 X _____ = _______________ ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Conference Meals (Please complete the form on the 2nd page of this registration)

Enter Amount from “Conference Meals” on Page 2 of this registration form: ..................................._______________

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Membership Dues & Donations MSBA Membership Dues ‐ Individual: .................(Circle One) ‐‐> New / Renewal ...................... $ 15.00 = _______________ MSBA Membership Dues ‐ Family:.......................(Circle One) ‐‐> New / Renewal ...................... $ 20.00 = _______________ Honey Queen Fund Donation: .........................................................................................................................._______________

GRAND TOTAL AMOUNT DUE:

_______________

Please make checks payable to: MO State Beekeepers Association. Mail registration form and check to: Nancy Gillard, 3721 North High Street, Jackson, MO 63755. NOTE: Checks will not be deposited until after the conference. No receipt will be mailed.

February 2014

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Conference Meals

Friday Evening Banquet (See Details at Bottom of Page) Country Club Barbecue Buffet (per person): .................................................... $ 21.00 X _____ = _______________ Saturday Luncheon (See Details at Bottom of Page)

Mexican Buffet (per person):............................................................................ $ 12.00 X _____ = _______________

TOTAL FOR MEALS (Please Enter This Amount on the Previous Page):

_______________

Please provide any special requests or instructions: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Friday, March 21 Banquet Country Club Barbecue Buffet Ͳ 2 meats, 3 salads, baked potato, vegetable, rolls, dessert, beverages Saturday, March 22 Luncheon Mexican Buffet Ͳ chicken enchiladas, 7Ͳlayer dip and chips, buildͲyourͲown tacos and burritos station with all the fixings, dessert, beverages Note: both menus above have ample choices for vegetarians.

Support our conference vendors and advertisers The following vendors have so far confirmed plans to attend the Fall Conference. You can save on shipping costs by placing orders ahead of time to be picked up during the meeting. Dadant & Sons* All beekeeping supplies Gabe Dadant 888-922-1293 www.dadant.com Isabees* Authorized Walter T. Kelley Dealer All beekeeping supplies Jane Sueme 314-504-4424 jane@isabees.com Carl Korschgen Unique beekeeping inventions 573 819-8516

Honey Hive Farms* All beekeeping supplies Tim and Connie Moore 636-566-6116 honeyhivefarms@gmail.com www.honeyhivefarms.com Femme Osage Apiary* Handcrafted woodenware & bee supplies Ian and Pam Brown 636-398-5014 femmeosage1@aol.com Andrew Honey Farm Used beekeeping equipment Bernie Andrew 217-938-4975 magic@adams.net *See ad in this issue

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Page 8

Spring Membership Conference Agenda (This Agenda is Subject to Change)

Thursday – March 20 2:00 PM 10:00 PM

Vendor Setup Begins Vendor Setup Closes

Friday – March 21 7:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM 12:00 PM 1:00 PM 1:20 PM 1:30 PM 2:30 PM 3:00 PM

Vendor Setup Continues Registration Opens Vendor Hall Opens Executive Board Meeting Hospitality Room Opens Contest Room Opens for Entry Setup (“Cooking with Honey” and “Designing with Beeswax”) Professional Contest Judging Begins People’s Choice Contest Judging Begins Welcome, Announcements & Door Prizes Invocation “Bee Math – How Bee Biology Can Enhance Your Operation” with Trevor Qualls Break - Visit with Vendors MSBA Auxiliary: Silent Auction Bidding Begins Breakout Sessions: x

4:00 PM 4:30 PM 5:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM

[TBD] with David Burns x “Natural Beekeeping in Horizontal Hives” with Leo Sharashkin x “Hive Management for Swarm Control” with Bruce Snavely Break - Visit with Vendors People’s Choice Contest Judging Ends “Drones – The Forgotten Step to Better Queens” with John Seaborn Break - Visit with Vendors Queen Banquet, Queen Auction and Contest Awards (Ticket Required) Queen Reception

Saturday – March 22 8:00 AM 8:30 AM 9:00 AM 9:30 AM 10:30 AM 11:00 AM

12:00 PM 1:00 PM 2:00 PM 2:30 PM 3:30 PM

Vendor Hall Opens Hospitality Room Opens Welcome, Announcements & Door Prizes “The Dirty Little Secrets to Successful Queen Rearing Operation” with David Burns Break - Visit with Vendors Breakout Sessions: x “An Introduction to Small Cell Beekeeping for the Large Cell Skeptic” with Trevor Qualls x “Pollen as the Perfect Food” with Jane Sueme Lunch (Ticket Required) “Natural Treatments for Hive Pests” with John Seaborn Break - Visit with Vendors Bidding on MSBA Auxiliary Silent Auction Ends Breakout Sessions: (Subjects to be Determined) Business Meeting and Drawings

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Page 10

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

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These are 2#, 3# and 4# packages from C.F. Koehnen and Sons. Your choice of Italian or Carniolan queens. Contact Phil Ebert: 641-527-2639 ehoney37@netins.net www.eberthoney.com

February 2014

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Manager needed:

Cooking with honey contest and beeswax art contests Your MSBA organization needs a volunteer (or two) to direct the “Cooking with Honey” and “Beeswax Art” contests at our state meetings. As many of you know, we’ve had these contests for several years now and they’re fun, inspiring and tasty (not the wax though…). The management job includes: Determining the categories to be judged (fun!) • Sending out an email informing the membership of categories • and rules (a template is ready to go, and the MSBA webmaster sends it to the membership for you) Discussing contest room arrangements with the hotel (simple) • Discussing contest judging with the hotel chefs (they love doing •

CROOKED HILL BEEKEEPING Beekeeping Supplies & Packaged Bees

Bill and Tammy George 19133 LIV 355 Chillicothe, Missouri 64601 (660) 214-0132 www.chbeekeeping.com

this) Reproducing judging ballots (templates are ready to go) Supervising the arrival and logging-in of the entries on the day of the contests (the first day of the state meeting) Being in the contest room during the judging (you are silent • unless the judges need something) Counting ballots (you’ll have others to help you with this) • Presenting the award ribbons at the banquet (a template is ready • to go, and the ribbons are, too) I am most ready and happy to assist with this management transition and supplies, so give it a thought. Your organization needs you! Call or email to let me know. Jane Timmons jlt46@charter.net 636.940.8202 (home) 314.570.1957 (cell) • •

Nelsons Bees 3# Packages and Nucs Carniolan and Italian Eldon/Lake Ozark Area 573-280-4956 debbie@nelsonaudio.com

From the Queen Chair by Wanda Johnston The 2014 Missouri Honey Queen, Lauren Collins, and the 2014 Missouri Honey Princess, Erin Mullins, are prepared and excited to attend your events. Their activities are funded by the spring and fall silent auctions, banquet auctions, and generous donations. If there is a special event in your area which promotes bees, beekeeping, honey or hive products, or pollinators, please call or email me (see page 15) to schedule MSBA Queen Lauren or Princess Erin for your event. Contact information and a Request Form are also available at www.mostatebeekeepers.org Thinking of the spring meeting, remember to bring refreshments to help supply our hospitality room. Auction donations that help support our Queen and Princess are welcomed and deeply appreciated. I so enjoyed meeting so many of you at the Fall Conference and look forward to seeing you again and meeting more new members at the Spring Conference at the Lake of the Ozarks.

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Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Bee Culture The Magazine of American Beekeeping

12 BIG Issues

1 Beekeeping Calendar All for $25/Year

From the Honey Queen With temperatures hovering just above zero in my area, I tried to “baby” my nucleus colony a bit by bringing it indoors. Nothing surprises people more than when you inform them that the little wooden box sitting in the corner of your garage is actually a small beehive! My nucleus colony started out as a small swarm that I caught in early October. I had high hopes for the colony and had grown quite attached to it, so I was very sad when I went out to the garden on a warm January day to find that the colony had not survived the cold snap! Thankfully, my main hive seems to be thriving, so I’m looking forward to working it in the spring! My calendar for this year is filling up quickly! I had the great pleasure of attending the Governor’s AgriMissouri Banquet on January the 16th. The dinner was a showcase of many foods locally grown and raised in our state of Missouri. There were about 400 people in attendance, and I enjoyed meeting and networking with many of the faces of Missouri agriculture: rural and urban farmers, scientists and researchers, students, and entrepreneurs. It was also thrilling to see how many beekeepers were in attendance! Beekeepers truly are a vital and growing Queen Lauren force in both Missouri and American agriculture! The next event that I will be representing our club at is the Kansas City Lawn and Garden Show at Kemper Arena. The event runs from February 7th through the 9th. This is the event where I was first introduced to beekeeping and the Missouri State Beekeepers Association, so I’m looking forward to attending and I hope to see some of you there! Lauren Collins, 2014 Missouri State Honey Queen

From the Honey Princess Hello everyone, I hope that winter is treating you all well. Where I’m at in Northwest Missouri we have had everything from snow, a little ice, heavy winds, arctic temperatures, and even a warm day or two. The past month or so has been kind of exciting for me. Wanda, the Queen Chair, and I have been planning away and setting up events and travels for me for this year. So far as Princess, I have been rather busy!! Early in November I had the opportunity to speak to the Kindergarten class at Horace Mann Laboratory School in Maryville. I got to speak briefly about the Princess program and the MSBA to the beekeeping class at the Missouri Growers Conference in January in St. Joseph. Then on January 11th I got to help teach the beginning beekeeping class that my club the Bee Busters sponsors. Finally, I spent January 16th and 17th in Kansas City and Saint Louis where I attended the Governor’s Conference on Agriculture and the Saint Louis Beekeepers Honey and Wine Tasting. I have met so many wonderful beekeepers and I am so excited to see what the rest of the year brings! Best Wishes, Erin Mullins 2014 Missouri Honey Princess

Missouri Honey Princess Erin Mullins hobnobs January 17 with MSBA President John Timmons at the St. Louis Beekeepers Honey and Wine Tasting at the St. Louis Culinary Institute.

Local Beekeeping Associations in Missouri 1 Beekeepers Association of the Ozarks 4th Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. Darr Ag Center, 2401 S. Kansas Expwy, Springfield Bruce Snavely, President 417-732-5219 www.ozarksbeekeepers.org

2 Boone Regional Beekeepers Association 3rd Sunday of month, 3:00 p.m., Columbia Insurance Group, 2102 Whitegate Dr. (back door), Columbia President Jim Duever 573-254-3373 www.boonebees.org

3 Busy Bee Club 4th Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m., Cedar County Health Center, Owens Mill Road, Stockton Neal Lee 417-276-3090, Neil Brunner 314-276-4252

4 Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association 2nd Wednesday of each month, 7:00 p.m., location changes. Bob Sears, President 314-479-9517 www.easternmobeekeepers.com

5 Golden Valley Beekeepers 2nd Monday of each month, 7:00 p.m. (but varies) Henry County Courthouse, Clinton MO Tom McCormick, President 417-644-7507 tlmccormick@mccormickcos.com

6 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

7 Jefferson County Beekeepers Association 2nd Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m., Hwy B & 21 Jefferson County Extension Center, Hillsboro Contact Marvin Hook 636-274-1759

8 Joplin Area Beekeepers Association Last Tue. of each month, 7 pm, SM Bank Community Building (7th and Duquesne Rd), Joplin Contact Dale Foley 417-850-0285

9 Mid Missouri Beekeepers 3rd Sunday of each month, 2 pm, Old Train Depot, St. James. Contact Jerry Hendershot 573-578-5146 graham@wavecomputers.net

10 Midwestern Beekeepers Association Nov-March, 3rd Sunday of each month, 2:30 p.m. April-Oct, 3rd Thursday of month, 7:00 p.m. Visit midwesternbeekeepers.org for calendar Bass Pro Shop, Independence, Conservation Room Cathy Misko, President 660-656-3485 cathymisko@earthlink.net

11 Mississippi Valley Beekeepers Association Last Tuesday of Month in Quincy, IL Contact Bernie Andrew

217-938-4975

12 Missouri Valley Beekeepers Association 3rd Monday of each month, 7:00 pm, Union Location varies, contact below if unsure President Calvin Brandt cvbrandt@landolakes.com

13 Parkland Beekeepers 3rd Tuesday of month, 7pm, Ozark Federal Savings President Gregg Hitchings glhitch@hotmail.com

14 Pomme de Terre Beekeepers 2ndThursday of each month, 7 pm Missouri Extension Office, Hermitage Contact Bessi Shryer 417-745-2527

15 SEMO Honey Producers 2nd Thursday of month, Church of Christ, Poplar Bluff Contact Cory Stevens 573-225-6935 wells.ernie@gmail.com

16 South Central Missouri Beekeepers Association 1st Friday of month, Howell Electric Coop, West Plains Monty Wiens, President 417 257-3994

17 Southern MO Beekeepers of Monett “MOBees”) 3rd Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. United Methodist Church, Hwy 37 NW of Monett Kevin Young, President 417-847-5464

18 Southwest Missouri Beekeepers Assn. of Neosho 1st Tuesday of month, Neosho High School FFA Bldg President Roger Ross 417-472-3504

19 Three Rivers Beekeepers 3rd Monday of month, University of Missouri Extension, 260 Brown Road, St. Peters, Missouri, 7:00 p.m. For info: Eugene Makovec 314-703-7650 info@threeriversbeekepers.com

20 Northwest Missouri Bee Busters 1st Monday of odd months, 7:00 p.m. 511 4th Street, Conception Junction, MO 64434 Gerald Auffert, President 660-944-2535

21 Lake of the Ozarks Beekeepers 3rd Saturday of month, 1:00 p.m. UMC Extension Office, 100 E. Newton,Versailles MO Contact Russell Kasnick 573-372-3122

22 Northeast Missouri Beekeepers Association 1st Friday of month, 6:30 pm Running Fox Elementary (3 miles south of Wayland) Acting President Randy Ewart 573-248-5561 rewart@centurytel.net

23 Gasconade Region Bee Keepers 2nd Tuesday 7:00, First State Comm. Bank, Owensville President Rodney Angell 573-259-5811 2224 Nowack, Rosebud MO bee143@fidnet.com

24 St. Louis Beekeepers 4th Tuesday 6:30, Schlafly Bottleworks contact@saintlouisbeekeepers.com www.saintlouisbeekeepers.com

25 Western Missouri Beekeepers 2nd Tuesday 6:30, Moor-View Community Room, Nevada Caroline Phillips, President 417-321-3587 bcphillips81@gmail.com

26 Meramec Valley Beekeepers First Sunday 2:30 pm Bourbon, MO American Legion Hall Contact Sam Elia 573-732-5597

27 Quad County Beekeepers

1st Tuesday, 7:00 pm, Missouri Extension Office, Troy Contact Fred Meder (573) 760-2574 quadcountybeekeepers.com

28 North Central Missouri Beekeepers Association

1st Monday, Area Career Center, Macon, 7:00 pm Contact Dan West (660) 651-7582, www.ncmobees.org

29 Bees Alive

Springfield

Contact Kristi Mitchuson (417) 886-8585

See our interactive club map on the website at: http://batchgeo.com/map/e64a9d35b439c5309794fbea8516f333 Can’t find a club near you? Contact our President or Vice President (see inside back cover) for advice on starting your own!

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Missouri State Beekeepers Association

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U.S. 1 Yr. $21.00 2 Yr. $39.75 3 Yr. $56.25

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THE HAWLEY HONEY COMPANY 220 North Elm Iola, KS 66749 620-365-5956 (After 8 pm 620-365-7919)

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Canada 1 Yr. $36.00 2 Yr. $68.75 3 Yr. $99.25

Foreign 1 Yr. $45.00 2 Yr. $85.75 3 Yr. $123.25

February 2014 Local clubs announce spring workshops The Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association (EMBA) will offer its annual Mardi Gras Regional Beekeepers Banquet on Friday, February 7, with food, drinks and guest speakers. Then the club hosts its 7th Annual Beekeeping Workshop on Saturday, February 8th, at Maritz in Fenton. This is an all-day workshop with tracks for both beginning and experienced beekeepers, led by nationally renowned researchers and educators. Register for both events at www. easternmobeekeepers.com/ Three Rivers Beekeepers will offer its Beginning Beekeeping Workshop on Friday and Saturday, February 7th & 8th, at the University of Missouri Extension Center in St. Peters. Details and registration are available at http:// threeriversbeekeepers.com/ Editor’s note: this class is now sold out and is beginning a waiting list. Boone Regional Beekeepers announce the following Saturday workshops: February 8, 2014 9:00 am to 4:30 pm at Columbia Area Career Center. Presented by Jim ‘n’ I Farms. Email Valerie at jimandifarms@ktis.net for more information. Cost includes lunch, membership to both BRBA and the MSBA (restrictions apply) and a discount on beekeeping supplies. April 26, 2014 8:30 to 4:30 pm in Marshall, at Saline County Career Center. Email Michelle Hanson at mhanson@MarshallSchools.com for more information. The cost will include lunch, hive building, membership to both BRBA and the MSBA (restrictions apply), and a discount on beekeeping supplies. Quad County Beekeepers Association is holding its first Beginning Beekeeping Class! The

Beginning Beekeeping class will be held on 22 February 2014 at Troy Buchanan High School, in Troy. The class will be held in the High School Ag Building. The class will run from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm with a break for lunch. Lincoln County Extension Center will handle registration for the class. The fee for the class is $25.00, which includes a book on beekeeping, if registered by 12 February 2014. The cost of registration after 12 February 2014 will be $30.00 with no guarantee of receiving a copy of the beekeeping book. The syllabus for the class will be sent out in a separate newsletter. For more information call the LCEC at 636-528-4613 or call Fred Meder at 636-528-1535. Mississippi Valley Beekeepers Association of the tri-state area will have its beginners beekeeping class on Saturday, March 1, at the U of I extension building, 330 S 36th St., Quincy IL. The one-day class will start at 9:00 am and will end at 3:00. After the class we will be placing orders for package bees and other equipment. Contact Bernie Andrew at magic@ adams.net for further details. Midwestern Beekeepers Association will hold its 19th Annual Beginning Beekeeping Workshop on Saturday, March 8, an 8-5:00 all day event located at Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center in Blue Springs. For more info visit: www. midwesternbeekeepers.org or call President Cathy Misko at (660) 656-3485 Three Rivers Beekeepers will hold its 3rd Annual Queen Rearing Workshop on May 24th & 25th. Learn to make a few queens with Cory Stevens and Stu Jacobson. Details and registration available soon at www.threeriversbeekeepers. com.

Page 15

Directory of Officers President: John Timmons 636-940-8202 2952 Greenleaf Drive, St. Charles MO 63303 president@mostatebeekeepers.org Vice President: Valerie Duever 314-402-4841 2362 County Road 185, Auxvasse MO 65231 vicepresident@mostatebeekeepers.org Secretary: Steve Moeller 573-886-0662 7035 N. Kircher Rd., Columbia MO 65202 secretary@mostatebeekeepers.org Treasurer: Jaime Stevens 573-225-6935 PO Box 214, Dexter MO 63841 treasurer@mostatebeekeepers.org Membership Chair: Ron Vivian 816-690-7516 443 Fricke Road, Bates City MO 64011-8280 membership@mostatebeekeepers.org Past-President: Grant Gillard 573 243-6568 3721 North High Street, Jackson MO 63755 pastpresident@mostatebeekeepers.org Northwestern Director: Roger Nichols cell 816-456-6983 northwestdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Northeastern Director: Steve Harris 314-805-6451 1224 Sherbrooke Road, St. Charles MO 63303 northeastdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Southeastern Director: Cory Stevens 573-225-6935 PO Box 214, Dexter MO 63841 southeastdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Southwestern Director: Gary Dowling 620-724-3189 507 N. Ozark St., Girard KS 66743 southwestdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Central Director: Bob Brammer 660-385-2840 31649 Lake St., Macon MO 63552 centraldir@mostatebeekeepers.org Program Chairperson: Open program@mostatebeekeepers.org Vendor Liaison: Tim Hyde tim.hyde@yahoo.com Newsletter Editor: Eugene Makovec 135 Alex Dr., Foley MO 63347 editor@mostatebeekeepers.org

314-703-7650

Auxiliary Treasurer: Dolores Vivian 816-690-7516 443 Fricke Road, Bates City MO 64011-8280 auxiliary@mostatebeekeepers.org Queen Chairperson: Wanda Johnston 816-392-4960 queenchair@mostatebeekeepers.org State Fair Chairman: Dean Sanders 816-456-4683 cell 37804 Old Pink Hill Road, Oak Grove MO 64075

Missouri State Beekeepers Association PO Box 214 Dexter, Missouri 63841 www.mostatebeekeepers.org

RENEW NOW:

Don’t forget -- if you have not already done so, please renew your membership for 2014, either via the form on page 14 or on our website.

A Taste of Honey: Here is a pic of Beekeepers from the Midwestern Beekeepers, representing the MSBA for The Governor’s Conference “Taste of AgriMissouri”, January 16 at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City. Pictured: (Back) Terry O’Bryan, Wes Johnston (Front) Jim Fisher, Tanya Fisher, Evelyn O”Bryan, Cathy Misko, and 2014 Honey Queen Lauren Collins. Many thanks to the beekeepers who donated their bees’ “liquid gold” to share in the bounty and to promote Missouri’s Beekeepers: Arbee Honey Farm, Raymore (Jim and Tanya Fisher); Bumbler Beekeepers, Parkville (Laura and Pete Fish); Crooked Hill Honey, Chillicothe (Bill George); Dean’s Honey, Oak Grove (Dean Sanders); Fahrmeier Honey, Wellington (Samuel and Lynn Fahrmeier); Fetchen’ Honey Farm, Warrensburg (Barb Fetchenheir); Heady Honey, Ferrelview (Wanda and Wes Johnston); Honeybrook Farm, Bates City (Dolores and Ron Vivian); Pirouette Honey, Dancing Bees Ranch, Centerview (Cathy Misko); and Pure Honey, Warrensburg (Thomas O’Neill)

This newsletter is published six times per year, in even 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. Advertising rates are as follows:

Business card size Quarter page

$15.00 $35.00

Half page Full page

$50.00 $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 PO Box 7514 Columbia, Missouri 65205 www.mostatebeekeepers.org

April 2014 Eugene Makovec Editor editor@mostatebeekeepers.org

Spring Membership Conference draws 150 to Lake of the Ozarks Steve Moeller named 2013 Beekeeper of the Year If any beekeeper in Missouri still thinks the state association is run by and for commercial beekeepers using conventional methods, then they haven’t been to an MSBA Membership Conference lately. While we will always discuss universal topics like swarm prevention and queen rearing, last month’s agenda should have proven once and for all that we are not afraid of new ideas. Our Program Committee sought out speakers with alternative philosophies, while balancing them with conventional voices. Dr. Leo Sharashkin made a splash as a vendor at the 2013 Fall Conference, with his oversized horizontal hive and books on “natural beekeeping”. So we invited him to speak this Spring, and we were not disappointed! Natural Beekeeping in Horizontal Hives was both illuminating and very entertaining. Leo kept the audience laughing with his tales of big-box swarm collecting, while offering an alternative to the modern beekeeping methods he believes are responsible for many of our troubles today. Here are some of his more salient points: Bees prefer 1.5” spacing between frames to the 1.375” in modern hives. In fact, early Leo Sharashkin explains his horizontal hive at • editions of ABC & XYZ of Bee Culture recommended this wider spacing, which results in last year’s Fall Conference. less congestion and less swarming. By eliminating gaps between frame tops, you can open the lid without any bees flying up to meet you. You can also pull a frame • from one end without disturbing any but the adjacent bees, and without exposing the rest of the brood nest to hot or cold outside temperatures. The ideal nest cavity is about 15 gallons, which is plenty of room • for honey storage and generally prevents swarming. The 6” entrance on Leo’s hive is plenty wide, and the bees • reduce it with propolis when they need to. Leo normally forces swarming in the third year by restricting • space with a solid board. This creates a healthy break in the brood cycle, and the swarm then supersedes the old queen in most cases. While Dr. Leo started us thinking seriously about alternatives to the traditional Langstroth hives that most of us use, Tennessee’s Trevor Qualls and John Seaborn promoted new methods of using our existing equipment. The pair have worked together to develop organic beekeeping methods in that state, and shared their ideas with us on healthy queen production and organic pest control. Qualls, owner of Bon Aqua Springs Apiaries and Woodenware (www.basprings.com), was young, confident and very laid back. Wearing Take the Survey! a brown corduroy John Deere cap, Trevor Qualls he spoke with a deep but understated Tennessee drawl, often leaning with one elbow on the podium. He started us off with pure science, From the President ............ 2 Local Associations ........... 11 with Bee Math - How Bee Biology Can Is there a club near you? Steve Moeller Beekeeper of Year Enhance Your Operation. But his most Conference Photos ........ 6-7 Membership application .. 12 controversial contribution was An Winter loss survey .......... 13 Introduction to Small Cell Beekeeping Bayer Bee Care Award ..... 8 for the Large Cell Skeptic. Among his Respond to BIP by April 30 Nominations due May 9 Your input is needed! Queen & Princess Reports 10 Directory of Officers ....... 13 continued on page 4 Details on page 13.

IN THIS ISSUE

Page 2 From the President

Missouri State Beekeepers Association by John Timmons

Every other month, when I settle at my desk to write this letter, I almost always begin with a glance out the window towards the hives in my back yard. Even from this distance, I can usually determine if my bees are active and flying. The calendar reports that it is now springtime. My bees have another opinion. The cold, moist air has them safely tucked away deep in the hive for warmth. I’ve lost half my hives this winter. I’m getting similar reports from most beekeepers I speak with across the region - it’s been a tough winter. It may be a tough spring and challenging summer for beekeepers throughout the Midwest. It’s going to be particularly tough for all the starting beekeepers newly graduated from beginning classes. They were assured there would be plenty of local packages and nucs available from local beekeepers. Most of the local nuc providers are withholding sales commitments until much later in the spring after they’ve replenished their own losses. Some may eliminate nuc sales for this season entirely. Yikes! I just returned from the MSBA Spring Membership Conference at Lake of the Ozarks. For those not able to attend, I regret that you missed another great event. For those in attendance, thanks for making the Spring, 2014 Conference a wonderful experience for all. In addition to all the friendly faces and cheerful vendors, we all received great presentations. Trevor Qualls, John Seaborn, Jon Zawislak, Leo Sharashkin, Jane Sueme and Bruce Snavely – they all treated us to some eye opening and thought provoking talks. Thanks to all for making this another successful event. The MSBA website will soon be updated with information and pictures, so keep a sharp lookout at www.MOStateBeekeepers.org. It was truly a pleasure at our Friday night banquet to present awards to a couple of people who have been instrumental in keeping the lights on and wheels turning at the MSBA. Although we’d like to have lots of people pitching in to handle all the varied chores of the organization, in truth, it’s a small group that does all the work. We like to acknowledge those that make the contribution. My first award of the evening went to Dolores Vivian for her many years of tireless work in support of the MSBA. In addition to her years as Auxiliary Treasurer, she assists in so many different ways. She’s a valued source for consultation on a variety of organization issues. She is easily one of the first to arrive at membership conferences to get things

organized. And, as the wife of our past MSBA Treasurer and current Membership Chair, she has always been available to lend a helping hand. Thanks again, Dolores, for an award well deserved. Every year we award a beekeeper for his or her contribution to the MSBA. This year the MSBA was pleased to award Beekeeper of the Year to Steve Moeller. Steve is an active beekeeper in the Columbia area, has served many years as MSBA Secretary and has recently stepped in to serve as our new Treasurer. Steve has provided valuable advice to the MSBA Board as we work through a host of problems, and is one of the first I call when I need advice on some organizational issue. The next time you see Steve at one of the many beekeeping events he attends, give him a friendly pat on the back for a job well done. Congratulations, Steve, and thanks! On another note, the MSBA is growing! Thanks to our new free membership program for new beekeepers graduating from beginning beekeeping classes across the state, our membership rolls have doubled. Local clubs from across the state who have offered beginning beekeeping classes have responded with free membership submissions that, frankly, were surprising to us. I think all the new business caught our Membership Chair, Ron Vivian, by surprise as he scrambled to update his lists. However, Ron always prevails, no matter the challenge. Thanks, Ron. We look forward to a continuation of the program next year as new classes get underway. As our membership roster continues to soar, so does the necessity for us to have a sound membership tracking and management system in place. Many of the membership management systems and policies currently in use by the MSBA will struggle supporting the demands of the anticipated future membership rolls. As a result, we recently formed the MSBA Membership Services Committee to study current systems and policies and make recommendations to the MSBA Board for consideration. Some of the changes being discussed include webbased membership management services and a twelve-month rolling membership to replace the current calendar year policy. Whatever we eventually decide, we must make becoming a member of the MSBA easier for all. We’ll keep everyone informed about new procedures and policies as decisions are made. I think I just saw a flicker of sunshine sneak through the clouds. Maybe there’s still hope for a decent spring. John

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Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Spring Conference puts the emphasis on natural alternatives Attendees get a strong flavor of alternative hives, natural methods continued from page 1

arguments for a reduced brood cell philosophy were the following: • Worker cells were 4.9mm in diameter prior to 1893, when the A.I. Root Company made the first successful milling machine for 5.4mm cells - the idea being that larger bees could carry more nectar and thus produce more honey. • This larger size worked for close to a century, until introduction of tracheal mites in 1984 and varroa mites in 1987. • Tracheal mites can access the larger breathing tubes of 5.4 bees, but not those of 4.9 bees. • Varroa can breed in both drone and worker cells of 5.4 bees, but only the drone cells of 4.9 bees. (The 4.9 workers are capped a day earlier and emerge two days earlier.) • Africanized bees out-breed European bees because their drones are smaller and thus faster. Switching to 4.9 bees would cancel that advantage, as their more compact size would make them faster. Not surprisingly, there were a number of “large cell skeptics” in the audience, including one of our other speakers, Jon Zawislak! Several questioned the claim that bees prefer small cells, especially given Qualls’ statement that bees won’t revert to 4.9 unless put on drawn 4.9 comb (4.9 foundation will be over-written to 5.4 if that’s what they’re used to). Qualls clearly expected and welcomed the continued on page 5

Jon Zawislak

April 2014

Page 5

Horizontal hives and small cell comb among featured Conference topics continued from page 4

opportunity to defend and clarify his positions, though he deferred to Seaborn often enough that he finally asked him to join him at the front of the room. Zawislak, a Master Beekeeper and Apiculture Instructor at the University of Arkansas, declared himself a skeptic, in particular challenging the Tennesseeans’ claim that Africanized drones are faster than their European counterparts for the simple reason that they are more compact and so their muscles are denser. Zawislak asked how it could be that the 5.4 bee, which received an extra day of food and two extra days of development, did not in fact have more muscle mass, rather than just being more spread out? Do the smaller bees really have the same mass, he asked? Seaborn replied that research is planned in that area. For his part, Seaborn, of Wolf Creek Apiaries LLC (www.wolfcreekbees.com), gave a separate queen-rearing talk entitled, “Drones - The Forgotton Step to Better Queens”. As it turns out, he says, there’s nothing magical about raising good queens - one needs only to watch nature and copy it. To that end, he said, we see the colony raising drones shortly before raising queens for swarming. Therefore, about 3-5 weeks prior to grafting queen cells, the queen breeder should ADD DRONE COMB to the edges of the hive. But keep in mind that varroa prefer to breed in drone cells, so drone combs should be moved (along with Bruce Snavely accompanying workers) before capping to a separate hive about 200 yards away. Then, dust weekly with powdered sugar to reduce the mite population. But do not use store-bought sugar containing corn starch, and be sure the bees cannot get to the powdered sugar that falls out of the hive, or the mites will just hitch a ride back upstairs. Seaborn and Qualls gave a joint talk late Saturday on Natural Treatments for Hive Pests”. Their simple, sensible remedies, along with instructions for grinding your own powdered sugar, were well-received, and many can be found at www.wolfcreekbees.com Zawislak gave a Friday talk on control of small hive beetles, but saved his best for Saturday morning, when he treated us to a highly scientific, though thoroughly entertaining lecture entitled The ABCs of Bee DNA: Understanding Honey Bee Genetics. Among other things, he described the many mechanisms in place to avoid inbreeding among bees. For one, drones usually stay between 1.5 miles of the hive, while queens travel twice that far to mate. While she mates with an average of 13 drones, and up to 40, it is rare that she will mate with one of her brothers; when she does, workers can sense the genetic anomaly and pull the problem larvae before they can develop. Hence, a spotty brood pattern can sometimes be a sign of a poorly mated queen. Other lecture topics included Bruce Snavely’s Hive Management for Swarm Control, and Pollen as the Perfect Food by Jane Sueme. In other business, Steve Moeller of Columbia was named 2013 Beekeeper of the Year, and Dolores Vivian was given a “Service and Dedication” award for her many years of assistance to our organization. See the President’s Letter on page 2 for explanations from John Timmons and photos of these beautiful awards.

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Missouri State Beekeepers Association

April 2014

Page 6, clockwise from top left: Princess Erin displays a blanket for auction; Joe Burns shows off the ornate carved hive facings of KB Farms; Bob Verslues (left) makes some points to speakers John Seaborn and Trevor Qualls; auctioneer extraordinaire Bernie Andrew enlists the help of Queen Lauren and Princess Erin; Nancy Blackwell exhibits her Andy the Ant children’s books.

Page 7, clockwise from top left: Scott Kline of Isabees demonstrates a bee veil; Carl Korschgen explains some of his beekeeping inventions; Bernie and Lauren have fun with a sugar duster up for auction; Princess Erin and Queen Lauren do their “Price is Right” routine with the grand prize in our end-of-meeting raffle. All photos by Eugene Makovec

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Page 8

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

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Page 10

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

From the Honey Queen Spring is officially here! However, that’s a little bit hard to believe since there’s been snow falling to the ground all afternoon on this late March day. I know that bees and beekeepers alike were thankful for the warm spells that we’ve had and will be looking forward to the time when the sunshine is here to stay! On March 8th, I had the opportunity to attend the Midwestern Beekeepers’ Beginner Beekeeping Class at Burr Oak Woods in Blue Springs. This was such a fun event for me, because it was the same class that got me started in beekeeping three years ago when I was given a youth beekeeping scholarship. It’s amazing how the interest in beekeeping has grown. About 200 people filled the class, and many more had been interested in coming. The Missouri State Beekeepers’ spring meeting in Ozark was a great weekend! The speakers were very knowledgeable, and I learned a lot over the course of the weekend. It was a pleasure to speak at the Queen’s Banquet, to give an update on my year so far, and to help with the auction. I also enjoyed teaming up with Erin, our Honey Princess, to give a patriotic presentation on Saturday morning. Erin created a slide show to coincide with the poem that I read, which was “America: Why I Love Her”, by John Wayne. I am so thankful for all of those who put in so many hours, weeks and months of hard work to make our state meetings a success. From the hospitality and vendor rooms, to the auctions, speakers and banquets: Queen Lauren everything always turns out so well! As always, I think that my favorite part about the event was the beekeepers. So many of you have become my friends, and I always enjoy spending time talking with all of you! I’m very thankful for the support and encouragement that our club members show to me and everyone involved in the Honey Queen Program! As we head into Spring, I hope that everyone enjoys getting outdoors and has great success with their hives! Lauren Collins, 2014 Missouri State Honey Queen

From the Honey Princess Hello everyone!! I hope everyone’s hives have survived winter. So far I am 100% successful!!! A few weeks ago I went out and checked them and all three were thriving. My swarm catch from last spring was feistier than ever!! I got stung numerous times. Here’s a hint for new and veteran beekeepers alike. When you go out to check your hives and you’re wearing your bee suit remember to zip up the front of your jacket!! I had opened mine up before I went down there and then forgot to zip it up. I found my mistake quickly and unfortunately the bees did too!! I hope you all had the opportunity to go to the state meeting in March. It was a great weekend and I came back with so much knowledge and new ideas that I want to try out this year! They had great speakers and everything went smoothly. I also want to say thank you to all who donated items to both the silent and banquet auctions and then the people who bought stuff. That money will go to fund travel for Lauren and me for the rest of this year. Although I didn’t buy packages this year I am looking forward to trying my luck at setting bait hives. I have decided to try my luck with wild bees. I had so much fun catching my swarm last year that I wanted to try that again. So here’s to new adventures! Best Wishes, Princess Erin Erin Mullins, 2014 Missouri Honey Princess

Bee Culture The Magazine of American Beekeeping

12 BIG Issues

1 Beekeeping Calendar All for $25/Year

2 Boone Regional Beekeepers Association 3rd Sunday of month, 3:00 p.m., Columbia Insurance Group, 2102 Whitegate Dr. (back door), Columbia President Jim Duever 573-254-3373 www.boonebees.org

3 Busy Bee Club 4th Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m., Cedar County Health Center, Owens Mill Road, Stockton Neal Lee 417-276-3090, Neil Brunner 314-276-4252

4 Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association 2nd Wednesday of each month, 7:00 p.m., location changes. Bob Sears, President 314-479-9517 www.easternmobeekeepers.com

5 Golden Valley Beekeepers 2nd Monday of each month, 7:00 p.m. (but varies) Henry County Courthouse, Clinton MO Tom McCormick, President 417-644-7507 tlmccormick@mccormickcos.com

6 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

7 Jefferson County Beekeepers Association 2nd Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m., Hwy B & 21 Jefferson County Extension Center, Hillsboro Contact Marvin Hook 636-274-1759

8 Joplin Area Beekeepers Association Last Tue. of each month, 7 pm, SM Bank Community Building (7th and Duquesne Rd), Joplin Contact Dale Foley 417-850-0285

9 Mid Missouri Beekeepers 3rd Sunday of each month, 2 pm, Old Train Depot, St. James. President Mat Woessner 573.308.7006 matt@inv-rel.com

11 Mississippi Valley Beekeepers Association Last Tuesday of Month in Quincy, IL Contact Bernie Andrew

217-938-4975

12 Missouri Valley Beekeepers Association 3rd Monday of each month, 7:00 pm, Union Location varies, contact below if unsure President Calvin Brandt cvbrandt@landolakes.com

13 Parkland Beekeepers 3rd Tuesday of month, 7pm, Ozark Federal Savings President Gregg Hitchings glhitch@hotmail.com

14 Pomme de Terre Beekeepers 2ndThursday of each month, 7 pm Missouri Extension Office, Hermitage Contact Bessi Shryer 417-745-2527

15 SEMO Honey Producers 2nd Thursday of month, Church of Christ, Poplar Bluff Contact Cory Stevens 573-225-6935

wells.ernie@gmail.com

16 South Central Missouri Beekeepers Association 1st Friday of month, Howell Electric Coop, West Plains Monty Wiens, President 417 257-3994

17 Southern MO Beekeepers of Monett â&#x20AC;&#x153;MOBeesâ&#x20AC;?) 3rd Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. United Methodist Church, Hwy 37 NW of Monett Kevin Young, President 417-847-5464

18 Southwest Missouri Beekeepers Assn. of Neosho 1st Tuesday of month, Neosho High School FFA Bldg President Roger Ross 417-472-3504

19 Three Rivers Beekeepers 3rd Monday of month, University of Missouri Extension, 260 Brown Road, St. Peters, Missouri, 7:00 p.m. For info: Eugene Makovec 314-703-7650 info@threeriversbeekepers.com

20 Northwest Missouri Bee Busters 1st Monday of odd months, 7:00 p.m. 511 4th Street, Conception Junction, MO 64434 Gerald Auffert, President 660-944-2535

21 Lake of the Ozarks Beekeepers 3rd Saturday of month, 1:00 p.m. UMC Extension Office, 100 E. Newton,Versailles MO Contact Garrett Blackwell 573-374-7402

22 Northeast Missouri Beekeepers Association 1st Friday of month, 6:30 pm Running Fox Elementary (3 miles south of Wayland) Acting President Randy Ewart 573-248-5561 rewart@centurytel.net

23 Gasconade Region Bee Keepers 2nd Tuesday 7:00, First State Comm. Bank, Owensville President Rod Weakley 573-746-0383 gasconaderegionbeekeepers@hotmail.com

24 St. Louis Beekeepers 4th Tuesday 6:30, Schlafly Bottleworks contact@saintlouisbeekeepers.com www.saintlouisbeekeepers.com

25 Western Missouri Beekeepers 2nd Tuesday 6:30, Moor-View Community Room, Nevada Caroline Phillips, President 417-321-3587 bcphillips81@gmail.com

26 Meramec Valley Beekeepers First Sunday 2:30 pm Bourbon, MO American Legion Hall Contact Sam Elia 573-732-5597

27 Quad County Beekeepers

1st Tuesday, 7:00 pm, Missouri Extension Office, Troy Contact Fred Meder (573) 760-2574 quadcountybeekeepers.com

28 North Central Missouri Beekeepers Association

1st Monday, Area Career Center, Macon, 7:00 pm Contact Dan West (660) 651-7582, www.ncmobees.org

29 Bees Alive

Springfield

Contact Kristi Mitchuson (417) 886-8585

30 Wright County Beekeepers

2nd Thursday, Laclede Electric building, Hartville, 6:30 pm Rick Bledsoe, President 417-350-2257 wrightcountybeekeepers@gmail.com

31 Rolla Bee Club

4th Tuesday, Rolla Public Library, Rolla, 6 pm Contact Charlotte Wiggins 573-364-1908 evenings chargardens@gmail.com

See our interactive club map on the website at: http://batchgeo.com/map/e64a9d35b439c5309794fbea8516f333

Page 12

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Renew instantly online! www.mostatebeekeepers.org Use your credit card or PayPal!

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U.S. 1 Yr. $21.00 2 Yr. $39.75 3 Yr. $56.25

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Canada 1 Yr. $36.00 2 Yr. $68.75 3 Yr. $99.25

Foreign 1 Yr. $45.00 2 Yr. $85.75 3 Yr. $123.25

April 2014 Bee Informed Partnership

National Loss Survey Underway Beekeepers needed! Thank you for your interest in participating in the National Colony Loss Management Survey organized by the Bee Informed Partnership and sponsored by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Please go to our online survey at http://10.selectsurvey.net/beeinformed/ TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=BIP2014 and complete the survey there. It will be live on April 1st and close on April 30th. Please do not complete the survey more than once. Information about past Winter Loss and National Management Surveys and the annual reports can be found online at http://beeinformed.org/. The Colony Loss Survey has evolved from our winter loss survey because last year we found that commercial beekeepers lost 25% of their colonies over the summer, and so we are now starting to monitor and report annual, in addition to winter losses. The National Management Survey is conducted annually in conjunction with the Colony Loss Survey. Designed to take about 30 minutes, the 2 surveys are aimed at looking for relationships between colony loses and colony management (including disease treatment strategies, supplemental feeding, etc.) and/or other factors that may influence colony health (such as colony location, honey production, and forage type). Your participation in this research is voluntary and your responses will be kept confidential. In any publication or presentation resulting from this research, no personally identifiable information will be disclosed. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at askbeeinformed@gmail.com. Once again thank you for your participation. Dr. Dennis vanEngelsdorp Project Director, Bee Informed Partnership University of Maryland Karen Rennich Project Manager, Bee Informed Partnership University of Maryland The Bee Informed Partnership (BIP) is a USDA/NIFA (U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture) funded project with the stated goal of reducing colony losses. The program is a collaboration of research institutions,

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We offer fast and courteous service to all beekeepers. We sell beekeeping supplies, containers, bee pollen and honey for those who run short. Order is shipped the same day as received in most cases. Free catalog on request. Pick up orders at our warehouse must be pre-ordered and picked up by appointment only. Business hours: Mon-Thurs 8-5, closed 12-1 Brenda and Larry Draper Draper’s Super Bee 914 “S” Street, Auburn, NE 68305 402-274-3725

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Treasurer: Steve Moeller 573-886-0662 7035 N. Kircher Rd., Columbia MO 65202 treasurer@mostatebeekeepers.org Membership Chair: Ron Vivian 816-690-7516 443 Fricke Road, Bates City MO 64011-8280 membership@mostatebeekeepers.org Past-President: Grant Gillard 573 243-6568 3721 North High Street, Jackson MO 63755 pastpresident@mostatebeekeepers.org Northwestern Director: Roger Nichols cell 816-456-6983 northwestdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Northeastern Director: Steve Harris 314-805-6451 1224 Sherbrooke Road, St. Charles MO 63303 northeastdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Southeastern Director: Cory Stevens 573-225-6935 PO Box 214, Dexter MO 63841 southeastdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Southwestern Director: Bruce Snavely 417-732-5219 508 Casady, Republic, MO 65738 southwestdir@mostatebeekeepers.org Central Director: Bob Brammer 660-385-2840 31649 Lake St., Macon MO 63552 centraldir@mostatebeekeepers.org Program Chairperson: Open program@mostatebeekeepers.org Vendor Liaison: Tim Hyde tim.hyde@yahoo.com Newsletter Editor: Eugene Makovec 135 Alex Dr., Foley MO 63347 editor@mostatebeekeepers.org

314-703-7650

Auxiliary Chairperson: Dolores Vivian 816-690-7516 443 Fricke Road, Bates City MO 64011-8280 auxiliary@mostatebeekeepers.org Queen Chairperson: Wanda Johnston 816-392-4960 queenchair@mostatebeekeepers.org State Fair Chairman: Dean Sanders 816-456-4683 cell 37804 Old Pink Hill Road, Oak Grove MO 64075

Missouri State Beekeepers Association PO Box 7514 Columbia, Missouri 65205 www.mostatebeekeepers.org

Spring Apiary Day: Tim Scheer, left, and Tim Fredricks, of Three Rivers Beekeepers, take a small group of beginners through the club’s hives at the University of Missouri Extension office in St. Charles County. Both colonies were doing well this first week of April, and the club hopes to split both to make nucs for beginning beekeepers. photo by Eugene Makovec

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Missouri State Beekeepers Association PO Box 7514 Columbia, Missouri 65205 www.mostatebeekeepers.org

June 2014 Eugene Makovec Editor editor@mostatebeekeepers.org

Booth help needed!

Join us at the Missouri State Fair August 7-17 in Sedalia With the slogan, “Harvest the Fun!” the Missouri State Fair runs this year from August 7-17 in Sedalia. The 400-acre fairgrounds will present premier livestock shows and competitive exhibits, and first-class professional entertainment. Mark your calendar for the summer’s best family vacation experience! The fair will showcase the best of Missouri agriculture; competitions from bull riding to tractor pulls; professional entertainment from Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Sara Evans and many others; rural lifestyle experiences; hands-on science, technology and innovation; family-friendly amenities for everyone from infants to mature adults; and other actionpacked activities. The Missouri State Fair is the perfect blend of activities for a memorable family outing. The midway carnival includes games and rides for children and thrill seekers of all ages. The nightlife on the fairgrounds kicks up each evening with free music on the Budweiser Stage and music stars performing on the stage of the Pepsi Grandstand. Admission at the gate: $8; age 60+, $6; ages 6-12, $2; 5 and under free. Tickets can be purchased in advance for a discount. See www.mostatefair.com for schedules and details. Booth volunteers needed: Please consider volunteering at our MSBA Booth this year. The booth is in the airconditioned AG Building on the southeast side of the fairgrounds. (A fairgrounds map is available at http://www.mostatefair.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/2014-premguide-map-true-size.pdf.) If you sign up to help, your admission ticket can be picked up at the RED Caboose located on Hwy 65 (outside the fairgrounds), just North of Gate #11. Go onto the fairgrounds at this entrance and park your vehicle. We need five to six people in the booth each day - 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. As always, we encourage local clubs to sign up to run the booth for a day, sporting their own club logo apparel if desired. Call Dean Sanders (816-456-4683) or Steve Harris (314-805-6451) and sign up for as many hours/days as you can. Arrangement for overnight accommodations nearby is available for you to reserve dates of your choice. Jobs in the booth include answering questions at our observation hive, selling honey, ice cream, honey sticks and other honey related by-products, plus educating the public about the Honeybee. If you’ve never worked at or been to the Fair, try it for a day. You get to meet and work with other beekeepers, and Dean and Steve or other experienced workers will be there to help answer any of your questions. See you at the Fair! Enter your honey and other products: Even if you are unable to help out at our booth, you can still participate in the Honey Competition. A list of products to enter are: Cut comb, bulk comb, light extracted, dark extracted, sealed honey frames, candied (creamed) honey, 3 lb beeswax cake, beeswax art design, beeswax candles and “the queen & her bees”. Judging of honey entries will include degree of density, moisture content, free from crystals, clarity, cleanliness of containers, flavor & aroma, color, appearance of containers, and uniformity

IN THIS ISSUE

From the President ............ 2 It’s swarm season!

Winter Loss Survey results ... 4 Numbers improved from 2013

“Are bees going extinct?” ... 5 It’s not the end of the world

Bees use mental maps ...... 6 Navigation not just by the sun

Honey Princess Report ..... 6 Honey Queen Report ....... 8 Local Associations ............. 9 Is there a club near you?

Membership application .. 10 Locally adapted is best 11 Directory of Officers ....... 13

continued on page 7

BIP Results Encouraging Winter Colony Losses Lower than in 2013 See article on Page 4

Page 2 From the President

Missouri State Beekeepers Association by John Timmons

As I settle again at my downstairs desk to write this issue’s letter, I note the huge difference between what I see out the window today, as opposed to two months ago – it’s summer out there, folks! The entrance to each of my hives tells the story. The bees are just as happy as I, and working hard to catch up after the slow start to the season. This is also that time of the year many beekeepers really look forward to - that being swarm season. In this part of the state, the swarm season is yet to make full stride, yet I sense that it’s going to be a big year for swarm catchers. The calls are beginning to come in at an ever-increasing rate and I’m getting reports of lots of supersedure cells spotted. Perhaps it was the cool spring, or perhaps it’s the lunar cycle. Whatever the case, get your swarm equipment ready for the fun to begin. And the timing is just right for plenty of swarms this season – there are lots of new beekeepers who are in need of bees to fill those brand new hives. Across the state, I’ve spoken with local association organizers who are quite worried about not being able to provide bees for all the new members they’ve spawned. There seems to be a limited supply of nucs and a limited supply of packages. The solution for most is to encourage their members to seek out swarms. Perhaps that has something to do with the fact that at my local club, Three Rivers Beekeepers, we have a swarm list well in excess of thirty. Although most swarms will be used to make up for the high rate of winter losses this season, I encourage everyone to keep the new beekeepers in mind. Many have their first hive that needs to be filled with bees. I’m also getting some encouraging whispers about an acceleration in the demand for raw honey – just like the beekeeper ordered! It seems that it’s no longer a small consumer segment that demands raw, unprocessed honey. It’s becoming a standard refrain amongst mainstream consumers, as well. The word is out – raw, unprocessed is better. As a result, we’re seeing prices creeping up to levels that are getting the attention of those who assumed the price would stay at around the four to five dollar per pound level. That’s just not the case anymore. And the price of honey may continue to climb for more than domestic reasons. Kim Flottum reports in one of the recent issues of “Catch the Buzz”, that one of the results of the devastating drought in Australia is that thirty percent of their honey bee population has been wiped out. This has resulted in a halt to overseas honey exports. The year 2013 was Australia’s hottest year on record and “severely hampered honey flows for beekeepers”. Let’s hope that this can have No use hanging around here ... some positive effects for beekeepers here in There’s nothing like the satisfying thunk of a the States. swarm of bees dropping into a spare hive body. By the way, “Catch the Buzz” is a terrific Eugene Makovec drove an hour from home to email newsletter, arriving in my inbox catch his first (and so far only) swarm of the several times per week. For those not yet season from the same branch as a previous subscribed, I encourage you to head over to swarm in 2011. The homeowner pointed out a www.BeeCulture.com/buzz/ and sign up for tall tree in the corner of the yard, from which the this free service. feral bees had emerged. Before closing, I want to remind everyone photos by Diane Milosevich that we’re swiftly approaching time for the 2014 Missouri State Fair. Scheduled for August 7th through the 17th in Sedalia, it’s a “do not miss” event for me. And it’s an event not missed by the Missouri State Beekeepers Association, either. We are well represented every year with a prominent booth in the Agriculture Building. For those who haven’t visited the fair and stopped by the MSBA booth, I encourage you to do so. There are lots of wonderful exhibits and lots of friendly faces to brighten your visit. Dean Sanders, the MSBA State Fair Coordinator, is already gearing up for a big year at the fair. In addition to the apiculture competition displays, there’s some fine honey-based ice cream to tempt the appetite. Assisting Dean every year is Steve Harris, along with representatives from clubs across the state. Be certain to contact your local club to see if they’ve signed up to help in the booth. Then, sign up yourself and join your club representing our organization at one of the largest state fairs in the country. As always, I’ve waited until the last minute to get this letter off to our MSBA Newsletter Editor, Eugene Makovec. I can almost hear him tapping his foot behind me telling me to hurry up! Here ya go, Eugene. John

Page 4

Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Winter Loss Survey 2012 – 2013: Preliminary Results Honey bee colony losses in the United States, Winter 2012-2013 May 3, 2014 Dennis vanEngelsdorp1*, Nathalie Steinhauer1, Karen Rennich1, Michael Wilson2, Kathy Baylis3, Dewey M. Caron4, Keith S. Delaplane5, Jamie Ellis6, Eugene J. Lengerich7, Jeff Pettis8, Robyn Rose9, Ramesh Sagili10, John Skinner2, Angela M. Spleen7, David R. Tarpy11,Dominic Travis11 James T. Wilkes12 for the Bee Informed Partnership. Note: This is a preliminary analysis. A more detailed final report is being prepared for publication at a later date. The Bee Informed Partnership (http://beeinformed.org), in collaboration with the Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is releasing preliminary results for the eighth annual national survey of honey bee colony losses. For the 2013/2014 winter season, 7,183 beekeepers in the United States (U.S.) responded. Collectively, they managed 564,522 colonies in October 2013, 21.7%[1] of the country’s 2.6 million colonies. For the winter of 2013/14, 23.2% of managed honey bee colonies in the U.S. died. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents (65.4%) experienced winter colony loss rates greater than the average self-reported acceptable winter mortality rate of 18.9%. The 2013/14 winter colony loss rate of 23.2% is 7.3 points (or 23.9%) lower than the previous years’ (2012/13) estimate of 30.5% loss. (Figure 1) and is notably lower than the 8-year average total loss of 29.6%[2]. Preliminary results for the 2013/14 survey indicate that 20.0% of all colonies managed between April 1 2013 and Oct 1 2013 died. Responding beekeepers who managed bees over the entire April 2013 – April 2014 survey period reported losing 34.2% of the 670,568 colonies managed over this period. The annual loss differs from the sum of summer and winter losses reported above because the respondent pool differed as only respondents who reported for both the summer and winter period are included in the annual loss rate calculation. The 2012/13 survey expanded beyond winter mortality estimates to improve our understanding of colony losses by collecting data pertinent to calculating summer and annual colony mortality rates. Results from the 2012/13 survey indicated that that summer colony losses (defined as the period of time between April 1 2012 and Oct 1 2012), were 25.3%. Loss estimate for the 12 month period last year was 45.2%. This survey was conducted by the Bee Informed Partnership, which receives a majority of its funding from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA (award number: 2011-67007-20017). 1. University of Maryland, dennis.vanengelsdorp@ gmail.com, 717-884-2147 2. University of Tennessee 3. University of Illinois 4. Oregon State University 5. University of Georgia 6. University of Florida 7. The Pennsylvania State University – Hershey 8. USDA-ARS Bee Research Lab\ 9. USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 10. North Carolina State University 11. University of Minnesota 12. Appalachian State University *Corresponding author, dennis.vanengelsdorp@gmail. com, 717-884-2147 [1] Based on NASS Honey report 2013 figures [2] Previous survey results found a total colony loss in the winters of 30.5% in the winter of 2012/2013, 21.9% in 2011/2012, 30% in 2010/2011, 34% in 2009/2010, 29% in 2008/2009, 36% in 2007/2008, and 32% in 2006/2007 (see figure attached)

Figure 1: Summary of the total overwinter colony loss (October 1 – April 1) of managed honey bee colonies in the US across the 8 annual national surveys (red bars). The acceptable range (blue bars) is the average percentage of acceptable loss declared by the survey participants in each of the 8 years of the survey.

June 2014

Page 5

Teachable moments ...

It’s not the end of the world? Community outreach in the age of CCD by Eugene Makovec

and beeswax was used as a stabilizer in bombs. Secondly, the One of the great things about belonging to a local beekeeping club postwar years saw a massive population migration to cities, is the opportunity it often gives for community outreach. Here at which unlike today were not home to a great many beekeepers. Three Rivers Beekeepers in eastern Missouri, we have three regular People also don’t realize that the 30 percent winter losses we’ve seen festivals we attend every year to promote bees and beekeeping to in recent years compare to around 20 percent a decade ago, and maybe 10-15 percent before the mites came along. Media reports the public. In early May I was working an event known as O’Fallon Founders give the impression that we went from zero to 30 faster than you Day - kind of a combination craft fair and folk-life festival. It’s always could say neonicotinoid. interesting, the questions we get from the public. Of course you have Feral bees are not immune, either. A study by Tom Seeley in upstate the usual, “Do you ever get stung?” Or as they say in Lincoln County New York in the early 1980s (again, pre-varroa) found that new feral swarms had only a one in four chance of surviving for a year. No where I live, “Y’ever get bit by them things?” But some of the questions have changed over the past several years. wonder they swarm so much! With all the media hype about colony collapse disorder, nowadays I do tell people that yes, pesticides are a problem – they’ve always you also hear, “Is it true that bees are almost extinct?” Or, “Did they been a problem – but they’re not what’s driving the heavy losses, at least not primarily. Varroa is still our number one problem, and ever figure out what’s killing the bees?” Sometimes they already know the cause. They say things like, “I we’re still working on solutions. In the meantime, you can help by read all about how Monsanto is killing the bees.” Or better yet, “I supporting your local beekeeper. signed that online petition to save the bees.” Really, save the bees Now, some of you may think: Hey, who cares? People like us now, from what? “Oh, you know, those new pesticides - those neo-nica- and if they think bees are an endangered species they’ll appreciate us even more, and be willing to pay more for our honey! whatevers - the ones that are killing all the bees!” And you know, this is frustrating to me as a beekeeper in my 20th I disagree. It’s great that beekeeping is IN now, but there are plenty year. Because you know, I was a beekeeper before beekeeping was of reasons to promote honeybees and beekeeping without having to cool. (I know, I’m still not that cool, but beekeeping has become, mislead people. like, all fashionable and everything!) And while I think it’s great that I don’t want people to take up beekeeping because they think they’re everyone loves bees and beekeepers now, it bothers me that there’s saving the world. And I certainly don’t want those new beekeepers so much misinformation out there. to ignore problems like varroa and then blame Bayer, Syngenta, or Don’t get me wrong, part of me wants to just nod my head, shed a anybody but themselves, when their bees die. couple of tears, and maybe hold out a tin cup for donations. But then In April I was at a meeting of fellow home-brewers, and explained to the good angel on my other shoulder tells me, No, this is a teachable a couple of people why I put honey in most of my beers. “You’re a moment. You have to set them straight. beekeeper?” one fellow asked. “You must hate Monsanto!” Because the problem is, so much of what they’ve heard and read I gave him a puzzled look and said, “No … why?” But my look was is wrong! Bees are NOT in fact going extinct. In fact, the numbers not nearly as puzzled as the one I got in return. of managed colonies in the United States, on a year-to-year basis, Like I said, a teachable moment. have actually held pretty steady over the past decade. And worldwide they are rising, at least according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. That is not to say we don’t have problems, and I always stress to people that it’s gotten a lot more difficult to keep bees compared with, say, 30 years ago. But when people hear on the news that beekeepers are losing 30 percent of their bees – every year! – they think that’s cumulative, that if I started with 100 hives, I dropped to 70 one year, then to 49, then 34 and so on, which by my calculations would bring me in 10 years from 100 hives all the way down to three! They don’t realize that in most cases those bees are replaced every year, as beekeepers strive to continue to meet their demand for honey, pollination and so on. The sad thing is, I don’t think most of the so-called reporters doing these stories know that either. Another statistic we see is that the U.S. had about 4.5 million managed colonies in 1945, and only 2 million today. But in the proper context, a different story is told. Beekeeping Diane Rehkop, left, of Three Rivers Beekeepers, educates a mother and daughter was subsidized during World War II, as sugar was rationed about bees at O’Fallon Founders’ Day on May 3.

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Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Bees may build mental maps to get home The insects rely on more than the sun as a compass Jun 2, 2014 ScientificAmerican.com By Jessica Morrison and Nature magazine Bees, like birds and butterflies, use the Sun as a compass for navigation, whereas mammals typically find their way by remembering familiar landmarks on a continuous mental map. However, the latest research suggests that bees also use this type of map, despite their much smaller brain size. The work adds a new dimension to complex bee-navigation abilities that have long captivated researchers. “The surprise comes for many people that such a tiny little brain is able to form such a rich memory described as a cognitive map,” says co-author Randolf Menzel, a neurobiologist at the Free University of Berlin. The research by Menzel and his team, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrates that bees can find their way back to their hives without relying solely on the Sun. Instead, they seem to use a ‘cognitive map’ that is made up of memorized landscape snapshots that direct them home. The cognitive map used by mammals is thought to originate in the brain’s hippocampus. Humans employ such maps on a daily basis; for example, even in a windowless office, many people can point towards their home, orienting themselves in space based on knowledge of their location relative to the outside world. “They can point to their home generally even though they can’t see it, even along a path through a wall that they haven’t travelled,” explains Fred Dyer, a behavioral biologist at Michigan State University in East Lansing, who was not involved in the research. The study authors argue that bees can do something similar, albeit on a much more rudimentary level. Time shift The authors tested their theory by interfering with the bees’ Sun compass: they shifted the bees’ internal biological clock by inducing sleep using a general anaesthetic. Once the bees had woken up, Menzel and his colleagues tracked them along a path of several hundred meters from a release site to their hive using harmonic radar, which detects and records movement based on transponders fixed to the bees. When the bees were released from a site with which they were unfamiliar, they initially travelled in the wrong direction, flying away from their hive instead of towards it. With their internal clocks shifted, the bees still thought that it was morning — so they went the wrong way based on their sense of where the Sun should be. “But then they redirect, ignoring the information from the Sun,” says Menzel. “They refer to something else” — which he and his team think is a cognitive map. Dyer says that Menzel and colleagues’ results provide good evidence that bees do not navigate by a type of vector addition, pegged to the position of the Sun. “It’s always progress when you can rule out a hypothesis,” he adds. And he applauds the work

for its use of harmonic radar and anaesthesia to catch a glimpse of the cognitive lives of bees. But Dyer is not yet convinced that bees navigate using a cognitive map. He thinks that the insects could be using features of the terrain independent of the Sun to navigate, similar to the way a mariner might use a beacon. This is not the same as a cognitive map, which allows an individual to head down an unfamiliar path towards an unseen goal without necessarily using a landmark. Menzel now hopes to further characterize his findings. He thinks that bees use a type of cognitive map that does not store details, but instead lets them recall a coarse layout of the environment. He plans to place bees in mazes in the laboratory and record their brain signals as they negotiate an artificial environment, which he hopes will offer further clues about their cognitive and navigational abilities. This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on June 2, 2014.

From the Honey Princess Hello everyone, I hope all of your hives are flourishing!! Two of my three hives are doing wonderful. Unfortunately a few weeks ago I lost one of my hives. It made it through winter but slowly started declining. I tried to save it with sugar water but was unsuccessful. But I will accept a 66% success rate coming from winter, because many people weren’t as lucky. I am currently getting ready to present to a group of children at the North East Kansas Beekeepers’ Association FunDay in Lawrence, Kansas. I plan on talking to them about the important Princess Erin role bees play in pollination. I am really looking forward to that event. I love working with young kids. You never know who you might inspire! Happy Beekeeping to All!! Erin Mullins, 2014 Missouri Honey Princess

June 2014

Page 7

Join us at the Fair! Hotel accommodations available nearby, or stay at adjacent campground continued from page 1

of volume. Score Sheet for judging the other additional items and more specific guidelines plus an entry form can be found on the State Fair web site at http://www.mostatefair.com/premiumguide. Under “Agriculture and Home Economics” you will find “Agriculture Rules and Classes” (with Apiculture beginning on page 2) and the “Agriculture Entry Blank”. Start planning now and decide what to enter. Get your jars selected (preferably glass, but not a requirement) and get your creamed honey started by early July. Even if you are just beginning your beekeeping adventure, please consider entering your honey products for judging. You get a score sheet for each item you enter and it’s a great way to see how you’re doing in preparing your honey for sale or even to give to your friends and neighbors. If you are unable to deliver your entries to Sedalia yourself, maybe your local club can help find someone. Let’s fill up the showcase this year and let the public see our beautiful bounty

from all over Missouri. Note: We will match your winnings if you are a member of the Missouri State Beekeepers Association.

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Missouri State Beekeepers Association

Page 8

From the Honey Queen “Hello!” to all of the Missouri beekeepers! I hope that this spring finds you and your bees doing well! My April days were filled with home remodeling, school, and several family trips. Toward the end of April, my family and I took our usual trip to our favorite homeschool conference in Texas. While I was there, I had the pleasure of unexpectedly meeting the Texas State Honey Queen, Hayden Wolf! I was walking across the conference center and a girl stepped in front of me and said, “Are you Lauren Collins?” I replied, “Yes, I am!” She went on to say that she was the Texas Honey Queen and she had seen me the night before and recognized me from my Facebook photos. What a small world! It was so much fun to be able to talk to her about beekeeping, and the national and state honey queen programs. As we’re moving toward summer, I’ve heard from quite a few beekeepers who have had a large increase in their colonies, whether it be from swarms or splits. My hive has been doing well, aside from the fact that they decided to swarm We offer fast and courteous service to all beekeep- on a weekend when I was in Wyoming ers. We sell beekeeping supplies, containers, bee visiting family. They always pick the convenient times to spread their pollen and honey for those who run short. Order is most wings and…fly! I still had a large amount shipped the same day as received in most cases. of bees and several capped queen cells, Free catalog on request. Pick up orders at our ware- so I decided to try my first split with the Queen Lauren house must be pre-ordered and picked up by ap- help of my friend, Dean Sanders. I’m now waiting to see if my queen will emerge pointment only. and begin a successful new colony! I’m still amazed at the ins and outs of beekeeping. After three years, I still learn Business hours: Mon-Thurs 8-5, closed 12-1 something new every time I go out to my bee yard. And, I suspect that the Brenda and Larry Draper bees will still be teaching me lessons 30 years from now! Beekeeping is an Draper’s Super Bee adventure, and I’m glad to be on that adventure with all of you! 914 “S” Street, Auburn, NE 68305 402-274-3725 Lauren Collins, 2014 Missouri State Honey Queen

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