March 2017
Nelson County Beekeepers nelsconcountybeekeepers@gmail.com
What’s The Buzz
Volume 3, Issue 3
Meeting
March 16th @ 6:30 p. m. Program: Bee Talk with Don "The Fat Bee Man" Kuchenmeister via live webinar. ATTENTION MEMBERS - POT LUCK – St. Officers
Patrick's Day – COVERED
DISH TO SHARE
– Your participation in the pot-luck meal is President-Gene Englert needed. Our past meals have been less than Vice President-Ricky Humphrey adequate. If you want the pot-luck to continue, please bring a dish if you are going to Secretary-Benny Hite participate in the meal. It also helps to accommodate guest, new members, and Treasurer & Editor-Susan speakers. Zhunga Hospitality-Pat Swartz Newsletter Publisher– Georganne Collins
GUEST ARE ALWAYS WELCOME – Bring a beekeeping friend, or someone you think might like to get started. Lets spread the word.
Robbie Smith County Extension Agent for Horticulture
Inside this issue: Upcoming Programs For 2017
2
Minutes & Financial Report
3
Spring Reminders
4
Kentucky Proud
5
Nelson County Fair
6
Manuka Hoeny
7
Page 2 UPCOMING PROGAMS FOR 2017 Programs listed maybe subject to change according to guest schedules. March 16th........................ Bee Talk with Don "The Fat Bee Man" Kuchenmeister via live webinar April 20th ........................... Round Table Discussion on Spring time decision making Saturday field trip to Kevin Hales Honey Farm. (Date to be decided) May 18th ........................... Pollinator Habitat and Native Plants, Casey Shrader, Field Biologist, USDA June 15th .......................... Honey Extraction tips and demonstration as a panel discussion. Club members will Discuss July 20th ............................ Field Day? Drone Fishing? Natural Hive Count? August 17th ....................... The Beginning of the Beekeepers Season with Kevin Hale of Hale's Honey Farm September 21st ................ October 19th ..................... Tammy Horn Potter November 16th ................. Update from the Commissioner of Agriculture, Ryan Quarles (not yet firmly confirmed) December 21st ................. Christmas Party
Financial Statement As Of 3/1/17 Start (adjusted) $2,429.96 Expense (Christmas)
-$149.99
Income (Dues, T’s & Hats) +$650.00 Balance $2,929.97
Susan Zhunga Treasurer
Page 3 Nelson County Beekeepers Meeting Minutes
Meeting Notes February 15th
Marketing Products and Self with Melissa Bond, University of KY. gave us a great presentation. Showing how to best present your Bee products in the open market. Also how to best show your products at a fair or show. We had 36 people in attendance with 4 new members. Jessica and Kim Wells, Kerry Armstrong, Dwayne Smith. Welcome to those of you that have decided to join the Best Bee Club in the State.
Susan Zhunga Secretary (at large)
Apple Oatmeal Muffins From the National Honey Board These Apple Oatmeal Muffins are lightly sweetened with honey and spiced with cinnamon for a satisfying and convenient fall breakfast. YIELD: MAKES 12 SERVINGS Ingredients 1 cup - all purpose flour 2/3 cup - whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon - baking powder 1 teaspoon - baking soda 1 heaping teaspoon - cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon - salt 1 - egg 1/2 cup - honey 1/2 cup - milk 1/3 cup - vegetable oil 1 1/2 teaspoon - vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups - thinly diced apples 1/3 cup - old fashioned oats
Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, honey, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix. Add the apples and oats to the bowl and gently fold them in. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups (it'll be about 1/4 cup in each one). Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Page 4 Spring Reminders: Tammy Horn Potter, KY State Apiarist If you haven’t rotated your hives by now, you may be too late. Based on our apiary, the honey bees have moved down into their lower brood chambers. Disregard any of my advice about rotation if the honey bees have moved into the bottom. Impressed by full frames of brood we saw last Friday, Doug and I will be adding supers to discourage swarming this week. Honey bees like to move up and out as the temperatures warm, so if you want to discourage that swarming instinct, you should provide room to the side and on top of the brood area. · It’s a fine line between maintaining food stores on top of the brood and allowing the brood (inadvertently) to become honey-bound, but that is why you need to do regular inspections. It is also quite possible for honey bees to run out of nutrition, so maintain the checkups as long as the temperatures allow. Maintain nutrition as necessary. ·
We also saw small hive beetles in last Friday’s maintenance checks, so we will be 1. putting our traps in around the cluster and Swiffer sheets (unscented) in the top supers, 2. scratching the soil underneath the hives to expose the small hive beetle larvae to the sunlight, and 3. spreading table salt. See also, University of Arkansas information: https://www.uaex.edu/publi cations/PDF/FSA-7075.pdf · This is the last chance you have to cull old beeswax and equipment from your apiary before the season kicks into high gear. Culling beeswax older than five years is a good hygienic thing to do, and you’ll be impressed with how quickly the honey bees like to draw out new foundation. · Also, remember to sterilize your hive tools in your smoker before working your hives. These simple steps can go a long way to preventing the spread of disease such as chalkbrood, sacbrood, European and American foulbrood. · It is also not too early to sample your bees and see
what the overwintered varroa mite loads are. Again, with our warmer temperatures in January and February, I suspect that the queen bees have not really quit laying, so there hasn’t been a sufficient “brood break” in many of the hives. BEEKEEPING ITEMS FOR SALE The Club - has NCB TShirts $11.00 Hooded Sweatshirts $23.00 Janet Brown - is selling NCB Hats and Visors for $10.00. The club gets $2.00 from each sale. Larry Marks - is selling the Marks' Frames for $12.00 for a set of three frames. Comes with instructions. Susan Zhunga & Mary Ellen Marquess – are selling “Sue B Healthy” which is the Bee Ladies formula for Honey Bee Healthy - $8.00 for an 8oz jar. Mike Johnson – Will be make woodenware to order. Boxes, frames and wax dipping. Contact Mike for information and pricing @ 502-249-2007.
Page 5 Kentucky Proud - No Kentucky Shame On You Below is a letter that was sent to State Representative Chad McCoy and our State Senator Jimmy Higdon, also Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles. This is an issue that we should all be addressing. If you have the opportunity to contact these people, please email them. We need to make changes to the regulations to make “Kentucky Proud” something we can be proud of. The rules state that “If the product is bottle in state, it can be called “Kentucky Proud”. This would include Coca Cola. How bad is that. We need your help!!!!! "Kentucky Proud" we should call you "Kentucky Shame On You". Products being sold under this label are being shipped in from all around the country and perhaps the world. Produce being bought out of state and repackage as "Kentucky Proud". Honey being shipped in and and re-bottled and called "Kentucky Proud". Your own regulation allow this type of false advertising.
Ask any suppler or vendor what the "Kentucky Proud" label means to them, and they will tell you, "It's a product grown, manufactured, or produced in Kentucky using at least 60% to 70% of our own, home grown ingredients. " Being a member of the Nelson County Beekeepers, one of the largest clubs in the state, we are offended that this operation is so loosely monitored. Beekeepers would even be prepared to become "Certified Kentucky Beekeepers" and sell Local Honey Only under the Kentucky Proud Label. But not if you don't hold all honey sold in Kentucky using the words LOCAL and Kentucky Proud to same standard. Susan E. Zhunga Treasurer - Newsletter Publisher Nelson County Beekeepers.
Honey and Lemon Tea By Elise Bauer When I get a cold, I try to remember the laundry list of things that make it all better. Drink lots of water. Check. Take zinc and vitamin C. Check. Take omega 3 fish oil (helps boost immune system). Check. Take elderberry syrup (it’s antiviral). Check. Keep warm. Check. Another thing on the list that is especially comforting when one has a cold is a hot cup of honey and lemon tea. Well, strictly speaking, there’s no “tea” in the tea. It’s just honey, lemon juice, and hot water. But it’s so good, especially if you have a cough or congestion. The lemon juice helps cut through congestion and the honey soothes the throat. You can also add fresh ginger to your honey and lemon tea. Sometimes I’ll just have the hot water over ginger. That’s good too. But usually, it’s just honey and lemon. www.simplyrecipes.com/re cipes/honey_and_lemon_t ea/#ixzz4Y5zVHwsm
Page 6 NELSON COUNTY FAIR July 17th Through the 22nd of 2017 Rules for Nelson County Fair Samuels Hall Each entry of honey exhibited must be produced in the exhibitors apiary. Entries accepted between 9 and 11am on July 17th. Judging will be conducted from 1:30 to 5:00pm. View hour are 5 to 10pm during the fair. Exhibitor will not be aloud to remove items until Sunday July 23rd at 1:30pm to 2:30pm.
Honey Classes Class 1. Light Extrated honey Class 2. Light Amber Extarted honey Class3. Amber Extracted honey Class 4. Dark Amber Extracted honey Class 5. Black Jar (for taste judging only). #1 Specific Rule: Nelson
County Bee Clubs Members will be permitted to exhibit. #2 Specific Rule: Entries must be submitted in a 1lb Queen Line Style Jar, except for Black Jar Class. #3 Specific Rule: Black Jar should be submitted in a baby food size jar, painted black on the exterior. 1st prize $25.00 2nd prize $15.00 3rd prize $10.00 Class 5 -Black Jar $25.00
SWAP MEET – YARD SALE @ Every Meeting If any member has beekeeping items for sale, list them in the newsletter and/or bring them to the meeting. We can do some bartering after the regular meetings are over. Good time to save some money on necessary items. Be sure and bring items in good clean condition. Make sure they are priced and have your name. We will set up special tables for your items.
DON’T FORGET TO JOIN US ON FACE BOOK!!
Feeding America Beekeepers your help is needed. Wednesday, March 22, 8:30-12:00 packing and distributing boxed to families for Feeding America. This will be at the Nelson County Fair grounds. If you can help please call the office 502.348.9204 and let us know. You can volunteer for all of the time or part of the time. The packing and distribution is done in a assembly line fashion. Each month a different group volunteers and March is the commodities groups.
Page 7 MANUKA HONEY Manuka honey is produced in New Zealand & Australia by bees that pollinate the native manuka bush. Advocates say it treats wound infections and other conditions.
same. The antibacterial quality of honey depends on the type of honey as well as when and how it's harvested. Some kinds of honey may be 100 times more potent than others.
WebMD takes a look at what the science says about using manuka honey as a medicine.
COMPONENTS OF MANUKA HONEY
HEALING POWER OF HONEY Honey has been used since ancient times to treat multiple conditions. It wasn't until the late 19th century that researchers discovered that honey has natural antibacterial qualities. Honey protects against damage caused by bacteria. Some honey also stimulates production of special cells that can repair tissue damaged by infection. In addition, honey has an antiinflammatory action that can quickly reduce pain and inflammation once it is applied. But not all honey is the
Hydrogen peroxide is a component of honey. It gives most honey its antibiotic quality. But some types of honey, including manuka honey, also have other components with antibacterial qualities. Another antibacterial component in manuka honey is methylglyoxal (MG). MG is a compound found in most types of honey, but usually only in small quantities. In manuka honey, MG comes from the conversion of another compound -dihydroxyacetone -- that is found in high concentration in the nectar of manuka flowers. MG is thought to give manuka honey some of its antibacterial power. The higher the concentration of
MG, the stronger the antibiotic effect. But, there may also be other compounds involved in the medicinal effect of manuka honey. Honey producers have developed a scale for rating the potency of manuka honey. The rating is called UMF, which stands for Unique Manuka Factor. The UMF rating is thought to correspond with the concentration of MG and other compounds. Not all honey labeled as manuka honey contains significant levels of antibacterial factors. To be considered potent enough to be therapeutic, manuka honey needs a minimum rating of 10 UMF. Honey at or above that level is marketed as "UMF Manuka Honey" or "Active Manuka Honey." INFO FROM WEBMD.
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Bardstown KY 40004
317 S Third St
Nelson County
Bardstown, KY 40004-7953
3586 Springfield Rd
Shaun & Reese Abell