Nelson County December 2020
Nelson County Beekeepers
What’s The Buzz
Volume 6 Issue 7
POSSIBLE MEETING JANUARY 21, 2021
Information on the programs and meeting schedules will be posted on Facebook as they become available.
Officers
DUES
President-Steve Hutchins Vice President-Darrell Hester Secretary-Carolyn Hurd Treasurer & Editor-Susan Zhunga Hospitality-Monthly Volunteers Newsletter Publisher– Georganne Collins
Inside this issue: Meeting Minutes
2
For Sale
3
Bee Calendar
4
Meeting Safety Guildlines
8
Please pay your dues if you wish to continue receiving the newsletter, and have access to the Facebook page. Either mail them to Susan Zhunga, 555 King Road, Cox's Creek, KY 40013, or drop you payment off at the Extension Office. Please make all checks payable to Nelson County Soil Labs. Thank you to those who have already paid their dues.
Robbie Smith County Extension Agent for Horticulture
Page 2 Steering Committee Meeting Attending: Steve Hutchins, Ricky Humphrey, Carolyn Hurd, Henry Wilkerson, and Susan Zhunga.. Discussed: We will be having the “Road Pick Up”. Ricky will take care of organizing the date and time. Meeting: 16 people were in attendance. Several people made donations for the evening's meal. Kevin Hale was our guest speaker via “Zoom” live. One of the topics was weak hives. Cut your losses. You can combine weak hives with newspaper through December. In the fall, if needed, cut hives down to one box to help keep the heat in, and feed only inside the hive. Kevin recommends a DFM probiotic treatment. Bees ingest it and it cleans their gut. Mix 1 cup DFM powder to 3 cups of protein powder. Using a sugar shaker or duster, shake ¼ cup on entire hive. Add Vitamin & Electrolytes Plus- use ¼ teaspoon per 5 gal of syrup or ¼ teaspoon in the sugar blocks. Feed protein year round. The Ultra Bee has 58% crude protein. In the spring feed 80% protein to 20 % sugar and in the fall feed 20% protein to 80% sugar. You can find all the recipes for all seasons on Kevin Hales web site. Hales Honey Farm. Carolyn Hurd Secretary
Page 3 ITEMS AVAILABLE FOR SALE Test kits for American Foul Brood (AFB) and European Foul Brood (EFB) are available for purchase from Extension Office for $14.00 each. Please call me (Susan 507-8789) for availability. ATTENTION ATTENTION There is an extractors complete with all that you need to extract your honey. It comes with a refractometer to test your honey, buckets with gates, an uncapping knife, and scraper. $10.00 for usage, with a 3 day maximum. All members are encouraged to join us on Facebook. Ask questions, show your progress, and share your pictures. “Nelson County Beekeepers”. We would love to hear from you.
Financial Statement 12/15/2020
Opening balance 1/1/2019 $2,365.33 Gross Income $2,026.00 Food Donations/Road Clean-up
Net Expense -$2,257.08 Speakers/Food/Door Prizes Bank Balance
$2,134.25
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BEEKEEPERS CALENDAR Below are several Beekeepers Calendars for the Upcoming Season. Read them all and take the information to your bee yard. We need to prepare for the winter.
KENTUCKY STATE UNIVESITY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION PROGRAM Beekeeper Chores: The year is effectively over. There is now little to be done for the bees. They will not feed on syrup and it is too late to apply treatments for mites and diseases. If you haven’t removed your mite treatments and queen excluder, do so on the first warm day in November. Otherwise, there is no reason to open your hives. Attach an entrance reducer to the front of the hive. This serves two purposes: cold wind is kept out of the hive; and, mice are prevented from nesting in the hive. Entrance reducers may be purchased from beekeeping supply companies. Or, you can simply nail a strip of wood to reduce the opening of the hive. Be sure your entrance reducer is thick enough to be mouse-proof. Some have metal strips to deter mice
Observations and ideas Late November and December are the best times to plant trees. Black locust and tulip poplar seedlings can be planted where they will provide shade, windbreak, and nectar for the bees. These two trees are known for their rapid growth and copious nectar. As honey plants, trees are a long-term investment. They will not provide significant bloom for several years. This is a good time to do some reading. Some fine books and videos are available from beekeeping supply companies. Books on beginning beekeeping, advanced topics such as queen rearing, and general interest are sold. Beeswax candles are fun and easy to make. They can be rolled from sheets of foundation in minutes. Beeswax foundation
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comes in dozens of colors, available from beekeeping supply companies.
FROM HALE'S HONEY FARM DECEMBER: •
Last chance to make sure hive have adequate food supply for winter.
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Can still feed 2:1 syrup if weather warm enough (need abut 45 degree days)
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Put hard sugar block on for winter feed source mid December no later than Christmas.
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Keep protein on the hives, either in patty or hard sugar blocks with protein mixed in.
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Put screen bottom boards in, I leave mine in until May 1st.
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Check every 2 weeks to make sure they still have food. Don't open hive for any type of inspections.
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Keep hive open only minimal time to add food. Move food on top of cluster if necessary.
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Wrap hives if you choose. I've seen no difference in wrapping or not wrapping in survival rate.
WINTER FEEDING Winter is not survival time, just another phase in beekeeping. Winter feeding should never be considered Emergency Feeding. In January, February, and March I use sugar blocks and sugar/ protein blocks on top of frames in 3” spacer Winter patties, or candy boards also a good option. (Continued on page 6)
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I am a firm believer in protein all winter long. JANUARY Check hives every two weeks, to make sure they still have food. Don't open hives for any kind of inspections. Keep hive open minimal time to add food. Move emergency food on top of cluster.
Honey Cough Syrup National Honey Board Honey-infused cough syrups are big on the drugstore shelves this year. Here's how to make your own, harnessing the curative reputation of your own locally-raised honey
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Zest of 2 lemons (about 1 1/2 T.)
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1/4 c. ginger 1 peeled, sliced, or 1/2 t. ground ginger
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1 c. water
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1 c. honey
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1/2 c. lemon juice
In a small saucepan, combine lemon zest, sliced ginger and 1 c. water. Bring mixture to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes, then strain through into a heat-proof measuring cup. Rinse the saucepan out and pour in 1 c. honey. On low heat, warm the honey, but do not allow it to boil. Add the strained lemon ginger water and the lemon juice. Stir the mixture until it combines to form a thick syrup.
Pour into a clean jar with a lid. Can be refrigerated for up to 2 months. Do not give to infants under age 1. Their systems are not yet developed well enough to safely process honey. Other dosages: Children ages 1 to 5: 1/2 to 1 t. every 2 hours. Children ages 5 to 12: 1 to 2 t. every 2 hours. Age 12 to adult: 1 to 2 T. every 4 hours.
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The Nelson County Extension Office will be closed December 21, 2020 thru January 4, 2021.
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Bardstown KY 40004
317 S Third St
Nelson County