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If you don't have a Kindle device, you can still access these books by downloading an app for your computer, tablet, or smartphone, or by using the Kindle Cloud Reader to read them online (or you could buy one, since the sheer number of these free daily ebooks makes it worth while! They start at only $69!).
Due to changes in Amazon's affiliate program, in order to remain an affiliate (and actually get paid a small amount to do these lists, rather than either doing them purely out of the goodness and kindness of my heart, which I don't really have time to these days since I have bills to pay...or not do them at all), at least 20% of Kindle ebook downloads need to be ones people paid for. As such, I will be putting together a short list of valuable ebooks before each day's free ebooks, so you can help me out with this as well. If there is ever a topic you would like to see in this section, let me know and I'll see what I can find. Since you would be paying good money for these books, I will only post books with 4 or 5 star reviews, books that have been published through an actual publisher, and/or books that I've personally read and think are worthwhile, so you can be confident that they are worth your hard-earned cash.
Almond Flour Recipes: Easy And Delicious Recipes For The Whole Family To Enjoy!
Healthy Body, Healthy Home: 30+ Homemade Beauty Products and Household Cleaners for Toxin-Free Living (The Healthy Living Book Series)
The Dangers of GMOs: A Quick Guide On Monsanto & Toxic GMOs In Our Food Supply
Beyond Bacon: Paleo Recipes that Respect the Whole Hog
This post is time sensitive. If you are finding it after the post date, most of these are probably no longer free. Always check the price before clicking "buy."
How to Build a Greenhouse for Your Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs or Flowers at an Affordable Price: Learn How You Can Quickly & Easily Build a Greenhouse That Grows Perfect Plants the Proper Way Everytime
Aquaponics Gardening - A Beginner's Guide
Pickled! The Ultimate Recipe Guide - Over 30 Delicious & Best Selling Recipes
Creating Bullet Molds and Loading Dies
Jim Crumley's Secrets of Bowhunting Deer
Jim Crumley's Secrets of Bowhunting Deer
How to Clean and Service an Oil Burner
The Healthy Bee Hive: Effective Beekeeping Tips to Manage Honey Bee Pests and Treatments (Smart Beekeeping Series)
How To Become An Amazing Beekeeper: Discover the Essential Steps for Beekeeping Like an Expert (Smart Beekeeping Series)
Organic Gardening's Black Gold Composting: The ultimate gardener's guide to composting (Black Gold Organic Gardening Series)
Lessons from Past Floods: Destruction, Restoration and Future Preparation; A Guide for Being Prepared for a Natural Disaster
Bug Out Bag Prepper's Guide: What To Pack For Those Critical First 72 Hours
Pistolsmithing Made Easy
Natural Homemade Soap: The Ultimate Recipe Guide - Over 30 Handmade & Refreshing Soaps
Simple Recipes for Easy Homemade Face Scrubs and Body Exfoliants (All Natural Cosmetics)
Living Simple, Living Happy - A Simple Fun Guide to Living Happy on Less
Couponing Simple Book: Big Savings in Cash and Time
Pure Essential Oils Handbook : Aromatherapy To Restore, Rejuvenate and Heal Your Body And Soul
How To Suppress Appetite - 7 Easy Ways To Suppress Appetite Easily And Fast!
Ayurvedic Medicine Treatment - Neglected Secrets of Ayurveda And Health (81% Solutions Guidebooks Series)
Eliminate Back Pain: The No-Nonsense Illustrated Guide to Relief from Back Pain and Low Back Pain Through Exercise and Better Posture
A Frugal Meat Manual (Cooking Adventures of a Thrifty Mama)
Got Game?Cook It!
Breads & More Cookbook
Mexican Recipes: Delicious Authentic Mexican Recipes For The Whole Family!
Paleo Desserts: Muffins, Scones, Fruits, Cakes, Cookies (Paleolithic Diet)
Best Easy Tuna Recipes (Great Casserole and Other Delicious Tuna Ideas Cookbook)
Coconut Flour (Gluten Free, Cookie, Muffin And Cake Recipes)
Millet Recipes: The Ultimate Collection - Over 30 Gluten Free Recipes
Ginger Recipes: The Ultimate Collection - Over 30 Healthy & Delicious Recipes
Salmonberries: a lunchtime forager short cookbook
Motorhoming is even more fun when it's FREE!
Passive Income for Life: A Time-Tested Secret Recipe for Building a $50,000 Cash Machine on Amazon.com...In Your Spare Time [Almost Free Money, volume 5]
34 Things You MUST Know about E-Commerce Shopping Cart Systems (Shopping Carts)
Food Entrepreneur: Foods That Make You Rich From Home (From Passion To Profit - A Compilation Of Profitable Food Stories - Volume 3)
Track Down the Weasel Words (Writing Lessons from the Front)
Beat Algebra Before it Beats You!
Teaching English Literature: a twelve-week lesson plan
101 Learning Activities to Stretch & Strengthen Your Child's Multiple Intelligences
How to Draw Gnomes and Dwarves - Educational Game For Kids (How to Draw Comics and Cartoon Characters)
My First Latin Learner (My First Latin and Ancient Greek Learners) |
Solectron's Acquisition Strategy Pays Off Big in Revenue Growth / It had fastest sales growth rate among big Bay Area companies in '98
How do you keep revenue growth above 50 percent year after year?
If you're Solectron Corp., you do it by making one strategic acquisition after another. A high-tech version of "Let's Make a Deal" has enabled the Milpitas company to increase its revenue at an average annual rate of 53 percent during the past seven years.
Last year's sales grew 57 percent as Solectron added nearly $2.5 billion to its top line. That was the fastest one-year growth rate among the Bay Area's largest 25 companies, ranked by sales.
Solectron is a contract manufacturer, which means other companies pay it to make products they can sell under their own brand names. The products include everything from cellular phones to entire computer systems, and the customers include heavy hitters such as IBM, Mitsubishi, Hewlett-Packard and Ericsson.
Solectron's modus operandi is to acquire a manufacturing plant from a big company, then use the facility to make products for that company. At the same time, Solectron gets to use the plant to make products for other companies that don't have enough manufacturing capacity of their own.
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Everybody wins. The computer and electronics companies don't have to worry about manufacturing, while Solectron gets the resources that have enabled it to become a global powerhouse in the fast-growing electronic manufacturing services industry, which accounts for some $90 billion in annual sales of computer and electronics gear.
Solectron has completed 16 such acquisitions since 1992. During the past year alone, it acquired two computer components facilities from IBM, a cellular phone factory from Mitsubishi, a global positioning satellite plant from Trimble, and NCR's computer systems operation.
Solectron's strategy has dovetailed nicely with a growing desire on the part of computer and electronics companies to outsource manufacturing and concentrate instead on research and developing new products.
For the 12 months ending in February, Solectron's sales rose to $6.8 billion from $4.4 billion the previous 12 months, and its net income jumped to $234 million from $183 million. Its stock soared from $20 a share at the start of 1998 to about $46 at the end of the year. Since then, it has gone up another 8 percent, closing on Friday at $49.88.
"They're definitely a company that's in the right place at the right time, and they're executing extremely well," said analyst Louis Miscioscia of Lehman Brothers, who thinks the company is on track to grow 56 percent again in fiscal 1999, with revenues hitting $8.25 billion.
At its present rate of growth, Solectron probably will pass SCI Systems of Huntsville, Ala., this year to become the largest EMS company in the world.
"Accolades for Solectron go far beyond mere size," SG Cowen Securities stated in a recent research report. "The company has twice won the Malcolm Baldrige Award for quality and is adept at 'thinking outside the box,' with innovative programs for managing its supply chain and monitoring customer satisfaction."
Founded in 1977, Solectron began life by assembling electronic components using parts designed by its customers. It had one plant, in Silicon Valley, and fewer than 100 employees.
Today, it still assembles components, such as circuit boards, but it also manufactures computer systems, cell phones, pagers, modems, fax machines and other electronics devices for other people. It also designs and distributes many of the products, taking over even more of the work for customers.
"As time went by, customers began asking us to design things for them," said chief executive Koichi Nishimura. "Then they said, 'Buy my parts for me.' And then, 'Plan for the future of buying those parts.' And then, 'Build my boxes.' "
Solectron today has 21 sites around the world, and some 31,000 employees, including 5,200 in the Bay Area.
Nishimura, a second-generation Japanese American who was born in Pasadena in 1938, sums up Solectron's approach like this:
"When my mother died, a Buddhist priest taught me three lessons to live by: Nothing in life is still, nothing in life is eternal, and everything in life is good.
"These philosophies can also apply in business. Technology changes every minute. Your customers may not stay with you forever. There are opportunities everywhere you look." |
5 Food podcasts you should be listening to
Growing up, we were always told not to play with our food, but what about listening to it? With food podcasts, you can.
Need more food news, current food trends or just friendly discussion about cooking, eating and restaurants? Next time you're craving some food talk, tune in to one of these podcasts for your fix of all things food.
Want more food-related technology? Check out these iPhone apps for foodies >>
Molly Wizenberg and Matthew Amster-Burton combine food and humor in their podcast, Spilled Milk. Listen in as they discuss cooking tips and recipes, along with general food-related banter. You're guaranteed a good time and a chuckle.
In this podcast, interviews, recipes and other food stories are collected from NPR programs, including Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Recent NPR: Food chats discuss food trucks, hot dogs, pink slime, chocolate and BPA in food. What more could you need?
Read about the hot food trends for 2012 >>
The Dinner Party
Brought to you by American Public Media, The Dinner Party covers just about everything. Rico Gagliano and Brendan Francis Newnam host this eclectic show as they interview celebrity guests, dole out etiquette tips, talk recipes, food finds and odd food news. This podcast is always a fun listen.
The Splendid Table
Also from American Public Media, The Splendid Table describes itself as “the show for people who love to eat.” If that describes you, tune in to hear host Lynne Rossetto Kasper take you on a journey through the culinary world. This feel-good podcast talks food in the most passionate way, touching on everything from beekeeping to wine and much more.
Keep up on the latest cooking techniques: Learn about molecular gastronomy >>
Food Network Humor
For a good laugh, some heavy satire and the occasional bad word, check out the Food Network Humor podcast. Although they are currently on hiatus, you can download previous episodes that poke fun at all the Food Network celebrities and say the things we've all been thinking as we watch Ina and Paula in their kitchens. |
Pesticide impacts on bees
Ten years ago, the first alarming indications of major harm to bees hit global headlines. In the US, large scale deaths of honey bees were reported, with an estimated 30% of managed colonies being lost each year. Unusually high hive losses of 25-30% have been reported in Europe and 25% of beekeepers in Japan reported a similar level of loss, matching reports emerging from China and Egypt.
In addition, many native wild bee species, such as bumblebees and leafcutter bees, are suffering severe population losses across the world, with some species facing extinction. Along with honey bees, these wild bees are important pollinators of the food and medicinal crops we grow. Other pollinating insects, such as butterflies and moths, are also under threat.
Several factors are thought to be behind these declines: changes in farming practices and land use, which affect bees’ food sources and nesting habitat; increased levels of parasites and diseases; and exposure to pesticides and other toxic pollutants.
As US researchers expressed in their article ‘The Plight of the Bees’: “Bees are reaching their tipping point because they are expected to perform in an increasingly inhospitable world”.
The Importance of Bees
Honey bees pollinate 40% of leading food crops. Honey bee pollination increases the edible yield of 46 of the world’s leading 115 food crop species – including apples, citrus, tomatoes, sunflowers, rapeseed and soya – while a further 10 crops gain following pollination by other species of bee and insect. Less than 25% of the world’s leading food crop species are wind pollinated and do not benefit from honey bees.
Honey bees play a key role in the successful production of over 80 million tonnes of EU food produce each year – which equates to 160 kilos of food per EU citizen. The economic value of insects and other animals pollinating crops is estimated at US$216.5 billion.
Pollinators also contribute to the sustainable livelihoods of many farmers and beekeepers world-wide. Their declining numbers are affecting rural communities in developing countries. India’s huge decline in pollinator species is resulting in reductions in the yield of date palms, lemon, papaya and mangoes. Wild honey collection in the Kutch region fell from the usual 300 tonnes to just 50 tons in 2010, because of the fall in the number of honey bees. In Kenya, reports of low pollinator abundance and diversity have recently appeared, with crops such as passion fruit showing deficiency of pollination.
Our Bee Declines and Pesticides FactSheets
What is Happening to Our Bees?
In many countries, the most visible signs that bees are in trouble have been increased losses of managed honey bees, often with much lower than normal numbers of colonies surviving the winter. In North America, the term ‘colony collapse disorder’ has been applied to a phenomenon in which worker honey bees from a hive or bee colony abruptly disappear, leaving the queen, food stores and bee brood abandoned, but with no dead bees observed in the area.
Some authorities attribute the problem to pests and diseases infesting the hives, such as parasitic Varroa mites, the diseases caused by Nosema fungi and Israel acute paralysis virus. Other proposed causes include environmental change-related stresses, reduced and poor quality sources of pollen and nectar, pesticide contamination of food sources, poor beekeeping practices and the stress from migratory beekeeping. There is no single major cause and it is likely that several factors play a role, as well as interactions between them.
For wild bees and other pollinators, there is growing evidence that many populations are less healthy or abundant than in the past and that wild species may be much more vulnerable to pollution and to habitat and climate changes than managed bees.
The Role of Pesticides in Pollinator Declines
There are many factors that could be contributing to the loss of bees. However, there is no doubt that all over the world pesticides that are harmful to bees and other pollinators are being used in ever increasing amounts. In May 2008, the UK Pesticide Safety Directorate, now the Chemicals Regulation Directorate, analysed 286 pesticides used in the EU and identified 40 as being toxic to bees. Even the companies that make such pesticides do not deny their direct toxicity to bees, if sprayed or released into fields when bees are foraging or if high levels contaminate hive food sources.
What is less clear and therefore contested is the role of low level exposure to pesticides, especially those used in seed treatments. Beekeepers in the United States are unanimous in stating that pesticides are a big part of the problem. Many European beekeeping organisations hold similar views, as do many environmental NGOs, including PAN UK. The issue has been controversial among governments and public research institutes, with different national agencies and individual academics taking different views. Nevertheless, more researchers and policy makers now acknowledge pesticide use as one of the major drivers of pollinator declines.
PAN UK’s set of factsheets explores the links between bee declines and pesticides in more detail.
Neonicotinoids are not the only group of pesticides that are adversely affecting bee populations in the UK and elsewhere. Herbicide usage and the growth of monoculture agriculture are reducing the amount and variety of foraging material for hungry bees.
A herbicide, commonly known as a weed killer, is a type of pesticide used to kill unwanted plants. Selective herbicides kill specific targets, while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by interfering with the growth of the weed and are often synthetic “imitations” of plant hormones. Herbicides used to clear waste ground, industrial sites, railways and railway embankments are non-selective and kill all plant material. Smaller quantities are used in forestry, pasture systems, and management of areas set aside as wildlife habitat.
Broad-spectrum herbicides threaten rare and endangered bird species by reducing the abundance of weeds (eaten by birds) and insects hosted by weeds. In recent decades, the use of herbicides has dramatically increased. Diversity of wild plants in agricultural fields and field margins is declining, especially in infertile grassland and hedge bottoms. |
- Experience Split with all of your senses; history, architecture, culture, food and wine tasting & cooking class
- Visit Krka Waterfalls for a walking tour and authentic dining experience
- Enjoy private sailing to Hvar with a stop on Šolta for a tour of honey production
- Take a private excursion of Hvar Island with lunch in an olive grove & excursion to Palmižana beach
- Engage in private cooking class of an authentic meal in a quaint village on Hvar island
- Visit Korčula and taste wine & oysters in Ston on Pelješac Peninsula
- Explore Dubrovnik & visit its countryside for olive oil tasting and lunch
- Prepare a traditional home-made meal in a village near Dubrovnik
Flavors of Dalmatia is unique gourmet experience of the Dalmatian coast that only the native and well-knowledgeable travel experts at Adriatic Luxury Journeys can craft and seamlessly deliver.
Start with a few nights in Split. Visit its historical and cultural landmarks, markets, shops and meet the locals. Taste everything local here: fritule, bevanda, sardines, soparnik, prosciutto, olive oil, ice cream, chocolate, fine wine, mussels, octopus salad, lamb on and the rest of the mouth-watering Dalmatian specialties. Try your hand at preparing a traditional meal in a village nearby Split.
Next, explore the beautiful waterfalls of Krka National Park, walk and hike around the lakes, take a short cruise and swim in the refreshing crystal clear waters beneath the amazing waterfalls. Sample local specialties and dine on best seafood risotto here.
Spend a day relaxing on a private sailing trip to the small island of Šolta in the company of a professional skipper. Explore the quaint villages and learn how to make honey from the professional beekeeper. The quality of honey from Šolta has been known since ancient times.
Stay a few days on the island of Hvar and explore its lavender fields, olive groves, vineyards, highest island peaks and secluded beaches. Meet the locals at a tiny village of Malo Grablje and enjoy a traditional cooking class experience, best local wine and even better company of your host.
Continue to the Dubrovnik, and stop for the best oysters just taken out from the sea and continue to the island of Korčula.
End your authentic Dalmatian experience with a cooking class in the small village near Dubrovnik and learn how to prepare a traditional home-cooked meal.Request Booking
Day 1: Split
Arrive to Split airport followed by private transfer to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure. Hotel Marmont, Split, (B)
Day 2: Split/Countryside of Split/Split
Visit the ancient cellars of the Diocletian’s Palace during your private walking tour of Split. Your expert local guide will take you through the narrow cobblestone streets the insider way. Visit the colorful open marked called Pazar, fish market with the best selection of sea food just caught by the local fishermen, a local butcher, cheese and prosciutto producers, wine and chocolate producers. Sample traditional specialties as you learn the stories and myths about the ancient recipes still being prepared in Split.
Continue this marvelous day with an authentic cooking experience at a traditional Dalmatian estate just outside of Split. Meet your host, an organic wine maker and a great cook of Dalmatian specialties. Learn how to make a wicked Zinfandel risotto and how to clean and grill a whole fish using the organic vegetable and oil produced on the estate. Our cooking class experience includes preparing two unique dishes, lunch or dinner and local wine. Hotel Marmont, Split, (B, D)
Day 3: Split/Krka National Park/Split
We start with a scenic drive along the Dalmatian coast and a short stop for picture taking at a vista near the picturesque town of Primošten. Arrive to Skradin, more than 2000 year old town which is a starting point for a boat ride to the falls. A short cruise through the magnificent Krka river canyon will get you below the falls where you can hike, swim, relax and explore the old artifacts that depict the way of life from the ancient times. Here, you can also see the second oldest electricity factory in the world. Next, we drive to Šibenik, the only town on the Croatian coast founded by Croats whose fascinating stone built center is a living monument under UNESCO protection. After we built up a nice appetite during our Krka exploration, we suggest a choice of the following optional food experiences:
Skradin risotto which takes up to 12 hours to prepare until slowly cooked to perfection. By the way, this was Anthony Bourdain’s favorite!
Tasting menu at Pellegrini in Šibenik town, one of the finest restaurants in northern Dalmatia well known for traditional Croatia specialties with a modern twist.
Lamb on a spit, another traditional Dalmatian specialty served in a restaurant in Dalmatian countryside is unlike any other lamb in the world. You’ll thank us later! Hotel Marmont, Split, (B, D)
Day 4: Split/Šolta/Hvar
Today is reserved for a unique experience including a private sailing to the island of Hvar and visiting a beekeeping family estate. Šolta is a very small island not very far from Split. Here, you are in for a sweet treat. In the company of the professional guide, you will visit a bee yard, and will have the opportunity to watch the beehive through the glass and learn about bee keeping. In the company of a professional beekeeper you will learn how to make and taste honey. Unique honey from Šolta Island which is extracted from the wild rosemary flower has been wanted and appreciated since the antic ages. The tradition of beekeeping on Šolta is confirmed by the foundation of the first beekeepers association in 1875. There will be enough time for tasty lunch of traditional specialties, visiting quaint villages, relaxing on the beach, swimming or diving into the pristine waters of the Adriatic. In the evening, stroll the cobblestone streets of Hvar or perhaps enjoy an optional dinner at one of its local restaurants. Hotel Adriana, Hvar, (B, L)
Day 5: Hvar
Start the island explorations with a private drive through the scenic countryside of scented lavender fields, olive groves, quaint seaside villages and vineyards. The view from the highest island peak St. Nikola will absolutely mesmerize you. Enjoy a succulent lunch of Dalmatian specialties prepared in an olive grove just for you and your group of friends. A glass or two of superb local wine from the island’s boutique wine cellars will just add a perfect touch to this magnificent day. Rest a little after lunch, board your private boat, and in the company of your professional skipper head towards the southern cliffs and bays of the island. Discover Paklinski Islands and relax in Palmižana bay. Hotel Adriana, Hvar, (B, L)
Day 6: Hvar
Enjoy a traditional cooking class in the tiny village of Hvar island and discover the precious secrets of preparing simple but mouth-watering Mediterranean specialties. This half day tour takes you to Malo Grablje, a picturesque village located just a few miles away from Hvar town. In Malo Grablje you will meet and greet your host, the only left resident of this abandoned village. You will then proceed to one of his gardens that spread around the village to pick some of the necessary ingredients to prepare your meal: lettuce, tomatoes, rosemary, basil, onions, and whatever is seasonal at the time of your visit. Here you will have the opportunity to learn more about the village which was completely abandoned from 1950’s when golden tourism rush hit its residents and forced them to move closer to the sea to a village of Milna. Not to mention that your host will spice up this short village de tour with a couple of stories and facts from the ancient lifestyle of the Malo Grablje residents. After you have picked up all necessary ingredients you will come to his family house where he will show you how to prepare your own lunch or dinner. Your meal will be prepared in a traditional island style including a few cooking secrets which he will gladly share with you. Hotel Adriana, Hvar, (B, L)
Day 7: Hvar/Korčula & Ston/Dubrovnik
Transfer to Dubrovnik by car and driver with a stop on Korčula and small town of Ston on Pelješac Peninsula for wine and oyster tasting. Korčula is known for its brightly colored red roofs which stand out against the fiercely blue sea. Stroll along the streets of the city and visit the cultural and historical monuments. See the Treasury of the Abbey, the City Museum, the Museum of Icons, as well as other places of interest. Arrive to Ston, famous for the finest vineyards in all of Croatia. Here you will visit a few of the prominent local wineries and will be introduced to the best local wines, such as Postup and Dingač, the first Croatian wine to gain protected geographic origin in 1961. The bay of Ston is Croatia’s cradle of mussel and oyster farming. Here you will enjoy oyster tasting. Hotel Excelsior, Dubrovnik, (B, L)
Day 8: Dubrovnik
Start your exploration in the company of your local guide. Stroll down to the city center and explore its cobblestone streets and squares. Learn about magnificent history of medieval Dubrovnik, its traditions and everyday life. Visit the beautiful cloister at the Franciscan Monastery. Delight in the artistic treasures of the Assumption of the Virgin, and visit the Rector’s Palace, and XIV-century Dominican Monastery. After tour of Dubrovnik Old Town, you will continue with a tour of Dubrovnik countryside. Just imagine – olive trees, vineyards, water mills, sound of the river . . . that’s how countryside of Dubrovnik region looks like. This tour is a combination of the sightseeing of the Old Town and visit to the charming, small town of Cavtat. Here you can visit picture gallery of St. Nicholas Church or the House of birth and the Gallery of the most famous Croatian painter V. Bukovac – optional. Next, visit 400 years old water-mill situated in Konavle region. After a welcome drink, the owner will do the presentation so you’ll have a chance to see how the flour was once made.
For lunch we suggest a lovely restaurant in Cavtat or a restaurant by the river Ljuta near the mill. Hotel Excelsior, Dubrovnik, (B)
Day 9: Dubrovnik/Dubrovnik Countryside/Dubrovnik
Yet another unforgettable food and wine experience is awaiting in the heart of Dubrovnik countryside. In the company of your host, you will have the opportunity to prepare authentic specialties of Dubrovnik countryside. After a traditional welcome drink, learn the basics of the Dubrovnik cuisine. There is a nice selection of homemade meals that you can choose to prepare, such as Dalmatian peka (lamb or veal baked under an iron bell), menestra (cooked cabbage with potatoes, a Dalmatian stew), ražnjići – skewers on laurel sticks, šporki makaruli -pasta with meat, gradele- grilled meat or fish, bobica – beans and dried meat, homemade bread, deserts, etc. Hotel Excelsior, Dubrovnik, (B, L)
Day 10: Depart Dubrovnik
Transfer by car and driver to Dubrovnik airport.
YOUR VACATION INCLUDES
- Private sightseeing of Split with food and wine tasting
- Private cooking class in Split countryside
- Krka Waterfalls Self-guided, walking and hiking tour with dining experience
- Private sailing to Hvar with a stop on Šolta for a tour of honey production and beekeeping
- Private excursion of Hvar Island with lunch in an olive grove & excursion to Palmižana beach
- Private cooking class of an authentic dish in a quaint village on Hvar island
- Private tour of Korčula and wine & oyster tasting in Ston
- Private tour of Dubrovnik with visit to the countryside for olive oil tasting and lunch
- Private cooking class in a village near Dubrovnik
- All private transfers by car and driver as per the itienrary
- 24 hour assistance in Croatia if needed
- Split, Hotel Marmont, 3 nights, breakfast
- Hvar, Hotel Adriana, 3 nights, breakfast
- Dubrovnik, Hotel Excelsior, 3 nights, breakfast
- Airfare, tips,
- €1 – €3.5 tourist tax per person per day, drinks, telephone charges and incidentals
- Anything else not mentioned in the inclusion
This is a private journey just for you and your travel companions. You select your travel date and our travel experts seamlessly connect all the dots for you. Start now!
|SEASON I||January 1 – May 14 & October 9 - December 31, 2018|
|SEASON II||May 15 – June 11 & September 20 – October 8, 2018|
|SEASON III||June 12 – July 15 & August 24 – September 19, 2018|
|SEASON IV||July 16 – August 23, 2018|
|Rates are in US dollars.|
|PRICES (per person based on double/twin occupancy)|
|Rate Per Person||2 travelers|
|SEASON I||From $5,695||Request Booking|
|SEASON II||From $5,995||Request Booking|
|SEASON III||From $6,595||Request Booking|
|SEASON IV||From $6,795||Request Booking| |
I had never been in a beekeeping warehouse like this, (In the past we have had everything shipped to our house.) and as soon as I stepped inside, every one of my senses went wild...It was so amazing!
Adjacent to the shop was the warehouse,
filled with good stuff!
What a day!
Let's hope for honey next year! |
IT IS the ancient hobby that has people buzzing again.
Amateur beekeeping or “urban beekeeping” as it is now referred to by its trendier moniker, is swarming in popularity.
And given May is “honey month” the Express Advocate has turned to Central Coast Amateur Beekeepers spokeswoman Barbara Elkins to lift the lid on things you never knew about bees.
The 72-year-old said the first thing to realise about bees was just how important they were with the latest scientific evidence suggesting that if bees were wiped out by a global endemic, the world’s agricultural production would collapse within four years.
Commercial honey production has been hit hard with large tracts of the country in drought but Ms Elkins said this year’s endless summer had proved a boon for amateur beekeepers.
“We’re having one of the best honey seasons on the Coast anyone can remember,” she said. “Some of us are getting a box full, 30kg (of honey) in three or four weeks.”
Ms Elkins said the club had grown from 30-40 members eight years ago to well over 100, with members Robyn Crossland and Ray Isaacs taking out top prizes for bees wax at the National Honey Show held at the Royal Easter Show.
She said Max Rae and Len Verrencamp also won a couple of major first prizes for their honey.
Ms Elkins said she got bitten by the bee bug at 10, acting as a “goffer” for her father who suffered bad reactions to beestings despite a love of keeping them.
“I remember going out to the clothes line and seeing a swarm on it and me going out to collect it,” she said.
It was only much later the grandmother of 10 joined the bee club “to be a bit more social”.
The club has recently been offered 25 places for members to study some units of the Certificate 3 in Beekeeping online through Hunter Valley agriculture school Tocal College.
While bees have been kept since ancient Egyptian times Ms Elkins said it was only now scientists have been able to start to uncover the secret life of bees.
“Generally it was thought bees don’t go from one hive to another because they have the smell of (their) queen, but now micro GPS trackers have found they have little ‘pyjama parties’,” she said.
“Some of the girls will go into other hives at night.”
TEN THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT BEES:
■ Without bees scientists predict the world’s agriculture production would collapse within four years.
■ A queen bee will lay up to 2000 eggs a day.
■ A typical worker bee (female) only lives for about four-to-six weeks.
■ Queen bees live for about four years.
■ A new queen will mate with up to 10 drones before she starts a new hive and keeps the sperm viable for the rest of her life.
■ Urban beekeeping is important to maintain bees’ genetic diversity.
■ To keep bees people have to be registered with the Department of Primary Industries.
■ Some hive designs are banned in Australia because they cannot be inspected for disease.
■ Bees keep their hives air conditioned by regulating their temperature.
■ Some naturopaths believe eating raw local honey can ease hayfever for sufferers in that area because it contains trace elements of surrounding pollens. |
This past week I received a call from Jessie. His voice held an urgency as he asked if I were the one who could come remove the bees from his renters tree. As I assessed the call over the phone, I realized that this was going to be something waaaay over my head. It would involve either cutting the bees out or trapping them, both of which I had not done myself.
So, what does a good beekeeper do when they are over their heads? Call upon other beekeepers of course. Text your mentor. Google as many beekeeping u-tubes as possible related to the subject at hand. Fortunately there is a growing plethora of beekeepers in Albuquerque and New Mexico at large. So I gave him Paul’s number, who lists himself as available to do free trap or cutouts. Jessie was delighted for this service, gratis. As he explained, he really didn’t want to spray the bees given the dire plight of bees. The man knew his statistics. He was aware that there had been something like a 50% (actually 42%) loss of hives for beekeepers this past year. They had crashed for sure. He wanted to do the right thing. But he would spray if he couldn’t get them removed for free. Make no mistake. Seemed his renters wanted them gone and he wanted me to understand his position as a conscientious landlord.
Well, funny thing happened. Jessie called Paul. Paul was finding recruits to “trap out” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9TnW4FKeHM) those bees in the tree when I was visiting my bee friend, Lulu. So i volunteered too.
We showed up with our veils and truckloads of necessary accoutrements that warm afternoon. As I sat waiting for my friends, I poked my nose into the tree, bees swirling around me. I peered closely. Vibrating masses of happy, busy working bees make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I marveled at those clever little creatures and how they had chosen so well. A dying Chinese elm offering shade, with a hollow trunk, and a tiny little hole, about the size of half dollar, where the bees could secret away their babies and precious golden liqueur from the meddling world around them. It was perfect. Such little guerrilla soldiers, those bees. Right under the noses of the sleeping residents they had found this perfect new home with ample square footage for all their sisters and the queen. It was a spectacular penthouse for their purposes. I was in awe.
And so, as I sat there mesmerized by their incredibly imaginative house karma, I cooked up a strategy to see if we couldn’t at least convince the renters of the bee’s ingenuity and the ample opportunity for them to learn, observing up close in their driveway instead of extinguishing them. After all, weren’t these UNM students living here? Maybe we could educate them on the brilliance of having bees in their backyard.
By the time my friends came, I was ready for the old college try. So were they. We approached the front door and knocked.
Jason answered the door, wiping the chewing tobacco from his teeth. Even as we stood there, Mack came up the street from work, his white apron in hand. It didn’t take long to persuade them of the merits to having a beehive in their tree. After all, it was at the edge of their dusty parking lot which housed their 4X4 Chevrolet pickup trucks. Their eyes were bright and curious. They were willing to watch and see, granted no one was mobstung or blood was let for this experiment. I could say they were even eager for this adventure as they regaled us with stories of bees in their backyard—bees on their grilled beef platter, bees caught in the nest of their hair for a breathtaking moment, bees gently swirling around the cab of their trucks as they rolled down their windows for a closer look on their way out.
As we told them our own bee stories, inviting wonder and awe of these marvelous, resilient creatures, we assured them that these bees were gentle and certainly wanted to avoid them at all costs. Their willingness increased. They agreed to call Jessie, their landlord, and tell him they were growing more comfortable with the idea. We said we’d be at the ready, there in a nanosecond if something should go awry and the bees became less accommodating at their picnic table and around their trucks. We all but shook hands, and parted ways with good cheer. Crisis averted. Major intervention sidestepped. A graced moment for a beekeeper, who knows all too well the sad fact that bees would be sacrificed, along with the queen, for a trap out operation.
Wonder and awe prevailed.
I occurs to me that sometime just a little more persuasion, a little more passion and yes, a little more time taken to educate, could save us from ourselves—–our human need to possess, manage, control, destroy, change our world to our liking. We forget that other creatures are also working hard for right livelihood, to live in peace and maintain a safe dwelling for their young.
Wonder and awe can lead us down that yellow brick road to the glory of that which we do not yet understand or know.
So, I leave you with a few images, hopefully to inspire your wonder. Thank you Google and National Geographic. |
Jim had to feed his bees, so he got Aleks all suited up in the beekeeping garb he bought for him three years ago. Aleks still isn't big enough to quite fit, but it was close enough. They tape their ankles shut to make sure no bees get in.
Bastian was terribly upset about not having his own suit.
Jim fed the bees while Aleks kept the smoker going.
Jim let him show off the frame for me. I kept a safe distance and used a zoom. |
It’s been a really busy for us here at TVConwy with new volunteers joining, old volunteers popping back from college and helping out, some new challenges and lots and lots of new friends. Here’s just as taste of what we got up to this year..
A crew of our youngest volunteers worked extremely hard filming and taking photographs at the wonderful takepART at Venue Cymru – it was a weekend packed with fun – with non-stop workshops and activities for all ages – a brilliant, free event which we love being a part of.
We also attended the opening night of the Wagstaff Exhibition in Llandudno’s MOSTYN https://www.mostyn.org/ and the first of the year Cyffordd Llandudno Junction Talk Busking Festival’s http://hkjroberts.wixsite.com/trakz” Trakz Talks ” – this one was an insight into the fascinating world of Bees and Beekeeping where volunteer Sandra Phillips took photos and helped promote the event.
We started working with the Fusion project and created a series of promotional pieces about the various workshops and activities.
Although we had big production plans for the Cambrian Rally http://cambrianrally.co.uk/this year working in conjunction with local team Rory Jones and Tom Hughes, sadly the event was cancelled due to adverse weather – however, it was a good exercise in collaborative work and volunteer Stuart Brookes-Norrie showed great production skills in pulling the project together.
We continued to work with Fusion and had the pleasure of being part of the inter -generational event at Ty Llywelyn Community Centre in Llandudno where young people from the youth club combined forces with their neighbours at Tan-Y-Fron extra care Housing Association, and the local community to enjoy a Sixties afternoon which was a a total delight!
Glasdir Business Centre was the venue of the Rural Jobs Fair where we met a wide selection of local business and training organisations and even got the chance to get up close to the
It was really wonderful to yet again be part of the Cyffordd Llandudno Trakz Busking Festival – with a great group of volunteers helping with the big red gazebo, talking to members of the public and promoting what we do. Our volunteers, of course, were also part of the crew who were out filming and taking photos both at the opening night with all the wonderful singers and musicians and the incredible Kate Lawrence and her Vertical Dance team http://www.verticaldancekatelawrence.com/ who put on their usual beautiful performance.
We had an absolute blast in May being a part of the Conwy Pirate Weekend where we got to meet up with some old friends as well as meeting many new ones. Thanks again to the volunteers who helped ” pirate ” the big red gazebo and helped filming and taking photos.
May saw the return of the annual Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza and once again TVConwy were delighted to be a part of it. As last year, one of TVConwy’s youngest volunteers Alfie Heane made a special trip to be part of the crew and had a wonderful day working as a camera assistant and presenter with camera operator Kieran Ashton-Jones. Later in the year, Alfie came back to Wales and became our youngest ever editor, creating two brilliant promos focusing on the Linzi Grace dancers and an interview he carried out with Professor Jon’s Flea Circus.
Volunteer Stuart Brookes-Norrie attended the Colwyn Bay Forties Festival on our behalf and was privileged to be part of the battle re-enactment at Eirias Park as well as the main event in the centre of town.
Paul Cameron continued to develop his sports camera skills and found a love of the water as part of our involvement with the RYA All Afloat project where we met some delightful young people getting their first taste of sailing.
Volunteers Kieran Ashton-Jones, Rhianna Braden and Ellen Jones-Davies helped support the Venue Cymru’s promotion of the annual takepART event – we covered two of the Inspire Days delivering fun and creative activities to the community of Conwy.
We were delighted to be able to work with the young people who are part of Pearl Shaw filming their musical evening – A Mish Mash of Musicals at Theatr Colwyn.
As part of our on-going great relationship with Llandudno Town Council we covered both the Llandudno in Bloom and Britain in Bloom judging days with volunteer Gerrit Forrester taking some lovely photographs of the beautiful gardens and public spaces featured.
Llandudno’s Venue Cymru was a hive of activity during one busy weekend in August were the Rawffest Youth Creative Weekend https://www.rawffest.wales/was going on. A large team of us worked closely with the organisers, delivering workshops and helping to promote the event. Young volunteer Bethany Hughes was a major part of the crew, helping editing, filming and carrying out interviews.
One of our busiest volunteers Clare Forrester was honoured by the St. John’s Ambulance this year as ” Serving Sister of the most venerable order of the hospital of St. John of Jerusalem ” and we were delighted to be a part of her day when she attended the EMS Day in Llandudno. We are so proud of Clare who works tirelessly for the community, keeping everyone safe at many, many events, and helps us to carrying out regular risk assessments , advising volunteers on safety issues as well as being a wonderful part of the production team.
Following the devastating storms that destroyed the beach shelter on Deganwy Prom , a local group worked tirelessly to raise funds for it to be rebuilt and it was a honour to be there at the opening ceremony of this beautiful part of our local heritage.
In early September TVConwy were invited along to the Scifi Wales Convention in Venue Cymru and volunteers Stuart Brookes-Norrie, Bethany Hughes, JoJo Austin and Chris Burrows went along to spend a wonderful day filming and taking photographs of the event.
Throughout September hundreds of artists ranging from willow weavers to photographers open their doors to the public for the fantastic HelfaGelf Art Trail https://helfagelf.co.uk/ – this year we set ourselves a challenge – to visit as many artists as we could in one day. It was a busy and fascinating day – to say the least!
We had the privilege of being part of the Media Launch Day at Venue Cymru where we met the stars of this year’s panto Peter Pan. It was a wonderful day with lots of fun and laughter and it was interesting to create a short video piece looking at how the crew and press work together behind the scenes to promote the event.
The incredible group of women who brought ” Whingeing Women “crashing into Conwy back in 2013 were back with a new show – “Real Women” was a packed evening which was hilarious, sad, thought-provoking and of course, just a tad on the X-rated side ! TVConwy’s Paul Cameron was there to capture it all.
Helping to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK , local fashion boutique Chess, along with organiser Kieth McMillan held a wonderful evening in the Llandudno Bay Hotel – TVConwy were there too and were pleased to be part of such a great fundraising event.
One very cold weekend at the end of November we filmed the last in this session of All Afloat – it was really nice to be back with the group of children we’ve seen develop over the months to see the chance in their confidence. We filmed and took photos of their outdoor activities weekend at Plas Menai Outdoor Activities Centre and chatted with a few of them about their plans now they’ve caught the sailing bug.
An annual tradition for many families – locals and visitors alike – the Conwy Christmas Eve event is always a fabulous evening – our young crew Bethany Hughes and Rhianna Braden were there to capture the excitement along with photographer Sandra Phillips who got some great photos of the night.
So there we are – just a brief run through of some of the main events of the year attended by our volunteers.
2017’s been a busy year in other ways too – we’ve attended lots of volunteer fairs and community activities, we’ve put on a further “Through Older Eyes ” course, promoted countless community activities and charitable events where our roving photographers Sandra Phillips and Gerrit Forrester have represented us at and had a very high level of community engagement both on the ground and through our social media pages.
With thanks to all our sponsors, supporters and volunteers – a very Happy New Year to you all!
Check out out 2017 video and all the other videos we’ve created since we started in 2013 on https://vimeo.com/tvconwy |
To stay up to date with the latest in the carpentry industry to may visit our beekeeping latest news. On the other hand in case you’re new to carpentry and desire to start professional carpentry today download a copy of our woodworking for beginners ebook.
You desire to begin woodworking, but you aren’t quite sure how to go about beginning. You likely have many questions about the way to begin and what you are going to be doing.
First you should think in what it is exactly you want to be doing. Such as:
-What kinds of projects do you want to do?
-Do you have shop and the space to do this?
-How much money do you have to spend on your new hobby?
-How much time are you able to commit for this new hobby?
-What are your private abilities?
-What do you really want to get out of woodworking?
Before you buy tools, or even set up a shop, you should find out what you need to work on. Have you been looking to take on big projects like furniture and cupboards? Or are you simply wanting to stick to matters which are more small such as picture frames, birdhouses, and woodcarving. The projects you take on will directly influence the gear you will need, together with the workshop space you’ll take up constructing bigger projects.
Another decision is the tools you will end up using. Would you like to use hand tools or power tools? If you enjoy a more hand crafted approach and you might have some time hand tools are what you’re looking for. On the other hand, if you speed when creating projects and enjoy efficient then you should work with power tools. Neither sort of tool is more economical compared to the other. You may also use both of sorts for different types of projects. The tools you use may also change the quantity of workspace you’ll want in your workshop.
You must make sure that you have a particular area in your home where you’re able to work on your own endeavors. You’ll want a workbench that’s smooth and organised so you can the best results possible when creating your jobs. Wherever you keep your workbench/equipment you will need electrical outlets to plugin your power tools. Their basements or garages turn .
Woodworking doesn’t take as much time as some think, it is a hobby that you can have when you’ve a busy life but it does not matter how long it takes something to be created by you, as long as you are creating. There’s nothing wrong with that, if it takes you a whole 8 months to complete one end table. It’s all about whether you’re having fun with it and you happen to be loving your brand-new avocation. You can create and furnish your house, or earn a part-time income. |
Planning pesticide application around the arrival of bees for pollination would seem like something that growers and beekeepers should be able to work out among themselves. Unfortunately, all too often, that hasn’t been the case. As someone who covers beekeeping explained to me, many large growers would rather spray when its optimal for them and then find a new operator next year if a beekeeper complains. The beekeepers don’t have sufficient bargaining power in that relationship to advocate for the health of their bees. Now the EPA is stepping in.
A federal rule to be proposed Thursday would create temporary pesticide-free zones when certain plants are in bloom around bees that are trucked from farm to farm by professional beekeepers, which are the majority of honeybees in the U.S. The pesticide halt would only happen during the time the flower is in bloom and the bees are there, and only on the property where the bees are working, not neighboring land.
The rule applies to virtually all insecticides, more than 1,000 products involving 76 different chemical compounds, said Jim Jones, EPA’s assistant administrator for chemical safety and pollution prevention. It involves nearly all pesticides, including the much-debated class of pesticides called neonicotinoids, he said.
The idea is “to create greater space between chemicals that are toxic to bees and the bees,”
… The new rule “doesn’t eliminate (pesticide) exposure to honeybees, but it should reduce it,” said University of Illinois entomologist May Berenbaum. “It may not be ideal, but it’s the best news in about 120 years. In concept, in principle, this is a big policy change.”
[Update] This is a move that is part of the Obama administration’s push to protect pollinators, but this specific move originated with the beekeepers. NPR reported on this last spring:
SAM SANDERS, BYLINE: Reports say up to 80,000 colonies were hurt in almond farms throughout the San Joaquin Valley. Eric Mussen studies beekeeping at the University of California Davis.
ERIC MUSSEN: This is not normal. We haven’t been seeing this for years and years and years. We used to see a touch of it here and there. But it’s becoming more frequent.
SANDERS: Beekeepers are blaming the most recent die-offs on something called tank mixing. Mussen says that’s when farmers apply more than one pesticide or insecticide at once.
MUSSEN: Growers don’t want to go through the fields time after time after time, putting on different pesticide materials. So they basically tank mix them all together and put them on.
SANDERS: Beekeepers met recently with the Environmental Protection Agency. They’re asking the agency for more thorough labeling on pesticides. And they want more restrictions on the times of day pesticides are spread. The EPA says they’re considering changes.
The Almond growers in California adopted voluntary guidelines last fall.
The importance of honeybees is now written across a first-ever set of public guidelines for almond growers and beekeepers, released Thursday by the California Almond Board. The guidelines are meant to safeguard bees, whose winter numbers have been plunging.
“We would not have an almond industry if we didn’t have bees,” said Richard Waycott, CEO of the Almond Board of California. “We’re joined at the hip with the beekeeping industry.”
What happens during almond pollination – especially when pesticides are applied – has a significant impact on beehives, experts say. As a result, the Almond Board guidelines focus on pesticide use, and especially how it is applied during almond bloom.
… In California, beekeepers in orchards from Fresno to Bakersfield encountered extremely harsh losses to colonies last season. A likely culprit: tank mixing of insecticides that are highly toxic to bees, said Eric Mussen, apiculturist with UC Davis Cooperative Extension. He said an estimated 80,000 to 87,000 bee colonies were damaged.
The guidelines, which are voluntary, seek to create a dialogue between almond growers and beekeepers, especially over pesticide use and the mixing of pesticides and fungicides.
… Phippen brings in 2,400 hives from as far as Montana and Texas to pollinate his trees. He said he has developed a close relationship with the beekeepers, but that such relationships are not always the norm.
“There are a lot of new people that have come into the industry, especially with the almond industry being so successful,” Phippen said. “There are former cotton growers and former wine grape growers that have become almond growers, and these practices are not familiar to them.”
The new guidelines were warmly received by those in the beekeeper community.
“I’m impressed with how well it addresses all the issues that have arisen over the past few years,” said Amina Harris, director of the Honey and Pollination Center at the Robert Mondavi Institute at UC Davis. “The writers made it clear that there is research to be done concerning larva and young bees. They have also stressed the dangers of mixing insecticides and fungicides.”
The Food and Farm Discusion Lab conversation on this topic can be found here. |
Bay Mills Community College's Waishkey Bay Farm is a 40 acre property being developed as a teaching, research, and incubator facility focusing on sustainable agriculture and food production that is consistent with traditional Anishinaabek values. Current operations include hoop house vegetable production, hosting a community garden, pasture poultry production and processing, domestic blueberry production & novel berry research, tending honey bee hives and raising grass-fed beef. Waishkey Bay Farm has been MAEAP verified since 2013.
Location/address : 10135 W Mills Road, Brimley, MI (location only, no mail service)
Hours: M-F 9 am – 3 pm; call ahead as we often have off farm errands
Gitigaan Hall Phone: (906)248-1097
Cloud Sparks - Interim Farm Manager, 101
Kirstin Tadgerson - Farm Technician, 102
Arnulfo (AR) Ortiz - Farm Technician, 102
Brianna Gunka - Land Grant Coordinator/Grants Specialist, 104
Kristin Tadgerson: firstname.lastname@example.org
Arnulfo (AR) Ortiz: email@example.com
Cloud Sparks: firstname.lastname@example.org
Brianna Gunka: email@example.com
The purpose of our community garden is to provide a space in which folks can get together to grow healthy, nutrient-dense foods and learn about growing from one another. Individual community garden plots are made available to the public on a first come, first serve basis. Farm staff prepares the garden in Spring and alerts growers as to when they can begin planting. Waishkey Bay Farm, with help from community partners FRTEP and BALAC, host a seed starting party each spring. Folks from the community are welcome to join us in starting seeds for the upcoming growing season. Starting trays, soil, and an assortment of heirloom seeds are made available free of charge. If you would like to reserve a garden plot, message us on our Waishkey Bay Farm facebook page, call the office at 906-248-1097, or send an email to firstname.lastname@example.org.
This program started in 2016 to encourage community ownership of the beef herd at Waishkey Bay Farm. Folks have the option of purchasing an entire herd share (1 live steer), ½ herd share (1/2 live steer) or ¼ herd share (1/4 live steer). Your cattle are raised in a good, healthy, sustainable way. We have sourced great, local grass-based genetics for cattle that thrive in a grass-fed system! During the grazing season, your cattle are moved gently within grazing cells of each paddock in a rotational system. In the winter, your cattle are fed hay grown without any chemicals on BMIC hay ground, as well as alfalfa pellets. They do not consume grain or GMO feeds of any kind. As owners of the cattle, folks pay a monthly boarding fee for alfalfa pellets, straw (bedding), mineral & salt throughout the ownership period; there is no charge for hay grown on BMIC land or for farm staff’s labor. When cattle are ready to be processed, they are hauled to the local processor of the owner's choice; all processing costs are the responsibility of the owners.
If you are interested to learn more about this opportunity or to purchase a herd share in the Community Beef Herd for your own great-tasting, healthy, well-raised, local beef, please contact the Waishkey Bay Farm at (906)248-1097!
Since the program’s inception in 2011, Waishkey Bay Farm has raised and processed hundreds of pastured poultry meat chickens for our community. These chickens are fed only non-GMO feed, never receive any antibiotics, and are housed outdoors in chicken tractors that are moved daily. In the past, community members have been able to trade their help processing in exchange for chickens for their consumption (at a rate of $10/ hour for 1 chicken). Other community members have been able to purchase chickens for $10/bird based on an annually updated list of past buyers. The farm also donates chickens annually to various food programs in our community.
Our bee hives at Waishkey Bay Farm serve a dual purpose, as do most of our programs. They allow us to provide experiential learning opportunities focusing on beekeeping, honey extraction, and processing; while the honey itself offers a multitude of health benefits. Each year, Waishkey Bay Farm hosts a Honey Pot Gathering, partnered with BALAC and FRTEP, in which members of the community are encouraged to come out and learn to process honey. Participants are able to take home some fresh honey to enjoy.
Cloud Sparks - Can be contacted by phone at (906)248-1097 ext. 101 or by email at
Brianna Gunka, Land Grant Coordinator/Grants Specialist - Can be contacted by phone at (906) 248-1097 ext. 104 or by email at email@example.com. |
Here are some tips to make your visit to Romania a memorable one.
As soon as possible:
* reserve your seat in the Symposium, as a regular participant, as an accompanying person or as a speaker/author, well in advance, to avoid any stress;
* reserve your room in the nearby hotels, also to avoid any accommodation related stress;
be aware that Sibiu is a highly visited city, by tourists from all over the world, so reserving in due time your room in a nearby hotel/motel is a must!
* if you are not a regular English speaker, take intensive lessons of English, especially of the spoken English; check Youtube first, for many useful videos, but best is to have a personal English teacher…
2-3 days before you travel to Romania:
* check the weather from Romania (Sibiu);
* sleep a lot before you travel;
* eat less and drink more (water!) during your travel;
* buy a new memory (USB) stick with at least 8 GBytes of free space; you will have a lot of photos and videos to save for later use;
* if you are one of our speakers, bring your laptop with you, to make “last minute” changes in your PowerPoint that will impress everybody;
* bring a good digital camera or a modern mobile phone camera, to take many memorable photos;
* do not forget to bring with you your business cards, with its text translated in English;
* try to learn a few words in… Romanian language, to get smiles and sympathy from your future hosts, but also to understand better the Romanian words related to beekeeping and apitherapy… |
Each program run about 1.5 hours long. The price per program is $150 instructional fee plus a participant fee for supplies $3/participant. Each program will include exercises and activities that incorporate Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) with Agriculture. The programs are designed to introduce areas of agriculture that are not popular. These programs can be geared towards youth (age 7 and up) to adults.
All programs are taught by Nadia Ruffin, MS. If you are interested please contact Nadia Ruffin at (513)580-8608 or by email at email@example.com.
You will learn about the hive, pollination, beekeeping, honey and of course bees! Your group will sample local honey, learn why bees are important and also experience bees up close and personal (in a secure teaching hive of course).
Chickens and Eggs
Individuals will learn about chicken anatomy, life cycle, breeds, eggs, keeping chickens in the city and a whole lot more. Sure to be an experience you won’t forget. Live chickens and demos will be brought to your location.
Where Does My Food Come From?
Have you ever wondered where you food comes from? Sure it’s at the grocery store but where was it before it came there? Well with this program we will explore just that. Exercises will include matching food with the plant or animal it comes from, identifying fruits/vegetables and sampling. The group will learn how to make healthy smoothies. (group size maximum 40 additional fees apply after this amount). This program will discuss both animal and plant products.
Hydroponics-Let's Grow Lettuce
Hydroponics is the process of growing plants in water without the use of soil. This program will introduce your group to the amazing world of hydroponics. Your group will learn about different hydroponics systems, plant biology, pH, nutrients etc.. Each person will start their own lettuce plant they will be able to take home. (group size maximum 40 additional fees apply after this amount)
Composting with Worms
In this program you will learn about vermicomposting (composting with worms). The worms used in vermicomposting break down food and, thanks in part to their digestive systems, create an enriching source of nutrients called castings. You will learn how to setup a composting bin and how to care for your worms.
Be An Entomologist
Have you ever wanted to be an entomologist (person who studies insects)? With this program your group will explore the world of insects. They will learn about insect anatomy, beneficial insects, insect identification and how to control insects organically in the garden. There will be live insects, a microscope and slides. If an outside area is available the group will do a scavenger hunt to become knowledgeable of local insects.
Most don't realize it but many items that we wear or use are made from some natural fibers either from plants and animals. Cotton, silk, wool, jute, hemp etc. are all natural fibers. In this program you will learn about natural fiber and take a stab at spinning your own cotton thread. |
Arthur Jack Williams
Wednesday, January 10, 1940
Monday, December 26, 2016
ELGIN – A memorial service for Arthur J. Williams, 76, will be held January 7, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at Silver Lake Baptist Church, 4715 Carolina Beach Road, Wilmington, NC 28412. In lieu of flowers donations can be given to the National Kidney Foundation, 30 East 33rd Street, New York 10016.
Mr. Williams passed away December 26, 2016. Born in Erwin, TN, on January 10, 1940, he was the son of the late Arnold and Gertie Tilson Williams. Jack grew up in Flag Pond Tennessee but lived his adult years in Middle River, Maryland. He retired from Baltimore Gas and Electric Company and worked for Baltimore County Parks and Recreation for many years. He was an avid lover of sports, and for many years he faithfully coached little league baseball, football, basketball, and girls’ softball teams. In recent years, he enjoyed beekeeping with his brother Tom.
Surviving are his wife, Karen Williams; children, Donna Todd (Chaplain Troy Todd, USN), Deena Williams, Arthur Jack Williams Jr (Jennifer); grandchildren, Jessica Patton, Jeremy Kamberger, Chloe Williams, Jocelyn Williams, Bryant May; great-granddaughters, Jayden Patton and Ava Patton; brothers, Bill Williams (Betty Jean), Tom Williams, and Glenn Williams (Phyllis); sister, Betty Chavis. He was predeceased by his siblings, Arnold Williams, Lawrence Williams, Bob Williams, Clyde Williams, Howard David Williams, Leonard Williams, Gladys Williams, Dorothy Jane Williams, Mary Lou Shelton, and Glenna Mae Williams. |
Another year gone! This has been another year with lots of great positives; a great holiday to Kendal, a great holiday to Arran, a great Scottish road trip (although "cold" doesn't even begin to describe it!), a fun time learning about beekeeping, a great holiday in Thrieve, a lovely wedding in Glasgow, completing the "Thing A Day" challenge in February (which vastly improved my Photoshop skills!), watching every single Bond film (in order), designing a couple of websites, a cool trip to London, seeing Neil Gaiman perform with the original radio cast of Hitchikers Guide and many many many trips to the zoo... all in all a good year.
Music - My Favourite Tracks From 2012
- Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - Immigrant Song & What If We Could?: The book was brutal but brilliant, the film was even more brutal and had some unbelievable filming, and the soundtrack? My favourite thing to listen to whilst working for the whole year... it's poinient, harsh, loud, dark and expansive in a way that you'll only understand if you've seen all of the snowscapes in the film.
- Frightened Rabbit – State Hospital: An awesome tune from an awesome EP that I first heard at an awesome gig... I can't wait for the next album to land.
- Chvrches – The Mother We Share: It's hard to pick a favourite track from this band... something of a feat considering they've only got four tracks! I can't wait to hear more material from these guys - even though this isn't my normal style of music I just can't get enough of it!
- Muse – Madness: Best tune by Muse. Fact. Slow, blissed out grooves and stunning guitar solo. I still can't believe their Jools Holland performance wasn't mimed it was so close to the album version.
- Pomplamoose – Don't Stop Lovin Me: Amusing and silly and a bit catchy. :)
- Katy bar the door – The Tide: When will the album get here?! Good luck to these guys - it sounds like it's been a tough year for them management wise.
- We Are Augustines – Book Of James: Support act for Frightened Rabbit who almost stole the show - these guys know how to rock!
- Wheeland Brothers – Sand In My Sheets: I discovered this band by searching for "Ukulele" on Bandcamp but I found something way more that - this band do surfer, skater, ska, chillout music better than anyone else I've heard - such a party band!
- The Lumineers – Ho Hey: Love it. Have I been listening to too much folk? Can you ever listen to too much folk?
- fun. – We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monáe): Although maybe technically a 2011 track I first heard them this year and I guess they are yet another band that shows a great pop/rock combo can be, pun intended, fun!
- Of Monsters and Men – Little Talks: Happy, rocky, upbeat, folky fun.
- The Black Keys – Gold on the Ceiling: Such dirty guitars!
- Amanda Palmer - Want It Back (NSFW video warning!): So much to love about this album - great work!
- The Speks: Many car journeys have been spent listening to this album (including one when Martha wasn't even in the car!)
Films - My Favourite Films Of 2012
- Super 8
- Attack The Block
- The Dark Knight Rises
- Big Easy Express
- Whip it
- Avengers Assemble
- Safe House
- The Bourne Legacy
Films - My Worst Film Of 2012
- Gentlemen Broncos
Books - My Favourite Reads Of 2012
- Stieg Larsson - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
- Stieg Larsson - The Girl Who Played With Fire
- Stieg Larsson - The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest
- Sam Kean - The Disappearing Spoon
- John Lloyd & John Mitchinson - The QI Book Of The Dead
- Terry Pratchett - Snuff
- Stephen Fry - The Fry Chronicles
- Bear Grylls - Mud, Sweat & Tears
- Malcolm Gladwell - Outliers
- Nathan Poell - Post-Apocalypse Dead Letter Office
- Scarlett Thomas - PopCo
I posted in January about my resolutions for the year... here's how I did:
- Ditch the bus – success
- Use salt rockcrystal deoderent - success
- Stop using shampoo – success
- Cut out unnecessary commitments - success
- Take a photo every day - success - check out my album on Facebook
- Give 200 things to charity - success
- Make more of an effort to catch up with friends - success - many enjoyable hours have been spent with friends this year
- See more gigs – specifically I said "not just Frightened Rabbit (although maybe just once!)" - I failed to see more than just one gig, but Frightened Rabbit were fab so what can I say - success!
- Have an adventurous holiday - success!
I won't have any resolutions for 2013 - instead I'm working through a rather long list of challenges to achieve before I'm 30... here's the progress so far!:
- Learn how to juggle
- Run in a 10k road race
- Run the 5km Deerstalker
- Climb Edinburgh’s 7 hills
Watch extended versions of the Lord of the Rings films
- Read The Iliad by Homer
- Perform at the Fringe
- Go 1 month without chocolate, sweets or cake
Learn greetings in 30 languages
- Raise £500 for charity
- Write a novel
Solve a Rubix cube Write 5 short stories Submit something I've written to a writing competition
- Sing at a karaoke bar
- Visit Edinburgh Castle
- Give blood 3 times
- Improve my conversational French
Create a video blog
- Set up my "One Item Museum" website
Carve something wooden
- Make some cheese
Design my Christmas board game idea Design own Christmas cards
- Record 10 ukulele covers
- Host a dinner party on top of Arthur’s Seat
Create own flavoured vodka
- Spend a random weeknight under canvas
- Walk at least 2 days (and hopefully all of) the West Highland Way
- Try foods from 30 countries
Lots still to do! :) With these things to look forward to 2013 is going to be a busy and fun year! |
The news from Sudan seems woeful. "Someone should do something", is a common refrain. Well, the Intermediate Technology Development Group are. ITDG, founded nearly 40 years ago, by the radical economist EF Schumacher (author of the brilliant Small is Beautiful
) has a unique approach to development. In tune with the words of another important thinker, Albert Einstein,"It is appallingly obvious that our technology exceeds our humanity"
— they don't start with mechanical gizmos. But with people. In Sudan, for example, they've trained volunteer farmers (men and women) to construct crescent-shaped terraces. All the necessary equipment and tools are produced locally. The new terraces allow crops to survive twice as long without rain as traditional ones and double the period for harvesting. ITDG build upon the existing skills, knowledge and cultural norms of peoples in developing countries, while increasing the efficiency and productivity of their enterprises or domestic activities. Check out their other projects like handmade housing for Kenya's Masai (pic shown above), beekeeping in Zimbabwe, irrigation and water power in Peru, building Tstse fly traps or running bicycle ambulances in Nepal.
You can support their on-grounds work with a donation. (Make a great Christmas present — "Dear Jim, this year, rather than another few pair of socks you'll never wear, I've given on your behalf, a set of brick-making tools and moulds to artisans in Sri Lanka!") ::ITDG [by WM]
PS. ITDG currently have a job going for a Research Assistant in their Global Village Energy Partnership. |
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Certified Naturaly Grown Class and research ideas
One of the biggest problems is that we are all the first to start this program. We are the ones giving feedback and helping to dial this whole thing in. We will be the first crop of CNG farmers for beekeeping.
I do really object to them splitting the first class into a January class and a future undecided class. They did this yesterday during the class. They just talked about some of the rules and guidelines, but nothing really about pest management and nothing too involved like I thought they were going to do. They also should have had a walkthrough on the certification applications and process.... Other than saying just "sign up and fill it out." There is a little more to it than that. They also don't have the farmer inspections network up yet. It is a system of inspecting farmers from other farms spot checking everyone else around them...
Mark from Marks Bee Haven attended the class with me. I am glad I told him and Mr. Tate from Tate’s Apiaries (he has a nice nuc and soon to be queen breeding program going just south east of me). The class didn't really advertise much and not a lot of people were told... Even so, 85 people signed up!!!!
I did get the opportunity to meet Lynn from Walter Bee. She is a VERY nice person. It is amazing how small of a world it is sometimes. I found out she used to live near me where I grew up in Georgia and we both moved states, to North Carolina! She brought up some very good points and questions during the class. She also brought some good literature for Mark to read (and I will have to steal it from him)...
On to other things:
Sometimes the scientist comes out in me and I get really interested in scientific research. I have found two sites that are really well done and are requesting local beekeeper assistance in supplying data and info.
The first is: http://www.scientificbeekeeping.com/
This website has a TON of scientific data and research done on current thoughts for pest management and apiary management. I really recommend everyone go there when you have some down time or are bored, and read away!!! They test the sugar shake method vs IPM vs anything else. If they have not studied it, and you want to get some scientific data, send them an e-mail... And even compile some yourself to send them!
The other site I found asking for data and info from local beeks is: http://www.bushfarms.com/beesexperiment.htm
They are asking for participants to supply data and records for swarm management and handling. They want you to try a method of swarm pervention called checkerboarding. You basically take empty frames and put them where full, drawn out frames would be. The thought is that this tricks the bees into thinking they have more room in the hive, and get into establishment mode building comb, instead of swarm prep.
Check them both out and happy beekeeping! |
Did you know, that by donating your used athletic shoes to Fleet Feet Sports, you can help farmers in need? Through the M.O.R.E Foundation, Fleet Feet stores around the country have donated enough shoes to sponsor an entire village in Ghana!
So how do sneakers help farmers? Well, the M.O.R.E. Foundation sells the used shoes we donate, and the proceeds are used to sponsor needy farmers in developing countries. Here's how your shoe donation helps:
In the Fleet Feet village, proceeds from shoe donations are used to plant trees, which in turn help the environment and create jobs. Here is a message from the M.O.R.E. staff in Ghana working with the Fleet Feet Sports Villages:
Fleet Feet villages are located in KETU-SOUTH district in Volta region of Ghana. Fleet feet villages are strategically located at the border town of Aflao and serve as the eastern gateway to Ghana. The villages are 200 kilometers from Accra. Glitame KLIKOR and YAWUNE villages (FLEET FEET SPORTS VILLAGES) have a population of one thousand two hundred (1200) with females dominating.
The climate of the villages is dry equatorial type of climate. The rainfall is of double maxima type occurring from April to July and September to October. The dry season, which is dominated by Harmattan Winds, extends from December to February.
The agricultural sector is the single most important economic sector in villages and main crops grown are, maize, cassava, pepper, cowpea and sweet potatoes.
The original vegetation of the villages is coastal savanna woodland made up of short grassland with small clumps of bushes and some trees. However the extensive farming activities in the villages have, over the years, reduced the natural vegetation amid the use of several chemicals in their farming methods.
The land suffers from many human activities which degrade the environment. These activities include uncontrolled sand winds, bushfires and unbridled felling of trees for fuel, timber, and clearcutting land for farming.
With the support of FLEET FEET SPORTS STORES in collaboration with MORE FOUNDATION GROUP, one hundred thousand (100,000) mixed trees have been germinated in FLEET FEET SPORTS nurseries. These trees will generate many millions of dollars in goods. Profit centers in short, medium and the long term generated through food, fodder, fiber, medicine, bio-char, fuel wood, beekeeping, timber, windbreak and regenerating families’ farmland create biodiversity and sustainability.
In conclusion, MORE trees help stabilize climate, create jobs, build natural resources and create a much better quality of life for all.
THANKS TO FLEET FEET SPORTS STORES
- MORE GHANA staff.
Katlyn Gagnier, Fleet Feet Sports Knoxville |
Northern Colorado Beekeepers Association accepting registration for annual Beginning Beekeeping Course
January 10, 2018
Registration is now open for the Northern Colorado Beekeepers Association's annual Beginning Beekeeping Course.
According to a news release from NCBA, the 2018 course consists of two classes available from 6-8 p.m. March 9 and 10 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m. March 10. Classes take place at the Windsor Recreation Center, 250 11th St. in Windsor.
Space is limited and registration will close when the class is full.
There is a registration fee of $120, which includes a one-year NCBA membership. Scholarships are available.
Registration forms, class information and fee details can be found at http://www.nocobees.org.
Trending In: News Briefs
- Greeley among stops for Union Pacific’s ‘Living Legend’ steam engine
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- UNC Concerts Under the Stars 2018 lineup announced
- A motorcyclist lost her leg in a crash. Now she works to educate people on the techniques that saved her life. |
Annual Wildlife Lecture - Topic - Native Bee Attitudes: Integrating them back into our yards. Sam Droege, Speaker, Wildlife Biologist at USGS Patuxent Research Refuge. Sam will share his study of these essential pollinators and dazzle all with his macro-images, taken with groundbreaking techniques.
Anne Arundel Bird Club Annual Wildlife Lecture
|Nearby Bars & Clubs||Rating||Address||Distance|
|FolkenPhunk Play 2018 Summer Concert Quiet Waters Park||0 ft away|
|Beekeeping Demonstration||0 ft away|
|Two exhibits opening at the Galleries of Quiet Waters||0 ft away|
|Marietta Schreiber||0 ft away|
|Twist & Stout||0 ft away| |
create, build, explore
1st - 3rd Grade
Meander through forests, hike in the Wissahickon, and learn from local urban farmers. Beekeeping, herb tea making, and urban farming are all elements of our weekly themes. Feed your child’s imagination and sense of wellbeing and immerse them in the natural world.
Monday to Friday, 8:30 am - 3 pm
Early Bird Special: $275 if application is received by March 1st
Nature Makers Camp Registration
"Our kids loved the balance of structured time and independent time to work on their own projects. They came with an idea of what they wanted to make, and had the whole summer to work on their projects or just run around and hang out with their friends." - Jeff, Parent
"We loved summer camp at the Waldorf School of Philadelphia! My daughter enjoyed the unique activities, the time outside, the staff, and the friendships she made. She had the opportunity to just delight in the treasured experiences that make kids happy- playing, water activities, creating–it was overall a wonderful experience!" - Jackie, Parent |
The bees at Cressing Temple Barns
The apiary at Cressing Temple Barn is situated in the apple orchard and in the spring is surrounded by beautiful marguerites and over-hanging apple blossom. The hives used to be in the walled garden, but they were moved for safety reasons as each hive can contain up to 70,000 bees in the summer months. However, if you go into the walled garden you will see two old-fashioned skeps, or alvearies, made of willow where bees would have been kept in the old days.
Beekeepers Jan and Walter look after the apiary and they’re always keen to pass on their knowledge to Cressing’s volunteers. The Friends of Cressing Temple Gardens is a member of Braintree Beekeepers’ Association so that volunteers can attend meetings, talks and practical events to learn more about the bees (www.braintreebka.wordpress.com).
With all the beautiful countryside in this part of Essex, the Cressing bees produce some flavoursome honey which can be purchased in the Wellhouse. In the spring the bees will collect nectar from oil seed rape and this produces a thick white set honey. In late spring the apple blossom is out and in early summer the bees will forage on borage, field beans and garden flowers. All these flowers will produce different flavoured honeys.
If you are interested in learning more about the bees and beekeeping, why not join the annual Introduction to Beekeeping Course here at Cressing Temple Barns. It’s an excellent event with honey tasting, candle rolling, frame making and you’ll have the opportunity to get dressed up in a bee suit and inspect the hives. Contact Cressing Temple for more information.
The craft of beekeeping is one of the fastest growing hobbies in the UK and ‘backyard beekeeping’ is becoming a new craze – and where better to learn than in the beautiful surroundings of Cressing Temple Barns. |
After Mayor Lydia Lavelle started the discussion by saying she hoped it would not be a sting operation, the Carrboro Board of Alderman voted unanimously October 7 to become the third Bee City USA community! The idea started with Marty Hanks of Just Bee Apiary and Randy Dodd, Carrboro's Environmental Planner. In September they asked the Environmental Advisory Board to endorse the town's resolution and application.
In Dodd's presentation, he called attention to the many ways Carrboro was already pollinator-friendly in its community interests and in its adopted policies. The beekeeping community is strong and the town's landscaping emphasizes native plants. The community celebrates local food and is a national leader in its Least Toxic Integrated Pest Management policy adopted in 1999. Carrboro even bought a steam machine to kill invasive weeds with hot water rather than using a synthetic herbicide! Alderman Chaney quipped, "It's not even a question of whether to bee or not to bee, we are!"
As the network of Bee City USA communities grows, we will teach each other how to make our planet safer for pollinators and ourselves.
View a video of the discussion here which ended with an alderman suggesting that the presenters just buzz off.
Header photo by: Nancy Lee Adamson
These are the opinions and events of interest to the Bee City USA director and board. |
Beekeeping Equipment and Products
The products with the “Add to Cart” option are available for online purchase and shipping.
****A NEW FORMULATION MITE-AWAY QUICK STRIPS (MAQS)
This is an organic, non-chemical treatment that is very effective on both varroa and tracheal mites. A special combination of formic acid and essential oils kills mites. All holes in the colony must be sealed except the bottom entrance must remain open. Treatment lasts for 21 days with the greatest “kill” occurring during the first 14 days.
This is a temperature sensitive treatment. Ideal day time temps are 50 -80 degrees F. Temperature should not exceed 82 degrees F. or it may damage your bees. If that occurs, remove pads and store in original container until temps return within range. Follow safety precautions on label. You must use acid proof gloves at a minimum.
Pick up only, call ahead
Country Rubes Combo Bottom Board
$45/ea + $20 S/H= $65
This Multi-Function IPM Screened Bottom Board makes hive management simple. It allows observation, choice of mite control program and ventilation all WITHOUT dismantling your hives. Features include: easy board access from the front or rear of the hive, rear smoke hole and rain guard, board placement over screen for fume type mitecides or hive warmth, deep captivity area under screen and a removable unbreakable easy clean plastic board. Ready to use- glued, stapled, screwed and boiled in a non-toxic paraffin/tree rosin solution. More details on their website CountryRubes.com
Sundance Bottom Mounted Pollen Trap
$75/ea + $20 S/H = $95
The best pollen trap made! It is bottom mounted, placed between the bottom board and the hive body. Trap opens from the back for easy collection of pollen. The tray has stainless steel wire, making for durability and good ventilation. It is not necessary to remove the unit to stop pollen collection. Just loosen the front I-bolt and move the front board. A protection barrier keeps the hive debris from contaminating the pollen, giving you clean pollen. Bees do not need to exit through the screen wire, with the 10 drone escapes available for easy passage.
Ross Round Section Comb Honey
$70/ea + $20 S/H = $90
Fully assembled super that will make 32 sections of comb honey. This unit is complete with the 8 plastic frames, rings and support clips. Each frame has 2 halves which snap together. The foundation, sold separately, is placed between the 2 halves.
$43/100 covers + $20 S/H = $63
Each super requires a total of 64 covers. Most beekeepers use 1 opaque and 1 clear cover per comb section.
$25/100 + $20 S/H = $45
2 rings required per section
Three Beekeeping Classes on CD
Beekeeping 101, 201, 301
$20.00 + shipping
Dana Stahlman, Blacklick Ohio, Retired Beekeeper-Educator
This is a program for new beekeepers by an experienced beekeeper who also
worked as an educator. Stahlman was born into a commercial beekeeping family
in Ohio. He has packed a great deal of information onto this single disk.
Thin suplus wax foundation |
‘I will speak about the celestial gift of honey from the air. First, look for a site for your apiary…where no wind can enter…where no sheep leap about the flowers…and let the bright coloured lizard with the scaly back keep away from the hives…but let there be clear springs nearby, and a little stream running through the grass…and let green rosemary and thyme flower around them…’. Virgil’s poetry from 29 BC shows that some of the facts, and mysteries, concerning bees and beekeeping have undergone very little change over the centuries.
Carlisle Beekeepers Association, the largest Cumbrian branch of the British Beekeepers Association, was established in 1931. It aims to promote beekeeping and bee health, and it offers help to local beekeepers by providing information and advice on these subjects. “We have over 70 members,” says Syd Parker, “and we seem to be attracting more each year. This is surprising when you consider that, looking at it geographically, the north of Cumbria must be the worst place in England for keeping bees. Technically, the summers can be too wet and too cold. It surprises a lot of people when they are told that London is one of the best places for bees! However, the bees still manage to produce good amounts of honey even though our season can be very short in Cumbria. The first pollen and nectar is collected by the bees from snowdrops and crocus, mainly in domestic gardens, but beekeepers are always looking for what we call the ‘major nectar flows’, and the first of those is produced by dandelion flowers and the flowers on sycamore trees. At the same time, willow trees provide pollen which bees collect as a source of protein to feed to the developing bees in the hive which are still young grubs and are not yet fully formed. They mix the willow pollen with some honey to make food for the grubs. Later in spring, the blossom on fruit trees, especially apples, is a good source of both pollen and nectar. Horse chestnut trees in full bloom in May are also attractive to the bees.”
Syd, who has been looking after bees for 26 years, and another member of the Carlisle Beekeepers’ Association, Pete Nanson, tend several colonies of bees in the locality. Over the past three years, they have also established an apiary at Rose Castle garden, near Dalston, where they now have six colonies of bees. “Hedgerows around this rural area provide an excellent source of nectar and pollen, including lots of dandelion and hawthorn blossom in spring, and then later in summer there is clover blossom on the road sides and also the flowers on lime trees,” says Pete. He adds, “It used to be the case that the major nectar flows for our bees ceased after the third week of July, but the flowers of Himalayan balsam, the pernicious weed that has fairly recently started to invade our river banks and the sides of becks, are providing a new, later source. Bees love the flowers, and it has to be said that, although the plant is an invader and receives such bad press, Himalayan balsam honey is delicious.”
There are several garden plants that also help to prolong the honey-making season. Sunflowers, often not in full bloom until the second half of July, yield fairly high amounts of both nectar and pollen, and other herbaceous perennials such as Echinops, Solidago, Sedum and Agastache are attractive to honey bees and bumblebees as summer is fading. Ivy is one of the last sources of nectar for bees – if you look closely at the tiny, insignificant flowers on a mature ivy plant in September or October, you can see individual droplets of nectar glistening in the sunlight.
There are not, however, large enough quantities of later flowering plants to keep honey production high, and when the main flushes of blossom from trees, roadsides, gardens and fields are fading, Syd and Pete take their bees up to the heather hills at the end of July in the back of the car. You might think that a trailer would be better for this job, but there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation why the bees are put inside the car. “It’s the car engine,” says Syd. “It’s strange, but the bees seemed to be tuned-in and at ease with the pitch of the car engine – it keeps them calm and they are never any bother while we are transporting them.” |
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Launched in 2014 to much interest, the first cohort of seven young people are placed with some of the most experienced bee farmers in the United Kingdom (UK).
Recruitment is on an annual basis, with programmes commencing each spring. Further information on applying can be found here.
The Bee Farmers’ Association has plans to extend the eligibility criteria for the scheme as we recognise bee farming is often seen as a second-career opportunity.
What Will You Study?
Apprentices are employed on a bee farm in the UK.
You will be working with your employer (also called the host trainer) for the majority of the year, gaining practical experience as you earn. There may be opportunities to work on different bee farms throughout the country and visit different businesses in order to gain breadth and variety of experience.
Underpinning knowledge will be delivered by our expert industry trainers in two blocks per year, each of two weeks. You will study:
- introduction to beekeeping
- carpentry and basic woodworking skills
- seasonal management
- queen rearing and stock improvement
- botany and forage sources
- pollen and nutrition
- honey bee anatomy
- honey bee diseases
- integrated pest management
- processing hive products
- bottling and presentation
- setting up a business
- business structures
- the competitive environment
- the industry worldwide
- health and safety
- first aid
- food hygiene.
These residential study blocks, along with training and visit days and online forums, provide the opportunity to meet and communicate with other apprentices and build friendships and contacts for the future.
Each apprentice is allocated an assessor. Apprentices are required to record their activities in a weekly log which is signed off by their host trainer and reviewed by the assessor to confirm work meets the standards required. The log is maintained on a specially-designed e-learning platform; training is given at the start of the course on how to use this system. The team delivering and managing the programme meets regularly to ensure assessment is standardised and high-quality delivery is maintained.
In addition to specialist support provided by the host trainer and expert industry trainers, each apprentice is assigned a mentor who provides support on pastoral issues. This ensures any possible difficulties that may arise are dealt with efficiently and effectively.
Apprentices are paid directly by their employer (host trainer). While the Bee Farmers’ Association asks employers to pay a base rate which values the apprentice’s contribution to the business, employers may, and often do, pay above this rate. The training element of the scheme is financed by commercial sponsors Rowse Honey. Other sponsors provide practical benefits – for example BJ Sherriff have provided bee suits. Apprentices are provided with a rail travel card free of charge for the duration of their programme.
In cases of financial difficulty, the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers provides access to a hardship fund. Applications are considered on an individual confidential basis.
The programme lasts for three years.
Further information on applying for the scheme can be found here.
For all general enquiries regarding the apprenticeship scheme, please contact the General Secretary. |
Frequently asked questions
Some answers to some questions you may have
Keeping bees is a fascinating thing to do, but there’s more to keeping bees than putting them at the end of the garden and forgetting about them. Yes, you can buy bees from us, but we would strongly recommend that you join your local beekeepers’ association and/or go on a beekeeping course and/or read some good beekeeping books. Ideally, all of the above.
The short answer is, “yes.” That doesn’t mean that you’ll have bad tempered bees from us, it means that, if you keep bees, you’re likely to get stung at some point. Getting stung, isn’t usually a big problem, but if you suffer from anaphylaxis, it can be very serious. Fortunately, this condition is relatively uncommon, but can affect people of all ages. More information is available on the NHS website here. Our stock of bees are bred to be gentle and placid, however, we would always recommend that you inspect your colonies wearing your veil and with a smoker.
You’ll get a strong, healthy colony of bees. If you’re buying a NUC, they’ll be housed in a 6 frame, polystyrene hive that’s been specially designed to keep and raise nucleus colonies of honey bees. This is yours to keep. It may also be fitted with a travel screen, which will help stop the colony over-heating during transportation to your apiary. All of our colonies comply with the recommendations laid out by both FERA/BeeBase and the BBKA.
The short answer is, “when they’re ready.” Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not being rude but, as you’ll learn, beekeeping is very weather dependant. Some years, over-wintered NUCs are ready in March, other years, in May. We won’t let colonies of bees go, until they comply with our high standards, as well as complying with FERA’s guidelines for buying honey bee colonies. This is especially true for beginners and less experienced beekeepers, as we want your beekeeping experience to be a good one.
Don’t worry, we’ll explain everything you need to know when you collect them. If you follow our recommendations, you’ll at lease have read some good books on the subject. You can buy these books from booksellers, or beekeeping suppliers. Alternatively, you could borrow them from your local library. Some, if not all, beekeepers’ associations have their own library, which you’re usually able to borrow from, once you’ve joined them.
Bringing your bees home for the first time, can be a nerve racking, as well as an exciting, experience. If you feel that you’d like help in doing so, and getting them transferred into their new home, and you don’t have a “tame” beekeeper available to help you, we offer a delivery service. We don’t send bees by post (except queens) because we can’t guarantee how they’ll be treated during transportation and no insurance is available that guarantees that they’ll arrive alive. So, we can bring them ourselves within reasonable distances in the South East of England. Current prices for this service will be on the order pages. Don’t forget that, on top of this fee, we’ll be changing twice the distance you live from our base in West Sussex (i.e. there and back), but only charge the HMRC rate for mileage.
These have been the usual questions we're asked, but you may have different ones. If you do, please use the form below, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can. If, however, you're ready to order your bees, then head over to the store now. |
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For any experiment, a plan is required. This is more formally called the Experimental Design. Included in that, is the timeline and what actually will be measured.
Control of variation and the timeline
Of great importance to the plan is how variation from random effects, or things we don’t care about, will be controlled to a minimum. For example, all the queens will be mated and kept in one location so that different locations will not effect the results.
The time of year that the colonies will be started will also introduce variation in the results. It won’t be possible for me to start all 40 colonies in the same week, therefore I will start some colonies from each of the four mother queens each week. If I instead started queens from a different queen each week, there would be a four week difference in resource opportunity and available drones for mating in the first and fourth queen. That would not be good.
The timeline above looks really good on paper, but when working with bees, or any other animals, things happen and things change. Its important to be able to be flexible and still have a reasonable control over unexplained variation.
When raising queens with the grafting method, I have batches of about 20-30 queen cells ready to hatch once a week. With grafting, its best for me to either raise queen cells on a weekly basis until I want to stop, or don’t bother. Once I’m set up and going, its time consuming to stop and start again.
If you don’t bank virgin queens, queen cells must be placed in mating nucs after incubation on day 10 after grafting. That means, you have 1-2 days before ‘day 10’ to split hives for mating nucs and if the weather is rainy or there is an emergency at work, too bad it must be done. Unless, you instead cage the cells so they emerge caged in a queen bank. They can remain banked for up to one week and placed in mating nucs at your ‘leisure’ 🙂 . Dr. Larry Connor recommended this in his course, and I think he is right.
Once virgin queens are banked, they need to be introduced into mating nucs within about one week. Otherwise, they will be too old to be mated properly. I graft cells on the same day each week. This means I can have fresh, banked virgins ready to go any day throughout the season when I have the time (and weather opportunity) to split some hives or when I find a queenless hive that needs a queen. Virgin queens should be introduced into mating nucs caged, just like a mated queen.
Round two worked well too. 39 cells took out of 42 grafts. All look decent. Both my first and second graft in 2012 had better success than any grafts in previous years. Was it the change to plastic cups, years of practice, perfect weather, or just an exceptional cell building colony? There are lots of factors that influence the success of a queen graft. More is involved beyond being able to move worker larvae from its comb into an artificial queen cell cup. And much more is involved in getting these queen cells hatched out, mated, and laying in new colonies. Making splits, nucs, or colony divides is one of the prerequisites to rearing queens so that you can get those queens mated and heading new colonies.
I pulled this graft out of the builder at 5 days after grafting and moved them to the incubator. All cells were capped. I pulled my last batch at 4.5 days and I had a few cell still not finished. So waiting till 5 days after the graft is best. At the same time, I do the maintenance manipulation on the cell builder. I’ll talk about that later.
My first graft of 2012 occurred on March 11, 2012. That’s about the same time I started last year. The bees are just a few weeks ahead of where they were at this time last year, but wow, it is so much warmer this year. We have had frequent rains this year, which slows them down just as much, if not more, than cold night time temps.
Last year, all the queens from my first graft froze in their mating nucs, mostly due to user error. This year, I’m going to introduce caged virgins to start and see how that goes instead. If it gets cold (seemingly unlikely, but I’m from here and I know how the temperatures can shift), they will already be emerged and more hearty. Plus, if it works out well, introducing virgins will work out with my ‘working man’ schedule much better than the strict schedule required for introducing queen cells into mating nucs. So that means my next blog post will be about setting up a queen bank for the cells to emerge in and be taken care of for a day or two while I make up splits.
After the picture above was taken at 4.5 days after grafting, I moved the cells into a queen cell incubator in my house. This is a good practice just in case a virgin gets loose in the cell builder. If that happens, the cells could get torn down a day or two before they emerge. When I remove the cells, it is convenient to also prepare the cell builder for my next graft by moving young brood above the excluder/cloak board, and add empty comb below for the queen to lay in, and check for queen cells that need to be removed from other frames in the cell builder. None were present at this date.
Natural Comb Management for Varroa Control. SARE Final Report. 2009
At two locations, beehives were managed with wooden starter strips instead of standard 5.4mm foundation by turning the wedge of a ‘wedge top’ frame on its side and applying a bead of wax. Doing this provides a guide for the bees to build comb from the top of standard frames. Foundation is a sheet of wax with hexagonal cells imprinted on the sheet to create a guide, throughout the entire frame, for the honey bees to build their comb. The colonies in which foundation sheets are not used are called ‘natural cell’ colonies as the sizes of the cells they build are ‘natural’ instead of being influenced by foundation cell sizes. We intended to test the idea that a standard 5.4mm foundation cell size alters the biology of honey bee colonies in a way that is detrimental, as it relates to parasitic Varroa mite populations. As a part of this idea, some beekeepers buy 4.9mm foundation, with the idea that this size is more ‘natural’. Since Varroa destructor mites only reproduce on pupating honey bees in their cells, it is reported the size of the comb cells may influence the mites’ ability to reproduce.
EXTRA: Where did the cell size of standard foundation come from? European honey bees.
There is some feeling that today’s standard foundation size is the result of industry adoption of Boudoux’s bee enlargement experiments (Osterlund 2001). Boudoux (1933) promoted artificial enlargement of bees for increase honey yield. However, Boudoux (1933) promoted the use of very large foundation, 700 cells per square decimeter (dm), where modern foundation is much smaller, closer to 850 cells per dm. The more cells per square decimeter, the smaller the size of the cell.
When A. I. Root made his first foundation mill in 1876, it was stamped at 5 cells per inch, or cell width of 5.08mm (Root 1975). He later decided this was slightly too small because bees would sometimes build larger, natural comb over the foundation imprints. After measuring natural combs, he decided 19 1/3 cells in 4 inches was the proper natural size of worker cells (which converts to 5.26mm/cell) and made foundation based on this size, which was then adopted by the beekeeping industry (Root 1975). This is practically the same size as the modern foundation used in this test (5.3mm ± .004). Many beekeepers report that commercial foundation is 5.4mm, but every sheet I have measured has been 5.3mm, not that I think such a small difference would matter. Modern measurements of European honey bee worker cell size in naturally built comb include 5.2mm (Seeley and Morse 1976), 5.2mm ± .457 (Taber and Owens 1970), and 5.2 – 5.4mm (Spivak and Erickson 1992). Modern commercial foundation is based on the natural cell size of European honey bees.
However, there are many sub-species of honey bees in their native lands of Europe and Africa. These sub-species have varying natural cell sizes. It is known that bees build cells consistent with their genetic origin and do not construct natural cells based on what they are raised in (Spivak and Erickson 1992) Africanized honey bees naturally build smaller combs. It may be that some European sub-species, not commonly represented in the U.S., may have smaller natural cell sizes.. Cowen (1890) measured Apis mellifera mellifera to have a worker cell size of 1/5”, or 5.08mm, but he reported that Apis mellifera carnica cells were slightly larger. McMullan and Brown (2006) found Apis mellifera mellifera colonies had no problem transitioning from standard sized combs to small cell foundation 4.9/5.0. The bees used in this SARE study were of Carnica and Liguistica descent (Carniolan and Italian), the most common European honey bees in the U.S. If you were to repeat this study with Africanized bees, or possibly even bees with a strong percentage of Apis mellifera mellifera (the german black bee), I would expect the bees to build smaller combs.
At location 1 (Michael Wilson), in spring 2007, ten colonies were started from splits of natural cell colonies begun in 2006. Each colony split consisted of 5 medium frames of comb which included the approximate ratios of, 2 frames of brood, 1 frame of pollen, 1 frame of honey, and 1 empty frame. Each colony split also had about 4 frames of bees and a new Carniolan-Italian hybrid queen acquired from the same supplier the day before. In the five control colonies, standard 5.4mm wax foundation was provided in frames and the colony was built up to 3 medium boxes. Five natural cell colonies were established using frames with wooden starter strips instead of foundation. Once these colonies were built up to 3 medium boxes of comb, the original 5 frames of the splits were removed and replaced with frames of foundation and starter strips respectively. Therefore, by fall 2007 all combs in the hives was newly built.
In 2008, these ten colonies were observed another year, while ten new colonies were made from splits of these hives. All colonies were again given new queens from the previous supplier. While making new colonies, frames were removed from the 2007 colonies to populate the new ones. New frames were used to replace the ones removed and thus a third year of comb was built without the influence of foundation in natural cell hives. The ten group 2008 colonies were split from their respective control and natural cell parents in the same matter as colonies started in 2007, except this time natural cell colonies were given 10 frames of 4.9mm foundation per colony in addition to starter strip frames. The ten group 2007 hives and ten group 2008 hives were again allowed to build up to 3 medium boxes. When applicable, honey supers were provided above a queen excluder with drawn comb and foundation to provide an area for harvestable honey. The strength of the hives, surplus honey, worker cell size, Varroa mite populations, and percentage of drone comb as compared to worker comb was recorded.
The strengths of the hives were measured a number of ways. In spring 2007, the rate in which the new colonies built comb was recorded. As described by natural cell beekeepers, empty frames were moved into the middle of drawn combs to encourage comb building. Every 10 days, this manipulation was done in all ten colonies and the percentage of drawn comb in each group was recorded.
Surplus honey was recorded as numbers of frames of honey removed from supers. Worker cell sizes were measured by placing a metric ruler over the cells and measuring 10 cells. Dividing this measurement by ten made one observation of cell size. One to four cell size observations were made for most worker bee frames built in 2007 and 2008 for both natural cell and control colonies.
Varroa mite populations in the beehives were recorded as 24hr natural mite fall averaged over 3 days. Natural mite fall is used as a method to record Varroa mite populations. A wood frame with screen on the top and a sticky, plastic shelf liner underneath is slid into the entrance of the hives. Any mites that fall off bees or from the comb go through the screen and become stuck to the shelf liner material. After three days, the screens are removed and mites counted. This was done roughly once every 4-5 weeks with longer intervals during winter months.
Percentage of drone comb per colony was also measured. Combs in which honey bees raise drones (males) are visually larger then cells built for raising workers (females). It is understood that exclusively providing 5.4mm foundation in each frame suppresses the amount of drone comb built by colonies.
At another location (Larry Chadwell), 10 hives were started in 2007 from standard foundation hives. Five colonies were again developed on starter strips, while the other five were on 5.4mm plastic foundation. These hives were kept for 2 years and allowed to build up to two deep box hives, instead of the three smaller medium boxes used at Michael Wilson’s location. At this location, the deeper frames of the hive boxes seemed to cause problems. Larry Chadwell took the project in a different direction at this point. Learning from the comb building activities of hives without foundation, a method called “drone comb trapping” was used in a way to take advantage of the bees desire to build drone sized cells when not given foundation. This technique is well proven to reduce Varroa mite populations. Varroa mites are highly attracted to drone pupae over worker cells and honey bees like to have a certain amount of drone comb in their hives. When a beekeeper provides empty frames in colonies with only combs built from standard worker size (5.4mm) foundation, they will build drone cells. These drone combs are then removed when the drone pupae are capped and the combs, with Varroa mites inside, are destroyed.
Drone comb trapping is often described as a labor intensive technique primarily suited for hobby beekeepers. Larry Chadwell keeps about 100 hives, which is considered large scale for our area. He decided to try out the feasibility of drone comb trapping on the large scale of 100 hives.
Data collection was initially conducted on his natural cell trial hives, but it was halted after the initial poor performance of natural cell colonies. Data collection on the 75 hives in which drone comb trapping was being used was not possible in this study. However, Larry Chadwell’s experience and opinion of the feasibility of large scale drone comb trapping and the usefulness of natural cell beekeeping was recorded during an interview by Michael Wilson.
The results are separated between Michael Wilson and Larry Chadwell’s location.
At Michael Wilson’s location, hives were grouped as 2007 hives and 2008 hives depending on when the colony was started. Five control and five test hives were in each group. During the first year of both groups, mite levels did not significantly differ. However, during the second year of group 2007 colonies, mite levels were significantly lower in natural cell hives (60 ± 11, mean ± s.e.) than in control hives (114 ± 22; P = 0.0004). Despite these lower numbers, hives in both groups surpassed economic thresholds and experienced colony death. The mean peak mite levels in natural cell colonies reached 162/day, while in control colonies they reached 278/day. The economic threshold is considered to be between 59-187 (Delaplane 1999 Apidologie 30:383-395). By the end of the study, across both group 2007 and group 2008 hives, 5 out of 10 control hives and 5 out of 10 natural cell hives died, likely to varossis.
The reason for the lower mite levels in the 2nd year of group 2007 hives appears unrelated to worker cell size. Control colonies in both year groups had a worker cell size of 5.3mm ± .003 (mean ± s.e., n = 531) while natural cell colonies had a worker cell size of 5.4mm ± .007 (n = 437, P ≤ 0.0001). Cells of natural cell colonies did not decrease in size between 2 years (2007) and 3 years (2008) of management without foundation. The worker cell size of comb on small cell (4.9mm) foundation placed in group 2008 hives was 5.5mm ± .02 (n=96). The bees ignored the cell imprints on the small cell foundation and built either drone cell sizes, or worker cell sizes close to 5.5mm.
4.9, small cell foundation
It is difficult to say if the strength of 2nd year, group 2007 control colonies could account for the higher mite counts. Colonies with higher bee populations will have more mites. The average strength of group 2007 colonies did not significantly differ when measuring the rate of comb building in spring 2007, the hive weight in summer 2007, and the area of bees, brood, pollen and honey in the brood chambers during spring, summer, and fall 2008. However, significantly more comb was built by control colonies (100% ± 0, mean ± s. e.) as opposed to natural cell (87% ± 5.78; P = 0.0492). This trend is also seen in honey production. Significantly more surplus honey was produced by control colonies (25.4 frames ± 3.9, mean ± s.e.) over natural cell colonies (5.4 frames ± 3.5; P = 0.0052). This difference may be related to the greater amount of drones produced by natural cell colonies. Due to the timing of data collection, a difference in the amount of drones between the two groups was not measured, however a difference in drone comb was measured in natural cell colonies (33% ± 3.5%, mean ± s.e.) as opposed to control colonies (1% ± 0.2; P ≤ 0.0001). Plentiful drone production was observed in the second year of group 2007 natural cell colonies, as opposed to controls. In first year natural cell colonies, drone production was not as evident. In a previous study, (Seeley, 2002 Apidologie 33:75-86) colonies with 20% drone comb were found to gain half the weight of control colonies and produced more drones.
Percent drone comb built in 2007
mean percent drone comb
Natural cell colonies
Standard foundation colonies
At Larry Chadwell’s location, varroa mite levels did not differ significantly between control (27± 22.46; mean ± s.d.) and natural cell hives (24 ± 20.29; P = 0.5463) in the first year. Control colonies were stronger by weight in kilograms (49.1 ± 4.54; mean ± s.d.) as compared to natural cell (35.78 ± 4.21; P = 0.0026). The weight of control colonies was adjusted to account for the additional plastic foundation. The bees in the natural cell colonies did not move up well into the second deep, while the hives with foundation moved up and completed the combs in the upper box. Combs that were built in the upper boxes of natural cell colonies was mostly drone comb, some of which was not straight in the frames. The combs in the first box of natural cell colonies were built well. This was also observed at Michael Wilson’s location. The combs in the first box without foundation was mostly worker comb, but as they moved up into more boxes, and the season progressed, mostly drone comb was constructed.
The drone comb trapping trial was added in spring 2008. In his opinion, he found it to be economically feasible and a good fit in his management of 50-75 colonies out of 100. He plans to expand it to all his hives in the coming season. To use drone comb trapping, he put a 2 inch strip of wax foundation across the top of a deep frame and left the rest of the frame empty. One to three frames were provided per hive. Then, during his normal spring inspection routine, he would cut out the drone cells on an every other brood cycle basis. This allowed some drone production for mating queens. Larry makes splits of his colonies for resale, so he is in them about once a week during the spring before queens are shipped to make splits with. During these inspections he is doing swarm control and making splits from colonies with queen cells. Drone cells were consistently built in the empty frames below the wax strips. This is due the preference for bees to build 17 ± 3% of drone comb in natural colonies (Seeley 1976 Insectes Sociaux 23:494-512).
From the results above, it is clear natural cell beekeeping is not a successful method to control Varroa mites in small scale, commercial apiculture. In addition, the increase in management and decrease in honey yield, probably due to excessive drone production, is not compatible with profitable beekeeping. However, drone comb trapping is a proven method for organic mite control and can be successfully and efficiently applied by beekeepers managing 100 colonies or less.
EXTRA EDITORIAL: Did colonies with or without foundation draw comb faster?
Anecdotally, the colonies with foundation built more comb and built it faster. Especially as they moved up, and especially during the main honey flow when surplus honey was stored. Data I collected however, is mixed, indicating there is more to the story and that I didn’t collect all the data needed to show this. The strongest evidence that colonies on foundation build faster is in the significantly higher honey yields in colonies with foundation. And that overall, significantly more comb was built by control colonies (100% ± 0, mean ± s. e.) as opposed to natural cell (87% ± 5.78; P = 0.0492).
However, if you look at data I collected during the first year of test colony establishment, its harder to tell that this is the case. I’m convinced colonies build up quicker with foundation overall, but in the first box of new colonies where the colony is expanding mostly horizontally, I think their growth is about the same, or might even be quicker in foundationless, for just that first 10 frame box or 5 frame nuc, if you start them in a nuc. If you don’t mind some extra drone comb and time with management, try it and see, but clearly (to me anyway) as they build up in more boxes, foundation is a very, very good thing for getting more combs built. But, I don’t think you will slow your bees down using foundationless in the first box, only.
This study did not produce results that show natural cell beekeeping as being a beneficial practice for beekeepers. However, it did produce results that question an accepted understanding of Varroa mite population growth. The main difference in makeup of natural cell and control colonies was the percentage of drone comb. Drone production is understood to increase Varroa mite populations in hives (Seeley, 2002 Apidologie 33:75-86). This is due to the fact that one female mite can produce more offspring in drone cells then she can in worker cells (Martin 1994 Exp Appl Acarol 18: 87-100). However in this study, the colonies with more drone comb produced fewer mites. This result only occurred in the second year of the group 2007 hives, but it is likely that this was the only situation where much larger amounts of drones were being produced by natural cell colonies. During the first year of natural cell hives, mostly worker combs were developed initially, and then as the season progressed, drone comb was built in the form of honey storage comb and filled with nectar. During the colony’s second season, the bees had eaten through the honey during the winter making the drone size comb available to rear drones. So, during the period with the greatest potential for natural cell colonies to rear the most drones, fewer mites were produced. When the natural cell colonies had the least potential to rear drones, their mite levels did not significantly differ.
The natural mite fall method records total mite population per hive. The strength of the hive affects the amount of mites in the hives. Stronger hives will have more mites, since there is more brood for the mites to reproduce in. This study did not record a difference in the strengths of natural cell hives as opposed to control colonies ‘per se’, but a short term difference in strength may have been missed, during the peak drone rearing season. If it takes more energy to rear drones then workers, there may have been a short term reduction in hive strength in natural cell colonies. Or, the potential for worker production may have been decreased in natural cell hives due to the limited amount of worker comb, compared to control colonies.
It would be beneficial to continue similar work to more directly ask, “What effect does drone comb have on colonies” and, “what is the optimal amount of drone comb that balances benefits and costs”. It is clear in this study that a large amount of drone comb significantly reduces honey yield. This was also observed by Seeley 2002. Understanding the effects of drone comb on colonies is important because drone comb is recommended for Africanized Honey Bee mitigation by flooding the area with European drones. Drone comb is also used for drone comb trapping, but beekeepers may wonder if they are doing more harm than good if they don’t have time to destroy the drone comb, and mites inside, before they emerge. Drone comb is also necessary for queen rearing. It is well understood that plentiful drones are necessary for proper mating of queens. However, does the perception of more Varroa mites reproducing in drone cells, due to the higher reproduction rate, limit the use of drone comb for the above benefits? And, what is the optimal amount of drone comb as it relates to cost and benefits?
EXTRA: DISCLAIMER: Since I completed this experiment, general understanding in accurate measurements in varroa mite populations in hives has developed considerably (or maybe its just that my understanding has increased). You should consider that 24hr mite fall is NOT a very accurate measure of colony mite population, UNLESS, you also closely relate it to bee population. I did related it, but not in the best way. So, take the evidence that drone production isn’t that big a deal to overall mite population growth with a grain of salt. But for me, I simply don’t worry about more (or less) mites growing in drone cells. I try and keep at least one medium frame, or half a deep of foundationless, in all my colonies to encourage some drone comb for breeding purposes.
Neither Michael Wilson nor Larry Chadwell adopted natural cell beekeeping. Both are eliminating the natural cell hives from their apiaries spring 2009. Also, neither plan to use small cell foundation in their hives in the future as the bees do not readily use it correctly. And, because other studies have come out recently showing the failure of smaller comb cells to decrease Varroa populations (Berry 2009, in press; Ellis 2009 Exp Appl Acarol. 47:311-6; Taylor 2008 J App Res 47:239-242;).
It is clear that natural cell beekeeping increases labor, reduces honey yield, limits the amount of worker comb that can be used for making marketable nucleus colonies, does not prevent surpassing economic thresholds of mite populations, and does not prevent colony death from mites. However, both Michael Wilson and Larry Chadwell are adopting drone comb trapping as an organic method for mite control. The experienced gained from using starter strips instead of foundation has shown how bees easily build drone comb on their own. Drone sized foundation is advertised and sold for drone comb trapping, but this study shows plentiful drone combs can be built without having to use drone sized foundation. During spring inspections for swarm control, and when making spring splits, capped drone comb will be culled to reduce mite populations. Due to the fact that capped drones will be removed when it is convenient instead of on a strict schedule as defined in most drone comb trapping schemes, it is likely some drone production will go unchecked. However, our study shows unchecked drone production should not increase mite populations. Some concern exists for reducing honey yield, but this should be remedied by reducing the amount of drone comb to the previously recommended 10%, instead of 30% at Michael Wilson’s location, and removing capped drones when possible. Removing capped drones will reduce the cost of drone production on colonies by preventing the drones from becoming adults and consuming honey through adult hood. Drones do not forage, but instead consume hive honey and take mating flights, which could explain some of the decreased honey yield in drone producing colonies.
2015 Drone Comb Trapping update: The practice of culling drones was eventually halted in both operations due to the need of plentiful drones for mating purposes.
A trial was conducted on natural cell beekeeping, comparing colonies with wooden starter strips to colonies on standard sized foundation. Colonies without foundation are reported to have fewer problems with parasitic, Varroa mites, due to smaller cell sizes. It was found that after 3 years without the influence of foundation, natural cell colonies drew out cells slightly larger than bees on standard 5.4mm foundation. Natural cell colonies produced significantly less honey, probably due to a significant increase in drone sized comb (%30 n.c., %1 with foundation). Varroa mite populations did not differ in the first year of colonies, but in the second, significantly fewer mites where recorded in natural cell colonies. This was surprising considering foundress mites can produce more offspring on drones. No significant difference in the population of the control and test group was recorded. Natural cell and control colonies exceeded economic thresholds for Varroa and experienced colony death.
At another location, 1-3 frames without foundation per colony were used in 75 out of 100 colonies to test out the feasibly of a large scale use of drone comb trapping, a proven technique to control Varroa mites. The methods used for drone comb trapping, in this case, fit very well with existing management practices in these apiaries. It was decided that drone comb trapping is economically feasible in similar beekeeping operations with about 100 colonies. Based on our results, we recommend drone comb trapping for organic Varroa mite control and do not recommend natural cell beekeeping for mite control or profitable beekeeping.
Below is an abstract from a presentation I gave at the 2009 American Bee Research Conference. It was published as part of the proceedings in the American Bee Journal.
Wilson, M. W., Skinner, J., Chadwell, L. – MEASURING THE EFFECTS OF FOUNDATION ON HONEY BEE COLONIES: A SARE PRODUCER GRANT PROJECT
Some beekeepers have proposed that 5.4mm foundation alters the biology of honey bees in a way that increases Varroa mite populations (Beesource.com). As a part of the idea, termed ‘natural cell beekeeping’, it is reported that bees build smaller cells when managed without foundation. To test this idea, beehives were managed with starter strips by turning the wedge of a ‘wedge top’ frame on its side and applying a bead of wax.
In 2007, ten colonies were started from splits of natural cell colonies. Five control colonies used standard wax foundation and five natural cell colonies used wooden starter strips. In 2008, these ten colonies were observed another year, while ten new colonies were made from splits. Five control and natural cell colonies were split from their respective groups. The ten group 2007 hives and ten group 2008 hives were allowed to build up to 3 medium boxes. When applicable, honey supers were provided above a queen excluder with drawn comb and foundation.
Mite populations were recorded as 24hr natural mite fall averaged over 3 days. During colonies’ first year, mite levels did not significantly differ. However, during the second year of group 2007 colonies, mite levels were significantly lower in natural cell hives (60 ± 11, mean ± s.e.) than in control hives (114 ± 22; P = 0.0004). Despite these lower numbers, hives in both groups surpassed economic thresholds and experienced colony death.
The reason for the lower mite levels appears unrelated to worker cell size. Control colonies had a worker cell size of 5.3mm ± .004 (mean ± s.e., n = 493) while natural cell colonies had a worker cell size of 5.4mm ± .008 (n = 381, P ≤ 0.0001). Cells of natural cell colonies did not decrease in size between 2 years (2007) and 3 years (2008) of management without foundation.
The average strength of group 2007 colonies did not significantly differ when measuring the rate of comb building in spring 2007, the hive weight in summer 2007, and the area of bees, brood, pollen and honey in the brood chambers during spring, summer, and fall 2008. However, there was significantly more surplus honey produced by control colonies (25.4 frames ± 3.9, mean ± s.e.) over natural cell colonies (5.4 frames ± 3.5; P = 0.0052). This difference may be related to the greater amount of drone comb produced by natural cell colonies (33% ± 3.5%, mean ± s.e.) as opposed to control colonies (1% ± 0.2; P ≤ 0.0001). Plentiful drone production was evident in the second year of group 2007 natural cell colonies, as opposed to controls. In first year natural cell colonies, drone production was not as evident. In a previous study, (Seeley, 2002 Apidologie 33:75-86) colonies with 20% drone comb were found to gain half the weight of control colonies. Seeley proposed the reduction was due to energy costs associated with raising drones, along with possible increased Varroa reproduction. This study suggests that an increased mite reproduction rate in drone cells (Martin 1994 Exp Appl Acarol 18: 87-100) may not increase total Varroa reproduction in drone producing colonies.
Pulled in the driveway the other day with nearly 3,000 pounds worth of beekeeping equipment. Luckily, my dad helped with his truck as well. This last delivery fully stocks my beekeeping supply garage. I now have extra of just about everything I use, so if you need to stop by in Clinton, TN to buy some equipment, or pickup at the next Anderson County Beekeepers Association meeting, just let me know. Price list.
Here is what my bee truck looks like with 1,000 assembled frames and 1,000 one pound honey jars. The cab was stuffed. Next time, I’ll use side boards for loose boxes. All you can really see in the pic is the frames. This is a long bed truck, which is handy since it will fit two standard size pallets and you can still close the tailgate. I just gave it a wash before setting out. |
Milking Demonstration at Family Farm
30th April – 30th September
Come by and see Niamh at Family Farm where you will learn all about the important contribution she makes to the Irish Dairy Industry!
Niamh is our British-Freisian dairy cow visiting Family Farm over the summer months!
On the dairy farm, Niamh would spend her days grazing luscious green pastures, producing up to 30L of fresh milk daily.
On Family Farm, Niamh takes a well-earned rest, spending her days munching on crunchy hay and haylage. Because she is a small British Freisan dairy cow, she is only milked once a day by our lovely Zookeeper Louise. During peak lactation (just after giving birth) she may produce up to 30L of milk daily, so may require milking twice a day,
Don't forget to check out our 'Food from the Farm' module at Family Farm during the school year and Agri Aware's Open Farm weekends during the summer months.
Smart Farming Demonstration
Don’t miss out on Family Farm on July 21st! From 11-3 we will have experts from the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) on Family Farm to demonstrate smart farming methods and the latest technology being used on Irish Farms
Bee Keeping Demonstrations
The Farmhouse doors on Family Farm will be open on Sunday July 22nd from 11-3 with Beekeeping demonstrations and expert talks by Brian O Tool of Leinster Honey.
Who else is buzzing?!
Hurley Making Demonstrations
Ever seen how you make a hurley?
We’ll have Seosamh Breathnach showing everyone the art of Hurley Making on Family Farm on Saturday 28th July from 11-3.
Pottery Demonstrations by Busy Bee Ceramics
Head on down to the Farmhouse on Sunday July 29th from 11-3 where there will be a pottery demo by a rural potter from Busy Bee Ceramics who will show case their skills and talk about rural jobs and life.
Threshing, Hand Shearing & Hay Rope Making
Fancy learning about the history of farming in Ireland? On Saturday August 4th at Family Farm we will have a range of activities that showcase some old-time farming practices. We will have hand shearing demonstrations, hay rope making, threshing and talks from 11-3.
Sheep Shearing, Spinners & Weavers Demonstration
Ever wonder what happens to the sheep’s wooly fleece after shearing?!
Well Sunday August 4th from 11-3 at Family Farm we will have Sheep shearing demonstrations and Spinning, Weaving and Knitting demonstrations with the IWDG (Irish Guild of Weavers Spinners and Dyers) who will show us how to use wool as a natural resource!
Heritage Week - Scarecrow Saturday
HAY – ITS SCARECROW SATURDAY!
Come along from 11am-3pm and help us kick off Heritage Week on the Farm on August 18th. We will be learning about harvesting crops, meeting some tillage farmers and the farmhouse will be open for some scarecrow building of your very own!
Heritage Week - Butter Making
Who’s ready to boogie??
We have butter discos from 11am-3pm on Sunday August 19th in the Farmhouse on Family Farm. Learn about where your Milk comes as Niamh our dairy cow will be milked on Family Farm at 11:30am. As part of Heritage Week we will learn about the farm to fork journey through the process of butter making.
Heritage Week - Basket Making
Ever woven your own basket?
We have basket weaver Padraig Larkin on Family Farm from 11-3 on August 20th showcasing the great art of basket weaving.
Be sure to pop into the Farmhouse to be a part of Heritage Week celebration!
Heritage Week -History of Farming & Farm Antiques Display
This Tuesday from 11-3 we are bringing old school back with a Farm antiques display in Family Farmhouse. We will be joined by an expert from Johnstown Castle Farming Museum helping visitors learn more about the history of farming in Ireland and its modernisation
Heritage Week - Sheep Shearing & Spinning
Ever wonder what happens to sheep’s wooly fleece?!
Well this Wednesday from 11-3 at Family Farm we will have Sheep shearing demonstrations and Spinning, Weaving and Knitting demonstrations with the IWDG (Irish Guild of Weavers Spinners and Dyers) who will show us how to use wool as a natural resource!
Heritage Week - Pottery Demonstration
Head on down to the Farmhouse this Sunday from 11-3 where there will be a pottery demo by a rural potter from Busy Bee Ceramics who will show case their skills and talk about rural jobs and life.
Heritage Week - Irish Wildlife
Fancy learning about the wildlife and habitats on Irish Farms?
We will have some pond dipping with Johnny our resident farmer at Dublin Zoo on Friday from 11am-3pm.
The farmhouse will also be open where you can learn all about biodiversity on farms
The Agri Aware team are buzzing for the 25th of August on Family Farm, from 11am-3pm we will have Bee Keeping Demos with Brian O'Toole from Leinster Honey.
Who else is buzzing to be there?! |
FPR Conference: Save the Date! By Mark T. Mitchell - April 25, 2014 1 Reading Time: 1 Facebook Twitter Email Print The 2014 FPR conference will on September 27 in Louisville, KY. Wendell Berry will deliver the keynote address. More details to come, but this is shaping up to be a great event. I hope to see many of you there. RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR The Nightstand The Formative Power of Metrics Short The Contemplative Life, Southern Writers, and a Tech Backlash The Nightstand The Cost of Knowing One’s Place The Feed Store Backyard Beekeeping Short Should You Move? The Stump Summoning Jeremiah 1 COMMENT Well I feel silly writing this but the Grishams are going to be in Berea the preceding week – maybe they wouldn’t mind extending their trip a day or two. And would seem a mistake to go all the way to Louisville and not hear Fritschner. Comments are closed. |
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the numerals in the ancient Roman system of notation, still used for certain limited purposes, as in some pagination, dates on buildings, etc. The common basic symbols are I (=1), V (=5), X (=10), L (=50), C (=100), D (=500), and M (=1000). The Roman numerals for one to nine are: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX. A bar over a letter multiplies it by 1000;
thus, X̄ equals 10,000. Integers are written according to these two rules: If a letter is immediately followed by one of equal or lesser value, the two values are added;
thus, XX equals 20, XV equals 15, VI equals 6. If a letter is immediately followed by one of greater value, the first is subtracted from the second;
thus, IV equals 4, XL equals 40, CM equals 900. Examples: XLVII(=47), CXVI(=116), MCXX(=1120), MCMXIV(=1914). Roman numerals may be written in lowercase letters, though they appear more commonly in capitals.
Havehave (hav;[unstressed]həv, əv* [for 26 usually]haf ),USA pronunciation v. and auxiliary v., pres. sing. 1st pers. have, 2nd have or ([Archaic]) hast, 3rd has or ([Archaic]) hath, pres. pl. have* past sing. 1st pers. had, 2nd had or ([Archaic]) ) hadst or had•dest, 3rd had, past pl. had;
past part. had;
pres. part. hav•ing, n.
- to possess;
hold for use;
contain: He has property. The work has an index.
- to hold, possess, or accept in some relation, as of kindred or relative position: He wanted to marry her, but she wouldn't have him.
- to get, receive, or take: to have a part in a play; to have news.
- to experience, undergo, or endure, as joy or pain: Have a good time. He had a heart attack last year.
- to hold in mind, sight, etc.: to have doubts.
- to cause to, as by command or invitation: Have him come here at five.
- to be related to or be in a certain relation to: She has three cousins. He has a kind boss.
- to show or exhibit in action or words: She had the crust to refuse my invitation.
- to be identified or distinguished by;
possess the characteristic of: He has a mole on his left cheek. This wood has a silky texture.
- to engage in or carry on: to have a talk; to have a fight.
- to partake of;
eat or drink: He had cake and coffee for dessert.
- to permit or allow: I will not have any talking during the concert.
- to assert, maintain, or represent as being: Rumor has it that she's going to be married.
- to know, understand, or be skilled in: to have neither Latin nor Greek.
- to beget or give birth to: to have a baby.
- to hold an advantage over: He has you there.
- to outwit, deceive, or cheat: We realized we'd been had by an expert con artist.
- to control or possess through bribery;
- to gain possession of: There is none to be had at that price.
- to hold or put in a certain position or situation: The problem had me stumped. They had him where they wanted him.
- to exercise, display, or make use of: Have pity on him.
- to invite or cause to be present as a companion or guest: We had Evelyn and Everett over for dinner. He has his bodyguard with him at all times.
- to engage in sexual intercourse with.
- to be in possession of money or wealth: There are some who have and some who have not.
- (used with a past participle to form perfect tenses): She has gone. It would have been an enjoyable party if he hadn't felt downcast.
- to be required, compelled, or under obligation (fol. by infinitival to, with or without a main verb): I have to leave now. I didn't want to study, but I had to.
- had better or best, ought to: You'd better go now, it's late.
- had rather. See rather (def. 8).
- have at, to go at vigorously;
attack: First he decided to have at his correspondence.
- have done, to cease;
finish: It seemed that they would never have done with their struggle.
- have had it:
- to become weary of or disgusted with whatever one has been doing: I've been working like a fool, but now I've had it.
- to suffer defeat;
fail: He was a great pitcher, but after this season he'll have had it.
- to have missed a last opportunity: He refused to take any more excuses and told them all that they'd had it.
- to become unpopular or passé: Quiz shows have had it.
- have it coming, to merit or deserve: When they lost their fortune, everyone said that they had it coming.
- have it in for, to plan or wish to do something unpleasant to;
hold a grudge against: She has it in for intelligent students who fail to use their abilities.
- have it out, to come to an understanding or decision through discussion or combat: We've been in disagreement about this for a long time, and I think we should have it out, once and for all.
- have on:
- to be clothed in;
be wearing: She had on a new dress.
- to have arranged or planned: What do you have on for Christmas?
- to tease (a person);
make the butt of a joke. Cf. put (def. 34).
- have to do with:
- to be connected or associated with: Your lack of confidence probably had a lot to do with your not getting the job.
- to deal with;
be concerned with: I will have nothing to do with their personal squabbles.
- to have and to hold, to possess legally;
have permanent possession of: The house, with the mortgage finally paid, was at last their own to have and to hold.
- Usually, haves. an individual or group that has wealth, social position, or other material benefits (contrasted with have-not).
BoschBosch (bosh; Ger., Sp. bôsh;
Du. bôs),USA pronunciation n.
Hi•e•ro•ny•mus (hī′ə ron′ə məs; Du. hē′ə rō′nē mœs),USA pronunciation (Hieronymus van Aeken), 1450?–1516, Dutch painter. Juan (hwän),USA pronunciation (Juan Bosch Gaviño), born 1909, Dominican writer and political leader: president 1963.
- Carl or Karl, 1874–1940, German chemist: Nobel prize 1931.
Supersu•per (so̅o̅′pər),USA pronunciation n.
- a superintendent, esp. of an apartment house.
- an article of a superior quality, grade, size, etc.
- (in beekeeping) the portion of a hive in which honey is stored.
- supercalendered paper.
- [Television.]an additional image superimposed on the original video image: A super of the guest's name is included under the picture when the guest is introduced.
- of the highest degree, power, etc.
- of an extreme or excessive degree.
- very good;
- (of measurement) superficial.
extremely or excessively: super classy; a super large portion of food.
Dishwasherdish•wash•er (dish′wosh′ər, -wô′shər),USA pronunciation n.
- a person who washes dishes.
- a machine for washing dishes, kitchen utensils, etc., automatically.
Andand (and; unstressed ənd, ən, or, esp. after a homorganic consonant, n),USA pronunciation conj.
- (used to connect grammatically coordinate words, phrases, or clauses) along or together with;
as well as;
in addition to;
moreover: pens and pencils.
- added to;
plus: 2 and 2 are 4.
- then: He read for an hour and went to bed.
- also, at the same time: to sleep and dream.
- then again;
repeatedly: He coughed and coughed.
- (used to imply different qualities in things having the same name): There are bargains and bargains, so watch out.
- (used to introduce a sentence, implying continuation) also;
then: And then it happened.
- [Informal.]to (used between two finite verbs): Try and do it. Call and see if she's home yet.
- (used to introduce a consequence or conditional result): He felt sick and decided to lie down for a while. Say one more word about it and I'll scream.
on the contrary: He tried to run five miles and couldn't. They said they were about to leave and then stayed for two more hours.
- (used to connect alternatives): He felt that he was being forced to choose between his career and his family.
- (used to introduce a comment on the preceding clause): They don't like each other--and with good reason.
- [Archaic.]if: and you please.Cf. an2.
- and so forth, and the like;
et cetera: We discussed traveling, sightseeing, and so forth.
- and so on, and more things or others of a similar kind;
and the like: It was a summer filled with parties, picnics, and so on.
- an added condition, stipulation, detail, or particular: He accepted the job, no ands or buts about it.
- conjunction (def. 5b).
Thethe1 (stressed ᵺē; unstressed before a consonant ᵺə;
unstressed before a vowel ᵺē),USA pronunciation definite article.
- (used, esp. before a noun, with a specifying or particularizing effect, as opposed to the indefinite or generalizing force of the indefinite article a or an): the book you gave me; Come into the house.
- (used to mark a proper noun, natural phenomenon, ship, building, time, point of the compass, branch of endeavor, or field of study as something well-known or unique):the sun;
the past; the West.
- (used with or as part of a title): the Duke of Wellington; the Reverend John Smith.
- (used to mark a noun as indicating the best-known, most approved, most important, most satisfying, etc.): the skiing center of the U.S.; If you're going to work hard, now is the time.
- (used to mark a noun as being used generically): The dog is a quadruped.
- (used in place of a possessive pronoun, to note a part of the body or a personal belonging): He won't be able to play football until the leg mends.
- (used before adjectives that are used substantively, to note an individual, a class or number of individuals, or an abstract idea): to visit the sick; from the sublime to the ridiculous.
- (used before a modifying adjective to specify or limit its modifying effect): He took the wrong road and drove miles out of his way.
- (used to indicate one particular decade of a lifetime or of a century): the sixties; the gay nineties.
- (one of many of a class or type, as of a manufactured item, as opposed to an individual one): Did you listen to the radio last night?
- enough: He saved until he had the money for a new car. She didn't have the courage to leave.
- (used distributively, to note any one separately) for, to, or in each;
a or an: at one dollar the pound.
Doordoor (dôr, dōr),USA pronunciation n.
- a movable, usually solid, barrier for opening and closing an entranceway, cupboard, cabinet, or the like, commonly turning on hinges or sliding in grooves.
- a doorway: to go through the door.
- the building, house, etc., to which a door belongs: My friend lives two doors down the street.
- any means of approach, admittance, or access: the doors to learning.
- any gateway marking an entrance or exit from one place or state to another: at heaven's door.
- lay at someone's door, to hold someone accountable for;
- leave the door open, to allow the possibility of accommodation or change;
be open to reconsideration: The boss rejected our idea but left the door open for discussing it again next year.
- lie at someone's door, to be the responsibility of;
be imputable to: One's mistakes often lie at one's own door.
- show someone the door, to request or order someone to leave;
dismiss: She resented his remark and showed him the door.
Wontwont (wônt, wōnt, wunt),USA pronunciation adj., n., v., wont, wont or wont•ed, wont•ing.
used (usually fol. by an infinitive): He was wont to rise at dawn.
practice: It was her wont to walk three miles before breakfast.
- to accustom (a person), as to a thing.
- to render (a thing) customary or usual (usually used passively).
- [Archaic.]to be wont. |
The bee scene in Fried Green Tomatoes, in which Mary Stuart Masterson reaches through a swarm of bees to extract honey from a tree trunk, is one of the most memorable movie scenes I’ve ever seen.
I channeled Masterson (who did the scene without a stunt double) less than a decade later when I encouraged a swarm of bees to follow me from a shed to a different part of the yard then back again when I realized I was better off leaving them where they were.
My more recent bee experiences have been with the gentler, solitary kind, the mason bee (from the genus Osmia). Mason bees produce neither honey nor beeswax but play an important role in the pollination of our flowers and fruit trees. In fact, mason bees are such efficient pollinators, it takes just one mason bee to pollinate 12 pounds of cherries, while it takes 60 honey bees to do the same!
Mason bees seem rather unbeelike, actually, especially when you first meet them. For one, they don’t live in hives. Mine nest in a little bee house with a shingled roof. Inside the house are cylinders formed by stacking trays, where the female bees lay their eggs. These cylinders can also be paper straws or tubes. While drilled-out wood is also possible, it’s much easier to use the trays because you can separate them for easy cleaning in the fall. In the natural world, mason bees nest in hollowed-out twigs or the abandoned nests of beetles or other critters.
“Although there is a bit of an industry around mason bee houses, as long as the right kind of plant material is available, the houses aren’t entirely necessary,” says Queensborough resident Douglas Justice, who’s also the associate director of horticulture and collections at the UBC Botanical Garden. He does add, however, that the houses are “great for clean freaks and balcony gardeners.” I personally love using the store-bought house because it lets me become a part of the bees’ short lives and keeps me more attuned to the season, the weather, and what’s happening in my garden.
For those of you who also want to buy into the bee-house craze, setting up your mason bees is a fairly simple task. I started with the bee house, 30-cylinder trays, and some mud that the females use to build walls to separate the cocoons. While you don’t need to buy the mud, I did because it’s the right composition and lasts for several years in a bowl (just make sure it doesn’t dry out during bee season). For the first few years, I bought my bee cocoons as well. Now, however, my bees return to the nest and lay enough eggs so that I don’t need to purchase cocoons. This spring, I was able to set out 56 cocoons! (I think a few of those may have come from my neighbours.)
In the fall, the mason bees are a bit more work. The cocoons need to be cleaned to remove pollen mites. This process involves a series of washes and rinses, some drying, and candling (using a flashlight in a dark room to ensure that tiny wasps haven’t parasitized the cocoons). Cocoons that have been parasitized are empty, so I toss them. After that, I gently agitate the remaining cocoons in a strainer to dislodge any mites that are still sticking to the surface. The entire process takes several hours, but it’s a somewhat fascinating ritual, and I enjoy the thrill of seeing my little bee family increase in size each year. When I’m done, I place the cocoons back in the cardboard boxes that the initial batch came in and store them in a drawer in the refrigerator, where they remain until the following spring.
Tip: when you go pick up your bees, take a cooler with some ice, so they don’t emerge on your way home.
Most mason bees don’t look like “normal” bees. In fact, they’re actually rather fly-like. The kind I think I have, Osmia lignaria (orchard mason bee), is a sometimes bluish-black creature that is native to the west coast. Why do I just “think” I have Osmia lignaria? Well, while I initially bought Osmia lignaria from West Coast Seeds a few years ago, my bees have likely been joined by different types over the years. This year, the few bees I’ve noticed hanging out around the bee house were much bigger than those of previous years. Two were quite black and the other was a more typical yellow and black stripe.
Honeybees are also an important part of our ecosystem. They differ from mason bees in a number of ways. Honeybees travel farther to visit flowers, while mason bees prefer to visit flowers closer to their nest. Honeybees collect pollen in little baskets on their hind legs, while mason bees collect both pollen and nectar on their hairy bellies. Honeybees will sting more readily than mason bees, who will sting only when when they think they are in serious danger (like when they are caught in a sleeve or something). But because the act of stinging kills a honeybee, it will only sting once. (If you agitate their colony, however, you might get stung multiple times.)
Keeping honeybees is regulated in New Westminster (Beekeeping Bylaw No. 6648, 2000). While the regulations are not unduly onerous, they do provide guidelines on distance from property line (7.5 metres, with some exceptions) as well as the maximum number of colonies per property (based on area). There are no specific regulations regarding mason bees in the city.
Not into keeping bees of your own? You can still help the bee populations and support their pollination and honey-making efforts by planting some flowers of your own. A number of bee- friendly plants do well in the Lower Mainland, for example, lupine, lavender, fuchsia, and creeping thyme. Bees are attracted to both the colour and the smell of flowers, so a variety of both will keep them busy and happy.
Bees also prefer native plants to exotic imports. In fact, the humble dandelion will attract more bees than a fancy, multi-petalled rose. What’s more, hybrid ornamentals provide less pollen and nectar, largely because they were bred for larger or showier owers and not for pollen or nectar production.
Moody Park resident and xeriscape gardener Véronique Boulanger is learning more and more about bees as she goes. “Bees like blue and violet flowers because they see further into that end of the spectrum than we do (and less into the red end),” she says, so notices bee activity near her penstemon and lupines. She also sees bees frequent the paci c bleeding heart, the pretty shooting star, the double yellow tubular flowers of the black twinberry, and even the tiny flowers of the vine maple. “I didn’t create the garden specifically as a bee garden,” she says, “but since it’s a mostly native plant garden, the plants are those the local fauna evolved with.”
The trick to a successful bee garden, according to Justice, “is to have lots and lots of different kinds [of flowers] and to have at least some of the species that bloom over a long period. That way, if the weather turns particularly hot or wet or whatever, not all of the eggs are in one basket.”
But sometimes even that much effort is not required.
“Encouraging native bees is often as easy as not cleaning up dead stems in the garden, leaving at least a little open soil and providing a water source,” he says. And, of course, “keeping pesticides to a minimum is a good idea.”
Bee Cool (Fun Bee Facts)
- Only female bees can sting.
- Honeybees are related to wasps and ants.
- Honeybees exist on every continent but Antarctica.
- Male mason bees always emerge first, often within half an hour of your setting out the cocoons.
- Each female mason bees nest in her own tube, which her pheromones help her identify.
- Antennae are one thing that distinguishes mason bees from flies.
- You can tell male mason bees from female ones by the white hair on the males’ heads.
- “Primary” colours for bees are blue, green, and ultraviolet. Other colours they experience as combinations of the three primary colours. They cannot see red or, rather, they experience red as black.
- The bee’s stinger is really an egg guide.
- Mason bees get their name from the fact that they build mud walls between individual eggs. |
Bees have been kept for honey production in hollowed out tree trunks (log hives),
earthenware pipes, straw skeps, wooden boxes and many other types of hive throughout
There are several types of modern hive in use that have features common to all (exploded
view left). These timber hives generally comprise a floor board with entrance block
above which sits a brood chamber (deep box) containing moveable frames of honeycomb
in which the queen lays her eggs and the worker bees raise her resultant offspring.
Above the brood chamber sits one or more supers (shallow boxes) containing moveable
frames of honeycomb in which the worker bees store the honey to be harvested by the
The supers are separated from the brood chamber by a 'queen excluder', a grid of
slotted zinc or wire with gaps large enough for the workers to move through, but
to small for the queen. A crown board covers the top super over which the roof is
fitted. The only entrance to the hive is via the entrance block fitted below the
bottom box (brood chamber) to which the queen is confined. For ease of manipulation
by the beekeeper hives can be raised 30 to 40cm off the ground by means of a hive
stand. This allows good ventilation to the underside of the floor and helps deter
unwanted intruders in the hive.
Young worker bees emerging from their hive for the first time will fly backwards,
facing the hive but gradually circling away until finally they turn into their line
of flight and circle around the hive, gradually spiralling outwards. During these
flights they learn to recognize their hive and the area in which it stands. Some
beekeepers like to assist in this recognition and provide differentiation between
closely spaced hives by attaching coloured shapes such as discs, diamonds or squares
to the front of hives. The more elaborate and highly decorative front hive panel
(illustrated right) is a fine example of native Irish art work (attributed to Phillip
McCabe, Drogheda) displayed at the FIBKA summer course.
Besides providing honey for your table, and helping pollination in your garden, a
beehive is a fascinating nature study for the young and not so young. The civilisation
that exists within the hive, the selfless community life evolved through millions
of generations whereby upwards of 40,000 bees can act simultaneously as with one
mind, is still beyond explanations. The dance of the bees, their uncanny homing instincts,
the wonder of queen substance; these and many other mysteries await your study. Bees
were on earth millions of years before man, and their way of life has changed very
little. Man has simply improved their "living quarters" to enable him to manipulate,
observe and exercise a degree of control over them. If you are making your first
acquaintance with beekeeping you will, like an old hand, be continuously amazed by
the behaviour and myriad activities of this small, fascinating insect.
Find the Queen!
An observation hive at honey shows and craft fairs attracts an audience of all ages. |
We start off with an Initial Introductory Class and thereafter meet once a month on the first Monday of every month.
Initial Introductory Class:
Saturday 5 May
11:00 to 16:00
Thereafter the First Monday of every month:
14:00 to 16:30
Once a term
The Cape Honeybee Club is aimed at children between the ages of 10 and 15.
Termly cost: R2200
includes course notes
Equipment will need to be purchased by parents gradually as the course progresses. We will be able to source these for you at cost. The fees also exclude the costs of the termly outings which will be confirmed at a later stage.
What will be covered in Cape Honeybee Club:
Bee biology including problems and disease facing bees.
Hive components and assembly.
Practical demonstration of extracting honey.
Obtaining bees – bee removals, catching swarms and introduction to queen rearing.
Economics of beekeeping, hive production, expenditure and income.
Commercial pollination and bee forage.
Bee essential gardening.
To book or to confirm a place for your child, please email me.
Cape Town, South Africa
+27 21 712 9908
Permaculture Designer & Teacher
WhatsApp: +27 76 486 9956 |
Master Beekeeper Program of the Virginia State Beekeepers Association
The VSBA MBP Committee:
- VSBA MBP Director: Frank S. Walker, President, Norfolk Beekeepers
- VSBA MBP Senior Testing Official: Keith Tignor VDACS State Apiarist
- VSBA MBP Testing Consultant: Ann Harman EAS Master Beekeeper
- VSBA MBP Testing Consultant: Billy Davis EAS Master Beekeeper
- VSBA MBP Testing Consultant: Frank Linton EAS Master Beekeeper
The Master Beekeeper Program of the VSBA will consist of 3 levels, namely: the Apprentice Beekeeper level; the Journeyman Beekeeper level, and the Master Beekeeper level. The requirements for each level are posted on the VSBA website www.virginiabeekeepers.org, under the heading Master Beekeeper.
All beekeepers, regardless of experience or years of beekeeping knowledge, must enter the VSBA MBP at the Apprentice Beekeeper testing level.
Candidates for the Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master Beekeeper must document a certain number of Public Service Credits (PSC) annually. “Public service” is defined as volunteer service or educational activity oriented around bees and beekeeping and conducted for the benefit of the PUBLIC.
Public Service Credit (PSC) is received for a documented event of a qualified public service. In general, documentation must be material evidence, in writing; and more detail is better than less. The MBP Committee reserves the right to accept or reject documentation during review of the applicant request for credits.
Public Service Credits, also known as community volunteer service, not only helps to fulfill the mission of VSBA and our local chapters; but serve as a learning tool for the individual beekeeper. Each time we set about teaching, talking, or sharing our knowledge of beekeeping, we have another opportunity to learn more ourselves. A diversity of experiences and activities will provide a better opportunity, and it is for this reason that in most instances, only one credit per type of activity is credited per MBP level.
To maintain VSBA Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master Beekeeper certifications requires Public Service Credits are completed and reported on or before by December 15 annually.
Frank S. Walker
VSBA MBP Director
Anyone with an interest in honeybees is invited to participate in this program. All participants must be a member of Virginia State Beekeepers Association to enroll and continue membership be identified as a VSBA Master Beekeeper. All of the educational offerings in support of the program as well as all of the testing are conducted within Virginia. Written testing is conducted only during the annual Spring and Fall membership conferences. There is a monetary cost for each level of the program.
Requirements summary for each level:
Apprentice Beekeeper: Cost $25.00 for the written and practical testing.
Entry level for the program:
- Written test.
- Practical test which involves demonstrating a routine hive inspection.
- 5 hours of approved Public Service Credit (PSC) annually.
Approved Public Service Credit includes but is not limited to: Preparing and presenting a honey bee program, staffing a table at a community event, conducting a training class or program at a local school, library, or other club or association.
Journeyman Beekeeper: Cost $25.00 for the written and practical testing.
Second level for the program:
- Written test.
- Practical test which also includes identification of various tools, objects, and pictures relating to honey bee biology and beekeeping.
- Four years of beekeeping experience.
- 10 hours of Public Service Credit annually relating to honeybees and beekeeping.
Approved Public Service Credit includes but is not limited to: Preparing and presenting multiple honey bee programs to local clubs, VSBA or other state beekeeping associations, staffing a table at a community event, developing and leading a training class or program at a local school, library, or other club or association.
Master Beekeeper: Cost $50.00 for the written and practical testing.
Final level for the program: For the beekeeper who has demonstrated extensive expertise in beekeeping and a number of specialized areas in beekeeping.
- Written test
- Practical laboratory test which includes demonstrate honey bee dissection and disease identification.
- Personal interview.
- Six years of beekeeping experience.
- 20 hours of Public Service Credit annually relating to honeybees and beekeeping.
Approved Public Service Credit includes but is not limited to:
- Presenting bee-related lecture or workshop to non-beekeeping group (youth or adult).
- Programs on beekeeping and related topics to school groups.
- Serving as an officer in local beekeeping association.
- Assisting members of youth organizations (4-H, Scouts, FFA), etc. with bee related project.
- Mentoring a new beekeeper through at least one complete season.
- Public demonstration on beekeeping topic at fair, festival or similar public event.
- Publication of beekeeping and related article in journals, newsletters, etc.
- Programs/lectures/demonstrations on specific beekeeping topics to beekeeping groups.
- Working at the VA state fair (bee related).
- Miscellaneous: you may submit a special program under this category to the MBP Director; however it must be reviewed and approved by the VSBA MBP committee. |
More Than Honey
Get involved and educate your community about the honeybee crisis by hosting a screening of MORE THAN HONEY. Here's how:Option A: HOST A SCREENING IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Our films are available to screen in your home to small groups. Pricing is based on the number of attendees and whether or not you plan to publicly advertise and charge admission. With in-home screening rights we include a copy of the film and hi-resolution images. Please keep in mind that no screening is too small for possible filmmaker participation to facilitate dialogue surrounding the film's topics.Option B: PURCHASE THE FILM WITH PUBLIC PERFORMANCE RIGHTS (PPR)
Public Performance Rights (PPR) allow organizations, libraries and non-profit groups to exhibit our films to groups of approximately 50 or fewer individuals where admission is not charged. The term of the Public Performance (PPR) license is for the life of the DVD. A PPR license comes with a copy of the film and hi-resolution images to get the word out to group members. Ideal for libraries, colleges, film clubs, beekeeping groups, environmental awareness groups, and more!
If you have any questions about what type of screening you should host, or to book a screening, please contact us directly by phone at (212) 629-6880 or email Serena Koch.
The American Beekeeping Federation is an excellent educational resource. Explore ABF's website to learn more about honeybees, pollination, Colony Collapse Disorder, honeybee-related legislative activities, free beekeeping information, and more. |
Review: Queen of the Sun: What are the Bees Telling Us? (2010)
It’s a documentary about the honeybee, but it’s not your typical nature film. Queen of the Sun is a quasi existentialist examination of the decline of the honeybee through a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder. The thesis of the film is in its title: What are the bees telling us? And unfortunately, the answer is that bees are dying, rapidly. Before watching this film I had never really considered that the issues facing farm animals, like inhumane living conditions and the over mechanization of agriculture would affect the honeybee. But of course over mechanization in one part of the agro industry will invariably have impacts down the line.
In that vein, Queen of the Sun also touches on the genetic modification of bees, which apparently includes artificial insemination of the Queen. This disturbing fact really highlighted the extent of human, and scientific, influence on the natural world today. In nature, the Queen would fly almost 600 feet up towards the sun (hence the name of the film) and the drones would follow, and they would, you know, do their thing. But today the Queen is sedated and injected with drone sperm, which is barbaric beyond words. This point in the film got me really angry at the bee scientists (leave those bees alone, damn it!) and got me to side with the underdog (underbee).
The film is filled with colourful characters (beekeepers are a weird bunch) explaining the plight of the honeybee as it struggles against monoculture farming in the US, and commercial beekeeping interests. One such character is Gunther Hauk, a biodynamic beekeeper and all around champion of the honeybee. In my opinion, his story is the most interesting part of the film and his journey should have been more prominent. Gunther was so moved by the decline of the American honeybee that he set up his own bee sanctuary, called Spikenard Farm, in Virginia. As he describes it, getting Spikenard off the ground was not an easy feat, and it would have been great if the film had chronicled his journey (perhaps that’s a separate documentary in itself: “Gunther’s Journey”).
For all the doom and gloom about the honeybee the film does showcase the positives, like Gunther’s bee sanctuary and the rise of so called ‘rooftop beekeepers.’ These are beekeepers in urban settings (New York, mostly) that are keeping bees in their backyards and, yes, on their rooftops. And while it’s inspiring to know that honey is being produced on Manhattan rooftops, it’s not entirely clear how the bees can be kept alive in such settings over the long term.
Queen of the Sun is a fairly linear documentary, but every so often it drifts into existential tangents that feel a little out of place. The tangents stem from several of the beekeepers strong philosophies about bees. For instance, the thought that bees are sacred, and that the hexagonal shapes they create in their hives have a connection with the earth’s core (what?). The film has narrative tangents, but also stylistic ones too; occasionally drifting into brief animated sequences for no reason. It gives the whole film a slightly trippy quality, that’s interesting, but I’m not sure that’s what the director Taggart Siegel was going for. If you like metaphors, then the bees are earth loving hippies, and commercial beekeeping is the ‘man’ that’s hell-bent on destroying the natural order of the hive. It’s deep stuff, man! I would recommend this film for anyone who supports nature’s underdogs – or underbees.
Gallery of Images from Queen of the Sun
Watch the trailer for Queen of the Sun |
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In a way, local beekeeping can be an extension of the mantra: think globally, act locally. Even before filming Call of the Honeybee about an entomologist who works with bees, and is attempting to breed more disease resistant queens, I found myself drawn to bees, their wonderful honey, and their precarious plight in recent years. So, learning more about urban agriculture that includes beekeeping basics feels like a good thing to learn how to do.
I attended a Tour de Hive – a local tour of backyard beekeepers – and learned about different types of hives. Langstroth, top-bar, and Warré are what are being widely used. But there’s much more to beekeeping than just the hive. First, there are certain considerations to take into account, such as can I raise bees where I live? Different municipalities have different codes and permits for this. It’s best to check with your local City Hall or county office.
Once you discover whether or not you can raise bees, there are some other considerations to take into account such as where would be the best place to put the hive, sun and wind considerations, and making sure there is a water source nearby.
Glen Andresen has been a beekeeper for 20 years and teaches beekeeping in the Portland Metro area. He has a number of hives in his urban backyard, and also several off-site as well. In this video he discusses the basics of beekeeping, and discusses a number of items that ought to be considered before purchasing hives, bees, and other equipment. |
It’s warm out — nearly 50*F — and tomorrow it’s supposed to be nearly 70*. Don’t be fooled, this doesn’t mean it’s spring. Here in northern Ohio, you can’t be sure spring has arrived until June, and then it’s summer.
If the sun were shining, the bees would be flying. Instead, we have rain, making this a day of dullness, dead brown leaf litter, and grey skies and trees.
To escape, I’ve turned to the gardeners’ age old remedy for February: ordering flowers, a task made challenging because we live in the woods, with not much sun filtering through.
This activity was partly motivated by the beginning beekeeping class we recently repeated, which included a segment on planting for pollinators and reminded me it was time to get started.
These days, I order for the bees, focusing primarily on early spring and late summer bloomers, and making sure to order seeds and plants from nurseries that don’t use Neonicitinoids.
Simply put, Neonicitiniods kill bees. Not immediately, but this class of chemicals kills just the same. The pesticides reduce bees’ chances of survival and affect their hygienic behavior so they don’t clean the dead from the hive as efficiently, thereby allowing illnesses to spread more quickly. Even worse, Neonics affect the queen and the hive’s ability to replace her. Without a queen to lay eggs, a hive will die. (For more detailed information on neonicitinoids, visit PBS or the Xerces Society.)
So this year, I’m asking you to please think of our bees and other pollinators (and therefore yourself) when buying plants. Stay away from those who have been treated with Neonics. Several major retailers have asked their suppliers to label plants that have been treated. This is a good start, but try to avoid plants that a retailer can’t state unequivocally haven’t been treated. Ideally, stay away from pesticides altogether if you can, by buying plants that have been grown organically.
And don’t assume because a plant that’s labeled “pollinator friendly” hasn’t been treated. Some have.
Not so friendly after all.
If you’re truly concerned about the pollinators (and our world), you might go one step further by making your garden and landscaping plans with our flying friends in mind. To make this easier, Xerces Society provides suggested plant lists for every area of the country.
They’ve also published several books on the subject including this one, which my friend Lynne told me about. (Thank you, Lynne! I use it every time I order plants!) Click here if you’re interested in ordering. I don’t get a kickback or anything. I just think it’s a great book, especially because it tells what type of pollinators prefer each plant.
One of the best early spring plants for bees is Skunk Cabbage. According to Wikipedia (from where these photos are borrowed) and other sources, Skunk Cabbage actually melts the snow, generating temperatures 27–63*F above the air temperature using a process called cyanide resistant cellular respiration.
Unsurprisingly, it’s one of the earliest plants to emerge in the spring, and a valuable resource for bees.
I ordered three.
Another early plant is the Hellebore (also called Lenten Rose).
Bees like Hellebores too. In truth, they probably like anything with pollen or nectar that blooms in March, but I ordered two more because I like them too.
The Figwort, Mountain Mint, Rattlesnake Master, and Virginia Bluebell seeds were just for them though.
I also bought some more Self-Heal seeds because it did well last year. The Bumblebees especially seemed to like it. See? I’m not just about the Honey Bee! In keeping with that thought I ordered seeds for two types of Milkweed to provide food for Monarch Butterflies.
We have one tiny part of our property that gets sun, and The Engineer (finally!) built a raised bed there, so I’m going to try Lavender again and Pineapple Sage along with our peppers and tomatoes. I expect the herbs will do better in amended soil in the bed rather than the hard packed clay that passes for soil in our yard. I often think we should take up pottery instead of gardening, but I think the raised bed will help.
And now, for the bee update. We checked the hive last Thursday when it was warm enough to actually take off the top cover. Here are our ladies on the inner cover, very much alive and well.
They have still hardly touched the (many) sugar patties we have provided (because we are — okay, I am — paranoid they’ll run out of food). They crawl around and over the sugar, but mostly ignore it. This is good news because it means they still have honey, a naturally more nutritious food.
We also pulled out many dead bees from the bottom of the hive.
The Engineer always sorts through to make sure the queen isn’t in the pile, though we couldn’t do anything if she was. There are no queens available this time of year.
On sunny days, even when it’s not very warm, the bees have taken to flying out of the hive and landing on the snow. As expected, this kills them. “Wet bees are dead bees” is a common saying among beekeepers, although the bees haven’t seemed to get the message.
One of the (many) reasons I love my husband is because he rescues them, carefully scooping the silly things up in a jelly jar, bringing them in the house, setting them in the sun until they recover, and then returning them to their home.
It’s fascinating to see them come back to life. Legs and antennae start to twitch, before they begin to move and eventually take flight, buzzing around the jar. If there are more than one, they examine each other, carefully touching antennae and wiggling their bottoms.
It’s as if they’re comparing stories.
Maybe they are. |
Despite a global bee shortage and fears that Europe’s bee population could be wiped out in just over a decade, Croatia is experiencing a honey boom. Croatia’s Agriculture Minister Tihomir Jakovina, speaking during the opening of the 9th International Honey and Beekeeping Fair in Gudovec, has said that beekeeping is currently one of the most successful parts of Croatian agriculture.
The number of beekeepers in Croatia has almost doubled in the last five years, growing to around 9,000 beekeepers with half a million hives. Annually more than 6,000 tons of honey is produced in Croatia, worth close to 30 million euros. A third of all honey produced in Croatia is exported.
With a shortage of bees in a number of European countries, many will be relying on Croatia’s honey exports in the future. The European Union currently imports more than 200,000 tons of honey a year. Austria alone import around 50% of their honey needs, as local beekeepers can not produce enough honey for the local market. |
I bought 2 adult suits and 2 kids suits with gloves and we used them for the first time on the weekend and we are really happy with them. I was so pleased to see my Grandson (8 1/2 ) just standing next the hive and watching, he was there for ages. He was protected and safe and because of that I was relaxed. Thanks again.
My daughter just opened her birthday present, the bee-suit.
She is very happy & I am very impressed with the quality.
Thank you so much for being such a reputable supplier & such a helpful fellow.
I now have “bee-suit envy “ !!!
Best Hive Suit - Pockets & Thicker Fabric, Great Communication, Recommended!!!
The best bee suit on the market. Would definitely recommend to anyone. Service Outstanding
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Who is Blake?
Blake is the kid Beekeeper in Australian ABC Kids Get Grubby TV and his enthusiasm for Bees and Beekeeping at a young age is the driving force behind our company. The company was founded by his family who was already highly experienced in the apparel industry to support Blake's passion. His Passion is why we strive to put so much attention to detail and pride in our products workmanship. Blake loves how bees are so important to the sustainability of the ecosystem. His desires to give back have lead him into working with suppliers to provide the highest quality organic cotton beekeeping suits available worldwide. |
- Beekeeping Courses Online
Beekeeping Courses Online
We are excited to roll out our online beekeeping courses. People around the country have been telling us they want to attend our beekeeping classes but they live too far away. We rolled up our sleeves and went to work to provide our classes online.
Save the travel expenses of hotels, gas and food. No juggling schedules. Study at your own pace, when you have time. Study in the comfort of your home.
As a BONUS, receive 1 month of free mentoring/coaching through our BeeTeam6 beekeeping mentorship program with EAS Certified Master Beekeeper, David Burns. A few days after signing up you will have 30 days ask questions through email.
All courses are taught by David Burns.
All courses are taught by David Burns. Start anytime. Finish anytime. |
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Reinstate the Boy Scout Beekeeping merit badge
We’d like to introduce you to Christopher Stowell, a Boy Scout in Troop 250, Skiatook, OK. Christopher recently asked our help. He is submitting a proposal to the National Boy Scout Council to reinstate the Boy Scout Beekeeping merit badge which was discontinued in 1995.
Christopher says, “I believe that now more than ever before the survival of the honey bee is important to all. If other boys are not encouraged to learn how to become beekeepers, the honey bee will surely die out. Not only do I feel this way, but beekeepers all across America believe in the importance of teaching the younger generations the importance of the honey bee."
He not only enlisted our help but has also contacted beekeeping organizations across the country for their endorsement and pledge that they will help train the Boy Scouts interested in beekeeping.
We encourage you to send the letter for Christopher. Feel free to add your own thoughts in the designated area. We will print and send all of the letters to Christopher at the end of June to support his proposal.
You can also sign a petition at The Experience Project website to show your support.
Good luck Christopher! We appreciate your hard work! |
New wood shop at St James teaches valuable lessons.
A new kind of class, one with no textbooks or blackboards, has just finished its first semester in a basement on the St. James’ School campus. In the cool new workshop space, St. James’ high school-aged graduates learn the basics of carpentry from Lenard Haley using routers, saws, and a host of other professional grade tools.
For three months this year, Len has guided four students, the first St. James wood shop class, through the intricacies of woodworking and has been pleased with the results so far. “They’ve really taken to it, even though it’s been tough at first. When you’re starting out it’s all angles and measurements and an idea of what you’re trying to build, but not much payoff. And then they see the finished product.”
So far the students have produced several items, including cutting boards, storage chests, and decorative wooden sleighs, all of which “could easily sell at any craft market on the Main Line,” according to Len. And that financial incentive is another benefit that he hopes will reinforce a profound lesson – carpentry can make for a good living and a lifetime pursuit, paying the bills as well as stoking creative pride.
Len’s experienced those benefits firsthand, as a member of the Master Plan Committee at Episcopal Academy (EA), he oversaw the design and construction of EA’s Newtown Square campus. It allowed him to bring a lifetime of construction skills to bear to accomplish “the greatest challenge of my EA career.”
But he’s also a great teacher, according to Kevin Todd a Director of Graduate Support at St. James. It’s no surprise, given his 44-year career at EA, teaching students in all three schools. “He really has a rapport with the kids. He has a way about him they like. They respect him because he’s got a light touch and he knows how to really engage them on a personal level, which isn’t easy.”
Those skills were evident as he went from joking to dead serious when he introduced a nail gun to the class for the first time. The kids took his cue, focusing completely on the gun and watching the points in the wood where he fired nails to begin making a wooden sleigh. “Mind the thickness of the wood here,” he said, “and check beneath this piece. Think about where the nail is going and how it’s going to join these pieces. You want a strong connection.”
His goal is to have them create “something that lasts, something crafted well.” It’s a seemingly simple goal, but one that entails a consistent, exacting effort. “If you learn at least that much,” says Len, “you’ve got something to build on.”
Teaching lessons through trades is nothing new for St. James. The school offers cooking classes in a commercial quality kitchen, beekeeping through the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild, gardening, farming, and other “hands-on” courses. Such classes teach patience, persistence, attention to detail – skills that bolster and enhance the School’s rigorous academic schedule. What’s more, the products of these efforts — honey, vegetables, jams, and other harvested products are occasionally sold to local vendors, helping both the student and the school.
“We’re very happy with Len and the wood shop. We think it has great potential for our kids and look forward to helping it grow,” said David Kasievich, Head of School at St. James. “Len is a great influence on the students and we hope his teachings give the kids skills that will help them in life. It’s one of our primary missions here at St. James.”
About St. James School…
St. James is a faith-based Philadelphia middle school in the Episcopal tradition, committed to educating traditionally under-resourced students in a nurturing environment. The school is a community that provides a challenging academic program and encourages the development of the moral, spiritual, intellectual, physical and creative gifts in its students. |
Blackcreek Mercantile and Trading Company
Cutting board oil and other handcrafted kitchen essentials
Working exclusively with naturally sourced materials, Blackcreek Mercantile and Trading Company seeks to create products that connect the user and the maker to the material. Blackcreek is based in the thick forest of Kingston, NY, and specializes in all things wooden from kitchen spoons turned out of maple wood to cutting boards made from a single cut of wood.
Founder Josh Vogel claims to have found a lifetime's worth of exploration in wood, which is easy to see when one compares Blackcreek's products to BDDW's, the New York-based furniture company he also help found. "Wood is inherently unique," says Vogel. "With plastic and moldable materials, you can pump out thousands of the same thing, but with wood, because of the processes you need to use and the nature of the material itself, there is the potential to create something one of a kind."
Abiding by the same handcrafted design philosophy behind their impeccably formed bowls and vases, Blackcreek introduced a line of cutting board oils that are inspired and derived from natural materials. "Typically, people use nut-based oils or olive oil in order to protect their cutting boards, and, while those oils are hydrating, they eventually rot," explains Vogel. "The solution is to use a mineral-based oil like ours."
However, what makes Blackcreek's cutting board oil truly unique is the addition of propolis, a vegetable varnish produced by bees. Vogel and his partner, Kelly Zaneto, came up with idea of adding propolis to their cutting board oil after taking a beekeeping class. "Propolis is a naturally occurring sealant, used by bees to seal their hives and protect against intruders," explains Vogel. "It is a lot like shellac, another bug-produced sealant, but propolis is 100% edible, making it great for coating things like cutting boards."
Blackcreek Mercantile and Trading Company's cutting board oil comes in both rosemary and lemon scent and is available on their website or at William Sonoma for $35. |
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Kapikiri has a population of 320 people. The villagers mostly make their living from animal husbandry, fishing, olives and beekeeping, while some families make a living from tourism. Our region is located in the most important (from a tourism point of view) culture- and nature-rich national park. Lake Bafa is surrounded by important ancient sites. This is the perfect starting point for excursions to Ephesus, Iasos, Labranda, Priene, Miletos, Bodrum (Halicarnassus), Kusadasi, Pamukkale, Didyma, Euromos, Alinda and many other places. |
Well, people, since today is cold and cloudy, what better day to plan for all of the wonderful things I'm going to try to do in the warm sunny spring?
I've got some big plans since Savannah's getting bigger and can help more and stay outside longer.
We're going to expand our garden. If we can find the money, I've been toying with the idea of beekeeping. And we're going to try to do a lot of canning and preserving from our garden and from the food box we get from Jesse's work.
(On a related note, if anyone knows anyone with a good food mill, seed heating mat, or a pressure cooker/canner to get rid of... we'd be interested.)
So last year, we did green peppers that were NOT successful, we did tomatoes that were fairly successful, we had one little pumpkin, three or four herbs that were very successful, red onions with mixed results, and marigolds. We did square foot gardening.
This year, I'm planning to do potatoes, onions, tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, various herbs, maybe carrots, maybe bell peppers, sunflowers, more marigolds, and maybe more. We'll have to wait and see, I guess.
We'll also try to do more grape harvesting than last year and see if we get enough wild cherries and black raspberries to do any besides nibbling.
Big plans, I know. I hope it's not too much but last year went very well (time-wise) and Savannah needed a lot more attention then. Hopefully we'll have enough to share! If anyone reading wants us to plant something special for them, give us a call :)
Here's a picture of last year's garden: |
I filled out my house rental forms for potential renters in our Cape Cod house for next summer and sent them off. Actually I sorted that out a few days ago but left part of the form in the copier so had to send that off.
Thank you cards to friends and family. I am always happy when that gets done and they are sent off.
The check to the poor plumber who had to come sort my bathroom taps out on December 23rd before guests arrived and had to share a bathroom with the the children! Sent with a big thank you note!!
My EBKA form and a check. This is an interesting one. I will soon be part of the Essex Beekeeping Association. Yes, a beekeeper. My girl chick is thrilled. She thinks it will be really cool to tell her friends that her mom is a bee keeper. I have to sit through a few lessons and read a couple of books, get the cool suit that could save my life and what else?? Oh ya, get a hive with some bees in it! Sent.
I will keep you informed on this one. Could be interesting.
So, in the rest of my world, my real chicks are very happy at the moment. They love their hen house, the old Wendy house, and seem to really enjoy making as much mess as possible in it. They scratch around in there all day and poo all night. The compost heap is over filled! But on the up side, they are now laying real sized eggs and not girly sized eggs. For about three months, they were really unpredictable with their laying and I had to keep going over to the neighbours and buying eggs. So embarrassing when I have girls of my own. Then in December, they all of a sudden grew, fluffed up and started laying regularly. Good girls. |
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Here is our list of things you don't want to miss! You can also visit our Community Calendar for a full listing of all happenings. Check out our Fall Carnivals and Fall Festivals & Halloween Events articles that feature upcoming seasonal events and attractions. Enjoy!
Carnivals, Fairs, Parades & Festivals
Summary: The Town of Yorktown brings the good vibes of the legendary Feast of San Gennaro to northern Westchester with Italian food, rides, games and nightly entertainment.
Schedule: September 15th - 18th. Thursday & Friday 5 - 11 pm, Saturday & Sunday noon - 11 pm.
Location: Commerce Street, Yorktown Heights, NY.
7th Annual Italian Feast & Carnival
Summary: Festive Italian celebration hosted by the Blauvelt Sons of Italy, Rockland Lodge 2176 will feature plenty of Italian food, live entertainment and rides for all ages.
Schedule: September 15th - 18th. Thursday 5 - 11 pm, Friday 5 pm - midnight, Saturday noon -midnight, Sunday noon - 9 pm.
Location: German Masonic Park, 120 Western Hwy S, Tappan, NY (outside Westchester County)
Tarrytown Third Friday
Summary: Fall fun including bounce house, face painting, music and dance.
Schedule: Friday, September 16th 5 - 9 pm
Location: Main St. & S Washington St., Tarrytown, NY
Our Lady of Shkodra Carnival
Summary: 14th annual carnival and festival including rides, games, food, music, attractions, tournaments and an Albanian dance party.
Schedule: September 16th - 18th. Friday 6 - 11 pm, Saturday 2- 11 pm, Sunday 2 - 10 pm.
Location: Our Lady of Shkodra Church, 361 West Hartsdale Ave, Hartsdale, NY
Festival Weekends at Harvest Moon Orchard
Summary: Weekly fall festival with hayrides, apple and pumpkin picking, live music, face painting, pony rides, bouncy castles, BBQ and more.
Schedule: Saturday, September 17th - Sunday, September 18th 10 am - 5 pm (final weekend is October 30th).
Location: Harvest Moon Orchard, 130 Hardscrabble Rd, North Salem, NY
The New York Renaissance Fair
Summary: Enter the world of 16th Century England and enjoy themed games, rides, arts, crafts, food, music and dance. Dress in costume and be part of the experience! This weekend's theme is Romance Weekend.
Schedule: Saturday, September 17th - Sunday, September 18th 10 am - 7 pm (final weekend is October 1st).
Location: 600 Rt. 17A, Tuxedo Park, NY
FDR Pow Wow & Native American Festival
Summary: Native American Pow Wow featuring, art, singing, dancing, food and items for sale.
Schedule: Saturday, September 17th - Sunday, September 18th 11 am - 7 pm
Location: FDR State Park, 2967 Crompond Rd, Yorktown Heights, NY
BID Market Family Day - Children’s Performer Louie Miranda
Summary: The El Louie! Show returns to the Grand Market. Expect and energy, interactive songs, games, and surprises.
Schedule: Saturday, September 17th 11 am
Location: Ruby Dee Park at Library Green, 1 Library Plaza, New Rochelle, NY
The Fleur De Lis Parade
Summary: Fifteen fleur-de-lis sculptures -- five-foot- tall fiberglass sculptures, each individually decorated by a local artist -- are installed around downtown New Rochelle , a project which grew out of the city’s 325th anniversary celebration.
Schedule: September 17th - September 18th
Location: New Rochelle, NY
Cider and Donut Festival/Jamie's 5k Run for Love
Summary: Races followed by a good old-fashioned festival and carnival including hot donuts, live music and more. From the Byram Hills Pre-School Association (BHPA). Register for the race in advance.
Schedule: Sunday, September 18th 9:30 am - 2:30 pm
Location: Wampus Brook Park, Wampus Brook Park, Armonk, NY
4th Annual New Rochelle Street Fair
Summary: Live DJ & Dance Party, hundreds of vendors, food from local and regional restaurants, and new this year, a Beer & Wine Garden! Rain or shine, and admission is free.
Schedule: Sunday, September 18th 11 am - 5 pm
Location: Main Street between North and Centre Avenues, New Rochelle, NY
Summary: Family friendly activities, amusements, items for sale and events including "The Taste of Ardsley."
Schedule: Sunday, September 18th 12 - 5 pm
Location: Held throughout the downtown Ardsley area on Center Street, in Legion Park and Addyman Square, up to the Village Green and along the 9A corridor and Bicentennial Park.
Honey Harvest Party at Greenburgh Nature Center
Summary: Learn about honeybees, the basics of beekeeping and how honey is harvested from our hives. Activities include honey extraction and tasting, apple cidering, crafts and games. Pre-register online to save on admission.
Schedule: Sunday, September 18th 2 pm
Location: Greenburgh Nature Center, 99 Dromore Rd, Scarsdale, NY
Peter C. Alderman Walk & Family Carnival
Summary: A modest walk followed by a picnic lunch with music and games for children. Entertainment includes a bounce castle, games and a DJ.
Schedule: Sunday, September 18th, 3 pm
Location: Fenway Golf Club, Scarsdale, NY
More Fun Events
Summary: Watch Captain America: Civil War for free outdoors.
Schedule: Friday, September 16th. Pre-show entertainment begins at 6pm and the movie will start at sundown (around 7pm).
Location: Cross County Shopping Center, 8000 Mall Walk, Yonkers, NY
Crafts at Lyndhurst
Summary: Features 300 different artists at each show, offering exceptional one-of-a-kind objects, as well as craft demonstrations, gourmet specialty foods, delicious concessions and live music. There are also children’s activities such as a stilt walker, balloon animals, face painting and storytelling. Rain or shine.
Schedule: Friday, September 16th - Sunday, September 18th starting at 10 am
Location: Lyndhurst, 635 S Broadway, Tarrytown, NY
Sweet Repeats Fall and Winter Consignment Sale
Summary: Seasonal children's consignment sale with sizes ranging from newborn to teen. Includes clothing, baby/nursery equipment, sports equipment, books, toys, and more.
Schedule: September 17th 8 am - 4 pm and September 8 am - 1 pm 18th
Location: 47 Dayton Lane, Peekskill, NY
KidToons Special Sneak Peek of Blinky Bill in White Plains and Ridge Hill, Yonkers
Summary: Special sneak-peek limited engagement of the highly anticipated animated feature Blinky Bill: The Movie.
Schedule: Saturday, September 17th and Sunday, September 18th at 10:30 am.
Locations: City Center 15 Cinema De Lux, 19 Mamaroneck Ave, White Plains, NY and Showcase De Lux Ridge Hill, 59 Fitzgerald Street, Yonkers, NY
Horses! Dining! Shopping! & Family Fun! at the American Gold Cup
Summary: The American Gold Cup is an equestrian show jumping event with a boutique vendor village and family fun activities. On Saturday and Sunday, younger fans can enjoy face painting, a petting zoo and pony rides.
Schedule: Saturday, September 17th and Sunday, September 18th. Kids activities are at 11 am.
Location: Old Salem Farm, 190 June Rd, North Salem, NY
Maria Regina High School's "COLOR ME A TIGER RUN"
Summary: Walk, dance or crawl your way through the Tiger Trail. Proceeds will go towards Maria Regina High School.
Schedule: Saturday, September 17th 1 pm
Location: 500 W Hartsdale Ave, Hartsdale, NY
Curiosity Day! 75 years of Curious George
Summary: Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Curious George with games, stories, and crafts! Special George cookies and cupcakes will be available along with photo ops galore.
Schedule: Saturday, September 17th 3 - 3:30 pm
Location: The Voracious Reader, 1997 Palmer Ave, Larchmont, NY
Kids Snapper Fishing Derby
Summary: Fushing, food, and fun for kids age 6 to 16. Bring your own fishing gear to the wall at Hudson Park. Please contact the New Rochelle Municipal Marina office for information or to sign up at 914-235-6930.
Schedule: Sunday, September 18th 8 am - 12 pm
Location: Hudson Park & Beach, 1 Hudson Park Rd, New Rochelle, NY
Bicycle Sundays on the Bronx River Parkway
Summary: During Bicycle Sundays, a portion of the Bronx River Parkway is closed to cars for the exclusive use of bicyclists, joggers, walkers, scooters and strollers.
Schedule: Sunday, September 18th 10 am - 2 pm.
Location: Bronx River Parkway from Westchester County Center in White Plains, south to Scarsdale Road in Yonkers.
SoulCycle Charity Ride with The Food Bank for Westchester
Summary: SoulCycle Charity Ride, with all the proceeds benefiting the Food Bank for Westchester.
Schedule: Sunday, September 18th 2 pm - 3:30 pm, the ride will begin at 2:00pm sharp, arrive by 1:30 to check in.
Location: SoulCycle Bronxville, 94 Kraft Ave, Bronxville, NY
Kisco 5k and Kids Mad Dash
Summary: Kids 10 and under can race the distance of the Kirby Plaza parking lot (roughly 100 yards). The event is free but registration is required.
Schedule: Sunday, September 18th 8:30 am - 10 am
Location: Kirby Plaza, Mt Kisco, NY
Glorious Day o' Pirates
Summary: In honor of "Talk like a Pirate Day" celebrate all things piratical with stories, songs and more! Arrive in costume and get 10% off any of our fine selection of pirate-themed books. Ages 4-8.
Schedule: Sunday, September 18th 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Location: The Voracious Reader, 1997 Palmer Ave, Larchmont, NY |
Read the untranslated law here: https://www.vestnesis.lv/ta/id/108272
Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 311 at Riga, may 3, 2005 (pr. No 25 42) amendments to the Cabinet of Ministers of 25 January 2005, the provisions of the 70 "rules on State aid to agriculture in 2005 and its modalities" Issued under the agricultural and rural development Act article 5, fourth and sixth to make the Cabinet of 25 January 2005, the provisions of the 70 "rules on State aid to agriculture in 2005 and its modalities" (Latvian journal, 2005, 27, 43 no) the following amendments 1. Replace paragraph 2.2 the number "5882000" with "6182000".
2. Replace paragraph 2.4 "with the number" 2594760 "2495000".
3. Replace paragraph 2.11., the number and the word "1726525" to the number in lats and the word "1745611 lats."
4. Replace paragraph 2.12. "5579426" with "1502759".
5. Replace paragraph 2.14., the number and the word "200000" by the number of pounds and the word "278395 lats."
6. Supplement with 2.15. subparagraph by the following: "2.15. investment in the agricultural sector — 3579426lat (13. Add Kuma)."
7. Add to paragraph 3, after the word "application" with the words "with the exception of those provisions of annex 3, paragraph 13 of these candidates."
8. To supplement the provisions of the following paragraph 13: "13. to facilitate the eradication of plant quarantine, national plant behind the sardzīb service to 15 June 2005 submitted to the rural support service for information on farms which have not followed the requirements of the laws on the limitation of potato ring rot and pest control. If the applicant is not noticed in 2005 legislation on limitation of potato ring rot and combating it next year without any subsidies. "
9. Replace the 2.2 of annex 1 in the number "200000" by number "91000".
10. Replace paragraph 2.4 of annex 1, the number "with" the number "689000 580000".
11. Replace paragraph 5 of annex 1, the number and the word "April 1" with a number and the words "1 July".
12. Supplement to annex 2 71.4 points below after the word "late" with the words "(with VAT).
13. Replace annex 2, paragraph 93, the number "with" the number "850000 550000".
14. Replace annex 4, paragraph 2, introductory paragraph, the number "with the number" 2594760 "2495000".
15. Replace paragraph 2.4 of annex 4, the number "with the number" 849760 "800000".
16. Replace annex 4 paragraph 2.6. "200000" by number "250,000".
17. Replace annex 4 27.4 in the number "50." with the number "90".
18. Annex 4, to express the 30.1, 30.2, 30.3.. and 18.9. subparagraph by the following: "30.1. the weekly newspaper of the Ministry of agriculture and financed the sagat votes and updated reflection of the laws and regulations of the European Union for Latvian agricultural producers-4220 dollars;
30.2. television program about the Ministry of agriculture and financed prepared and updated reflection on readiness of the farmers of the European Union common agricultural policy — 8600 lats;
30.3. the cycle of television broadcasts for the Ministry of agriculture and financed information prepared for the reflection on the European Union's payment, the availability and conditions-9980 dollars;
18.9. radio broadcasts prepared for Ministry of agriculture and financed and updated reflection of sector policy and business issues of interpretation of the Latvian rural population: 4200 dollars; ".
19. Replace annex 4, figure "in paragraph 29.3.2004" with the number "2003".
20. To supplement annex 4 point after the bottom 30.6. "the city" with the words "to the rural areas".
21. Replace annex 4, paragraph 51, the number and the word "February 1" with a number and the word "15 April".
22. Replace paragraph 71 of annex 4, the number "with the number" 849590 "800000".
23. Deletion of annex 4, the introductory part of paragraph 85 of the words "such legal persons".
24. Deletion of annex 4, paragraph 92, the words "which at practices can have up to ten trainees".
25. Replace annex 4, paragraph 98 of the introductory part, the words "state capital" with the words "public corporation, farms and farm field service cooperatives".
26. Replace annex 4, 101, the words "public corporation" with the words "corporations, farms and agricultural cooperatives to make" asshole.
27. Replace annex 4, paragraph 102 of the number and the word "1 April" with numbers and words "May 15 or September 15.".
28. Replace annex 5, section 5.3, the word "and" with the word "or".
29. Make of annex 5, paragraph 7, introductory part the following: "7. tenderers to 16 may or 1 June (if necessary, the Council organizes the third round with the logon time limit at the latest by 1 September and placed the advertisement in the newspaper" journal ") shall provide support services in the Field of such documents, (2):".
30. the supplement of annex 5, the bottom paragraph 11.2. first sentence after the word "projects" with the words "and at the bottom of this annex 5.5. measures referred to in paragraph 1".
31. the supplement to annex 5 paragraph 17 the following: "17. tenderers will be informed in writing of the Field support service, if the project is changed during the use of the subsidy estimate or grant funds from the measures to be taken. Field support service amendments submitted to the Council for assessment. "
32. The deletion of annex 7 section 13.5, the words "with the exception of 12.3. this annex referred to organizations".
33. Make 8.12.1. subparagraph by the following: "12.1. project closing report in two copies, one copy for the rural support service regional agricultural administration sends to this annex referred to in paragraph 7 the Commission;".
34. Make 10. paragraph 9 of the annex by the following: "9. the rural support service on the basis of this annex 6 of the documents referred to in paragraph, make settlements with insurance companies within one month of receipt of the application."
35. To replace paragraph 23 of annex 11, the word "two" with the word "four".
36. Chapter V of the annex 11 to supplement with 24.1 24.2 24.3 points, and the following information: "in re duck 24.1 applicant this annex 18.2. funding referred to May 15, 2005, to submit to the Commission, the Ministry of agriculture: 24.11. information on activities;
24.12. information on the operations objectives (advocacy campaign concept development, seminars, press conferences and organizing the preparation of milk products the impact on children's health);
24.13. information on planned results (covered, publicity, targeted the guļojum disables the media, Visual material disposition);
24.2 within 10 days, the Commission shall decide on the granting of aid and notify the field support service.
24.3 the rural support service contracts with the Commission selected preten dent. The contract added to the Commission's approved expenditure. The contract provides: 24.31. the cost of funding deadlines;
24.32. possible advance conditions;
UR24.33.dar partitions and payment for the submission of supporting documents met sign. "
37. To supplement the annex to the 37, 38 and 39 of the following paragraph: "37. For support, the applicant up to June 1, 2005, to submit to the Commission, the Ministry of agriculture: 37.1. information on activities;
37.2. information on the operations objectives;
37.3. information on planned results;
38. The Commission shall examine the documents submitted in accordance with the laws and regulations on support for the beekeeping sector, 10 days, shall take a decision on the granting of aid and notify the field support service.
39. the rural support service contract to the tenderer selected by the Commission. The Treaty Commission is added to the approved expenditure. The contract provides: 24.3. the cost of funding deadlines;
24.4. the possible conditions for the granting of advance;
39.3. transaction and payment deadline for the submission of supporting documents. "
38. Make 12. point 2 of the annex by the following: "2. the subsidy amounts to 1802759 lats."
39. To complement annex 12 paragraph 9 by the following: "9. the supporting documents shall be submitted to the Payment Field support regional agricultural administrations no later than July 1, 2005."
40. To supplement the provisions of annex 13 with the following: ' Annex 13 of the Cabinet of Ministers of 25 January 2005, the provisions of no. 70 aid for investment in the agricultural sector 1. Subsidy aims to support investments in agriculture to increase the value added of production and improve the quality of agricultural production.
2. the total amount of the subsidy is $3579426, including: 2.1 the grain, oil and fibre plants and storage of primary equipment, reconstruction of the structure and/or renovation: 2359426 lat;
2.2. livestock products (honey, milk) for reconstruction of the structure of production, renovation and/or necessary for the purchase of building materials: 1000000 dollars;
2.3. collection of vehicles required milk measuring equipment purchase: 150000 dollars;
2.4. technical test software purchase: 70000 dollars.
3. On the receipt of subsidies eligible small and medium-sized enterprises, which correspond to the Commission of 12 January 2001, Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 on the Treaty establishing the European Community and article 87.88, giving the country at support for small and medium-sized enterprises in annex I for the definition of small and medium-sized enterprises, as amended by the Commission on 25 Feb 2004, out of Regulation (EC) no 364/2004 4. Subsidies are calculated for 30% of this annex measures referred to in paragraph 2, the amount of the funds spent; the total under this annex the subsidy applicant one must not be over give 10000 lat, but recognized agricultural service cooperatives, 50000lat (these conditions do not apply to this annex 2.4). The amount of resources spent, of which the calculation of the subsidy, the purchase of the appropriate supporting documents to the specified initial price (without VAT). Transport costs are not included in the calculation of the subsidy.
5. the rural support service provides smooth this 2.1. and 2.2. distribution of the financing required for Field support to regions in proportion to the agricultural region of the land. If the application is submitted in the region exceeds the total funding allocated to the rural support service shall be reduced on a pro rata basis of the subsidy to be paid to the individual in a given region.
6. the maximum cost for the calculation of the subsidy structure reconstruction is $150/m2 for the total building site area and renovation-80 Ls/m2 for the total building site area.
7. in order to receive the subsidy, the applicant up to 1 august 2005 presented to the rural support service regional agricultural administration: 7.1 application (table);
UR7.2.ien based declaration or in the annual accounts for the previous year;
7.3. The food and veterinary service of a statement of the undertaking's compliance with the animal welfare and hygiene requirements (statement submitted with billing documents for the implementation of the action);
7.4. formal agricultural education was a copy of a document or a copy of a document certifying that the applicant has at least one year of experience in agricultural production;
UR7.5.dar partitions of the supporting documents (construction — contract with a contractor and expenditure).
8. the rural support service accounts with the applicant after payment and transactions for the receipt of supporting documents (construction — Act concerning the building commissioning). These documents shall be submitted before December 1, 2005.
9. Accredited testing laboratory that is accredited for testing of all quality indicators, this section provided for in annex 2.4. funding granted in accordance with the legislation on minimum support accounting and allocation procedures.
10. when Claiming this Annex provided for in paragraph 2.4, the applicant until 1 September 2005 submitted to the rural support service and payment of the transaction supporting documents for technical test software purchase. On the basis of the documents submitted, the rural support service to perform settlements with the applicant in full, up to a maximum of 2.4 of this Annex provided for in paragraph 3 below.
Table application for investment aid in agriculture, Prime Minister a. Halloween Minister of Agriculture m. Roze Editorial Note: the entry into force of the provisions to 18 May 2005.
Search Translated Laws of Latvia |
Last year, seven species of bees were place on the endangered species list, and Williamstown, Massachusetts wants to help save the rest of the bee population.
Williamstown Selectwoman Anne O’Connor says pollinators are essential to growing crops and much of the plant life that grows in lush Berkshire vistas.
“It’s worth realizing that pollinators are not just honeybees, by any means,” O’Connor says. “It’s all native bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, flies – the list goes on.”
The University of Massachusetts at Lowell awarded Williamstown roughly $9,000 from its Toxics Use Reduction Institute to further the northern Berkshire County town’s efforts to become bee-friendly.
In May, residents approved a non-binding resolution to change residential and institutional landscaping practices.
“Embracing that decision, we wanted to find ways to extend the impact and bring the awareness of the issues facing pollinators to a wider audience and also help people figure out what they can do in their own gardens to help pollinators,” O’Connor says.
The goal: to reduce the use of pesticides and herbicides, thought to be one cause of declining bee populations.
“I am happy to say that Williamstown does not spray any of our extensive public lawn areas,” O’Connor says, “whether around our schoolyards or in our town greens.”
In March, the Clark Art Institute launched a similar initiative, opening an active beekeeping program on its Williamstown campus to help grow the native bee population. Its plan is to maintain 40,000 bees on the roof of the Clark’s research center.
O’Connor will help divvy up the grant to area organizations, including the South Williamstown Community Association, Williams College Center for Environmental Studies, Williams Inn, Williamstown Garden Club, and the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation, among others, to encourage a lively bee population by:
“Reducing the mowing schedules, or planting pollinator-friendly forage,” O’Connor says.
Bridget Spann, owner of Caretaker Farm in Williamstown, says pollinators are vital to agriculture.
“The big issue is the neonicotinoids, and pollinators need to travel sometimes several miles,” Spann says. “So, for example, here at Caretaker Farm we don’t spray anything on our fields or on our crops; it’s not enough about what we do specifically here, but also what the surrounding areas do since pollinators travel up to a few miles to do their work.”
Massachusetts and several other states have been considering bills restricting the use of pesticides damaging to pollinators. Two bills under consideration on Beacon Hill would require pesticides and herbicides be limited to licensed applicators only.
“So, while the focus is pollinators, certainly human health and pet health stand to benefit,” Spann says.
In the spring, the town will hold training programs for organic landscaping for professionals and homeowners. Middle schoolers from the Williamstown area are also working with Willinet, the local public access television station, on a video about pesticides. |
Have a bee hive in your own backyard or business property! Enjoy the fascination of watching a busy bee colony in your backyard without worrying about managing them. You will have your very own honey from the bees on your property.
only $65/month, ($780/year, let us know if you would prefer to make 1 annual payment rather than monthly installments)
add a second hive for $25/month ($300/year) and get twice as much honey
12Kg of honey from your own hive, bottled in 24x500g jars (other options & custom labels are available)
We do all the work:
Registering the hive with OMAFRA
Year round management
Honey harvest & extraction
Bottling and packaging of honey
We let you know when we are coming to check the hive so that you can participate in the hive check and learn about beekeeping
Additional options are available for custom painted hive boxes, different size honey jars with custom labels, and more
We are insured and registered beekeepers with the province of Ontario.
Once you place your order we will contact you to determine whether your location is suitable for our Host a Hive program. If your location is not suitable your deposit of the 1st months payment will be fully refunded. Monthly billing begins once we set up the hive (May 2018 for new orders). |
Inside: Honey, that sticky sweet liquid made by busy bees is chock full of vitamins, minerals, and pure goodness. It’s used to fight certain diseases, suppress a cough, heal a wound, bury the dead and more. With over 300 varieties available, here are 22 interesting facts about honey.
Did you know that honey is considered a very healthy food? The reason is simple…honey is loaded with vitamins, minerals, enzymes (which are important for digestion), antioxidants, flavonoids and more.
Flavonoids are phytochemicals and give fruits and vegetables their beautiful colors. They also protect the plants against disease and when we eat those foods, our bodies reap the benefits from these nutrients.
Antioxidants protect us against free radicals in our bodies.
Interesting Facts About Honey
Here are four fun facts about honey:
- Honey has been around for thousands of years. In fact, it’s as old as the honeybee!
- Beekeeping has been practiced since 700 B.C.
- Many early civilizations used honey for medicinal purposes and slathered the sticky stuff on their wounds to help speed up the healing process.
- Supposedly the body of Alexander the Great was embalmed with honey and because this “liquid gold” was fairly scarce, only the wealthy had access to it.
But, a fascinating aspect of honey is how it’s produced…thank you, honey bees!
All About Bees: The Story of the Honeybee
When you purchase honey, do you ever stop to think how much time and effort those thousands of bees worked to create such an amazing food? (probably not…)
Here are some basic facts about the amazing honeybee and how they produce honey:
A beehive usually consists of between 20,000-60,000 bees. These busy-bee workers pollinate, gather nectar, and return to the hive where they regurgitate the nectar into another bee’s mouth. This process is repeated until the nectar is put into a honeycomb.
At this point, the nectar is mostly a liquid so the bees use their wings to “fan” the honey, which causes the water to evaporate.
Eventually, the bees seal the honeycomb with a liquid from its’ stomach and it hardens into beeswax. Now, the bee has something to eat for the winter months!
This is just half the story. Bees literally travel all over to gather nectar from flowers. In fact, they travel the equivalent of two times around the world for this sweet substance. And they do it in their short lifespan of a few weeks to four months.
At the end of its life, the bee’s contribution to the hive is one-twelfth of a teaspoon of honey!
But every bit that every bee gives is important because collectively the bees produce about 60 pounds of honey in a year.
Bees are an amazing example of the power of team players. Each contribution is necessary and needed to sustain the hive throughout the year.
The next time you purchase a bottle of honey, take a good look at this liquid gold and reflect on the sacrifice of the thousands of bees that went into making this for you.
This substance (basically regurgitated from a bee’s stomach) has incredible benefits. Here are a few:
Benefits of Honey: 5 Reasons Honey is Good for Kids & Adults
Before launching into the benefits of honey, here are two things to remember:
First, do NOT give honey to children one year of age or younger. Why? Because honey can have a bacteria called Clostridium botulism which can cause infant botulism. And, it can be fatal.
Second, before giving honey to your child, check for a pollen allergy. Raw honey usually contains traces of pollen and may cause issues with your child’s digestive system. It doesn’t happen often, but there is still a possibility.
Now, for the benefits:
Since ancient times, honey has helped heal wounds. Two reasons: honey has an anti-inflammatory action which brings down the swelling of the wound and it has antimicrobial activity that kills germs and clears the infection.
Today, honey producers in New Zealand and Australia have honey tested in laboratories to gather samples with the highest germ-killing activity. These kinds of honey are labeled ‘antiseptic” and sold to customers.
Researchers in New Zealand found that
- Unprocessed (raw) honey protects against tooth decay
- It reduces the amount of acid produced by bacteria in the mouth responsible for dental decay to almost zero
- Unprocessed honey contains an enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide which can fight periodontal disease and gingivitis (both inflammatory conditions due to infected gums)
- It fights infections of the gum and reduces swelling and pain very quickly
When your child gets a runny nose or a bad cough…what do you do? Run to the medicine cabinet?
Here’s a better solution:
- Mix together 1 tablespoon of warm honey and a dash of cinnamon powder
- Give the mixture to your child 2x/day until the symptoms have vanished.
- Give one of the doses at night for a restful night’s sleep.
Your child will like the taste…it’s very sweet and soothing.
Why does it work? Again, honey kills viruses (antiviral), kills bacteria (antibacterial) and is high in antioxidants that help fight infection.
#4: Energy without the Caffeine
We all know how a soda or cup of coffee perks us up and gives us energy. However, there’s a healthier solution for energy…honey.
Kids also need sustained focused energy, so try this with them, too. (especially when they’ve been playing too many video games).
Ditch the sodas and coffee and give everyone 1 tablespoon of honey each day. Raw honey is the best and Manuka honey is even more amazing (see below). Every tablespoon of honey provides
- 17 grams of high-quality carbohydrates
- A combination of different B vitamins
- Essential minerals, calcium, and magnesium in a natural, bio-available form.
The perfect energy booster!
#5: Builds the Immune System
Everyone wants to stay well, which means having a strong immune system that fights off disease, colds, flu and a host of other health issues. Coconut Oil helps to boost the immune system, but giving honey to kids may be an easier alternative.
Honey helps to stimulate the production of immune cells in the body and with more and stronger immune cells, it’s easier to stay healthy. Raw honey also contains an immune-boosting, probiotic bacteria to keep us healthy.
For an extra punch of immune-building activity add ginger and lemon to your honey tea.
Types of Honey: Raw, Processed or Certified Organic
Raw or Unprocessed Honey
This is honey that comes right from the beehive. It is unheated, unpasteurized and unprocessed so that all the vitamins, minerals and enzymes are intact (enzymes are important for digestion). It tends to be thicker, cloudier, and is brimming with healthy goodness!
For many years I purchased raw, unprocessed honey from a beekeeper (until he retired). Our family loved it; we ate it out of the jar and I baked with it; substituting sugar with honey.
This is honey that has been heated to at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit. It is thinner in consistency and pretty much 100% of the nutrients are destroyed in the heating process. Microscopic particles and the pollen so important to the nutrient-dense honey are destroyed leaving behind a thin, watery substance. This is most of the honey found in grocery stores and 76% of it is considered “fake,” because it’s not pure honey and other substances (like high fructose corn syrup) have been added.
This kind of honey has a lot of gray areas. First, honey can be certified organic by the US government, but they have no regulations to define organic honey. And, they do not inspect for organic honey.
However, there are independent certifying agencies in the US that certify for organic honey, but it’s expensive and requires a lot of research and careful documentation about the bees such as:
- where the bees go to pollinate
- where they live
- what the beekeeper feeds them
- how they are treated for parasites, etc.
If you are at all worried about the risk of botulism, pollen issues, pesticide or other chemicals, stick with certified organic honey.
My suggestion: if you have access to a beekeeper that you love and trust, I would purchase my honey from him/her.
Nutritional Value of Honey: 7 Different Kinds of Honey
Believe it or not, there are over 300 types of honey and each type is good for a different ailment. What determines the taste, the look and even the smell of a honey depends on the nectar source of the honeybee.
Here are seven interesting kinds of honey and their nutritional value:
#1 Clover Honey
Clover honey is the kind I ate as a child and is my favorite. Love the mild taste, texture, and smell! There is more clover honey in the United States than any other.
- Heals wounds
- Controls liver issues
- Regulates cholesterol
- Treats burns
- Helps to eliminate coughing (especially with children)
#2 Manuka Honey:
Is made primarily in New Zealand and is good for the stomach and intestines and protects against the formation of gastric ulcers, 12-duodenal ulcers, and gastric cancer.
I’m not wild about the taste of this honey, but I have 1 tablespoon each day—because I know it’s good for me. (liver is good for you too—but this honey is easier to swallow!)
#3 Alfalfa Honey
You can find this honey throughout the United States and Canada. It helps with cardio issues and has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial properties
#4 Avocado Honey
This honey is from California avocado blossoms. It is loaded with vitamins and minerals and can be used to slather on burns.
#5 Buckwheat Honey
This dark honey is produced in the Eastern United States and is filled with antioxidants. Plus, it has more antibiotic characteristics that even Manuka honey! It’s loaded with lots of vitamins and minerals (all bioavailable because it’s a natural source) and important enzymes to help aid in digestion.
#6 Blueberry Honey
Blueberries are considered one of the healthiest fruits on the market. They help with night vision, memory, aging and they are the greatest anti-cancer of any fruit. And, honey made from the white flowers of the blueberry bush is equally as healthy and has some of the highest antibacterial antioxidants. It’s produced in “blueberry” country: New England and Michigan
#7 Eucalyptus Honey
Like the eucalyptus plant, there are many different varieties of this honey from California.
Have you ever used essential-grade eucalyptus oil? It helps with a host of health challenges and so does the honey. Take at least 1 teaspoon each day to protect your body. It’s:
- Helps with acne (yes, just slather it on your skin)
- Can be used as an insect repellent (which would be rather sticky!)
- Helps with respiratory, sinus, and bladder infections.
Homemade Remedies Using Honey
Honey can also be used for acne, diabetes, eczema, dandruff, eyelash balm, and more. Here are some websites that give recipes to help with these conditions and more:
Because of the benefits of honey, try incorporating it into your family’s diet–on your oatmeal, your toast, or substitute honey when cooking. Have your family try different kinds of honey and eat at least 1 tablespoon a day for better health.
Do you have a favorite recipe that you use with honey? Does your family have a favorite way they enjoy eating honey? What is your favorite kind of honey? Please comment in the section below.
You can access the 2-minute video here |
Beekeeping is a popular hobby, not only is it a rewarding pastime, it’s also beneficial to our environment and world. And of course the honey tastes pretty good!
You will need some essential beekeeping equipment to get you started, and top of that list should be a beekeeping suit.
But which one should you get? Read our beekeeping suit reviews and buying guide to help you choose the best one for your needs.
|Humble Bee 420-XXL Aerated Beekeeping Suit with Round Veil (XX Large)||$199.95 from $129.95||Buy on Amazon|
|Humble Bee 430-XXS Ventilated Beekeeping Suit with Round Veil (XX Small)||$129.95 $89.95||Buy on Amazon|
|Humble Bee 410-XXS Polycotton Beekeeping Suit with Round Veil (XX Small)||$119.95||Buy on Amazon|
|Natural Apiary Apiarist Beekeeping Suit - White - (All-in-One) - Fencing Veil - Total Protection for...||from $89.30||Buy on Amazon|
|MANN LAKE Economy Beekeeper Suit with Self Supporting Veil, Medium||$79.95||Buy on Amazon|
Last update on 2018-07-16 at 10:10 / Affiliate disclaimer / Images via Amazon Product Advertising API
There is quite a varied range of suits available for beekeepers, varying in cost, material and features. Spending the money on a quality beekeeper suit is recommended. Not only will the protection offer you peace of mind when you are tending to your bee hive, but the comfort of the suit will make the experience more enjoyable.
Many of the suits share similar features, and you should look for the following as a minimum;
Always go by the measurement chart provided by the manufacturer. Different brands will run at different sizes. Measure yourself to make sure you make an accurate choice when choosing a size. Remember you will want a bit of space in the suit to allow you to wear clothing underneath, but not have it too large or you’ll be tripping over it and feeling uncomfortable. Make sure the arms and legs are going to be long enough so that they don’t ride up and expose any skin areas.
Making sure your head and face is protected should be a priority. Many suits have a detachable hood and veil making it necessary that there is adequate protection to close any gaps around your neck. Veils can vary from suit to suit. A popular choice is that by Humble Bee, a veil with 360° mesh for maximum ventilation and viewing in those hot summer months.
The type of fabric the suit is made from is an important factor. The main thing is it must be able to protect your body from stings. Most are made from polycotton; a mixture of cotton and polyester. This type of fabric will protect you whilst being easy to clean. A ventilated choice might be preferable if you feel you might overheat in anything else. They usually are made from two layers of fabric with a foam insert in between to protect you from any stings whilst maintaining air flow.
Aside from the suit, you will also need to buy some beekeeping gloves to protect your hands and arms. Make sure you get some that have extra protection and are long enough to overlap the suit around the arm area. If they can attach to your suit in any way that is even better.
Humble Bee are one of our preferred brands of beekeeping suits. They pack in a variety of features to ensure that their products meet all the needs of both beginner and more advanced beekeepers.
This particular suit has comfort in mind with material made from a 100% synthetic fabric. The design has been cleverly thought out with the inclusion of a lightweight foam woven in between the fabric. This ensures you are kept cool in the warmer months without compromising protection.
Humble Bee provide elasticated wrist and ankles, together with thumb and foot holds. The extra thumb and foot holds give you the extra protection by ensuring the arms or legs don’t ride up and risk exposing any skin.
Another feature that we really like is the 360° mesh in the hood. This not only gives you extra ventilation but provides maximum viewing opportunity. It also allows more light in to the hood area, making the experience of wearing a beekeeper suit more comfortable.
The suit also comes with a deluxe style carry case made from a tough canvas cloth with a strong brass zipper.
And as a nice added bonus Humble Bee donate 10% of earnings to not-for-profit organizations such as bee conversation projects and any groups that improve and encourage local beekeeping activities.
Humble Bee produce 3 styles of suits;
Aerated 420 (the above reviewed suit) Check it out on Amazon >>
Ventilated 430 (4 pockets, made from 50% cotton/50% synthetic with 100% synthetic (220gsm) ventilation panels Check it out on Amazon>>
Polycotton 410 (10 pockets, made from 50% cotton/50% synthetic) Check it out on Amazon >>
The beekeeping suits from Natural Apiary are a popular choice, offering maximum protection and practicality. The choice of sizes (from XXS up to XXXL) together with a choice of 5 colors (white, camouflage, khaki, pink and sand) makes it a suitable choice for everybody.
The deep pockets are useful to carry items and the cotton/polyester material makes it an easy suit to wash in a machine. The elasticated arms and ankles are a necessity, ensuring that no bees can sneak up sleeves or trouser legs. You can be confident that this beekeeping suit will provide you with maximum protection.
This is another heavy duty beekeeping suit to help protect you from bee or wasp stings. As with other styles the elasticated wrist and ankle areas give you the extra protection from any over inquisitive bees, as do the added elasticated thumb loops that help to keep your sleeves pulled down.
There are 5 pockets in total, 2 on the chest with covered flaps and a further 2 located in the hip area. There is also a pocket on the leg which is perfect for storing any additional hive tools.
The heavy duty zippers located on the ankles make it easier to put on and remove the suit.
The self supporting veil offers lots of protection with a double layer of material on the back of the hood. |
Places to Go!
What’s to do at Xcaret? Underground Rivers, Beach, Lagoon & pools, Tropical Jungle Trail, Main Plaza, Stained-glass Plaza, House of Whispers Rotating Scenic Tower, Butterfly Pavilion, Regional Wildlife Breeding Farm, Coral Reef Aquarium, Living Museum of Orchids & Mushroom Farm, Mayan archaeological sites, St. Francis of Assisi Chapel, Hacienda Henequenera, Mexican Cemetery in the Mayan Village, Vino de Mexico Wine Cellar, Marine Turtles Area, Fauna of Mexico, Jaguar Island, Manatee Lagoon, Flamingos, and Spider Monkey Island and MORE!! Click here for more information.
Chetumal-Puerto Juarez Federal Highway, Km. 282. Solidaridad, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Customer Service/Sales: Cancún: 998-251-6560 / Playa del Carmen: 984-147-6560 / México: 01-800-212-8951 / USA-CAN : 1-888-XCARET1 Monday to Sunday from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
What’s to do at Xel-Há ? Environmental activities, Yoga and Meditation, Sprint Triathlon Xel-Há, traditions such as the Melipona beekeeping, snorkeling, underground river floats, cenote swimming, rock climbing, Trepachanga river crossing (by ropes), Salpichanga river slide, grottoes, Mayan ruins, jungle trails, Chacah’s Garden, Floating Bridge, Bike Races, Xel-Há Nursery, Snail Sanctuary Rosa Xel-Há, and MORE!!
Highway Chetumal-Puerto Juárez, Km. 240 local 1 y 2 módulo B. Xel-Há Tulum, Quintana Roo, México.
Customer Service/Sales: Cancún: 998-251-6560 / Playa del Carmen: 984-147-6560 / México: 01-800-212-8951 / USA-CAN: 1-888-XCARET1
Approximately 45 kilometers west of Tulum, and a stone’s throw from Valladolid, Coba is surprisingly accessible, though it appears remote. Its restoration has yet to gather momentum; and so far, the site has simply been cleared to create access. Among the oldest and largest ancient Mayan lands, Coba emerged as a mighty city-state during the late Classic era, between 600 – 900 AD. Its political hegemony stretched some 50 square kilometers. Coba’s architecture is distinct from its closest neighbors, Chichen Itza and Uxmal, both of which have elaborate facades, rich with geometric patterns. Coba’s temples – tall and bulky – embody the “Peten” style more associated with the distant cities of the south. The theory is that Coba formed an alliance through marriage with Tikal, a powerful conquest state in the Peten Basin area of northern Guatemala, to facilitate trade.
Within the Sian Kaan Biosphere Reserve, is the seldom seen archaeological site of Chac Mool. Chac Mool is a small, but interesting archaeological site, partly because of its isolation, and partly because of similarities to Chichen Itza and Tulum. Chichen Itza, because of the presence of a Chac Mool shrine room, and like Tulum, because the ruins are also located directly on the Caribbean Sea. Having the freedom to explore this site without the heavy tourist traffic is real treat.
The Xel-Ha ruins are part of the Xel-Ha Eco-park, located between Akumal and Tulum. It is a collection of stone buildings right on the highway opposite the entrance to Xel-Ha Lagoon. The Maya had a coastal port at Xel-Ha for maritime trade between the principal towns up and down the coast, and Cozumel. The location of Xel Ha is important, for it was here that pilgrims came from all over Mayan lands for their once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to the island of Cozumel. “Ixchel,” as it was known then was also the name of the Maya goddess of fertility. On this beautiful island, only accessed by large canoes, Maya men and women performed their ceremonies for abundant fertility. Entering Xel ha, there are two areas of interest, both built during the Classic period (300 – 900 AD). The first is along the highway, and has buildings of stone lying among large Ceiba trees. The Ceiba tree was the Maya “tree of life” which signified a connection to the world in all four directions (north, south, east and west) and to the heavens (God, space and extra-terrestrials).
The Muyil ruins are located 25 kilometers south of the Pueblo of Tulum. The Muyil archaeological site is located on the mainland side of a lagoon in the Sian Ka´an Biosphere. The most prominent building in Muyil is its pyramid. At the pinnacle is a great view of the surrounding jungle and nearby lagoon. Like many Caribbean archaeological sites, there is evidence of much reverence for the feminine deities. A combination path-boardwalk leads from the ruins through a lush jungle-marsh area to the wide Laguna Muyil. The “Mirador” observation platform gives a spectacular view of the surrounding area. Tours of the lagoons are available by the dock.
Perched on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea, Tulum was a Mayan settlement that flourished from around 1200 AD until the arrival of the Spanish. The Tulum ruins are the third most visited archaeological site in Mexico after Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza. Known as the “Walled City”, Tulum is thought to have been one of the most important cities of ancient Mayan. By 900 AD, the Mayan civilization was in decline, and the large cities to the south had been abandoned. Tulum was one of the Mayan polities that filled the void. It rose to power because it controlled maritime commerce along east side of the peninsula from Honduras to the Yucatán. |
Report from Parish Council Meeting held on 14th June, 2016
Ai500 Airsoft Event 22/23 October 2016 Old Hospital Site, Nocton Hall
A large number of concerned residents attended the meeting to listen to a report from Michelle Hoyles, Compliance and Enforcement Team Leader for NKDC. Michelle explained what the District Council could and could not do in respect of this event and assured the residents that everything that could be done was being done. However, as is often the case in one-off events such as these, the District Council’s powers were extremely limited and appropriate information not always forthcoming. It was, therefore not entirely certain whether NKDC could prevent the event from going ahead without planning permission, as Ai500 had indicated it would do.
Michelle asked that any information that a member of the public became aware of be passed to her or the Parish Clerk so that it can be put together with all the other material being collated. This event (subject to information received) could be halted right up to the day before it was due to start, although it was hoped that matters would be resolved before then.
Several members of the village spoke and helped to give Michelle a clearer picture of the disruption and anxiety this event would cause, particularly as it was being held in such close proximity to homes, including a residential care home that specialises in dementia.
Ai500 is, however, to be invited to an Open Meeting on Monday 18 July 7.30pm - 9pm to answer residents’ questions, deal with their concerns and to put their case for holding the event. Please try to attend.
We have again agreed to draw NKDC’s attention to the continuing serious problems being experienced by residents at Nocton Park as a consequence of the construction of the final phase of the Peter Sowerby development with a request that all possible avenues are urgently explored to resolve the position to the benefit of all concerned.
No incidents were reported this month. The PCSO was advised about the recent removal of a BT pole at Nocton Park and also asked to confirm whether it was legal to skate board down a bridle path path. Both items will be investigated and we will be advised of the outcome.
In response to a query by a resident to consider the installation of interactive speed boards, Councillor Jones has investigated whether this is required and the cost to the Parish Council. From the data available, speed and accidents caused by speeding is not enough of an issue to warrant investment in such signs that cost in the region of £2000. We will, however, continue to use our Speed Indicator Device (SID) in rotation with our neighbouring villages and the new computer that is to be purchased to collate data from the device will give valuable information on the speed and frequency of vehicles coming through the village.
The number and size of HGVs that come through the village is not deemed by the Highways Authority to be a problem which considers the roads quite adequate.
White fences are to be erected at the Potterhanworth entrance to the village and Councillor Kaye asked that advertising signs not be placed on them as they were a safety feature.
Village Keeper/Dog Warden
Colin is to include the cutting of the grass around the Village Hall on behalf of the VHMC and also to inform people walking dogs in Nocton Park that they must be kept on a lead at all times. Despite his best efforts, and those of conscientious residents, fouling is a continued problem on the Park and there have been some instances of dogs off leads causing real problems. Nocton Park is a still a privately owned area of Nocton and although it is open to all residents of the village, we all need to respect the rules that apply i.e. 20 mph speed limits on the majority of the roads and dogs to be kept on leads.
Continuing with the dog fouling issue, the poop bag dispenser on the Bridlepath is not being used responsibly; no sooner is it filled then all the bags appear to be removed. It is intended to monitor the situation for a month and if the “theft” of these bags continues, the facility will be removed, as your Parish Council has no wish to waste money.
Kevin Clark, a resident and Beeswax employee, asked that the PRIVATE areas on the surrounding fields and woods be adhered to. Beeswax is working hard at trying to minimise the impact of its farming and to improve the local environment, with, amongst other things, the introduction of wild life corridors and managed woodlands. Signs have been smashed and trees felled and the wood stolen. If anyone sees or hears anything that appears suspicious, please contact Beeswax or let the Parish Clerk know.
Jim Eagle gave a talk on Beekeeping that kept the children enthralled! If anyone else has a subject or hobby that they think our Youth club would be interested in hearing about, please contact Councillor Jane Kania or the Parish Clerk.
Councillor Murray gave a report on the process that now has to be gone through before the Plan is finally adopted. The Plan is now with NKDC for environmental screening and this may take some weeks. It will then go through TWO six week periods of consultation with residents, local businesses, land owners and other interested parties. In the meantime, the Plan will be available for viewing on the Parish Council website and on “nocpotblog”. Residents cannot comment at this stage but will have the opportunity to do so during the formal consultation process which, it is hoped, will begin in late Summer/early Autumn. A referendum will then be held and although it is everyone’s right to vote how they wish, the Parish Council will be urging that this Plan is adopted, if only to afford some protection from the developers!
Councillor Mike Kaye reported that despite the Parish Council’s strong objection, the outline permission for a dwelling to the rear of The Shieling had been granted by NKDC. Councillor Kaye and a local resident, David Glew, both spoke against the proposal as did our District Councillor John Money, County Councillor Marianne Overton and several other councillors. There was a heated debate on the application although the proposal was eventually approved. Councillor Kaye reported that due to the genuine concerns raised by so many councillors at the meeting, it is likely that from now on any planning permission for development within a conservation area will have to comprise a full planning application with outline plans not being considered.
Councillors Williams and Mike Kaye met with the NKDC tree specialist last week for an inspection of the trees on the Village Green. It is being recommended that the crowns of the trees be lifted to three metres and that the school be advised to fell the two firs in the corner of the front garden that are causing damage to the path.
The canker on the horse chestnuts was not causing a problem but the branches that are impinging on the BT lines to private homes need to be trimmed.
The area to the rear of the green should also be cleared back to the old fence line. The Parish Council will wait to receive the specialist report before beginning any works.
Parish Council Meeting Dates
It was decided to continue to meet on the second Tuesday of each month but to review this again once the new Village Hall has been built.
Date of Next Meeting: Tuesday, 12 July 2016 at 7.00 pm
If you are ever accused of being a NIMBY (not in my back yard) just reply that no you are a BIMBY (Beautiful in My Back Yard)!
Councillor MaryAnn Williams |
Sanne Kure-Jensen is a frequent contributor to Country Folks, Country Folks Grower and Wine & Grape Grower bringing regional and national attention to agriculture in RI and across southern New England. She has also written for newsletters of the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA), Holistic Management International (HMI), RI Beekeepers Association and RI Tree Council. Read Sanne’s work at her Sustainable Living page at examiner.com.
Sanne has written successful grant applications for alternative energy projects, staff and board training, products and services. Clients include agricultural businesses, farm stand/markets and non-profit organizations. Recent successful grant projects include a $90,000 USDA Rural Development‘s Rural Energy For America Program (REAP), $10,000 Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Farmer and $20,000 Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG).
Sanne is the part-time Administrator for NOFA/RI, a Rhode Island Certified Horticulturist and beekeeper. She is a NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professional and has lectured across southern New England on Beekeeping, Native Pollinators and Ecological Landscape Design. Learn more about the NOFA’s Land Care programs or contact Sanne for a garden consultation through the NOFA/RI website. |
WASHINGTON — Official Washington is all abuzz over honeybees.
At the White House, two types of parasite-resistant honeybees developed by U.S. scientists will be delivered to the first family's new garden next month.
On Capitol Hill, California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer wants Congress to spend $20 million to research colony collapse disorder, which has caused big losses for the nation's beekeepers in recent years.
Both developments are welcome news for honeybee backers, who have found themselves getting slapped around this year.
When an early version of an economic stimulus bill contained $150 million in subsidies for honeybees and other farm products, many Republicans howled in protest.
"This is nonsense," huffed Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senate's minority leader from Kentucky.
And when Congress passed a $1.7 million earmark for Texas honeybees as part of a broader appropriations bill, critics cited it as a prime example of pork-barrel spending.
Beekeepers find themselves on the defensive and say they must educate members of Congress about the importance of their industry. They're doing it with the help of lobbyists. Yes, bee lobbyists.
"Life is interesting. My inbox is rather eclectic," said Thomas Van Arsdall, a bee lobbyist or, more officially, the director of public affairs for the Pollinator Partnership.
He's busy making plans for the third annual National Pollinator Week, June 22-28, a time for schools, churches, garden clubs and others to celebrate honeybees and other pollinators. "They're important if you like to eat," explained Van Arsdall.
Beyond the Beltway, at research labs at the University of California, Davis, scientists are out to build a better bee.
Researchers are using imported semen from bees in Italy, Germany and Turkey to develop new crosses of honeybees that will be more resistant to pests and disease.
Their work is financed partly by Oakland-based Haagen-Dazs, which relies on fruits and nuts pollinated by bees for nearly 40 percent of its ice cream flavors. As part of the national campaign, the company also created a new Honey Bee vanilla ice cream last year.
Colony collapse disorder, first reported in 2006, is marked by a sudden decline in a bee colony's population and the mysterious absence of dead bees. Many scientists believe that it's caused by stresses that can include parasites, pesticides and pathogens that build up in bee colonies.
As Congress considers spending more on honeybee research, beekeepers such as Barry Olmstead are hoping to cash in. He and his son, Joshua, have created the Save the Bee Foundation and plan to apply for a federal grant to study why so many honeybees are disappearing.
"That's the biggest thing, because everybody's losing more than half their hives each year," said Olmstead, 48, of Elk Grove, who figures he has been stung about 200 times.
"Here's the thing that people don't really understand: About one-third of the world's produce is pollinated by bees," he said.
If he gets a grant, Olmstead said, he and his son would work with university researchers, local and national bee associations and apiarists to advance the cause of honeybee research.
"We gotta figure out what's going on here," he said.
Before Congress passed the $787 billion stimulus bill in February, the honeybee subsidies became a target of ridicule for many opponents.
An early version of the stimulus bill included $150 million for disaster relief for honeybees, livestock and farm-raised fish, but that was removed after critics complained that it was a waste of money.
It became "a hit of the pundits," said Troy Fore, director of government relations for the Georgia-based American Beekeeping Federation Inc.
Expect to hear a lot about honeybees in coming months. They'll get a big moment in the sun in July, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture takes its new mite-resistant bees to the White House garden. One of the new bees is based on a strain of honeybees from Russia, which are highly tolerant of cold weather and require less artificial breeding than typical honeybees.
And on Capitol Hill, Congress will decide whether to spend more on honeybees when members tackle the appropriations bills.
In a letter to Senate appropriators last month, Boxer said Americans take "the indispensable services" of honeybees for granted and that federal support of honeybee research has been lagging. In arguing for her proposed $20 million in research funds, she noted that the number of managed honeybee colonies in the United States has dropped by half since 1940.
Fore said beekeepers are counting on Boxer's bill to provide the money for more research into the mysteries of colony collapse disorder.
"Our main goal is for science," Fore said. "We don't know what's causing CCD, and we don't know what to do about it. ... The truth is that beekeepers do need help. That's the truth of the story."
MORE FROM MCCLATCHY |
IN THE countdown to Christmas most of us look forward to piles of presents and festive feasting.
But this is also a crucial time to rally support for people who aren’t so lucky.
On the launch of Christian Aid’s Christmas Appeal Mary Griffin finds out how you can really make a difference this year.
THIRTY years ago a virus was first reported that would change the face of global health.
HIV/AIDS soon came to be known as a death sentence, devastating Africa worse than any other continent.
Here in Coventry and Warwickshire it’s almost impossible to imagine an epidemic that results in one in three of us being pronounced HIV positive, but these are the stark statistics communities in Africa have had to bear.
“Everyone has been affected,” says Stephen Ngugi, of Christian Aid’s Nairobi office. “It has affected every family.”
Since the beginning of the epidemic, HIV/AIDS has orphaned more than 14 million children in sub-Saharan Africa and killed 25 million people worldwide.
Thirty years after it’s discovery HIV is no longer a death sentence but today more than 1.6 million Kenyans continue to live with the virus, with many more feeling its effects.
That’s why this year Christian Aid’s Christmas Appeal is focusing on the life-changing impact its work in Kenya is having on individuals and on the country as a whole.
Grassroots projects supported by the NGO show how creative thinking, access to information and shared support can bring new hope to a country hit hard.
One such scheme, run from a small shack in a Nairobi slum, is going to the heart of the problem to tackle the stigma surrounding HIV.
“When we see skeleton pictures of people that’s scary,” says Asunta Wagura, the founder of Kenya Network Of Women With Aids (KENWA).
“We want to fight that. People look at AIDS as people who are dying but with medicine and good nutrition these people can live good productive lives.”
The fear and stigma surrounding HIV makes raising awareness difficult and continues to stop many people from getting tested and accessing the treatment and support they need.
So Christian Aid’s partners are setting up community groups where people living with the virus can share stories and support, spreading information and restoring dignity.
Asunta contracted HIV from her first boyfriend and was immediately cast out by her family.
She says: “There’s still the issue of immorality surrounding HIV.
“My family rejected me. I needed support and I got that from four women who I started this group with.
“The reason we came together was because there was a lot of stigma and discrimination and if you tested positive everybody automatically concluded that you were an immoral person – a prostitute – and that you deserved to die as quickly as possible.
“There was no care or counselling or any kind of support.”
With four other HIV positive women, Asunta reached out to her surrounding community, and many more women went on to reach out further.
Their organisation now has 8,000 members in Nairobi, central Kenya and right across the country, providing counselling, health advice and financial support to women and their families.
There’s also crucial support for children who have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS, leaving them vulnerable, stigmatised and in need of help with health, education and nutrition.
Christian Aid has been supporting tens of thousands of these children across Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and Zambia.
But funding provided by USAID came to an end this year and the charity is now urgently looking for other sources of support to continue this critical work.
Supporting this appeal is your chance to make a real difference this Christmas.
Here are some of the life-changing projects your money will support in the year ahead...
The Rural Transport Network
Using motorbikes that can navigate narrow muddy paths beyond the reach of cars and trucks, a team of 12 volunteers visit remote communities, bringing information, supplies and support.
The bikers use their health training to counsel people through HIV testing and afterwards they provide much-needed advice, helping people to take their medication effectively, to get malaria nets and to meet and mutually support others in a similar situation.
In their spare time the health workers are encouraged to use their motorbikes to earn a living, whether that’s running taxi services or selling products far from town.
This allows the volunteers to support themselves and their families, encourages them to value the bikes and motivates them to keep on devoting time and energy to their health work, supported by Christian Aid and Virgin Unite.
Filling the Gaps
This project lets people living with HIV know where government support is available and helps them to access that support.
It also identifies where government provision does not meet people’s needs and aims to fill the gaps.
People living with HIV are encouraged to set up and run support groups, allowing communities to come together in a supportive environment to tackle problems as a team.
Loans and savings associations have been started up to help groups set up enterprises such as chicken and goat rearing, beekeeping and farming so that group members can feed themselves and earn an income.
THE Kenya Network Of Women With Aids group provides care and support for destitute women and their children who are living with HIV/AIDS in six slum communities in and around Nairobi.
It’s a grassroots organisation founded by five inspiring HIV-positive women who were rejected by their families after becoming infected.
The group provides home-based care, nutritional support, medical support and counselling. It also helps to empower families financially.
One of KENWA’s main focuses is on orphans and vulnerable children, training up young people as child counsellors, providing infant formula milk, school uniforms, nutritional support and memory books for children who are having to cope with the loss of their parents.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
Your generosity could help volunteers deliver life-saving supplies and bring joy and hope to people living in poverty around the world.
* £15 could pay for life-saving mosquito nets and their delivery.
* £27.50 could pay for one home-based care kit for someone living with HIV.
* £81 could provide health training for a volunteer to provide support where it’s needed most.
* £1,645 could buy a motorcycle and allow a new volunteer to cover the long distances that often separate poor communities.
* If you would like to donate or find out more about Christian Aid’s work on health and HIV visit www.christianaid.org.uk/christmas or call 0845 7000 300.
Bring joy this Christmas. Donate now. |
To stay up to date with the latest in the apiculture industry to can visit our beekeeping latest news. On the other hand in case you’re new to apiculture and would like to start professional apiculture today download a copy of our beekeeping for beginners ebook.
Beekeeping, like every other activity, has its own dos and don’ts. Beginning beekeeping typically involves the equipment that is needed and purchasing bees. Yet, some people who are beginning this hobby generally make a few blunders. It is ok to make mistakes, which post can help new beekeepers prevent making exactly the same mistakes others have in the past.
Here are three errors which every beekeeper should prevent:
1. Not understanding the best time to start a beekeeping company or avocation can end up being a disaster. It can lead to some lack of cash and your bees. Since most bees perish during winter months winter is the worst possible time to begin. This would induce a beekeeper to purchase a new batch of bees, which would be more expensive cash. Fall is another poor time since you will find fewer blooms, so a smaller quantity of honey harvested to begin beekeeping. The best time to start beekeeping is during summer, which can be the time of the year where there are loads of blooming flowers.
2. Buying used equipment and old books on beekeeping. This can be a common error made by many beginning beekeepers. It’s understandable that one would want to save money as much as possible, but buying used equipment and old beekeeping publications is not a great thought. First, used equipment can come with “inherited” issues. The extractor outlet might have a flow, or the uncapping knife mightn’t be sharp enough to uncap all the wax in one go. This would definitely change the quality of one’s honey, which will ben’t an ideal situation especially if a beekeeper is planning to start a honey-selling company. Second, information that is dated can be provided by old books on beekeeping. One might be stuck using the conventional method when there are better and faster ways to keep beehives and fabrication honey.
3. Refraining from buying protective equipment. Think about this. He/she will most likely come out as a pincushion with all the bee stingers stuck to their body, if one doesn’t wear protective gear when handling the hives and gathering the honeycombs. Protective equipment is not cheap, yes, but it is going to help beekeepers prevent having to pay medical bills from all the bee stings.
These three errors happen to be presented here to help they are avoided by future beekeepers. It truly is best to consult an expert beekeeper before getting started beekeeping. If purchasing a certain thing looks overly pricey, consistently consider the end cost (if they don’t purchase this thing now, will it cost them more later on?). In the long run, it truly is up to the person to decide the best course of action. |
Monthly Archives: February 2014
Finally, after 6 months, Nicky has gotten her feathers! It’s taken a while for her to get used to them; she preferred being naked, and pulled and tugged, causing blood to drip down her skin. Considering she has likely to have spent first first two years of her life naked, it is an understandable reaction.
Nicky joined my flock, her retirement home having been a egg-laying barn hen, last August. She was in a state, and never allowed at the feeder, having to fight for every mouthful. For the first couple of weeks, I fed her separately, and then, having gained some strength, she developed her own method and ran between the feeders, extending her telescopic neck and grabbing a morsel before running away.
Look carefully, and you can see her bare back-end at the top of the photo!
Inside a barn with thousands of other hens, all of which were bigger than her, her feathers were nothing more than a hindrance and provided the other hens with a means of holding her down. In order to escape the pecking, she would run. In the process, the feathers would be plucked free of her body.This would have happened over and over again. As a result, they stopped growing – a sensible solution.
It’s taken a while for her brain to realise she is in a new environment. She is a tough little bird. Even on the coldest, wettest of winter days, she would take a walk, unconcerned by the challenging weather reaching her skin. Feathers were for the weak! She did not like them, and even as they started to grow, plucked them free, leaving the downy feathers in piles under the bushes.
Did she like to be different? Did she not like her new outfit? Was it itchy? I really don’t know what her problem was, but regardless, she plucked them out causing blood to drip down her body. But they grew and grew. There was no getting away from the fact she was going through a change.
It has been a confusing time. She hides in the dense shrubbery, staying away from the others and puzzled by her pretty, feathery appearance. She won’t let us pick her up, something she has previously allowed. And what’s even more strange, at least to her, is that she has equal place at the feeder. For days, she would stand on the outskirts, waiting to be bullied. It never happened and it made no sense. Her world had changed.
Finally, Nicky is one of the flock. She is accepted. She is a proper little hen. Her next challenge is the rise through the rankings.
A couple of years ago this swarm arrived in my garden and since Doug and I both love nature, we decided to buy a hive and give them a home. We called a local beekeeper to collect the swarm and place the colony into a hive. It proved successful.
Our belief is to keep our interference to a minimum; it is a method known as ‘natural beekeeping.’ The bees do know what they are doing. They want to survive, and they have had years of experience! We should listen to them and give them only what they need. They don’t appreciate being interfered with, and they don’t like their winter storage of food stolen!
Honey bees are struggling in the UK due to a variety of reasons. For one thing, we use pesticide and fungicide sprays far too liberally. Given the amount of flying a bee undertakes it is easy to see that before too long the bee will fly into the deadly mist and inject the particles. If it doesn’t kill them, it will harm them. Some chemicals throw off the bee’s navigation system making foraging and returning to the hive difficult. A confused, dysfunctioning bee is not a productive bee.
The second problem I have considered has wider implications than we may first realise. It relates to the amount of honey we take from the hives during autumn.
The honey is there to provide the bees with food during winter. It is quite normal for beekeepers to take a proportion of the honey and replace it with sugar water. I do not believe this is logical, and certainly not when we take excessive amounts. Let’s think about this for a second. Honey is full of goodness. It is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, it is a healing agent and a probiotic, and it has nutritional value, boosting our immune system. What does sugar water provide? Not a lot, aside from a little energy.
If we ate nothing but donuts, we would struggle to fight infection. It is the same for the bee. Spring is a time when bees need to be operating at their peak. They should be energised and ready to make new workers and drones, and potentially new queens; they should be gathering an abundance of pollen and nectar, and stocking up for later in the year when foraging becomes more difficult; they should be fighting fit.
Life is tough enough without our intervention. Bees are amazing little creatures, and it is an operation run by the girls. Let’s help them, not hinder them, and let’s not be greedy. They will pay us back many times over, not only with the pleasure we gain by watching them, but by producing healthy colonies and multiplying.
This time last year we had one hive, and now we have 3. Unfortunately, we did have 4 but one colony died last week. It is sad to see thousands of dead bees, but at least we had given them a chance. The queen was a virgin – in other words, not tried and tested – and so the chances of the colony surviving were slim. Figures crossed for the others.
The stormy weather in the UK has persisted for the last few months, and many houses have been flooded for weeks. This has to be one of the most soul-destroying things that can happen, and I can only imagine the devastation one must feel. I am lucky. I live on the other side of the UK to where the worst of the weather had been occurring, but yesterday we had our first inconvenient experience.
The winds and rain had been building throughout the day, peaking in the middle of the afternoon. The noise was unsettling, and whilst you feel safe inside your house, you’re never quite sure of what was happening outside. Our main concern was for the beehives and the chickens.
We had weighted down the beehives with concrete blocks, so felt fairly certain they would be okay. The chickens, though, were another matter. Whilst we didn’t feel they could come to any harm, it didn’t stop us from worrying about them. Upon our inspection, they were undercover but sodden, since the wind was coming from the wrong direction. Our rooster, Stanley, was facing the corner of his shelter, and hunched up. Some of the girls were inside the house. Perhaps they were the ones with a fraction more intelligence.
So, we were all okay. But then the power went off. It made me realise how much we rely of the seemingly magical stuff that comes into our houses. Being without it was so inconvenient.
It was dark. I could not work on my computer. I could not have a warm meal or a hot drink. I could not listen to the radio. I could not read, except under torchlight, which I didn’t fancy. More importantly, I could not watch Andy Murray playing a tennis match on television! GUTTED!
So, we had cheese sandwich and a glass of cold water for dinner, and we sat by the wood-burning stove and did something often considered unusual in many households. We talked! Now there’s something new!
The break in power only lasted 5 hours, but it was long enough. It was made me realise how lucky we have been in recent weeks; parts of the UK have been having a hellish time, yet we have gone relatively unscathed.
If it weren’t for the swift response of the electrical company who battled the dark, the wind and rain to replace the snapped cable, I would still be eating cheese sandwiches and sipping cold water. Thank you guys!
Meet Rhoda, a 3 year old Speckled Grey Hybrid laying hen.
She has a little problem. The upshot is, she needs a bra. Let me explain.
Ever few weeks during the last 2 years she has periods when she stops eating, and drinks ridiculous amounts of water. But the water does not go through her crop and it causes it to feel like a water-filled balloon. Basically, she has a propensity to sour crop, or at least something similar, and if we ignore the situation she will die a slow death.
Sour crop is a yeast infection in the birds crop, and aside from having a squishy crop, the bird has awful smelling breath.It will kill birds and it does need to be treated. Since Rhoda only has the squishy crop, and not the infection, she makes a swift recovery, so long as we follow our routine.
Our solution is to open her beak and tip her upside down. We follow this with a couple of crop massages during the course of the next few hours, and then another tipping if necessary. Since this problem occurs regularly, she has grown used to our intervention and is cooperative.
Today, as soon as I touched her, water spilled out of her beak, and that was when she was the right way up! Yet still she carries on drinking. Now I know why the phrase bird-brain!
The poor girl. As a result of this persistent problem she has rather a saggy crop. Even when it functions properly it hangs down to her legs, and, when she trots, swings from side to side. She needs a bra. Yes, they do exist. Crop Bra’s for Chicken’s! What next?
Would I be humanizing her too much if I put one on her birthday list?
Dogs provide us with many funny moments, and often it can be when they are at their most mischievous . . . or perhaps that’s just my quirky sense of humour.
I remember a time, many years ago, when I had 5 standard poodles. Yes 5 – 2 adults and 3 pups! When Doug and I left the house we believed the safest place for them was the kitchen, but they were an inquisitive bunch, and being a pack, encouraged each other to do their worst. One of them would seek out food left on the surfaces, whether it was food remaining in a pan or dish, or simply an unwashed plate. By using a paw, it would crash to the floor and they would lick the remains.
Lesson 1: never leave dishes, plates and pans on the kitchen surface. The smell of food, even when it’s just a smattering, is irresistible.
For a while, this mischievous pack of dogs was well behaved . . . until one of them learned to open the fridge. It was a disaster. Whilst we were out, they consumed a 2kg margarine tub, a large block of cheese, and many other goodies. It must have been quiet a sight seeing the raid, and probably very funny. However, cleaning up the mess they had left was not something I would describe as even vaguely amusing. Not only was everything greasy, but, well, let’s just say lots of fat equates to very slippery intestines! And there were five of them! Not fun!
As punishment, Doug sat them in a row and marched up and down voicing his disapproval. They looked so scared and squeezed their terrified bodies closer together. It seemed work, and weeks passed before we encountered any more trouble. Maybe the large magnet on the fridge door helped a little too!
Lesson 2: Put a big magnet or lock on the fridge.
Had they finally learned to behave, or more accurately, had we learned what to do to avoid any situations? It seemed possible. We persisted with the magnet and never left food, even just scraps within their reach. We were always vigilant, checking and double-checking everything on our departure. Nothing could go wrong; we had it covered. Even so, returning home always caused a feeling of dread.
I put the key in the door. It was quiet. Something was wrong. They should be barking and pounding the door with their paws. I knew then they had misbehaved and my stomach sank.
I opened the door. I saw. I screamed.
They had knocked over the deep fat fryer! Oil was everywhere, across the floor, over the kitchen units, and on the dogs. It was a disaster. We both flipped!
Lesson 3: Don’t leave the deep fat fryer near the edge of the surface.
With hindsight, it was very funny. I can still see their oily sorrowful faces, and I can see them trying to get away, unable to get purchase on the slippery floor. They looked so scared, fearing the big man who forced them into a line and marched up and down.
‘He loves us really,’ one said. ‘Not today,’ came the reply.
Lesson 4: Make sure you have a sense of humour at all times. |
American Beekeeping Federation Conference was held this year in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on January 8th to the 11th. I was truly lucky to attend this meeting and was looking forward to some warm weather but as Mother Nature would have it, the temps there were colder than had been seen in a long time.
Just getting to Baton Rouge proved to be a challenge with flying into the Atlanta airport and not having a flight out till the next day. What started out to be an exciting flight with wind shear got worse with cancellations, no hotels, no food vouchers and then a sleep-over in the airport. Atlanta does pose some challenges! I almost missed the tour of the bee lab completely!
The tour of the USDA Bee Research Lab in Baton Rouge was a delight in itself. After a small group of us conned the hotel shuttle bus driver to take us there late (we missed the tour bus) the Cajun lunch was superb. Even ate the alligator picante sauce on rice. (tasted just like chewy chicken) An overview of the breeding of Russian bees, the queen rearing efforts along with the insemination practices and a look at one of the bee yards was enlightening to say the least. So much to see there and so little time! I could have spent my week there.
Meetings were informative and breaks offered time to visit with vendors that were located in the lower level. Wonderful displays offered beekeepers new products and the vendors were on hand to discuss benefits. I had the opportunity to talk to vendors from Australia and Montreal! Vendors from all over the world were present.
Even custom made jewelry adorned the visitors – this picture showed a ring made for an anniversary present! (I forwarded the picture to my husband for future reference)
All taken into account – a good conference.
I am ready to ride to the next conference!!!! |
Vietnam Veteran Fights PTSD By Gardening, Beekeeping
It’s been decades since Paul Javins served in Vietnam – but the memories still haunt him.
“A lot of flashbacks, a lot of bad stuff going on,” Javins said. “Lost temper, drank a little too much, partied too much, but I didn’t care.
He says his post-traumatic stress disorder is something most people won’t understand – at least not like the buddies who garden with him.
Javins is one of several veterans taking care of a community garden – an acre on Kohl Farm in Milwaukee. Vets getting treated at the Vet Center head out there a few times a week. It started about four years ago as another form of therapy for veterans dealing with the emotional wounds of war.
“It gives you a chance to be with veterans that had the same experiences,” Javins said. “That is very important to most of us.”
Counselors at the Vet Center say – it’s not really about the gardening.
“Our garden is not so much about growing plants and vegetables, but it’s about getting veterans to heal,” said Rodney Pearsall, a readjustment counselor at the Vet Center.
“When they ask us ‘What are you growing?’ We’re growing more happiness. We’re growing fellowship. We’re growing peace,” he said. “It’s hard to come out here and not be relaxed.”
“It gives me an outlet,” Javins said. “You know, in the mornings we all meet as a group, which is really great. We get to sit around and talk -- and if we want to work, we can work. Sometimes we don’t do much work. We do a lot of talking.”
The talking helps. But sometimes, it’s about not talking at all.
“It’s nice out here because it’s nice and quiet,” Javins said. “It’s beautiful. You get to think through problems.”
“They sleep better when they go to bed at night,” said Pearsall. “They have something good to think about for many of them its given them a family again. It’s hard not to be at peace out here. I think that’s one of the big things -- is that it gives them peace.”
“If you’re sitting at home doing nothing, you’re thinking about maybe combat experiences, or something that happened before,” said Javins. “Out here you don’t get that, you’re keeping your mind active. It gives us a guiding light to go by. If other guys can make it – why can’t I?”
Those working on the garden are hopeful for donations in order to purchase equipment to better maintain the plants and vegetables. If you are interested in donating, you can do so through the UW-Extension. |
Jimmy Lydecker is one of my best friends of all time; he and I see things pretty much the same. I was engaged to his sister at one time; 'nuff said, except that we didn't get married, which is probably the best for both of us. He lives in Marin County, CA. He is also probably a better writer than I am; you judge.
.MY WORLD WITHOUT OIL
San Rafael, California
May 14, 2007
I woke up this morning to the sound I fell asleep to last night: The whooshing of cars going north and south on 101.
Actually, the whooshing is being replaced by a huge sucking sound... It is the sound of crude oil being sucked out of the ground to allow those cars to go flying by.
In America, unlike the rest of the world, 1/2 of the oil we use goes to the production of gasoline. Each day, the world uses over 80 million of barrels of oil. The United States, with 7% of the world’s population, uses over 25% of that 80+ million. That’ll happen when a nation of 320 million has more cars and trucks than people.
I laid in bed thinking of all the other things oil and its cousin, natural gas, are used for and how today would go if they were non-existent. This little exercise has been done before and everyone should think about it.
Living in Northern California, we have a fair amount of electricity generated by hydro, but not enough to keep all of us out of the dark all the time. Since it is 6:30 and still dark, I roll over, turn on my light and hope my section of the grid was not blacked out.
The light, in a fixture circa 1890, lit. I noticed the wire from the light needed attention as the fabric covering it was coming frayed... remember, no oil means no rubber insulation.
I roll onto the wood floor. My Dupont Stainmaster rug is no longer there. It was made out of oil.I look at myself in the bathroom mirror and decide I need to shave and get ready for another day in San Rafael. This is not going to be as easy as usual. Without oil, all my toiletries are history. There is no disposable razor as it is primarily plastic. Without oil, there’s nothing plastic.
Even if I had one of those old fashioned straight razors, I’d have no shaving cream: The lather is oil based.
For that matter, I have no shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, soap, toothbrush or toothpaste as they are all made from oil.
I look into my empty medicine cabinet and wonder where did my vitamins, aspirin, Zantac and antibiotics go? Oh, yeah, they are all made from oil. Even the moisturizing cream I use is no longer there.I decide to jump into the shower. At least the cold water will wake me up. But then I’ll have a hell of a mess to clean up as the water will splash all over without my shower curtain. It, too, is made of oil.It is au natural for me today.
Luckily, I am a cotton guy. I pull on a pair of Levi’s, t-shirt and socks. The socks suck because without oil, there is no elasticity to them and they keep falling down to my ankles.
I look for my Nike’s. They are not here! God, that’s right! Sneakers, one of the best inventions of all time, are non-existent. They are primarily oil based. I have to wear these uncomfortable clodhoppers with thick, stiff leather soles. Uncomfortable and just plain ugly!
Still cool outside, I look for my familiar multi-use Patagonia jacket. It is no where to be found. Ahhhhhh!!!, now I remember! It is made from oil. Instead I reach for my denim jacket.
Leaving my house on Hammondale Court, I am surprised by all the dust caused by the occasional horse or carriage going downtown on Lincoln Avenue. Without oil, there is no asphalt and the streets are dirt.I traipse the mile downtown to 4th Street where there are a number or restaurants. The trick is to find one that has what you want to eat. Today I decide to keep it simple: Eggs, hash browns, whole wheat toast and coffee.
Eating is the most challenging part of the day as nothing in our lives is more affected by a contraction of oil and natural gas supplies than agriculture. In 1859, when we entered the oil age, we were an agrarian nation where 90% of the population produced our food. Oil and natural gas, from which all pesticides and fertilizers are produced, are directly responsible for the Green Revolution. Today, 2% of the population produces the food for the other 98%.
Without pesticides or fertilizers, crop yields plummet. Without oil, there are no tractors, combines, threshers or any other of the mechanized methods we now take for granted. And the transportation of our agriculture products becomes a nightmare at best without reliable refrigeration.
Curse those futurists, I think, those that said we can get by using ethanol and other crop-derived energy sources. Haven’t they thought of Jevon’s Paradox? I guess not! Jevon’s Paradox is when you attempt to get yourself out of a progress trap by doing something that makes everything worse.
In fact, every alternative source for oil or oil based energy is ruined by Jevon’s Paradox.To switch to ethanol would consume what is left of oil and natural gas faster than just continuing on our present course.
Hydrogen? We’d need an additional 300 nuclear power plants to produce it for 300+ million people. Before the first 50 were built, we’d reach Peak Uranium and be in South Africa fighting for control of the world’s uranium.
And replacing 10% of our cars with fuel cells would use up the world’s supply of platinum.
I think of all the promises made about the oil sands of Canada... Oh, that’s right, the problem is the same as making synthetic oil from coal. It is a big problem with a big acronym - EROEI: Energy returned on energy invested.
If the EROEI is a negative number where you have to invest more energy into getting the same amount back, then what is the sense? This is the ultimate Jevon’s Paradox.There was a time when the EROEI from Middle Eastern oil was a staggering +30. At best now it is +10.
The best we can do with oil sands is about -5. The only way the industry stumbles by now is because of huge subsidies from the American and Canadian governments. Since it requires huge amounts of natural gas, the EROEI will keep heading south as natural gas is depleted.
Wait a second! What am I doing here? I shouldn’t be contemplating this over as I’m in the middle of my oil-free exercise.
Quietly I finish my single egg, piece of bread (no toast), potato and wish I had some coffee. Coffee is difficult to come by without reliable shipments from South America.And I don’t know about that glass of milk I drank. The waitress said it was pasteurized but...Sheeeeesh, I sigh as I begin the mile long hike back home. I figure I’ll kick back the rest of the day and relax.
But what to do in a world without oil? I can’t watch the tube or listen to the radio. They both require massive amounts of oil to manufacture.
Watching a DVD or listening to CD is out as well! In fact, I won’t even be writing this little exercise of mine now as computers will be non-existent.
Despite it all, I look around and notice the world around me seems cleaner. Probably something to do with our disposable society that no longer exists. And the air is cleaner without all those cars on 101 - Hey! It is quieter, too. I can actually hear birds singing up above and children playing in backyards.
But it is not going to a pretty scene as hydrocarbons are depleted. We are talking social strife, mass migration, starvation, epidemics and worse. The world’s population has become unmanageable to exist without oil.
I always tell people to go to YouTube and type “post-oil man” into the search bar. It may be the most eye-opening 4 minutes you’ll spend in your life.As I reach home after my dusty walk from breakfast downtown, I look around and know at least it’ll be light today even if PG&E turns off the power on Hammondale Court. Nope, a rolling blackout won’t affect the light or temperature indoors.Up above, our familiar ol’ friend, the Sun, shines bright and warm.
OF EINSTEIN, BEES AND PEAK OILMay 13, 2007San Rafael“A crisis is a problem that was ignored. All great crises were ignored until it was too late.” - Matthew Simmons.
Walking to my weekend bookkeeping job early this morning, I reflected on two issues that challenge us now. These are problems at our doorstep that, as Matt Simmons says, can become very large crises very quickly.
“Bee Colony Collapse Disorder - Where is it Heading? Filed under Agriculture & Food by Craig Mackintosh) … There’s still no concrete evidence about what is killing the billions of bees around the country, but there are a lot of guesses. If we don’t figure this out real quick, it’s going to wipe out our food supply…”
From Science Daily: “Honey Bee Die-off Alarms Beekeepers, Crop Growers And Researchers… An alarming die-off of honey bees has beekeepers fighting for commercial survival and crop growers wondering whether bees will be available to pollinate their crops this spring and summer. Researchers are scrambling to find answers to what's causing an affliction recently named Colony Collapse Disorder, which has decimated commercial beekeeping operations across the country…”
The US Department of Agriculture has placed CCD at the top of their priorities. UC-Davis and Texas A&M have been given million dollar emergency grants to figure CCD out. A spokesman at Davis said we could be looking at “a precursor to famine.”
A chilling prediction about the importance of bees to mankind comes from none other than Albert Einstein. When at Princeton, Einstein learned to relax from academia by gardening in the backyard of his New Jersey home. One day he mused, "If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man."
A Davis scientist on Coast-to-Coast AM last week said we have no more than 4 years to do something about CCD; two years beyond that and things will become dire.
Einstein has been a dead dude for 52 years but he still walks among us.
It is impossible for me to go very long and not worry about Peak Oil. My place here in San Rafael is a stone’s throw to 101 and the non-stop whooshing of cars never stops. I was unable to sleep the first few nights after moving in until I deluded myself into believing I was actually at the ocean listening to the sound of crashing waves.
Well, not really…
You’d have to be a three-toed sloth hanging upside down from a tree in the Amazon to not be aware of how expensive gasoline is.Most people want to lay blame on Big Oil, OPEC, lack of refining capacity or any other of the usual suspects.
Now, I am not an expert like Mathew Simmons but over these past several years I have become extremely knowledgeable on oil and think Simmons is correct. Remember, Mathew Simmons owns the world’s largest energy investment bank (Simmons International, Houston), is an oil geologist and insider who also is principal advisor to both the Bush and Cheney families on…oil.
Simmons has intimate knowledge of what lies under the Middle East sands since he was one of the last booted out from Saudi Arabia after OPEC nationalized the oil industry.
Simmons is also the one screaming loudest about Peak Oil and how it is upon us.Last week the Department of Energy and International Energy Agency posted some scary numbers that shed light on gasoline’s unprecedented upsurge.
First, world supply of crude, gasoline and various distillates is at the lowest level in four years and continues to draw down.
Second, world oil production is at the lowest level in 5 years and producers, particularly OPEC, say they are coaxing as much out of the ground as quickly as possible.
Remember, the North Sea and Mexico’s giant Cantarell oil field, the eighth largest in the world, are suffering from “severe premature declines of unprecedented proportions.”
The real question is the health of Saudi Arabia’s Ghawar, the largest oil field of all time. Ghawar has been producing an average of 5 million barrels of crude a day since 1951. When Simmons left Saudi Arabia in 1979, the Saudis were pumping over 9 million barrels of sea water into Ghawar daily. Rumors creeping out of the Saudi Arabian Empty Quarter are that Ghawar’s water cut has reached 60%, an unacceptable amount.
Simmons says we are in trouble when Ghawar winds down. And how will we know? Most experts say when Saudi Arabia announces it is going to open up Manifa for drilling, which is exactly what they said last week. But here is the latest on Manifa:-After OilBy David Fleming(C) Prospect Magazine “Beneath the seabed off the coast of Saudi Arabia is an oil field called Manifa. It is giant, and its riches are almost untapped. There is, however, a snag. Its oil is heavy with vanadium and hydrogen sulphide, making it virtually unusable. One day the technology may be in place to remove these contaminants, but it will not be for a long time, and when, or if, it becomes possible, it will do no more than slightly reduce the rate at which the world's oil supplies slip away towards depletion. Even this field has one advantage over the massive reserves of oil which Middle East suppliers are said to hold, ready to secure the future of industrial civilization. Unlike those fantasy fields, Manifa does actually exist.”
Consider us lucky for paying what we do for gasoline because the problem is much worse. According to a report two weeks ago from the CIA, virtually all oil producing nations are quickly going broke. Every nation in OPEC, except Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, are borrowing tremendous sums from the World Bank and other sources to stay afloat. (Iran’s financial position is so precarious that it will be unable to fund their nuclear ambitions much longer, says the report.)
Since they are hurting so bad, they are underbidding each other while pumping as fast and as much as they can. They still are unable to keep up with demand.
With Peak Oil and the bee Colony Collapse Disorder, I find myself humming that REM song over-and-over again: “It’s the end of the world as we know it…”*I’ve got to give credit for credit due… Ernie, my brother, turned me onto the dead dude Einstein antidote. Nice story, I thought until checking it out.
Most sources accept it as true. |
Beekeeping class scheduled
Neuse Regional Beekeepers announce a Spring Bee School for anyone interested in learning about honey bees or beekeeping. Bee experience or ownership of bees is not required. No experience is required and farmers, gardeners, crafters and students are all invited to participate. The six-week training class will address the major components of beginning beekeeping. Hands-on experience with bees will be offered for those who desire to participate.
The school will begin on Saturday Feb. 1 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Lenoir County Cooperative Extension office. The class will continue on Saturday, Feb. 8, 17, 22 and March 1 and 15. The office is located at 1791 Hwy 11/55 in Kinston. Directions are available by calling the office at 252-527-2191.
Each session will consist of a presentation and a question-and-answer period. Participants will benefit from bringing a notebook and writing instrument for taking notes. Various volunteers who are members of the N.C. State Master Beekeepers Program will teach the classes.
The fee for the course is $45, which includes handouts and the textbook, First Lessons in Beekeeping, written by Dr. Keith Delaplane. Delaplane is from the University of Georgia Entomology Department and is an internationally renowned expert on honey bees.
Neuse Regional Beekeepers is a chapter of the N.C. State Beekeepers Association, Inc. The Neuse Regional Beekeepers was formed in 2006 to provide education and support for local beekeepers and the public. Membership in the organization is encouraged but not required. For those interested in joining the NC State Master Beekeepers Program, the initiate level (Certified Beekeeper) testing will be available following the course. The course of instruction should provide ample information for those taking the Master Beekeeper first level test.
Monthly meetings of the Neuse Regional Beekeepers are held on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. in the Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Office.
Registration for the class will take place at the door on Feb. 1. For further information, call Bob Gaddis, 252-468-2029 or Peg Godwin (Peg_Godwin@ncsu.edu) 252-527-2191.
Peg Godwin is horticulture agent, Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Center, 1791 N.C. 11/55, Kinston, NC 28504. Reach her at 252-527-2191 or Peg_Godwin@ncsu.edu or 252-527-2191. |
When did vegetarianism become passe? 46
It used to be that when I told a fellow progressive I’m a vegetarian, I would get one of three reactions: (1) an enthusiastic “me too!,” (2) a slightly guilty admission of falling off the veg wagon, or (3) a voracious defense of the glories of steak.
These days, there’s another increasingly common reaction: People look at me with a mix of pity and confusion, like I’m some holdover from the ’90s wearing a baby-doll dress with chunky shoes and babbling on about No Doubt. I can see what they’re thinking: “You’re still a vegetarian?”
At some point over the past few years, vegetarianism went wholly out of style.
Now sustainable meat is all the rage. “Rock star” butchers proffer grass-fed beef, artisanal sausage, and heritage-breed chickens whose provenance can be traced back to conception on an idyllic rolling hillside. “Meat hipsters” eat it all up. The hard-core meaties flock to trendy butchery classes. Bacon has become a fetish even for eco-foodies, applied liberally to everything from salad to dessert, including “green” chocolate bars and “sustainable” ice cream.
All of which has led some vegetarians to give up their plant-based ways. But food fads aside, vegetarianism still has its place and deserves its due respect.
Let me state, for the record, that I wholeheartedly support the shift from factory farming to more sustainable meat production. Treating animals humanely, letting them eat what they’re naturally inclined to eat, raising them without antibiotics and hormones, incorporating them into holistic farms Joel Salatin-style, and, once they’re slaughtered, eating every last bit of them, nose to tail — that’s all good stuff.
But let’s get real. Only a teeny-tiny fraction of meat in the U.S. is actually produced in any way that could conceivably be described as “sustainable” — less than 1 percent, according to the group Farm Forward — and only a teeny-tiny fraction of that is raised in the super-duper-über-conscientious Salatin style. Most of the meat raised even by those trying to do it right comes with serious environmental impacts, from high water consumption to large land footprints to excessive methane emissions.
So it really gets my goat (ahem) when people claim it’s more responsible to eat supposedly sustainable meat than to abstain from it — like the author of this facile article from Food & Wine, who pats herself on the back for convincing her husband to give up his vegetarianism:
For Andrew and about a dozen people in our circle who have recently converted from vegetarianism, eating sustainable meat purchased from small farmers is a new form of activism — a way of striking a blow against the factory farming of livestock that books like Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma describe so damningly.
Oh come on. You’re not striking any more of a blow against Big Meat by buying your sustainable sausage at the farmers market than I am by buying my dried beans at the farmers market.
To nudge our horrific food system toward sustainability, we don’t need vegetarians to shift to occasional consumption of ethically produced meat. We need the American masses who eat an average of half a pound of factory-farmed meat a day to shift to the occasional consumption of ethically produced meat. (Americans are actually eating a little less meat overall these days, no thanks to the meat hipsters.)
Eating truly sustainable meat, in modest quantities, is a fine thing. But it’s not better than eating no meat — certainly not when we’ve got more than 7 billion people on a fast-heating planet competing to feed themselves via shrinking, oversubscribed cropland and increasingly limited, degraded freshwater supplies.
Yes, vegetarians can do better too. Just as most meat-eaters, even green-leaning ones, consume at least some less-than-exemplary meat, most vegetarians eat some highly processed, GMO-tainted, decidedly non-local soy products that wouldn’t win any sustainability awards. And just as omnivores can focus on eating better meat, vegetarians can focus on eating better sources of protein. When vegetarians do aim higher, it’s hard to beat them on the sustainability front — a non-soy-based, non-heavily-processed, local-focused veg diet is the definition of low impact.
In the end, vegetarianism — eating lower on the food chain, gobbling up fewer resources and less water — is still an ethical, environmentally friendly choice, just like it was in the ’90s. Maybe even more so now, if you consider how our environmental, energy, and food challenges have compounded in the last two decades.
So, meat hipsters, drop that smug sanctimony. Sometime soon, bacon-spiked dessert will look just as outmoded as lentil loaf and baby-doll dresses — and vegetarianism will still be a good choice for my health, society at large, and our global environment.
Monsanto’s new seeds could be a tech dead end 20
By Tom Laskawy30 Jan 2012 9:02 AM
When I wrote recently about the next generation of genetically engineered seeds, I was in truth referring to the next next generation. The fact is that the next actual generation of seeds is already out of the lab and poised for approval by the USDA.
And I’m not talking about Monsanto’s recently approved “drought-tolerant” seeds, which the USDA itself has observed are no more drought-tolerant than existing conventional hybrids.
No, the “exciting” new seeds are simply resistant to more than one kind of pesticide. Rather than resisting Monsanto’s glyphosate-based Roundup alone, they will now also be resistant to Dow AgroScience’s pesticide 2,4-D .
“A new pesticide,“ you say. “How exciting!” Except 2,4-D, despite its catchy name, has been around since World War II. Not only is it one of the most commonly used pesticides in the world, but it came to further prominence in certain circles when it was incorporated as a main ingredient in Agent Orange.
Indeed, as with research into new antibiotics, research into new — potentially safer — pesticides has come to a virtual standstill. Like the drug pipeline, the pesticide pipeline has run dry. Instead, biotech companies are going back to the older, more toxic chemicals, like 2,4-D, for inspiration.
And while you’d expect opposition to these new products from the likes of Tom Philpott of Mother Jones or Doug Gurian-Sherman of the Union of Concerned Scientists, one place you might not expect to see it is the pages of the influential, peer-reviewed journal BioScience.
And yet there it is! Led by David Mortensen, a team of scientists from Penn State, Montana State, and the University of New Hampshire published a paper that describes the effects on agriculture from an over-reliance on glyphosate and an overuse of Monsanto’s genetically modified seeds. It also discusses at length the risks of using new seeds that “stack” resistance to various pesticides into one genetically engineered package.
In short, they say that you can’t believe Monsanto and Dow when they hype gyphosate resistance plus 2,4-D resistance as two great tastes that taste great together. The two companies are promising to eliminate the growing superweed menace — the one that has caused farmers to abandon thousands of acres of prime farmland and to return to older, more toxic pesticides to protect their crops.
What these scientists conclude is that with so many weeds resistant to glyphosate already, it won’t take long for them to develop resistance to 2,4-D as well. According to the study’s authors, almost half of the nearly 40 species of weeds that are already resistant to two pesticides have arisen since 2005 (i.e. since the Roundup Ready era began). In short, the crisis Monsanto and Dow are promising to head off is already here.
There are other problems with 2,4-D, such as a strong link to cancer and a much greater tendency to drift on the wind (and thus contaminate nearby fields and waterways) — problems that the development of the less toxic, less volatile glyphosate was supposed to have “solved.” Yet now, thanks to Big Ag’s over-reliance on these genetically engineered one-hit wonders, which encouraged farmers to use too much glyphosate too often, we’re back to square one — or rather to square toxic.
There is, however, an alternative — and one that doesn’t require a total transition to organic agriculture (not that there’s anything wrong with that!). Mortensen and his team describe in detail a practice called Integrated Weed Management (IWM). Like its sibling, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), IWM does involve the use of chemical pesticides. But it’s a judicious use that can act as a last resort rather than a first line of defense. As the paper states:
IWM integrates tactics, such as crop rotation, cover crops, competitive crop cultivars, the judicious use of tillage, and targeted herbicide application, to reduce weed populations and selection pressures that drive the evolution of resistant weeds.
It’s designed for production agriculture and would most likely increase farmer profits, since farmers would get the benefit of reduced seed and pesticide costs and no real loss of productivity. But, as with the climate-friendly agriculture I discussed the other day, you’re unlikely to see IWM embraced by Big Ag any time soon.
The USDA, along with the entire large-scale agriculture economy, is built around the profits of pesticide and biotech companies. You need only watch the USDA approve new genetically engineered products — which the agency admits represents a threat to other forms of agriculture — to see how deep in the tank to these companies our government is.
Tom Philpott observed that with this latest development, agriculture is at “a crossroads.” I disagree. I would say that if the USDA approves this new multiple pesticide-resistant GMO seed as it’s expected to, large-scale agriculture in the country will have reached a true dead end.
A 17-year veteran of both traditional and online media, Tom is a founder and Executive Director of the Food & Environment Reporting Network and a Contributing Writer at Grist covering food and agricultural policy. Tom’s long and winding road to food politics writing passed through New York, Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, Florence, Italy and Philadelphia (which has a vibrant progressive food politics and sustainable agriculture scene, thank you very much). In addition to Grist, his writing has appeared online in the American Prospect, Slate, the New York Times and The New Republic. He is on record as believing that wrecking the planet is a bad idea. Follow him on Twitter.
Honeybee problem nearing a ‘critical point’ 11013 Jan 2012 7:39 PM
Photo: Pesticide Action Network North AmericaAnyone who’s been stung by a bee knows they can inflict an outsized pain for such tiny insects. It makes a strange kind of sense, then, that their demise would create an outsized problem for the food system by placing the more than 70 crops they pollinate — from almonds to apples to blueberries — in peril.
Although news about Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has died down, commercial beekeepers have seen average population losses of about 30 percent each year since 2006, said Paul Towers, of the Pesticide Action Network. Towers was one of the organizers of a conference that brought together beekeepers and environmental groups this week to tackle the challenges facing the beekeeping industry and the agricultural economy by proxy.
“We are inching our way toward a critical tipping point,” said Steve Ellis, secretary of the National Honey Bee Advisory Board (NHBAB) and a beekeeper for 35 years. Last year he had so many abnormal bee die-offs that he’ll qualify for disaster relief from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
In addition to continued reports of CCD — a still somewhat mysterious phenomenon in which entire bee colonies literally disappear, alien-abduction style, leaving not even their dead bodies behind — bee populations are suffering poor health in general, and experiencing shorter life spans and diminished vitality. And while parasites, pathogens, and habitat loss can deal blows to bee health, research increasingly points to pesticides as the primary culprit.
“In the industry we believe pesticides play an important role in what’s going on,” said Dave Hackenberg, co-chair of the NHBAB and a beekeeper in Pennsylvania.
Of particular concern is a group of pesticides, chemically similar to nicotine, called neonicotinoids (neonics for short), and one in particular called clothianidin. Instead of being sprayed, neonics are used to treat seeds, so that they’re absorbed by the plant’s vascular system, and then end up attacking the central nervous systems of bees that come to collect pollen. Virtually all of today’s genetically engineered Bt corn is treated with neonics. The chemical industry alleges that bees don’t like to collect corn pollen, but new research shows that not only do bees indeed forage in corn, but they also have multiple other routes of exposure to neonics.
The Purdue University study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, found high levels of clothianidin in planter exhaust spewed during the spring sowing of treated maize seed. It also found neonics in the soil of unplanted fields nearby those planted with Bt corn, on dandelions growing near those fields, in dead bees found near hive entrances, and in pollen stored in the hives.
Evidence already pointed to the presence of neonic-contaminated pollen as a factor in CCD. As Hackenberg explained, “The insects start taking [the pesticide] home, and it contaminates everywhere the insect came from.” These new revelations about the pervasiveness of neonics in bees’ habitats only strengthen the case against using the insecticides.
The irony, of course, is that farmers use these chemicals to protect their crops from destructive insects, but in so doing, they harm other insects essential to their crops’ production — a catch-22 that Hackenberg said speaks to the fact that “we have become a nation driven by the chemical industry.” In addition to beekeeping, he owns two farms, and even when crop analysts recommend spraying pesticides on his crops to kill an aphid population, for example, he knows that “if I spray, I’m going to kill all the beneficial insects.” But most farmers, lacking Hackenberg’s awareness of bee populations, follow the advice of the crop adviser — who, these days, is likely to be paid by the chemical industry, rather than by a state university or another independent entity.
Beekeepers have already teamed up with groups representing the almond and blueberry industries — both of which depend on honey bee pollination — to tackle the need for education among farmers. “A lot of [farm groups] are recognizing that we need more resources devoted to pollinator protection,” Ellis said. “We need that same level of commitment on a national basis, from our USDA and EPA and the agricultural chemical industry.”
Unfortunately, it was the EPA itself that green-lit clothianidin and other neonics for commercial use, despite its own scientists’ clear warnings about the chemicals’ effects on bees and other pollinators. That doesn’t bode well for the chances of getting neonics off the market now, even in light of the Purdue study’s findings.
“The agency has, in most cases, sided with pesticide manufacturers and worked to fast-track the approval of new products, and failed in cases when there’s clear evidence of harm to take those products off the market,” Towers said.
Since this is an election year — a time when no one wants to make Big Ag (and its money) mad — beekeepers may have to suffer another season of losses before there’s any hope of action on the EPA’s part. But when one out of every three bites of food on Americans’ plates results directly from honey bee pollination, there’s no question that the fate of these insects will determine our own as eaters.
Ellis, for his part, thinks that figuring out a way to solve the bee crisis could be a catalyst for larger reform within our agriculture system. “If we can protect that pollinator base, it’s going to have ripple effects … for wildlife, for human health,” he said. “It will bring up subjects that need to be looked at, of groundwater and surface water — all the connected subjects associated [with] chemical use and agriculture.”
Related action: Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) has a petition asking the EPA to ban Bayer’s toxic pesticide clothianidin.
Claire Thompson is an editorial assistant at Grist
Monsanto’s man Taylor returns to FDA in food-czar role 13
By Tom Philpott9 Jul 2009 1:04 AM
In a Tuesday afternoon press release, the FDA announced that Michael Taylor, a former Monsanto executive, had joined the agency as “senior advisor to the commissioner.” If the title is vague, the portfolio (pasted from the press release) is substantial–a kind of food czar of the Food and Drug Administration:
• Assess current food program challenges and opportunities
• Identify capacity needs and regulatory priorities
• Develop plans for allocating fiscal year 2010 resources
• Develop the FDA’s budget request for fiscal year 2011
• Plan implementation of new food safety legislation
Taylor’s new position isn’t his first in government. He’s a veteran apparatchik who has made an art of the role-swapping dance between the food industry and the agencies that regulate it. (The FDA’s press release highlights his government service while delicately omitting his Monsanto daliances.) In her 2002 book Food Politics, the nutritionist and food-industry critic Marion Nestle describes him like this (quote courtesy of La Vida Locavore):
Mr. Taylor is a lawyer who began his revolving door adventures as counsel to FDA. He then moved to King & Spalding, a private-sector law firm representing Monsanto, a leading agricultural biotechnology company. In 1991 he returned to the FDA as Deputy Commissioner for Policy, where he was part of the team that issued the agency’s decidedly industry-friendly policy on food biotechnology and that approved the use of Monsanto’s genetically engineered growth hormone in dairy cows. His questionable role in these decisions led to an investigation by the federal General Accounting Office, which eventually exonerated him of all conflict-of-interest charges. In 1994, Mr. Taylor moved to USDA to become administrator of its Food Safety and Inspection Service … After another stint in private legal practice with King & Spalding, Mr. Taylor again joined Monsanto as Vice President for Public Policy in 1998.
“Vice president for public policy” means, of course, chief lobbyist. Monsanto had hired him to keep his former colleagues at USDA and FDA, as well as Congress folk, up to date on the wonders of patent-protected seed biotechnology.
“Since 2000,” the FDA press release informs us, “Taylor has worked in academic and research settings on the challenges facing the nation’s food safety system and ways to address them.”
Watchdog in flack’s clothing?
And somewhere along the away, according to his erstwhile critic Nestle, Taylor had a moment like Saul’s on the road to Damascus: the one-time company man suddenly became a valorous industry watchdog. In a surprising blog post Tuesday, Nestle declared Taylor “a good pick” for the FDA. “I say this in full knowledge of his history,” Nestle wrote. Here’s her rationale:
Watch what happened when he moved to USDA in 1994 as head of its Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Just six weeks after taking the job, Mr. Taylor gave his first public speech to an annual convention of the American Meat Institute. There, he announced that USDA would now be driven by public health goals as much or more than by productivity concerns. The USDA would soon require science-based HACCP systems in every meat and poultry plant, would be testing raw ground beef, and would require contaminated meat to be destroyed or reprocessed. And because E. coli O157.H7 is infectious at very low doses, the USDA would consider any level of contamination of ground beef with these bacteria to be unsafe, adulterated, and subject to enforcement action. Whew. This took real courage.
Nestle goes on to report that Taylor, after serving a stint as Monsanto’s chief lobbyist, became a kind of food-safety intellectual, issuing wise papers on how the regulators should oversee food companies. She points us to an “excellent report” [PDF] co-written by Taylor, released this year.
That paper must be read carefully: Given Taylor’s new status, it–along with new guidelines released by the White House Food Safety Working on Tuesday–will likely serve as a kind of blueprint for the Obama FDA food oversight.
Two things jump out immediately from Taylor’s paper. First, it amounts to a forceful push to shift much more of the burden for funding food-safety operations to the state and local level. Its very title is “An Agenda for Strengthening State and Local Roles in the Nation’s Food Safety System.” The paper promotes a “Joint Funding Responsibility” between federal and local/state agencies.
Why is this a problem? For one, state and local budgets are parched dry, drained by the most severe economic downturn since the Depression. Is, say, California now going to fund a robust food-safety platform–with IOUs, perhaps?
Moreover, we’ve seen the sort of federal-state partnership Taylor promotes in action–and there have been spectacular failures. Remember the great peanut-butter calamity of 2008-’09, the one that killed at least seven people and sickened hundreds? In that case, the FDA had farmed out inspections of the ofending factory to Georgia authorities, who dutifully documented atrocious sanitary lapses even as tainted product got distributed nationwide.
The other immediate problem with Taylor’s blueprint relates to scale. A sane food-safety policy would do two things: 1) rein in the gigantic companies that routinely endanger millions with a single lapse at a single plant–say, a gigantic beef company that can send out 420,000 pounds of E. coli-tainted beef from a day’s processing; and 2) do so in a way that doesn’t harm the thousands of small-scale, community-oriented operations rising up in new alternative food systems.
Again and again, we’ve seen regulations designed to rein in big players actually consolidate their market power by wiping out small players. As a recent Food & Water Watch report showed, regulations that make sense for industrial slaughterhouses can spell the end for community- and regional-scale ones. The Taylor report only addresses this critical point once in its 80 pages: “Due regard should be given to making the traceback requirement feasible for small businesses.” Clearly, the small-scale producer issue isn’t a priority for Monsanto’s man at FDA.
A technocrat’s tinkering
With the widely respected Marion Nestle throwing her support behind the Taylor pick, I went looking for other perspectives. I asked Patty Lovera, assistant director of Food & Water Watch, for her take. FWW has been actively working to promote a scale-appropriate food-safety regime that checks Big Food without crushing small producers.
Lovera does not share Nestle’s enthusiasm. “Taylor basically promotes a risk-based approach, and we don’t think that’s adequate,” she told me. Lovera explained that in a risk-based approach, regulators focus limited resources on areas of the food system that pose the most risk. Sounds logical, she said, but it’s proven difficult to predict where risk factors really lie. I asked her if the peanut-butter debacle was a good example. Who would have foreseen multiple deaths from a factory that produces peanut paste for processed food manufacturers? She concurred. She added that the USDA’s FSIS program, which oversees meat safety, has largely failed in a 10-year effort to identify the riskiest parts of the meat-production process.
Then there’s the emphasis on what Nestle praised in her blog post as “science-based HACCP systems.” HACCP stands for “hazard analysis and critical control point.” In an HACCP system, you identify the points in a process that pose the most risk and “fix” the problem.
“That approach is really geared to techno fixes,” Lovera told me–stuff like ammonia washes, irradiation, etc. These procedures don’t seek to, say, keep salmonella-tainted peanut butter out of cookies, but rather to make salmonella-exposed cookies safe to eat. Moreover, the HACCP approach “hasn’t proven friendly to small producers,” she adds. To see the Obama FDA appear to embrace it, she told me, “makes us cringe.” In the end, the food safety system doesn’t just need to tinker with the use of scarce resources, leveraged by increasing the burden on states and localities. It needs to devote more resources to actual inspections.
As for Taylor, here’s my take: Despite massive marketing budgets, the food industry has become widely distrusted over the last several years, with high-profile outbreaks a major reason. “Consumers are increasingly wary of the safety of food purchased at grocery stores,” declares a recent study. “And their confidence in–and trust of–food retailers, manufacturers and grocers is declining.”
The industry knows it needs an improved safety system; technocrats like Taylor can deliver a marginally improved food safety system while preserving profit margins and market share.
Perhaps the FDA’s new food czar can save some lives–I hope he does. It’s abominable when people die from eating pre-fab peanut butter cookie or salad from a bag. Taylor’s tinkerings could well reduce such disasters.
But what we really need is a food safety system that takes the shit out of industrial meat and the salmonella out of peanut butter, without dumping on small producers. And I don’t think Taylor will deliver that–or even try.
Tom Philpott was Grist’s senior food writer until May 2011. He now writes for Mother Jones.
McDonald’s Will Stop Using Pink Goop Beef in Its Burgers
Chef Jamie Oliver calls it pink slime. We feel it's more like pink goop. Either way, the ammonium hydroxide soaked pink crap beef is vomit inducing. Thankfully, you won't have to eat it anymore! Kind of. McDonald's has finally caved to the pressure and will ditch the use of the pink goop beef in its burgers.
What's gross about the pink goop beef, made by Beef Products Inc (BPI), is that it's actually made of of "beef trimmings" which are the undesirable, leftover crap of a cow that's better fit for dogs than humans. Taking it one step further, the beef trimmings are then processed and soaked in ammonium hydroxide and churned into ground beef. Agh, it's disgusting to even think about. This pink goop beef actually makes up 70% of America's ground beef too!
It's taken a while but McDonald's has finally decided to step up its standards in the US (it never used pink goop meat in the UK) and will no longer use the pink BPI meat in the US of A. It might taste fine but pink goop meat is so bad that US Department of Agriculture microbiologist Geral Zirnstein doesn't even consider "the stuff to be ground beef" and considers "allowing it in ground beef to be a form of fraudulent labeling." Oof. And we enjoy this madness!
Joining McDonald's in the pink crap ban is Burger King and Taco Bell which means we can breathe a sigh of relief as we won't be eating ammonium hydroxide soaked beef and beef trimmings fit for dogs when we want to eat crappy fast food. Quality you can't taste! [CBS News, Daily Mail Image Credit: VIPDesignUSA/Shutterstock]
DARPA researchers design eye-enhancing virtual reality contact lenses
January 31, 2012
Currently being developed by DARPA researchers at Washington-based Innovega iOptiks are contact lenses that enhance normal vision by allowing a wearer to view virtual and augmented reality images without the need for bulky apparatus. Instead of oversized virtual reality helmets, digital images are projected onto tiny full-color displays that are very near the eye. These novel contact lenses allow users to focus simultaneously on objects that are close up and far away. This could improve ability to use tiny portable displays while sill interacting with the surrounding environment.
Developed as part of DARPA’s Soldier Centric Imaging via Computational Cameras (SCENICC) program, SCENICC’s objective is to eliminate the ISR capability gap that exists at the individual Soldier level. The program seeks to develop novel computational imaging capabilities and explore joint design of hardware and software that give warfighters access to systems that greatly enhance their awareness, security and survivability.
Cuts force domestic violence refuges to turn victims away
Charities say funding cuts mean it is increasingly difficult to find beds for vulnerable women
Victims of domestic violence at risk of further abuse are being advised to sleep in Occupy camps, in police stations and accident and emergency departments because of sweeping cuts across the sector, according to domestic violence charities.
On an average day last year 230 women were turned away by Women's Aid, around 9% of those seeking refuge, because of a lack of space, the organisation has revealed.
And as further cuts begin to bite more women are likely to be put in danger, said Nicola Harwin, chief executive of Women's Aid, the largest national organisation for domestic and sexual violence services.
Freedom of information requests released in a major new report revealed that 31% of funding to the sector was cut by local authorities between 2010/11 and 2011/12, a reduction from £7.8m to £5.4m.
Harwin, who has worked in refuge provision since the 70s, said there was a real risk that four decades of progress in the sector could be lost. "We were one of the first countries in the world to create refuges, we built up those blocks gradually and they are being taken down," she said. "There is enormous determination, resilience and passion in this sector but the pressure on services to meet these women's very complex needs is huge."
Heather Harvey, research and development manager at Eaves, a London-based domestic violence charity, said it was becoming increasingly difficult to find a bed for vulnerable women. "We used to have a situation where we couldn't quickly place someone in emergency accommodation perhaps once a month. Now it's happening two to three times a week," she said.
Support workers were forced to suggest places for women to sleep outside, such as the Occupy camps, accident and emergency departments or night buses, she added. "All you can say to some of them if you sleep on the street, here are some ways of staying safe – but of course there have been reports of rape at an Occupy camp, . And you are only displacing the burden, someone has to pick up the human and economic cost further down the line."
The situation was reaching crisis point, she said. "Women are literally having to find a way of staying safe on the streets, or staying in violent relationships where they could end up dead. And the ultimate costs of that are huge – to the police, the NHS, the courts – it's a total false economy."
The effect on local services is both "dramatic and uneven across localities", according to the report commissioned by Trust for London and the Northern Rock Foundation. Specialist services are being particularly hardest hit, with organisations with local authority funding of less than £20,000 suffering an average cut of 70%, compared with 29% for those receiving more than £100,000. Imkaan, who run refuges for minority women, were forced to close two of their six refuges, losing local authority funding for two more.
Hannana Siddiqui, of Southall Black Sisters, which provides support for black and ethnic minority (BME) victims of domestic violence and is in danger of losing up to half its staff next year, said specialist services were too small to compete in new commissioning models that demand budget services.
As a result minority organisations were having to close or be absorbed by a larger group, she said: "But we have built up the expertise to meet the needs of hard-to-reach BME women. And if you reduce the quality and quantity of provision that has serious implications. More women are turned away, there are more suicides, more homicides, more forced marriages."
A perfect storm of statutory cuts to police, welfare, housing and legal aid was also putting pressure on the sector, with little being done to measure the impact on women's services, said Harwin.
Changes in commissioning meant local authorities were increasingly choosing low-budget services from non-specialist providers, she said. "Every area is being hit, and if all routes to safety are being cut back I believe we will see more tragedies, more homicides and lots more women and children living in violent situations," she said.
Cuts to Supporting People, a government programme for vulnerable people with housing needs, and legal aid were expected to disproportionately impact women, while other specialised expertise including domestic abuse officers, a unit on female genital mutilation and domestic violence courts had also been lost, according to the report.
In other examples, Refuge, a charity which provides emergency accommodation for women and children, reported cuts to 50% of their contracts, Respect, a charity with works with perpetrators of domestic violence, reported 44% of services had lost specific projects, while research from the Women's Resource Centre found that one in five women's organisations have closed (pdf), and 25% of those questioned believed funding cuts would lead to the closure of their organisation.
Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said the combination of pressures around commissioning, and cuts to funding and statutory organisations motivated her to launch a commission on women's safety, spearheaded by the former solicitor general, Vera Baird.
"These figures that show such a steep cut in such a short period of time are shocking," she said. "I am deeply concerned about this - it is putting women and children in danger and we risk turning back the clock on the important work that has been done to prevent women being put in life-threatening situations."
She called on the government to urgently assess the impact of cuts, and ensure every area had sufficient services for vulnerable women.
Lynne Featherstone, the Home Office minister for equality, who will speak at the Women's Aid AGM on Wednesday, said the coalition had demonstrated that ending violence against women and girls was an "absolute priority", publishing an action plan to end violence against women and girls, ring-fencing £28m for domestic violence services, and allocating £10.5m for rape crisis services, and £900,000 for domestic violence helplines.
Featherstone called on local authorities not to make disproportionate cuts or look at the women's sector as a "soft target" for cuts.
"These are tough times and everyone is dealing with cuts, but this coalition government has sent out a very clear message about the importance and value it places on this sector. I would rebut very firmly that the sector is in crisis, this government is putting it's best foot forward and is committed to ending violence against women and girls," she said.
Eaves recently struggled to help 29-year-old Linda and her 11-month-old baby. She fled to her mother's house after being physically abused by her partner, but when she refused to return to him she was thrown out and left homeless.
The homeless people's unit (HPU) of her local authority decided she was not a "priority" case and only provided last-minute B&B accomodation for two consecutive nights. Linda and her baby lingered in fast food restaurants and internet cafes to keep warm. With her bags clearly visible in the pushchair she felt vulnerable, and described the experience as "really frightening".
"This was nothing short of the most horrible and terrible time of my life," she said. "When I was at my most vulnerable, I was pushed away in the coldest manner by the HPU who told me that they had "bigger priorities".
Only when threatened with a judicial review did the council agreed to provide temporary accommodation – in a hostel – "while they conducted an investigation".
Support worker Lorena Fuentes said: "Obviously she was a priority - a young mother with a baby under a year old and fleeing a violent situation – so we were stunned when the local HPU turned her away.
"Quite frankly, I don't think this would have happened a year ago. All this trying to dodge responsibility, quite apart from being hugely stressful to the mother and baby, is a pointless waste of everybody's time and money."
Linda said without the help of the Scarlet Centre, a drop-in centre for women who have experienced domestic violence, she would have been completely lost.
"It makes me feel uncomfortable talking about it even now, and I have a sick feeling in my stomach that won't go away. The feeling of the stress and uncertainty of what was going to happen to me and my baby made me feel beyond desperate. I would hate to think where we would be without them."
What effect has decriminalising drugs had in Portugal?31 January, 2012 - 12:00 -- Joseph O'LearyFollowing Sir Richard Branson's appearance before the Home Affairs Select Committee, Melanie Phillips waded into the debate on BBC's Question Time to lambaste Portugal's record following its own decriminalisation of drugs in 2011. Full Fact examines the debate surrounding the issue.
"Richard Branson is not only wrong; he's dangerously wrong. For example he's so dangerous he's persuaded some of these good people in the audience that Portugal since it decriminalised drugs has had great success...
The very opposite is the case ... since Portugal decriminalised drugs, drug use there has gone up, the number of people using drugs has gone up, the number of homicides related to drug use has gone up by 40 per cent, and drug-related HIV/AIDS and Hepititis C is up and the rate in Portugal is now eight times that of EU countries"
Melanie Phillips, BBC Question Time, 26 January 2011
Last week Virgin chairman Sir Richard Branson appeared before the Home Affairs Select Committee as part of their inquiry into drugs policy. Sir Richard, who is a commissioner in the Global Commission on Drugs Policy, prominently featured Portugal as an example of a successful national drugs policy. Portugal decriminalised illicit drugs in July 2001.
The appearance was well reported and the topic eventually made it onto the BBC's Question Time programme. After an audience member brought up the example of Portgual, Melanie Phillips blasted the example, citing several statistics condemning Portugal's decriminalisation policy, such as increased drug use and mortality rates.
So what can we say about the Portuguese example of drug decriminalisation?
Number of drug users
Sir Richard Branson's figures can be found in the "War On Drugs" 2011 Report from the Global Commission on Drug Policy.
Some of figures used by Melanie Phillips are drawn from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) World Drugs Report from 2009. Page 168 of the report states of Portugal:
"Portugal did experience an increase in drug use after [decriminalisation] was implemented, but so did many European countries during this period. Cannabis use increased only moderately, but cocaine and amphetamine use rates apparently doubled off a low base."
These figures from UNODC are originally sourced from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) which compiles statistics on countries' drug usage. Examining the figures revealed that the prevalence of drug use is measured either based on findings from the last month, last year or over a whole lifetime. Portugal's figures are available from surveys conducted in 2001 and 2007.
Taking lifetime prevalence (shown below) demonstrates that the proportion of all adults taking various drugs has increased on almost all counts.
However, there is some debate over whether 'lifetime prevalence' is an appropriate measure given that this would include drug taking that took place before 2001 for many respondents. To gage the post-reform changes, it is also indicative to consider the annual prevalence. This is shown below:
A much-cited paper by Glenn Greenwald from the Cato Institute in 2009 (although also the source of controversy from, among others, the US Office of National Drug Control Policy), also examines these figures for more specific age groups. These demonstrate a counter-trend amongst 15 to 19 year olds - hence the source of some claims that usage has decreased in some quarters:
Furthermore, a 2007 paper by Caitlin Hughes and Alex Stevens cites research from Tavares et al (2005) that measures changes in lifetime prevalence of just those aged 16-18 - this time in 1999, two years before the law changes, and 2003, two years after:
Among this narrow age group, the number of Heroin users seems to have declined slightly after decriminalisation.
Another of Melanie Phillips' claims is mentioned in the UNODC 2009 report:
"The number of murders increased 40% during [2001 - 2006], a fact that might be related to the trafficking activity."
Eurostat's 'Statistics in Focus' provides the data on homicides for most European countries. Examining this data reveals the homicide rate in Portugal has increased from 105 to 148 per 100,000 population - a 41 per cent increase. The general trend across most of the other European countries is a decline in homicide, except in Ireland, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Sweden and Scotland.
However, the definition of homicide provided by the data is: "defined as intentional killing of a person, including murder, manslaughter, euthanasia and infanticide." There is no mention of drugs as a cause or involvement in the deaths. The only evidence comes from the UNODC's mention of "might be related to the trafficking activity". However this is hardly a solid foundation for assuming the murders are drug-related.
Data can again be drawn from Tavares et al via the Hughes/Stevens paper. While the caveats and limitations of these data need to be noted, they show that between 1999 and 2003 there was a marked decline in drug-related deaths in Portugal.
The most recent data from EMCDDA shows the total number of drug-related deaths in 2009 was 54, down from 94 in 2008. There is however no data available for earlier years. These datasets are not necessarily comparable.
Drug-related infectious diseases
Ms Phillips also pointed out rises in drug-related infectious diseases (DRID), specifically those in HIV and Hepititis C.
The figures from EMCDDA show that estimates of HIV infection ranged from 13.6 - 16.8 per cent of injecting drug users in 2001. By 2009, these ranged from 6.7 - 17.2 per cent. While different measures were used in each case, most of the measures taken in isolation showed falls in infection rates. Prevalence of Hepititis C among new injecting users also showed a small but volatile decline.
However, the number of possible datasets that can be used is considerable. The EMCDDA's profile on Portugal nevertheless summarises:
"In general, a decreasing trend in the percentage of drug users in the total number of notifications of HIV and AIDS cases continues to be registered (since 1999–2000). Likewise, the decline in the incidence of HIV and AIDS among IDUs is also registered since 1999–2000 (142 new HIV cases in 2009 and 1,482 in 2000; 70 new AIDS cases in 2009 and 675 in 1999). A downward trend can be observed also in the prevalence of HIV, HCV and HBV among clients of the drug treatment settings."
So on this count Portugal appears to be performing better than implied by Ms Phillips, although we cannot say to which specific measures to which she was originally referring.
The adacemic debate over Portugal's performance following decriminalisation remains considerable and hotly debated. Full Fact found many of the problems stemmed not necessarily from a disagreement over the facts but a disagreement over which facts matter when it comes to interpreting the effects of decriminalisation.
In addition to this, how these post-2001 trends compare to trends beforehand is also a relevant factor in the debate, as is the comparison with other European countries that have not followed Portugal's policy. Both are beyond the scope of this particular factcheck.
As for the trends that Melanie Phillips referred to, there is very much a mixed bag of figures. The prevalence of drug use has indeed increased, with only a small number of exceptions in narrower age bands. UNODC also highlight a large increase in cocaine seizures: seven-fold between 2001 and 2006.
Portugal's homicide rate bucked the European trend by increasing in the 2000s, but there seems to be little evidence that explicitly links this to drug usage, and on this count Ms Phillips' comments do not appear to paint the full picture. Drug-related deaths, specifically measured, indicated a decline in mortality from most drugs. Furthermore, infections from certain diseases also seem to have fallen, although again this is based on specific figures.
There is a considerable range of studies available - some mentioned here - that analyse the recent trends in the context of trends before decriminalistion took place in 2001. Only by taking these arguments into account can one infer the causal effect Portugal's policy has had on the effects of drug use in the country. |
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Items are shipped via UPS or FedEx. If you placed an order online through our store and your delivery address is within the 50 United States, you must select your carrier option at checkout. Carrier options will indicate shipping time (i.e. UPS Ground, 1-5 days) - please note that this timeframe does NOT include our manufacturing LEAD TIME, as outlined in the above section; meaning that at times when we are sold out of HexHive inventory, your order reserves your hive for fulfillment ASAP immediately following our next/subsequent manufacturing run, guaranteeing you will receive your hive with our next batch, before we sell out again.
Additional shipping charges outside the United States are also calculated using standard carrier rates; however, customer shipping addresses located outside of the 50 United States (including Puerto Rico) must contact us first, so that we can calculate an international shipping cost and send a you a personalized payable electronic invoice. BEEcosystem LLC shall not be held responsible for import taxes, VAT, or any other duties or imports that may be levied upon the international shipment by the customer's country of residence (or country of the ultimate delivery address provided by the customer). Any such duties or taxes levied upon import to any country outside the United States, against any products purchased, are the sole responsibility of the customer and not of BEEcosystem LLC, which shall not be held liable for foreign import, sales, value-added, or any other variety of taxes or duties imposed upon sales by countries other than the United States.
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Please inspect the packaging for external signs of damage. Open the package carefully and keep all packaging materials, including the box and/or crate, until the item has been determined to be undamaged.
If the customer determines the item to be damaged, please call BEEcosystem, LLC immediately at (814) 954-0084 to receive advice on how to proceed--if BEEcosystem, LLC does not answer, please leave a voicemail explaining the damage. Typically, BEEcosystem, LLC will ask the customer to photograph the damaged item and email the images to Hello@BEEcosystem.BUZZ so that the shipping company can be informed of physical evidence of damage.
All claims of damages must be reported within 3 business days of receipt of item.
BEEcosystem, LLC aims to provide high quality products and customer satisfaction. Before shipment, products are inspected and tested thoroughly to ensure quality. BEEcosystem, LLC will consider each request on a case by case basis.
BEEcosystem, LLC cannot be held responsible for damages or complications related to delivery location, weather, improper installation, improper usage, unauthorized repairs and/or modifications, and/or normal wear and tear. Even though products are water-resistant, all products are considered for indoor use only and are designed for minimal exterior use or exposure to liquids. All wooden components are made by hand and slight variations from piece to piece will occur; these are not considered defects and will not be eligible for refunds.
ORDER CANCELLATION AND RETURNS:
Custom orders cannot be returned. Orders may be canceled within the first 48 hours following initial purchasing payment. If a customer wishes to cancel an order, the customer must notify BEEcosystem, LLC in writing via email to Hello@BEEcosystem.BUZZ.
No items or components can be returned without prior authorization by BEEcosystem, LLC. As specified by BEEcosystem, LLC on an individual basis, including if a customer is unsatisfied by a defective item not caused by breakage during shipping, items may occasionally be required to be returned within their original packaging, or packaged for return shipment, and shipped at the expense of the customer to 1389 Centre Line Road, Warriors Mark, Pennsylvania 16877.
Upon receipt of damaged items or components, BEEcosystem, LLC will determine whether the item or component can be repaired or replaced and at what, if any, cost to the customer. BEEcosystem, LLC will notify the customer as soon as possible with an approximate timeframe for an item repair or component replacement delivery. Shipping and/or return shipping charges may be nonrefundable.
PRODUCT AND USE CARE AND MAINTENANCE:
See owner’s manual for all information related to installation, care, and maintenance of individual products. Product should only be used as specified in the product owner’s manual.
Some local municipalities and state governments do regulate laws pertaining to beekeeping in specific areas, and customers should review any local regulations that might exist in their area before purchasing BEEcosystem or beginning beekeeping.
All products supplied are proprietary to BEEcosystem, LLC and/or its licensors. BEEcosystem, LLC, its licensors or suppliers retain all proprietary rights in and to any products sold.
SALES CONVEY NO LICENSE:
Hardware and products are sold by BEEcosystem, LLC subject to the condition that the sale does not convey any license, under any proprietary claim covering complete equipment, or any assembly, method or process in which any such products are used as components. BEEcosystem, LLC and its suppliers reserve all rights under such proprietary claims.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY:
To the extent applicable by law BEEcosystem, LLC shall under no circumstances be liable for special, incidental, or consequential damages including loss of profit or opportunity, personal injury or death, which may be suffered or incurred howsoever arising directly or indirectly from the negligence or otherwise of BEEcosystem, LLC.
Customers agree by purchasing products from BEEcosystem, LLC that they hold BEEcosystem, LLC harmless from any and all claims, loss or damage to personal property, liabilities and costs, including attorney’s fees or third party claims, that might result from use of BEEcosystem, LLC products. If this limitation is illegal under another state or jurisdiction, persons can only claim real damages to the extent that these damages can be proven.
GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION:
BEEcosystem, LLC is governed, construed, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware. All Parties, including customers and BEEcosystem, LLC, must submit all their disputes arising out of or in connection with these Terms and Conditions to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of the State of Delaware.
CONSENT AND AGREEMENT:
By purchasing a product or item from BEEcosystem, LLC the customer is agreeing to the above terms and conditions. |
Fiji will, this month, release the Honey Production in Fiji stamp issue, in recognition of one of the fastest growing industries in Fiji.
Help get the Beekeeping Merit Badge Reinstated
Support Boy Scout Christopher Stowell in his quest to get the beekeeping merit badge reinstated.
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The Deadly Bee Parasite, Apocephalus borealis
The puzzling colony collapse disorder (CCD), which has hounded many commercial beekeepers (keeping honey bees via organic means will prevent any incidences of CCD), can be attributed to a deadly parasite reported in January of 2012 at the San Francisco Bay Area.
Biologists in San Francisco made a disturbing discovery that might shed light on the mysterious drop in the population of honeybees. A fly, Apocephalus borealis, which is the same fly that is known to infect wasps and bumblebees, seem to infect and turn bees into zombies. The infected bees are driven mad so that they abandon their hives in a suicidal dash towards bright lights.
The parasite, which is a tiny fly, has been discovered in bees from three-quarters of all the thirty one surveyed hives in the Bay Area, which means that they are everywhere except in the Santa Clara and the San Mateo counties.
Apocephalus borealis first deposits its eggs inside the abdomen of the bee. After that, it takes over. The infected bees then walk around in circles as if dazed, with no apparent sense of direction. Some bees are even unable to stand on their legs. Many bees keep stretching in an effort to stand but falls back over and over, thus the “zombie” behavior which is used to describe the effect of the infestation.
Some scientists theorized that Apocephalus borealis might have played a major role in the unexplained colony collapse disorder. For six years, many researchers including those from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have failed to pinpoint an exact cause for CCD.
The parasitic Apocephalus borealis even seem to engage in mind control. Somehow, the flies are able to take over the bee’s normal daytime habits, eventually turning the bee into a nocturnal animal. And seven days after the death of the infected bee, little larvae will emerge from the bee. The bees from the infected hives are usually found to be infected with a virus and a fungus. This suggests that the Apocephalus borealis may be a vector or a carrier for these pathogens.
The loss of worker bees can ultimately kill the entire hive. And when there are no bees, then there’s no pollination and no plants. When there are no plants, there is no food. Profitable beekeeping can also be achieved in an organically structured environment. The bee products derived from organically-grown bees are healthy and free from many types of contaminants. Moreover, the bees are also treated humanely. If you are thinking of buying certain bee products or starting a beekeeping business, then it is best to go organic. Get the most updated and well-researched articles about the organic way to grow and care for your honey bees. To know more, visit Organic Bee Keeping.
About the Author
Tommy Coffler is an expert author and blogger from London. His articles have appeared in many article directories and different websites around the world. You can read some of his articles at Organic Bee Keeping.
We did have a very interesting video about Apocephalus borealis, but it the YouTube account it was on was closed so it is no longer available. instead we have a link to the information that wikipedia have about the topic. |
Seeing global honey prices at record highs, you decide to stain the bee farming.
Chance to visit Hong Kong, found in Fanling beekeeping industry is doing well, “this is a good place to start! “You sold all possessions and took a group of bees establish a Kingdom here.
Success except hard work, opportunity is absolutely important. Every day you look at honey price movement of a stock exchange in Shanghai, sure sell honey.
“Hundred and ten Yuan a kilo a kilo is far worse!” who do not know.
Earn money, go to beekeepers supermarket walk. More colony has been replaced.
“Give me 35 hectares of the hive! “True pride.
Magazine says China’s vast land and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, better honey, is across the country. However, into the honey to pay operating costs. Moreover, the rich region is also the most dangerous.
“Never heard of legend seven bees do? “The Bazaar who asked.
Entrepreneurs shed blood for you, hoping against all odds! You are committed to growing the team, let your guard bees to Fujian guard bees strictly trained in martial arts Academy, was promoted to the more refined soldier bees, marching to the hard honey … …
Never give up on your dreams, Bee Farming China!
The game features
1) delicate drawings, each level has been carefully orchestrated.
2) play simple but rich, lets you play play, setting different policy, dare to challenge limit.
3) rhythm closely, one out of every seven or 14 rounds, completed over Game Center King of the Beekeeper’s throne.
1) at the beginning, you have 3 mining bees.
2) by directing them to find flowers, you will get a lot of honey.
3) waiting for good prices, in Exchange to sell honey, you can earn play money.
4) game, go to the supermarket, upgrading your colony!
5) some honey has natural enemies, and a few guard bees is indispensable.
6) don’t forget to reserve games to move into the higher-priced, more abundant and more dangerous honey!
Colony divided into the honey bee and the guard bees. Honey bee does not fight, guard bees no honey.
＊ ＊ ＊ Bees ＊ ＊ ＊
Honee: “I was the youngest, cutest, bearing 5 pounds of honey. 」
Mikee: “my name is the most beautiful and can carry 20 kg of honey! 」
Harves: “I fly fast, contains much 100 pounds of honey, no problem! 」
Lovee: “love love mining mining, 200 pounds of honey easily! 」
Joyee: “look at my body knew a man! 300 pounds of honey hahaha! 」
Happee: “with the blessed bee, honey, how easy! 500 pounds, 500 pounds! 」
Jumbee: “I’m the strongest! Heavy honey, fly fly! 」
＊ ＊ ＊ Guardians ＊ ＊ ＊
Guardian: “don’t touch our children! 」
Super guardian: “I fly faster, is the black bee Buster!”
Royal guardian: “several Fujian martial arts school? Honest, brave and strong! 」
Strong royal guardian: “after eating nectar Changbai mountain ginseng, Qi Li bee I was seven seconds K.O.! 」 |
Right, this is the last post on the subject of what is shaping our technology driven Society.
We are living in a world that relies on data communications.
It is hard to think of any tool, any instrument, any object in history with which so many developed so close a relationship so quickly as we have with our phones.
The Mobil Phone/Cell phone/I phone what ever you wish to call it has evolved into the Smart Phone. > voice and text services, cameras, alarm clock, and radio, access to the internet> all of which will be on your wrist shortly > Apple Smart Watch.
1 in 4 people check it every 30 minutes, 1 in 5 every 10 minutes.
There are almost as many mobile subscriptions (6.8 billion) as there are people in the world (7.1 billion)
I start this post by saying there is no argument when it comes to positive benefits to Society, that the mobile phone has contributed more to the individual than the Internet or Big Data has done to date.
On the other hand I believe it has also contributed to : The mess we have on our hands, to spreading the inequalities of the world, to fueling terrorist Organisations, to spreading non-thrusts, to making today, now it’s tomorrow, and to leading us to expect more from Technology and Less from Each Other.
The Mobil Phone has become an indispensable feature of technology that is rapidly changing the face of communication not only in the most remote areas of the world but also the family structures of the world.
Returning to an Individual and an overall view:
Mobile phones are helping under served populations access the critical skills and empowering information they need to make informed decisions for themselves and their families, and move toward economic self-sufficiency.
They have done more than all the Aid given to Africa and beyond. In fact they are being used to facilitate and promote economic development and growth.
They reduce search costs and increase information availability, which makes markets function more efficiently.
In terms of the diffusion of ideas and knowledge, mobile phones make available information about market prices and employment.
The people who are growing your food, making your clothes, and assembling your electronic devices are often poor, low-wage workers around the world who don’t have Internet access. The way we are able to connect with them is through mobile,” it provides workers with a voice — individually and collectively — by having an anonymous tool to provide feedback.
But we’re also learning that organizations — large, for-profit corporations and small, nonprofit social enterprises alike — are using mobile technology to operate better and smarter. Organizations are using mobile phones to gather real-time data that help them make informed business decisions and that yield social impacts.
But what effect are they having on Society as a whole.
Smart phones have brought a whole new meaning to the term multitasking.
Smart phones are changing the way that people interact with each other, allowing the users to be in a conversation without showing their personal expressions. As a result, we are beginning to lose the face-to-face contact that was such an important part of our lives in the past. The need to belong.
They provide farmers with information on market prices and weather reports, and they link micro and small entrepreneurs to markets and potential buyers. And, they provide mothers with important information to keep themselves and their children healthy.
Just look at
Taro Works, a mobile enabled tool with a cloud-based back-end. In non-tech lingo, this means field-based workers can gather and submit data through a mobile phone, providing real-time intelligence to their home offices. One organization using Taro Works is Honey Care Africa, a social enterprise that promotes sustainable beekeeping and economic development by providing micro finance, training, and other services to bee farmers.
Vision Spring is another social enterprise that uses Taro Works for better business and social impact. Vision Spring fights poverty by selling affordable eyeglasses to the poor, enabling them to work and learn. Why reading glasses? Studies of the economic impact of reading glasses in India showed a 35% increase in individual productivity and 20 percent increase in individual monthly income.
We knew there is great potential for mobile phones. But how to approach the issue of development using mobile technologies, remains contentious. In conjunction with Big Data, the Internet, their impact on economic development and growth are numerous.
There is no doubting their ability of time-saving capabilities/conveyance or getting assistance in an emergency. Therefore, smart phone is an important device which people cannot leave home without it. A social necessity that we teens and adults, cannot be without, an addiction.
It would make uninteresting reading to list all the possibility of Mobil usages.
There are a few to high light how they are changing our world and could be used to change it further.
Before the appearance of the smart phone; it was impossible to shop online during lunch time without a PC or laptop. However, with the support of smart phones, shopping online in these days is as easy as making a phone call.
Services to transfer money can also help counter human trafficking, crime.
Services/Apps have changed the way healthcare is delivered globally, with the potential to provide individuals with an unprecedented amount of access to health resources.
Mobile phones eliminates the need for clients to spend time traveling to the physical banks, enabling greater access to capital, which facilitates investment and productivity.
Services to conduct Surveys, to Petition government. To impose Western ideals and culture upon other nations, resulting in a “practical elitism, but smart phones also emit radiation which some believe may be harmful to human health.
The growth of the cell phone industry itself, adding more jobs and creating more demand for products and services is another way in which mobile phones have contributed to economic growth.
Recent studies show that radiation from mobile phones are interfering with navigation system of bees and causing them to lose their way back to their hive. As a result of this their colonies are collapsing.
Cell phones have led to social evils such as ‘sexting’, harassment and bullying of teens, in addition to creating less unity with families and friends.
Social interaction does not lead to greater concern for others, and in fact may have the opposite effect of reducing concern for others, leading to decreased pro social behavior. Eroding people’s ability to write sentences that communicate real meaning and inhibit the art of dialogue resulting in a negative impact on people’s interpersonal skills. The next generation (or so) is not going to ever be able to connect with another person, confront someone, or talk to someone face to face.
Trans formative tool for Science, Research, Surveys.
And how much about our lives and work and relationships is left to be completely transformed as a result? is anyone’s guess.
For me all three ( Internet, Big Data, Smart Phones) are all connected to each other.
You will see from previous posts that I advocate that the power of Mobil phones as a lobbing force is untapped. It could be used to force the United nations to pass a people’s resolution to place a 0.05% aid commission on all electronic trading on the world stock exchanges. ( See previous posts.)
We hear more and more communication, but less and less to communicate.
Half human, half machine almost god, this new link in the evolution will continue its exploration beyond the enclosure of time and space. Fortunately there are, not that our smartphones are intelligent.
R. Laing already wrote in 1967: “The machines have become more and more able to communicate with each other as humans.
If we want a world that is more equal, access to information should be universal – it should not be limited to the privileged groups in a society, but available to all of us including the impoverished.
So what will be their future applications. Feel free to add to my list.
iPod Finger, Smart Phone Finger, insurance will become big business.
Suddenly my smartphone vibrates mystique.
“The digital revolution is over, the digital won! Because the more you consume, the more it abounds. The more stores, the more it circulates. The more you distribute, the more it flows.
Cell phones can also be used to deliver important information about health and to |
We finally had a nice enough day for me to open up all my hives, go through each frame and tidy everything up. It took a good hour per hive, but was very informative!
All three hives had capped and open brood that was concentrated in the top box. For this reason, I inverted all my brood boxes so that the top box was on the bottom and the bees could start to work upward as they seem to prefer to do.
All the bottom boards were extremely dirty and needed a good scraping or replacing. It felt really good to get all that detritus out of there as it’s just a breeding ground for pests and mold. My hives were a little damp inside, even to the point where I saw some slugs hiding out and some mold on a few unused frames. I think I really have to get going making and installing quilt boxes and screened bottom boards to improve the airflow situation.
You can see two shiny brown varroa mites clinging to the back of the bee near the middle
Sadly, I did notice varroa mites in all three hives after a whole year of not seeing a single one. Hive 1 had some visible phoretic mites while the other two had mites revealed in some of the capped brood that was broken when I removed frames and cross-comb. I’m thinking of trying a powdered sugar treatment regimen but am still in the research stages of figuring out efficacy. I’ll also need to install screened bottom boards first. I don’t like the ones available for sale locally so I’m working on my own design, which I’ll share in an upcoming post.
A lovely surprise was coming across two of my queens totally by accident! I wasn’t even looking for queens, just checking for eggs. I guess all the research I’ve been doing over the winter has made me better able to spot them because they really jumped out at me, visibly. Hive 2’s queen was looking a little small to me compared to the big feral mated queen from Hive 3. Not sure if that will become an issue or not. I know the smaller queen is older and this hive has the smallest population, so we’ll see if it’s prudent to requeen this year or not.
Hive 3’s feral mated queen
One hive had a little bit of drone brood started, and I added an empty frame to each hive so they can build more. This will allow me to do drone trapping which will help with mite control. It also means that it’s almost swarm season and split season. Yay!
A little bit of bullet-shaped drone brood at the top of the frame
The biggest job was scraping off all the burr comb and built up propolis so the frames would sit neatly once again. I was actually hoping to get stung during this work as I’ve been told that getting stung more will help build up antibodies and make me less susceptible to developing a bee venom allergy. Even my most defensive hive refused to oblige me though so I may have to start taking matters into my own hands, literally. At least stinging yourself gives you the option of where you get stung!
During the frame cleaning some capped brood was inevitably broken open. Never a happy thing but it gave me a chance for something I’ve been wanting to try, which is tasting bee larvae. They have a nutty, slightly sour taste. Not particularly unpleasant. I’ve read that the reason bears try to break open hives is primarily to get at the protein-rich brood while the honey simply serves as a nice dessert.
Bring on the 2017 beekeeping season! 🙂 |
Football is for girls. Rugby is for people who enjoy broken bones. Boxing is for people who get a kick out of brain damage. Athletics is for people who prefer steroids to beer. Golf is for people with enormous egos and no dress sense. Is there any sporting group I haven’t offended yet?
Ah yes, cricket fans.
Cricket, in fact, is the only sport that has ever appealed to me. It seems to be rather cultured, gentle and polite. I can go for any sport where you can sit in the shade on a hot day with an icy cold beer and nod off and you won’t miss very much.
It’s also a sport where you see gentlemanly, responsible behaviour. OK, apart from some organised crime-related match-fixing. Apart from that cricket players and managers seem a fairly responsible bunch to me.
Not always though. There was an example recently of an almost catastrophic failure of cricketing responsibility.
I’m talking about the Fireworks Night celebration at the Cricket club a couple of weeks ago. That was a very good example of a complete lack of responsibility. Not one that just led to customer dissatisfaction, complaints and anger but one that could easily have killed people.
As most people in Gaborone must know, every year during the weekend closest to November 5th there is a fireworks display at the Gaborone Cricket Club. Like many people I’ve been several times and despite a few minor issues it’s always been a good evening out. It’s at the weekend so the kids can come along, they’ll see their friends and leave their parents alone for an evening. Loads of people from every background are there, in general it’s a great occasion.
Well, it was until this year. This year things were different. This year it all went horribly wrong. I don’t know what exactly caused it but a firework was released into the crowd. I was sitting directly behind a family whose clothes were hit by burning fragments. Luckily we had water to hand and that helped put out the fire. OK, perhaps you think this was one of those frightening but very rare occurrences?
Perhaps, but it wasn’t so rare. Moments later the same thing happened again and then yet again. Fireworks were hurtling into the crowd in all directions and even into a neighbouring plot where they started a serious bush fire. Then, just to make things even worse, the idiotic organisers seemed to take the idiotic decision to turn off the idiotic lights, leaving an already frightened crowd in darkness. I really did feel that we were a moment away from mass panic. Given the tiny exit from the grounds there could very easily have been a massive crush and perhaps even deaths.
By this stage my family and I thought it was time to leave and once the rush had settled down we were out of there. I only found out a couple of days later that shortly after we left the entire fiasco started over again but with perhaps even worse results. More fireworks hit the crowd, people’s clothes were set alight and some people were badly burned. Yet again it’s amazing nobody was seriously hurt or killed.
If you want to see pictures of this chaos and you’re already a member of Facebook search for the “Gaborone Fireworks Complaints Forum” page and you’ll see evidence of the danger.
On top of all this ineptitude with the fireworks was the level of crime present at the display. I’ve heard of at least two people who were mugged in the car park, despite the presence of guards from a particularly useless security company. One of the few uplifting moments apparently was when someone was caught in the club bar with pockets fill of stolen cellphones. Apparently a minor amount of immediate “citizen justice” was delivered to the possessor of all these phones. Of course I don’t approve of vigilantism but if someone has to be smacked in the face I’m happy if it’s a mugger.
So what level of responsibility should the organisers of this public safety hazard take? Complete responsibility. The organisers from the Cricket Club need to take full responsibility for having absolutely no ambulance or first aid service available at the event. I’m told that they asked one of the private ambulance companies to be there but weren’t prepared to pay them for their time. Where were the effective security guards? No I don’t mean the inept ones in red “sting in their tail” uniforms mincing around like a bunch of nancy boys, I mean the real thing. They were nowhere to be seen when they were needed.
Where were the fire marshals ready for an event like this to happen?
Finally, where was the permit that the Cricket Club required for such a public gathering? I’ll tell you where it was. It didn’t exist. According to one person who attended who called the City Council, the Cricket Club’s application for a permit was denied. DENIED!
Of course that means that any Public Liability Insurance they might have had for the event is void.
I call that an utter lack of responsibility and criminal recklessness. The subsequent lack of any response from the Cricket Club is irresponsible and cowardly. Clearly the Cricket Club hasn’t got any (cricket) balls.
Our advice to people who might consider going there next year is this. Don’t.
It’s just not cricket.
This week’s stars
- Yet again, the Beekeeping Unit in the Ministry of Agriculture for being passionate, enthusiastic and obviously loving their jobs.
- Gadifele from FNB Kgale Branch for being “brilliant”.
- Terry and Ruth from Leskar in Fairgrounds in Gaborone for being extra-helpful.
- Botshamekelo from National Foods Technology Research Centre in Kanye for being so enthusiastic and welcoming. |
SBA Beekeeping Convention will be held in Elgin this year on 9-11 September. This is an excellent opportunity for us in Aberdeenshire to attend this year’s convention which will have international international speakers, fantastic workshops, trade exhibits and great entertainment across the whole weekend.
Friday, 09 September 2016 19:00 – 21:00 , Elgin City Football Club Hospitality Room, Elgin
Learn more about beekeeping heritage at the SBA free talk and demo on skep-making by Bryce Reynard.
Saturday, 10 September, 8:45-7:15 – SBA Convention, Moray College, Moray Street, Elgin
The speakers are:
- Professor Thomas D Seeley, Horace White Professor in Biology at Cornell University and author of several books on bees;
- Professor Francis Ratnieks, Professor of Apiculture and Head of LASI (Laboratory of Apiculture);
- Sarah Red-Laird, founder of The Bee Girl organisation and US Ambassador of the International Bee Research Association’s (IBRA) Beeworld project.
- To view the full programme of speakers and their lecture topics click here.
Saturday evening Ceilidh
Elgin, 7.00pm till midnight – Elgin City Football Club Hospitality Room, Borough Briggs Road, Elgin IV30 1AP
A ceilidh evening with music from Reeling Strings and prizes for best tartan dressed!
Tickets £15 including refreshment.
Sunday, 11 September – Meet in Moray College car park at 10 am
- Trip to the heather, distillery tour, and lunch.
To find out more please visit the SBA website.
To buy tickets, please click here. |
New museum to honour Poles who rescued Jews
Poland’s first museum honouring Poles who rescued Jews during World War II will be opened in the town of Markowa near Łańcut in Subcarpathia on 17 March. The patron of the museum is the Ulma family, which was murdered by the Germans in March 1944 for hiding eight Jews.
Józef Ulma was born in 1900 in Markowa. Although he only completed the first four grades of elementary school and a course in agriculture, he was an innovator in many different disciplines. He knew his way around gardening and fruit-growing, having set up Markowa’s first fruit tree nursery. Ulma used to breed bees and silkworms, independently constructing beehives and beekeeping tools. He was also a respected social activist in his home village, taking part in groups such as the Catholic Youth Association and the Union of Rural Youth.
“He was extremely curious of the world around him, he even subscribed to publications, which was uncommon in rural areas back then. His greatest passion was photography,” says Mateusz Szpytma, a historian at the Krakow branch of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) as well as the assigned director of the Castle Museum in Łańcut, responsible for the Ulma Family Museum of Polish Rescuers (the museum in Markowa is a branch of the Łańcut museum).
In 1935, Jozef married Wiktoria Niemczak. The couple raised six children and, in the spring of 1944, they were expected a seventh child. The Ulma family was planning to move to Sokala (now a town in Ukraine) where they had bought five hectares of land. These plans were cut short by the outbreak of the World War II.
Before the war, Markowa had a population of 4,500, including 120 Jews. Jozef Ulma was on good terms with the town’s Jewish residents and did business with some of them. At the beginning of 1942, Germany set about implementing the so-calling Final Solution of the Jewish issue (Endlösung der Judenfrage), that is the annihilation of Jews in concentration camps. “In August, all Jews were supposed to be deported from Markowa,” says Mateusz Szpytma. It was suspected, as it turns out correctly, that they would be taken to their deaths.
Some of the Jews went into hiding, with the help of Poles. Jozef Ulma took in the largest number, a group consisting of eight people. Hidden at the Ulma home were: Saul Goldman, a cattle leader from Łańcut, and his four adult sons whose names are not known but were referred to in the area as the Szalls, as well as Gienia Grünfeld and Lea Didner with her child – the daughter and granddaughter of the Ulma’s neighbour, Chaim Goldman.
However, all of their lives would end tragically – they were all murdered by the Germans. We know how the atrocity took place due to an eye-witness account by Edward Nawojski, a driver who on 24 March 1944 was ordered to transport several Navy-Blue policemen (subordinated to the local commander of the German Order Police) as well as four German policemen under the command of lieutenant Eilery Dieken.
Before dawn, at around four o’clock in the morning, the perpetrators entered the Ulma home. First they shot dead all of the Jews, then they lined up the Ulma family members in front of their house and shot them. During the execution Wiktoria Ulma started to give birth. The Germans briefly discussed what to do with the terrified, crying children (the oldest was eight years old, the youngest barely one and a half years old). However, they did not show mercy and the children shared the fate of their parents. Nawojski remembers the words exclaimed by one of the executors, policeman Joseph Kokott: “Look, how Polish pigs die when they hide Jews.” The Germans ordered to search the corpses and throw them into two pits, loading the belongings of the Ulma family onto a cart. At the end they performed a libation.
“Despite it being prohibited, after five days peasants dug up the bodies of the Ulma family in the darkness of the night so that they could put them in coffins,” Mateusz Szpytma says. In 1945 they were brought to a cemetery in Markowa. The bodies belonging to the Jews were exhumed two years later and buried at the Military Cemetery for the Victims of Nazi Terror in Jagiello-Niechciałki.
In 1995, the Israeli Yad Vashem Institute awarded Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma the posthumous title of Righteous Among Nations. The Institute website states that the murder of the Ulmas was “a symbol of Polish sacrifice and martyrdom during the German occupation.” A beatification process of the family was initiated in 2003. In 2004 a statue was unveiled in Markowa commemorating the tragedy. Engraved in the statue are the words: “Rescuing the lives of others, they sacrificed their own. Jozef Ulma, his wife Wiktoria and their children Stasia, Basia, Władziu, Franuś, Antoś, Marysia, unborn, hid eight elder brothers in faith, Jews from the Szall and Goldman families. They died together with them in Markowa on 24 March 1944 at the hands of the German police. May their sacrifice be a call to respect and an expression of love for every human being. They were sons and daughters of this Earth. They will remain in our hearts.”
“Every year, around five thousand young Israelis come to Markowa. They pray at the statue and at Ulma family grave,” Mateusz Szpytma says, adding “I hope that even more will come after the opening of the museum.”
The decision to build the museum was made in 2008. The Polish firm Nizio Design International was awarded the project, having previously worked on innovative concepts for permanent exhibitions at the Warsaw Rising Museum and the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. The building has a minimalist form and is lined with a coating of corroded carbon steel, symbolising the Ulmas’s simple peasant home. It also serves as a reminder of the events that took place in 1944 and the mortal danger faced by anyone who helped Jews during the German occupation.
So-called memory cubes made from tempered glass are illuminated on the square at the entrance to the museum. The cubes contain the names of Subcarpathia residents who were murdered for their role in helping Jews during WWII. A plaque on the concrete wall also contains a list of names of people who rescued Jews.
“It was possible to identify the names of 1,600 Poles from Subcarpathia who helped persecuted Jews. However, many still remain anonymous. The Germans killed around 200 people in retribution,” says Mateusz Szpytma. "The Ulmas were not the only people in Markowa to hide Jews. 21 Jews survived the war thanks to the assistance of the town’s residents. Two of them are still alive today – in Canada and Israel."
The multi-media exhibition is not only focused on Subcarpathia. It also explores Polish-Jewish relations across Poland and describes Germany’s policy of extermination as well as the risks of rescuing Jews during the German occupation. “Many foreigners do not realise that in Poland, as opposed to countries in Western Europe, one could be killed for assisting Jews,” says Szpytma. “The occupation of our country was of a different character, there was widespread terror. One has to remember that rescuing one Jew involved the assistance of several or even a dozen people, who would all be a target of repression. Quite often whole families were killed as a form of collective punishment, including those who did not denounce the Jews.
Jozef Ulma’s photos, which capture rural family life and work on the fields, make up an important part of the exhibition. Several hundred photos make up a unique chronicle of life in pre-war Markowa. One photograph, in particular, is very special – it has drops of blood on it. Planned for the future is a Memorial Garden with fruit trees and glass stelae in the form of footstones honouring Jews that were rescued by Poles. The official opening of the museum is scheduled for 17 March 2016.
Polish Righteous Among Nations
Before the outbreak of World War II, over three million Jews lived in Poland (around 10 percent of the entire population). In 1939, Germans started persecuting (in the form of ghettos, labour camps) the Jewish population on Polish territory. In 1941 they initiated a process of organised extermination, which took place largely in concentration camps. Between 1939-1945, 89% of Polish Jews were murdered.
Around 50,000 to 80,000 survived the war in Poland, in part thanks to efforts by the Council to Aid Jews (Żegota), aPolish underground movement. The group provided material assistance to Jews, supplied them with fake documents, found them apartments and hiding places, and helped people escape from labour camps. Irena Sendler (1910-2008) within the auspices of “Żegota,” the Polish Council to Aid Jews, rescued around 2,500 Jewish children by placing them with Polish families and orphanages, some of them church affiliated.
According to historians, several hundred thousands Poles took part in helping Jews. Today, they make up the biggest quota (25%) of those awarded the Righteous Among Nations title. The recognition is awarded by Israel’s Yad Vashem Institute to individuals who risked their own life in order to rescue Jews during World War II. |
Another article in our week long series of articles written by Charles Martin Simon.
Bee Culture – November, 2003by Charles Martin Simon
My article Principles of Beekeeping Backwards, that appeared in Bee Culture, July 2001, received so much attention I felt like some kind of celebrity, which isn’t good. The article was eventually archived on the internet at BeeSource.com. Fortunately, not everybody who wrote likes me. Some insinuated that I might be crazy. Interesting, since I ended the article with “I am crazy, and proud of it.” Well, hopefully, this article will dispel any doubts and give them more reasons to like me even less. And that’ll be good.
…the other day I did find husk. It was on a swarm-removal call. The bees were located on the ground, tangled up in ivy and boards, in a narrow space behind a garage, and a good four feet in from the opening. There was no way to get a box to them, and because they were so entwined in the vegetation and wood, there was no way to scoop them either. Plus, I couldn’t move anything without the risk of crushing bees and maybe the queen. So, certain it wasn’t going to work but needing to do something, I positioned the beehive on the ground up against the opening, meanwhile trying out in my mind the various excuses I might use for why I couldn’t get the job done.
To think I had responded to the call with such professional elan. “A swarm? On the ground behind the garage? Sure, no problem. We do it all the time.” It sounded like it couldn’t be easier over the phone, but it was going to be embarrassing.
Then something I didn’t expect happened. The bees closest to the box – remember, it was four feet away – perked up with recognition of the hive and started marching toward it, and crawled right in, with the rest of the swarm following. Nasanov maneuver on the landing board, and it wasn’t long before they were all in, well, the usual 99% anyway. I was about to screen it shut and call it good when some of them came running back out with confused looks on their faces. I lit up the smoker and chased them back in, but they wouldn’t stay. As soon as I stopped the smoke, back out they would come. I figured the queen must not be in there.
I squeezed into the space behind the garage as carefully as I could, looked around and spotted a few bees clustered partially obscured by some leaves. I smoked them but they wouldn’t move. I pushed them around with my index finger, and, just as I suspected, there she was: the queen. She hadn’t joined the march to the box because she was dead.
Meanwhile, back at the hive body, there was confusion on the landing board, with more and more bees leaving. I took the tiny carcass and flicked it into the entrance. Then the bees started nasanoving with renewed vigor and running into the hive and staying. Bees flying around the area relating to where the swarm had been, changed course and beelined it in. I screened it up, took it to one of my yards, and mixed it with a queen-right hive. So empty husks can be useful sometimes…
The Great Blessing of Varroa
Yes, I mean it, although it took all these years and so much loss for me to begin to understand. Because of the Varroa, the other day I found the best bee frame in the world. As some of you may know, I’ve been in the bee frame business, invented and sold world-wide the Super Unfoundation Frame, and I take frames very seriously. So saying I found the best frame in the world is, for me, saying something big. This is a frame that is superior both technically and aesthetically. Why? For one thing, because it’s free. I found it in my rotten-equipment pile.
A free bee frame is a terrible thing to waste. But more important than its recycled aspect, it’s free because it has evolved by virtue of the process of deterioration beyond the rules and restrictions of conventional, non-free bee frames, even those of my own design and construction. Yes, with the recognition of this particular frame, I have even surpassed myself.
And, it is precisely to the Varroa that I owe the finding of this frame and the implications thereof. Ten or 12 years ago, when the dreaded parasite came into my yards – finally, after years of hearing it was coming – and started destroying my bees, I was distraught, naturally. Every Spring, I’d start with swarms that would build beautifully only to die off in the Winters. I would find myself working in dead bee yards, cleaning and organizing equipment that should have been abuzz with bee life but was silent. More than disheartening, it was painful. I wondered why I was even going on with it, when some of my most stalwart compadres, even the great Ormand Aebi (World Record holder in the Guiness Book of Records for over 10 years for the most honey produced by a single hive with a single queen in a single season – a record that was only broken with the use of multiple queens, a true single-queen record which is not likely to ever be even seriously challenged), the most stalwart of them all, had quit.
Every year I felt more foolish and became more despondent. And, of course, without the bees to keep it alive over the Winters, the equipment was rotting at a greatly accelerated rate.
I couldn’t bring myself to replace it. I calculated that if, under the circumstances, I would continue to replace equipment “as needed,” I could literally be destroyed by the very beekeeping that was such a great love in my life. And it kept getting worse. Now I know for sure that had I made the investments necessary to keep up acceptable appearances, I would not have made it to this point.
I, as did most beekeepers, cursed the Varroa. I jumped through all the hoops, conventional and unconventional, and nothing worked. Even when there wasn’t anything to do, I continued working in the yards, cleaning and organizing equipment that was more and more rotted-out and useless.
If you’re a bee person, there is nothing more pathetic than a dead bee yard. The moaning of the wind through vacant bee boxes is one of the most heart-wrenching sounds you’re ever going to hear. Beekeeping had turned into the opposite of everything I was in it for. I had to quit, I wanted to quit, but I didn’t know how. There were spaces and times in my life that were slotted for bee work. There was nothing else I could do. But the only thing that was alive and growing was my junk pile. I burned an incredible amount of equipment over the years and still had a mountain left.
Then, a few hives started surviving the winters. Then a few more. My removal business was growing, and I was getting more and more swarms in the springs. Meanwhile, my lifetime interest in health had turned into another business, and I shifted my focus from honey to pollen, and I started getting great harvests, even though most of the bees were still dying off in the Winters.
But I needed to take another step philosophically. I shifted concept from “my” bees to “the” bees, and “the” bees to “my” bees. It was a natural not an intellectually conceived move, since, after all, most of the bees I was dealing with were feral. I brought the principles of wild bees into my beekeeping.
My frames (SuperUnfoundation) had been a step in the right direction, but as such had been limited in that they had not completed all the steps. If they had, I’d have no doubt gotten “there” a long time ago. But as it went, I am only getting “there” which is “here” “now.” You don’t have to understand; it’s philosophy.
Now the bees that are not my bees are my bees. I have expanded to embrace them all. And since they’re all mine anyway, no loss is too great, no gain too small. It’s finally all working.
And as stated, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Varroa, without which none of this would have been possible.
By “this” I mean perfect beekeeping. Because that’s what it has become, perfect.
And one of the greatest contributions for which the dirty rotten little parasite is directly responsible is in taking out of the game those players who shouldn’t be in it any longer, and discouraging those who might otherwise have become beekeepers from entering in the first place – meaning specifically those who have not grasped how to go with Nature, those who solve problems by attacking them, those who attempt to beat Nature and make maximum profits. But don’t feel bad, it wasn’t that long ago that I too used to think it was about honey, and that honey was money. But let’s face it, if it was about honey, we’d be “honey-makers” not “beekeepers.” But we’re beekeepers, so it’s about keeping bees.
From a human supremacy (a delusion that is destined to prove untenable) standpoint, bees dying, at the agency of Varroa or whatever, is a bad thing, but the insect mind doesn’t work like that, doesn’t share human values. The more bees die, the more they live. I don’t expect you humans to understand that either, because you base all your science and philosophy upon your own desires. And when you die, you’re done. Too bad for you.
And the last attributes of the best bee frame in the world: ease of use, effectiveness, durability. This frame has it all. Actually it is only a partial frame, the bottom bar and part of a side bar having rotted completely away. So it’s not really a frame at all, but what is left is excellent indeed.
The Beauty of Bad Equipment
I went to college to study agriculture and dropped out because the agriculture they were teaching was not the agriculture I wanted to learn, and became part of an organic farm in the mid-Sixties. The land came with a nice yard of 25 perfectly-cosmeticized beehives organized in extremely straight rows and two dilapidated hives off to one side. Anyway, it wasn’t long before thieves came in the night with a big truck and stole all 25 of the “good” hives.
The partners called an emergency meeting, during which it was decided that I should take over the two beehives that were left; none of the others being interested in bees at all. And that’s how I got into it – with those two unstolen hives. With the help of one of the “partners” and somewhat more than a modicum of stinging, I managed to get them moved to my section and set about to learn about them.
Now, 35 years later, I have come full circle, from knowing nothing about apiculture, to knowing a lot, to knowing nothing, from bad equipment to the best equipment back to bad equipment.
The most obvious benefit of bad equipment, then, is that thieves are less likely to steal it. If it looks bad, they won’t want it. And if it falls apart when they go to lift it, so much the better. Note: In this regard, it’s a good idea to not staple the bottom boards to the hive bodies.
Thieves are slaves of illusions; that’s why they’re thieves. They have perverted values. Honey is money, for example. But what is money? And you still hear some old-timers talk about “robbing the bees,” and I suppose that’s correct in their cases because that’s what they’re doing.
But theft-proofing is far from the only benefit of bad equipment. For some strange reason, it seems bees prefer it. They have an affinity for rotten wood. Enough has been written about keeping newly hived swarms from absconding that it is apparently a common problem. There are many tips, such as placing the hive in the shade, not unscreening until almost or after dark, or leaving them in all night and unscreening the following morning.
The beekeepers who have this problem must be the guys with the new foundation and new and freshly-painted hives. I’ve never once had an abscond with old equipment, except when a swarm was queenless. Let me tell you, if after you hive a swarm, you hear the buzz of a queenright colony, there’s no way you could drive that swarm from that box.
Bees like holes in unapproved places.
They like surprises. I once watched several bees taking turns dancing on a nail sticking out of an old hive near the entrance. A bee would grab on to the nail with her forelegs and then spin around it for a while, while a group stood around and watched. Then she would let go and be replaced by another one. This went on for nearly an hour, our time. You might say they were trying to remove it. But why? Because it offended their sense of order? And why right then, after it had been there for years? I don’t think they were trying to remove it. I think they were having fun with it.
With bad equipment, You can’t beat the price, or, I should say, cost. Bad equipment saved me from going under.
Then there’s the issue of aesthetics. As I gleaned through my junk pile year after year, it became harder and harder to just burn it. The dead stuff was the only live stuff left. I’d look at a piece, rotted, crooked, mouse-eaten, wax moth larvae-eaten, and think, there’s a lot of life left in that still. Even beyond that, I’d think the piece had never been so alive. Id better keep it. And I’d throw it onto a second pile, which I was developing for potentially reusable bits and pieces.
Nevertheless, my mind was still clinging to the overbearing image of clean, painted hives and straight clean combs, even though I knew very well from long ago there is no objective standard of beauty. I once went out with a Playboy Bunny, and, believe me, she was not beautiful.
But the power of brainwash persists in overcoming reason and logic. Even though I knew better, I still wanted to see neat hives in neat rows containing only pristine frames and combs.
I know better than to keep bees in neatly ordered rows. In fact, one time I had a stand of bees on a rich piece of property, and one day the property manager descended upon me to tell me that the hives had to be lined up evenly. I looked him right in the eye and told him no. He couldn’t believe it. He said the padrone wanted everything neat and even. I said I don’t work for the padrone, or you. The hives stay crooked. He left in a snit. Later, after he had complained to the padrone, the padrone told me not to listen to him, and I never saw the man again even though I kept bees on that property for several more years. It’s curious what some perceptions rate as important.
Did you know some beekeepers get bent out of shape by the presence of propolis in their hives? Now don’t that beat all get out?
Anyway, my mind kept trying to see the rotten equipment as unsightly, something to be ashamed of, as though using it was putting me beneath the beekeepers with the good stuff, even though those with the good stuff were, for the most part, out of business, and my business was growing by leaps and bounds, between bouts of depression.
Beauty is a dangerous thing, because it’s entirely subjective and the world acts as though it were entirely objective. This big mistake is costly to beekeeping as well as pretty much everything else.
If you are familiar with Friedrich Huntervasser’s “Against Rationalism in Architecture,” then you know where this goes. But on the slim chance you aren’t, I’ll elaborate. When a man-made piece of architecture (in historical context always striving for increased levels of excellence) is new, whether it is a home for human habitation or a beehive, it is sterile. Huntervasser asserts that until a home has sagged and there are cobwebs in the corners and a patina of grime over the walls, it is unhealthy. He points to designs which round the corners of doorways as superior. Had he been a bee man he would have preferred skeps to Langstroth hives.
God does not create sterility. There are no straight lines in Nature. Mankind deludes itself with the concept of straight lines and man creates sterility. It is the end result of the human mind’s purification process, the unconscious compulsion to be ever striving for ever increased excellence. Man must always outdo him- or herself. He or she must always keep raising the bar. He or she sees Nature as a replication of the same process, as in the Theory of Evolution.
It has been said that God created Man in His or Her own image. It has also been said that Man created God in His or Her own image. So I guess it all boils down to personal opinion, who you are and where you’re coming from. In my opinion, Man is the culprit. In our efforts to make it better, we invariably make it worse. And nothing is a better example of that than beekeeping.
I am not trying to make a case for laziness and neglect; I am trying to make a case for inevitability. Except for those among us who happen to be virgins, we all know what it means to “break-in a virgin.” The virgin is emblematic of the highest level of purity, but yet we all pretty much understand the virgin to be improved by the very process of being sullied. Such paradoxes are a way of life with us. But at what point does the break-in turn into the break- down? Maybe when the object has no further possible use except for composting.
No longer threatened by Varroa or any other parasite, no longer threatened by disease, death or humiliation, instead enhanced by these factors, my beekeeping has arrived philosophically and practically. I’m comfortable with the bad equipment, finally. I see it is beautiful.
But I don’t mean to imply that my perfect beekeeping is perfect. My perfection is imperfect. My beekeeping is not without its problems. Why, just the other day, as I was prying the top off a beehive, it just disintegrated in my hands. See? I suffer too.
The article above is edited for brevity. Read the full article at Beesource.com here: http://beesource.com/point-of-view/charles-martin-simon/more-beekeeping-backwards-i-owe-a-huge-debt-to-varroa/
Bee Culture Magazine, November, 2003 |
Indications are, we are approaching the end of the nectar flow. First it’s not really the end of the nectar flow. Rather it is a sharp decrease in nectar availability IN EXCESS of colony day to day needs.
Our local www.hivetool.net monitored hive shows recent changes in the weights during the daytime nectar gathering hours. What appears now is 1) sharp decrease when foragers leave the hive 2) sharp increase in weight as they return with nectar during the first half of the da…y 3) followed by afternoon decrease when nectar becomes scarce yet evaporation of in hive nectar continues, followed by 4) sharp increase in weight at end of the day when foragers return. Finally, 5) decrease in hive weight over night as nectar is steadily evaporated into honey.
Other indicators: Increase in bee irritability especially in the hot afternoon hours. Some foragers are staying inside without the strong scout signals of nectar sources. Foragers are older bees with and a bit more defensiveness as a rule. Expect a steady increase in more defensiveness as nectar flow continues to slow, especially in the afternoons. Depending on the size of your colony you may have 30,000 foragers willing to bounce you out of their hive. Besides you look like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man anyway.
Bees leave the hive each morning looking for the biggest nectar bang for their buck as indicated by the findings of the scouts. After they clean that up they will scout and find lesser sources. I have noticed honey bees in late afternoon on sparkleberry and magnolia which typically are not attractive to them in the morning hours when something better is available. The fact that they are foraging 2nd class venues is indicative of preferred nectar plants drying up early in the day. A nice evening or nigh time rain may help this.
That’s my report on the Midlands as we approach the end of the flow. We really need to start prepping first year beekeepers with regard to changes in their beekeeping post nectar flow. i.e. feeding, water sources, protective equipment, mite treatment. There’s always something to do! |
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Beekeeping with Apis cerana is a common practice among the pilot households in Taplejung district of Nepal. Over one-third of the households are engaged in this enterprise. Each household has 2–20 colonies of bees in traditional fixed comb log and
Special Event - Business Opportunities in Himalayan Ecosystem Management - 12th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit
Wetlands in the Erhai Lake basin of Yunnan Province are a rich habitat for plants and animals and play a key role in water purification for China’s second largest highland lake.
Bishnu Prasad Ghimire, a vegetable farmer from Triyuga, a municipality in Nepal’s Udayapur district, recalls how up until a few years ago, his community relied on neighbouring districts or Indian states for vegetables. Udayapur has seen a
Participants exchanged knowledge, strengthened networks, and engaged in discussions that led to recommendations on issues such as flood zoning, environmental protection, contextspecific adaptation strategies, and the importance of strong
Himalayan Bees and Pollination Portal
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) conduced its first regional workshop on Air Quality Instrument Operation and Maintenance from 21–25 November 2016 in Kathmandu.
Naba Bikram Kishore Tripura, Secretary at the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs (MoCHTA), Bangladesh, and Board Member of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), recently visited Dabur Nepal’s Ashok
Two-hundred and forty scientists from 26 countries came to Kathmandu in March to share the latest findings on glaciers and glacier change during the first symposium of the International Glaciological Society (IGS) to be held in Nepal.
When parasitic mushroom spores infect the larvae of ghost moths living in Himalayan soil, a thin fingerlike fungus bursts from the head of the dead caterpillar and sets off an annual gold rush in mountain communities.
Two transboundary initiatives in the eastern Himalayas moved ahead in 2015 with milestones that included pilot projects and the endorsement and implementation of regional cooperation frameworks (RCFs).
When water levels rise in flood-prone rivers, villagers are increasingly able to react quickly enough to save lives and livelihoods – whether they live in Assam, India, or the Koshi River basin of Nepal, or, in the latest upscaling of a successful
Strategic Engagement with Corporate Sector Enhanced by Work with SAARC CCI
ICIMOD has developed significant expertise on wetlands in the Hindu Kush Himalayas over the course of a number of research projects and pilots on wetlands resources, including knowledge on improved management of wetland resources.
The Government of India has enlisted the expertise of ICIMOD as part of its newly launched effort to protect the complex and fragile Himalayan ecosystem |
In beekeeping catching swarms is the most exciting thing I do. It’s pretty much all I want to think and talk about because it’s interesting. It has been a LONG time since I have discussed tasks I don’t like as much. I will say it…. The repetitive “boring” task of building bee-ware is my least favorite beekeeping activity. I have been spending a lot of time building frames lately and after hours and hours (and hours and hours……) it hit me! I hadn’t ever discussed time savers I use to make the process run more smoothly.
Tools: There are some tools that increase the efficiency of frame building. Only one of these tools is specific to beekeeping so be a do-it your-selfer and invest in some basics to keep around the house. Every home SHOULD have most of these tools. Think about investing in them just as a basic preparedness measure. They will save you time and you can use them on other projects.
- Hammer – whether you use a nail gun or not you need a hammer, maybe 2 of them.
- a nice 16 oz. or so hammer &
- a tack hammer – when driving VERY small nails having a hammer with a small head will save you time and your fingers pain.
- Nails – most frames will come with nails. Since I’m using a brad nailer I save them. If using a brads 1-1/8 to 1-3/16 inch 18Ga brad nails.
- Glue –any good woodworking glue will work.
- Optional – Pneumatic or Electric Brad nailer – both are gonna probably cost at least $50 in a store. I bought mine (18Ga Pneumatic) for $20 at a flea market. If you make more than 100 frames at any one time you will be GLAD you have one.
- Rubber mallet – for lightly tapping tight top and bottom bars into proper position.
- Popsicle sticks – to spread around glue.
- Frame JIG – I have spoken to many people who think these slow them down. In beekeeping opinions are what they are. Decide for yourself if you need one. It isn’t essential, but I honestly do not understand how one could slow you down. They’re $30 at Mann Lake and there are plans on BeeSource.com that you can download and build yourself. To me they are a time saver and regardless of whether you use a jig or not these tips will help you out.
I typically build 2 different types of frames, Foundationless deep and medium wedge-top frames with a groove in the bottom board. I got all of mine from Walter Kelley company this year. I’m not going to go through the step by step frame assembly here in the interest of time. That’s out there so search for a video on Google or see my previous post. See also (Getting Framed)
Tip 1: TOO LITTLE glue is better to start out with than TOO MUCH. If glue is squishing out between the pieces YA GOT TOO MUCH! Beekeeping is about efficiency. Glue isn’t that expensive, but cleanup time IS. When applying glue to your top and bottom bars leave 1 or 2 without any glue initially. IF you are spreading it out with your pop-sickle stick and you realize you have excess glue you have a place to go with it instead of it getting wasted. If you need more when you get to the end of the process you can always add just a little dab.
Tip 2: If you’re using a mallet to seat the top and bottom bars DO THE BOTTOM BARS ON FIRST! The tabs that stick up on the BOTTOM of the side-bars to accept the bottom bars are MUCH MORE FRAGILE than the tabs on the TOP. If you tap around on the TOP bars first you can damage the tabs on the bottom of the side-bars. You’re TAPPING here.. don’t get carried away. It seems like more force is needed to seat the top bars than the bottom bars. Sometimes tapping is needed other times NOT.
Tip 3: When nailing your top and bottom bars on with a brad nailer your speed can be GREATLY increased by using a spacer board. The spacer is placed on top of the bottom and top boards. When the base of the brad nailer rests on the spacer the nails are placed perpendicular to the top and bottom bars and go STRAIGHT down into the END BARS. When you make 10 frames the amount of time spent lining up the nailer for perfect nail placement is immaterial, but after several hundred you’ll see that those fractions of a second add up.
Tip 4: Put your nails in the top bars SO THEY DON’T INTERFERE WITH the final nails in your frames. Planning ahead and paying attention to nail placement will keep things moving. Tip5 is going to discuss the MOST IMPORTANT NAILs in this entire process. Depending on the type of frame you are assembling a different nailing pattern may be BEST for your TOP BARs. Look at and END VIEW of your top bars and determine the MEATIEST section (where the most wood is). That meaty-section is the target for the nails in Tip5 so AVOID that area when nailing your top bars on. As shown in the CENTER PICTURE above the frames on the LEFT have room in the center for the TIP5 nails to go between the nails in the top bar, and the frames to the RIGHT have the nails closer together so the Tip5 nails can be placed into the cleat opposite the wedge. I have tried to re-write this about 50 times and used the word “nail” way too much here so look at the picture and ask questions if this is not clear.
Tip 5: THE MOST IMPORTANT NAILS – You MUST always REMEMBER to drive a nail into the top bar through the side bar to prevent pulling the top bar OFF when lifting it out of a box. If you skip this step you will hate your life! Bees get very angry when you rip frames apart in this way. I KNOW! I have inherited used equipment in the past where this step was skipped. As a result I ALWAYS INSPECT EVERY FRAME TO MAKE SURE THIS is done before it goes into an active hive. There is no excuse for NOT doing this NOW! This is a time when an ounce of prevention is worth a TON of cure.
If you heed Tips 4 and 5 you WILL NOT need an extra tool. Due to the fact that I was not mindful of my nail placement in the top bars during the first batch of frames I hit them when placing those IMPORTANT NAILS in the sidebar. You don’t want to do this as it makes your frames prone to being loose after completion. For removing bent nails a pair of side cutters works best, but I had a pair of channel locks already on my workbench. The bent brad nails are in the glass bowl.
I hope these tips will help you to be more efficient this year with your boring prep work. If you have been putting this off GET CRACKIN! It’s cold right now, but Spring is coming quick.
Did I forget any tips that you use?
Any other questions?
You read this far want to get an e-mail about future posts?
e-Mail Updates – |
Regional Partnership to Promote Trade & Investment
To trade, countries need the productive capacity to produce goods and services that are in demand and that can be competitive in world markets. Countries of the sub-Saharan region are particularly handicapped because of a lack of productive capacity, especially outside the natural resources sector. Key to building this capacity is the creation of a vibrant enterprise sector, the bedrock of economic development. Both domestic and foreign direct investment (FDI) can play an important role in meeting this challenge, by contributing directly to the creation of productive capacity and, in the case of FDI, by serving as a catalyst for the growth of domestic enterprises.
Many sub-Saharan secondary cities, typically of medium size and severely under-resourced, are growing rapidly, including by absorbing an increasing number of people leaving the countryside. A special effort needs to be made to help these cities increase their levels of productive investment in order to put them on a sustainable development path and so they might participate in and benefit from global trade. Importantly, these secondary cities are often quite large and offer a range of commercially viable investment opportunities that need to be identified and brought to the attention of local and foreign investors — within the country, within the region and internationally.
The capacity of cities to attract investors therefore needs to be built up, so that cities can better attract and then service investors. Business linkages to existing investors also need to be strengthened for the cities/countries to benefit maximally from each investment. To maximize this impact, the capacity of local enterprises, too, needs to be strengthened, with a special focus on providing access, opportunity and relevant training to women entrepreneurs.
Regional Partnership to Promote Trade and Investment in Sub-Saharan Africa
This program was established in April 2011 with funding from the Government of Finland and was implemented by MCI and the three participating cities, in collaboration with The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), an international research organization headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.
Click here to access the “Regional Partnership to Promote Trade and Investment in Sub-Saharan Africa: Final Narrative Report,” prepared by former MCI Senior Researcher and Advisor Dr. Karin Millett in consultation with the Millennium City Investment Teams in Kumasi, Mekelle and Tabora.
The project aimed to:
- Assist three Millennium Cities — Tabora, Tanzania; Mekelle, Ethiopia; and Kumasi, Ghana — in generating more investment (local and foreign), to build up their productive capacity and their ability to trade, thereby accelerating their progress toward achieving the MDGs; and
- Contribute to the global dialogue on the importance of increasing sustainable investment at the sub-national (cities/regional) level.
Outputs and Outcomes
The key deliverables of the project included:
- The identification of a number of significant, viable investment opportunities in and around each of the three selected cities and the production of materials for promoting and targeting these and other opportunities. These materials include:
- Investment guides: Invest in Ethiopia: Focus Mekelle; Invest in Ghana: Focus Kumasi; Kumasi Abridged Investment Guide 2013 and Invest in Tanzania: Focus Tabora
- Profiles of specific investment opportunities in Kumasi, Mekelle, and Tabora
- Websites for two of the Regional Partnership cities, Kumasi and Tabora, and one Millennium City, Blantyre (as a Millennium City, Blantyre benefited from the experience gained under the Regional Partnership)
- Condensed promotional brochures: Invest in Tabora, Tanzania; Kumasi, Ghana: Opportunities for Investors; Mekelle, Ethiopia: Opportunities for Investors
- The dissemination of these materials via mail, internet and through local and international events. In addition to mailings and the websites listed above, each of the cities held an investment forum in 2013. See event programs and resources:
- Kumasi Forum:
- Kumasi Forum Program
- Investment Profiles: Bamboo Cultivation, Fruit Processing, Real Estate, Multi-Story Car Park, Oil Palm Cultivation, University Staff Housing, University Student Housing.
- Kumasi Investment Forum presentations: Regional Partnership to Promote Trade & Investment in Sub-Saharan Africa Presentation, A Presentation on Bamboo Bikes Limited (BBL), Regulatory Framework for Investing in Ghana, Investment Opportunities In and Around Kumasi, A Partnership for Development of Staff and Student Accommodation on KNUST Campus, MASIG Natural Fruits Industries Limited, West African Health Foundation Specialist Hospital, ADM Cocoa Ghana: An investment success story in Kumasi, Stool Land Administration in Kumasi, Investing in Kumasi.
- Mekelle Forum:
- Mekelle Forum Program
- Investment Profiles: Beekeeping, Animal feed production, Pharmaceutical formulation plant, Production of essential oils.
- Mekelle Investment Forum presentations: Mekelle Investment Day: A Summary, Mekelle Investment Profile, Opportunities for Investment and Business Development in Mekelle, Tigray, Overview of Ethiopian Investment Policy, Mekelle Investment Day: Addis Pharmaceutical Factory, Flow Equity, Business Investment Opportunities in Mekelle.
- Tabora Forum:
- Tabora Forum Program
- The report on Tabora’s forum
- Investment Profiles: Honey and Beeswax, Dairy, Meat, Sunflower, Tropical Fruits, Tourism.
- Tabora Investment Forum presentations: Introduction, Remarks by Hon. Mwassa, Remarks of Simon Mapolu, Remarks by Peter Chisawillo, Remarks by Dr. Mhoamed Gharib Bilal, Transportation Challenges and Achievements in Tabora Region, Investment Possibilities in Tabora, Investment Incentives in EPZs and SEZs, MCI and Promoting Private Sector Development, Financing Through Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange, Tabora Opportunities for Investment, KPMG’s Involvement in Promoting Investment in Tabora, Promoting Trade and Investment in Sub-Saharan Africa, Presentation on Tabora and Government Initiatives, Deliberations of Tabora Investment Forum, Closing Remarks.
- Kumasi Forum:
- The Regional Partnership Capstone Seminar concluded activities and provided a space for all parties to share experiences. Materials from the event included:
- Dr. Susan Blaustein’s Capstone Remarks
- City Investment Promotion Models
- Implementation of the Regional Partnership to Promote Trade and Investment in Sub-Saharan Africa: Tools and Process
- Kumasi’s Participation in the Regional Partnership to Promote Trade and Investment in Sub Saharan Africa Program
- Regional Partnership to Promote Trade and Investment in Tabora
- Mekelle MCI Investment Report Capstone Conference
- The strengthened capacity for local investment promotion, facilitation and trade, including also an established public-private sector dialogue mechanism;
- A strategy paper intended as a methodological tool enabling cities/regions to formulate their own programs to attract sustainable local and foreign investment, published as part of the Handbook for Promoting Foreign Direct Investment in Medium-Size, Low-Budget Cities in Emerging Markets (see Module IV on strategy).
- A guidance paper on attracting in particular sustainable FDI for the cities/regions at the sub-national level by Georgetown University Professor John Kline;
- A report detailing lessons learned in the course of the two-year collaborations;
- A substantial contribution to the international work on FDI.
In addition, a number of training materials, tools and resources were developed and identified to support learning by cities in the promotion of private sector investment, both domestic and international.
- “Overview of Investment Promotion,” August 2013
- “Building an Investment Promotion Website at the Sub-National Level: A Step-by-Step Guide,” August 2013
- “An Essential Guide to SWOT Analysis,” June 2015
- Follow Up on Investment Promotion Events, Karin Millett/Rene Samek, August 2013
- Attracting Productive Private Sector Investment, Rene Samek May 2012
- Decision-making Process of Investors and Site Selection, Rene Samek, May 2012
- Developing an Investment Promotion Strategy and Action Plan: Understanding Your Location, Karin Millett, May 2012
- Edible Oil – the Case of Palm Oil, Joerg Simon, May 2012
- Image-building and Marketing Your Location, Rene Samek, May 2012
- Objectives, MCI’s Approach, City Investment Promotion, Joerg Simon, May 2012
- How to Prepare an Offer to Potential Investors, Rene Samek, March 2012
- How to Select and Approach Potential Investors, Rene Samek, March 2012
- What Do Investors Need to Make a Decision?, Rene Samek, March 2012
- Techniques for Attracting Private Sector Investment, Karin Millett/Joerg Simon, January 2012
- Attracting Private Sector Investment at the City Level – Mekelle, Karin Millett, May 2011
- SWOT Analysis Purposes and Guidelines, Karin Millett, May 2011
- Strategy Guidance Paper, Karin Millett, April 2011
- Tools for Targeting and Winning Investment, Karin Millett, April 2011
- City of Tabora: Workshop on Tools and Techniques of Attracting Productive Private Sector Investment, Karin Millett, Joerg Simon, Deo Msilu, January 2011 |
I just found out recently that it's back. This has always been home for me.
Heck yeah, still doing the bee thing! We've had some early spring weather here, so I've already spent quite a bit of time in my bee yards. I've got a lot more hives now, and I've made a lot of changes. But beekeeping is something I have to do and, God willing, I will be doing it for the rest of my life. |
Susan Cobey's Specialized Bee Classes Filled this Spring, But She's Offering Summer Classes in Washington State
Dec. 23, 2011
Susan Cobey at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
DAVIS--Susan Cobey’s spring classes at the University of California, Davis, on specialized honey bee classes to promote stock improvement are all filled, but more are being offered in Washington state.
Cobey, bee breeder-geneticist at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis and at Washington State University, draws students from all over the world to her workshops.
“We also will be offering these classes in the summer in Washington state, so those interested in registering can apply,” Cobey said.
More information on the workshops she teaches, including “The Art of Queen Rearing,” “Instrumental Insemination and Bee Breeding” and “Advanced Workshop on Instrumental Insemination” is available on the UC Davis Department of Entomology website.
Susan Cobey joined UC Davis in May 2007. Her research focuses on identifying, selecting and enhancing honey bee stocks that show increasing levels of resistance to pests and diseases. Cobey developed the New World Carniolan stock, a dark, winter hardy race of honey bees, in the early 1980s by back-crossing stocks collected from throughout the United States and Canada to create a more pure strain. Stock imported from the German Carnica Association has recently been added to enhance this breeding program.
In collaborations with Steve Sheppard of WSU, they are importing honey bee germplasm to increase genetic diversity in the U.S. honey bee gene pool. In addition, stock from the Republic of Georgia has been imported to re-establish the subspecies Apis mellifera caucasica, another dark race of bee that is not currently recognizable in the U.S.
SPECIALIZED CLASSES TO PROMOTE STOCK IMPROVEMENT
Instructor: Susan Cobey
Location: Harry Laidlaw Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis.
UC Davis classes are full for 2012. Please inquire to get on the wait list, or for information on the WSU Classes offered in June at Mt. Vernon and Pullman campuses
1. THE ART OF QUEEN REARING WORKSHOP
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
The workshop provides hands-on instruction in rearing high quality queens. Beekeepers will be involved in the various steps: setting up cell builders; grafting; handling queen cells; establishing mating nuclei. A queen right and a queen less system will be demonstrated.
Registration: $150. Optional Queen Tour: $50. Link to Art of Queen Rearing Workshop for application
Optional Queen Tour, Wednesday, March 28, 2012.
Class participants will visit large scale commercial queen producers during their busy season. A diversity of techniques and systems will be observed. Tour: $50.
2. INSTRUMENTAL INSEMINATION & BEE BREEDING WORKSHOP
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, April 17, 18 & 19, 2012.
The class is designed for commercial beekeepers involved in a breeding program and for researchers requiring the skill. Instruction is hands-on with individual attention, facilitated with the use of live video. Various types of insemination instruments are displayed and reviewed. Demonstration materials, virgin queens and drones are provided for the class. Practical beekeeping and queen rearing skills are required. Provision of your own instrument is required. Microscopes will be provided for use upon request.
Registration: $500. Link to Instrumental Insemination and Bee Breeding Workshop for application
3. ADVANCED WORKSHOP ON INSTRUMENTAL INSEMINATION
Wednesday and Thursday, April 25 & 26, 2012
The class is focused on perfecting insemination techniques and solving related problems in the laboratory and in the field. Experience in Instrumental Insemination is required. Demonstration materials, virgin queens and drones are provided. Provision of your own insemination equipment is required. Microscopes will be provided for use upon request.
Registration: $425. Link to Advanced Workshop on Instrumental Insemination for application
Washington State University
These classes (above) also will be offered in June through Washington State University.
Please inquire for more information. firstname.lastname@example.org
THE ART OF QUEEN REARING WORKSHOP
Friday, June 8, 2012, Mt. Vernon, Wash.
THE ART OF QUEEN REARING WORKSHOP
Friday, June 15, Pullman, Wash.
INSTRUMENTAL INSEMINATION & BEE BREEDING WORKSHOP
June, 2012. ( Date to be announced)
--Kathy Keatley Garvey
UC Davis Department of Entomology |
Swarming is a powerful instinct, one that most successful beekeepers have encountered by their second year. Swarm Essentials outlines the ramifications of swarming behavior (highlighting the often overlooked benefits), proven management techniques, and how to recover and even prosper from a successful swarm attempt. Author Stephen J. Repasky's inaugural publication marks the latest addition to the Essentials series from Wicwas Press and is an excellent read for any beekeeper who hopes to make it past their first year.
Author: S. Repasky, L. Connor
The Backyard Beekeeper, now in its 4th edition, makes the time-honored and complex tradition of beekeeping an enjoyable and accessible backyard pastime that will appeal to urban and rural beekeepers of all skill levels. More than a guide to beekeeping, this handbook features expert advice for: - Setting up and caring for your own colonies - She best location to place your new bee colonies for their safety and yours - The most practical and nontoxic ways to care for your bees - Swarm control - Using top bar hives - Harvesting the products of a beehive and collecting and using honey - Bee problems and treatments What's New? - Information for Urban Bees and Beekeepers - Using Your Smoker the Right Way - Better Pest Management - Providing Consistent and Abundant Good Food - Keeping Your Hives Healthy With this complete resource and the expert advice of Bee Culture editor Kim Flottum, your bees will be healthy, happy, and more productive.
Author: Kim Flottum
Detailed instructions for making candles, furniture polish, beauty products and nearly 100 honey-themed recipes are included. Fully illustrated with how-to photography and unique etchings, The Beekeeper's Bible will provide any backyard enthusiast or gardener with the confidence to dive into beekeeping (or simply daydream about harvesting their own honey while relaxing in the comfort of an armchair).
Author: R. Jones, S. Sweeney-Lynch
While keeping bees certainly isn't rocket science, doing it properly does involve decent levels of understanding, commitment, and attention to detail. Getting the basics right is essential, and this demands a solid appreciation of important areas such as hives management, breed choice, and health requirements. There is plenty to think about for those getting their first bees, and careful planning is the key to a successful initial experience. One thing that complicates matters is the bees' ability to disguise problems. Although this might seem a useful ability, it actually makes recognizing trouble in the crucial, early stages that much more difficult, even for experienced owners. And although bees are remarkably resilient creatures, they remain vulnerable to predators, disease and climate changes. There is plenty of potential for things to go wrong and, unfortunately, it's always the bees that suffer when problems strike.
Whether you're a newcomer or an old hand, The Beekeeper's Problem Solver provides the information you need to nip problems in the bud and, better still, avoid them in the first place. Let longtime bee keeper and apiary expert James E. Tew guide you through 100 common problems faced by beekeepers, spelling out in clear and simple terms what the underlying cause is and how to solve it. Each one is tackled in depth, with photographs and diagrams, as well as a wide range of practical tips and useful insights. The problems are divided into ten chapters covering the main areas of beekeeping, from health to housing and parasites to predators. A subject-specific index is also included for easy reference.
Author: James E. Tew
From honey experts C. Marina Marchese and Kim Flottum comes this comprehensive introduction to the origin, flavor, and culinary uses of more than 30 varietals of honey, from ubiquitous clover to tangy star thistle to rich, smoky buckwheat.
Like wine, cheese, coffee and chocolate, honey has emerged as an artisanal obsession. Its popularity at farmers markets and specialty food stores has soared as retailers capitalize on the trend. The Honey Connoisseur teaches consumers everything they need to know about how to taste, select and use a diverse selection of honey.
After a brief explanation of how bees produce honey, the authors introduce the concept of terroir, the notion that soil, weather and other natural phenomena can affect the taste of honey. As with wines, knowing the terroir of a honey varietal helps to inform an understanding of its flavor.
The book goes on to give a thorough course in the origins of more than 30 different honeys as well as step-by-step instructions on how to taste honey, describe its flavor and determine what other flavors will pair best with it. Also included are simple recipes such as dressings, marinades, beverages and quick-and-easy desserts.
Beautifully illustrated and designed, The Honey Connoisseur is the perfect book for foodies and locavores alike.
Author: K. Flottum, C. Marchese
This guide contains 101 easy things you can do to ready your home for a disaster. The simple yet smart projects ensure that any household is prepared for that inevitable day when disaster strikes. From California earthquakes and Rocky Mountain wildfires to Midwest floods and Atlantic hurricanes, millions of people face life-threatening emergencies each year. This handy and helpful book shows readers how easy it is to prepare their home and family for any disaster. By breaking down the many facets of prepping into straightforward steps, this book transforms a seemingly daunting task into easy-to-do, manageable projects. Author Bernie Carr’s unique “survivalist lite” approach requires readers to dedicate little time, money, or space, but provides a big payoff: being fully prepared and self-sufficient.
Author: BERNIE CARRR
What's the buzz about the growing popularity of backyard beekeeping? Providing habitat for bees, pollinating your garden and producing honey for your family are some of the compelling reasons for taking up this exciting hobby. But conventional beekeeping requires a significant investment and has a steep learning curve. The alternative? Consider beekeeping outside the box.
The Thinking Beekeeper is the definitive do-it-yourself guide to natural beekeeping in top bar hives. Based on the concept of understanding and working with bees' natural systems as opposed to trying to subvert them, the advantages of this approach include:
Top bar hives can be located anywhere bees have access to forage, and they make ideal urban hives because of their small footprint. Emphasizing the intimate connection between our food systems, bees and the well-being of the planet, The Thinking Beekeeper will appeal to the new breed of beekeeper who is less focused on maximizing honey yield and more on ensuring the viability of the bee population now and in the coming years.
Author: Christy Hemenway |
The actual emergency occurred about two weeks ago when Stew once again try to answer that perennial question, "What is going on with the bees?"
|Honey? Buzz off, we're not in the mood.|
It was a really bad idea though the bees seem to be thriving.
They went after Stew in a frenzied swarm that sent him to the garage screaming for me to get the can of insect spray from under the kitchen sink.
I gave Stew what I thought was a good dousing to no avail. I guess I missed the microscopic warning on the can that says: "This crap doesn't work on bees."
Instead the bees became even angrier and took after me in the garage, sending Félix running in one direction and Domino, one of our dogs, in another.
Domino once again displayed his amazing deductive powers by dashing to the living-room door, tapping the lever with his paw to open it and running under the bed where he remained for about an hour, his nose barely sticking out from under the mattress.
The casualty report was serious. Stew got bit several times on the legs and on the face. I got it a couple of times near my right eye and Félix on the head. Domino didn't want to talk about it.
Bee Bob would have come earlier but he was in the throes of his own existential crisis. He had quit smoking a few days before and was feeling as short-tempered as the bees.
There's a lesson to be learned from this latest apian debacle, Stew says.
First, one is supposed to wear light-colored clothing when approaching the beehive, according to Bee Bob. I don't know why that is.
Second, one should never open the beehive during cool, cloudy or rainy weather. The sun must be shining and the temperatures at least 80 degrees. I don't know why that is either.
Third, one should fold the pants cuffs tightly and secure them with rubber bands and I do know why that is: To prevent bees from flying up your legs, possibly way up there.
In his capacity as San Miguel's apiculture empresario, Bee Bob recently secured a grant from the local Audubon Society to host a series of four Spanish-language seminars on beekeeping to promote apiculture among Mexicans.
We volunteered Félix to participate though after being attacked by angry bees twice his enthusiasm for apiculture is definitely muted these days. We mentioned he will get his own beehive after completion of the training.
After mumbling and grumbling for a while, he finally agreed on one condition: He doesn't want the beehive anywhere near his house.
So we'll be setting up his beehive at the ranch, making it three. Three? Yes, undeterred by his mishaps, Stew had ordered yet another beehive from Bee Bob.
There is one silver lining to this latest incident. The original beehive is loaded with honey and it is delicious--or at least that's what Stew says. |
News… June 2018. No winter evening Beekeeping Course in 2018/2019.
Taster Day Saturday 25th August 2018. Weekend Course Sat/Sun 22nd and 23rd September 2018.
The courses are an introduction to beekeeping. We urge you to follow your course by attending our apiary meetings and winter lecture meetings, read all you can about bees, team up with other beekeepers, and become thoroughly absorbed in beekeeping. It’s a life-long passion for most of us!
The Weekend Courses and Taster Days are very popular with visitors. We can suggest places to stay.
Taster Days make a popular present.
We suggest new beekeepers complete a course, and then start with their own bees in the summer. We can put you in touch with local suppliers of nuclei (small colonies of bees).
Keeping Bees, Pam Gregory 2011. An easy to read introduction, well-illustrated. Pam Gregory was a previous Regional Bee Inspector for Wales, and a good friend of Conwy Beekeepers.
Guide to Bees and Honey, Ted Hooper 2010. Very popular. |
Dr. Gene Kritsky, a professor of biology at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, adjunct curator of entomology at the Cincinnati Museum Center, and editor-in-chief of American Entomologist, has been selected to deliver the Founders’ Memorial Award lecture at Entomology 2012 – the 60th Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) – this November in Knoxville, Tennessee. This year’s honoree is Charles Darwin (1809-1882), whose theory of evolution by natural selection helped to transform entomology from a hobby for collectors to a science.
ESA established the Founders’ Memorial Award in 1958 to honor scientists whose lives and careers enhanced entomology as a profession and who made significant contributions to the field in general and in their respective subdisciplines. At each ESA Annual Meeting, the recipient of the award addresses the conferees to honor the memory and career of an outstanding entomologist. The theme of the 2012 ESA meeting, “A Global Society for a Global Science,” is exemplified by the work and influence of Kritsky and Darwin.
Dr. Gene Kritsky
Dr. Gene Kritsky is the author of over 125 peer-reviewed papers and six books, and is the lead scientist on five traveling museum exhibits. Dr. Kritsky received his B.A. in biology in 1974 from Indiana University, and received his M.S. and Ph.D. in 1976 and 1977, respectively, in entomology from the University of Illinois. His research has made significant contributions to our understanding of the history and evolution of periodical cicadas, the history of entomology, and apiculture. Dr. Kritsky has worked on periodical cicadas for 35 years and is the author of Periodical Cicadas: the Plague and the Puzzle. His specific contributions to our understanding of periodical cicada biology and evolution include his prediction in 2000 of a four-year acceleration of Brood X. That prediction proved true and permitted a detailed survey of off-year accelerations, which verified that such accelerations can result in populations that survive intense predation and are able to sing, mate, and reproduce. With the emergence of these cicadas in 2017, Dr. Kritsky will have documented the origin of a new brood in Ohio. His other findings have included the verification of the plasticity of nymphal cicada growth, the discovery of a 13-year brood in northern Kentucky and southwestern Ohio, and the development of a model to predict when in May a brood should emerge, permitting arboreta, parks, and cemeteries to schedule events accordingly. Finally, Dr. Kritsky, collaborating with Dr. George Poinar, Jr., co-described the oldest definitive fossil cicada nymph.
Dr. Kritsky’s apicultural contributions are focused on the history of beekeeping. He was a contributor to the American Bee Journal, and his most recent book, The Quest for the Perfect Hive, challenges the beekeeping industry to re-examine hive designs and practices for new innovations that could help deal with the many problems facing beekeeping today. The critically successful book was selected by Seed Magazine as a February 2010 “book to read now.” The Capital Area Beekeepers Association review read, "This is one of those books that will become a classic of beekeeping literature for its content, design, illustrations, and pure quality of the writing. No beekeeper should be without it." More recently, Dr. Kritsky completed a major review of beekeeping in ancient Egypt. This research started when he was a Fulbright scholar to Egypt during 1981-1982, and continued with more recent travels to Egypt and Europe. Dr. Kritsky also learned how to translate hieroglyphs to better interpret Egyptian reliefs, leading to a better understanding of how beekeeping was performed over 4,500 years ago. He also corrected earlier reconstructions of beekeeping scenes from two tombs. In addition to bees, Dr. Kritsky examined all the insects that played a role in Egyptian mythology, developing new explanations for their mythological importance. The quality of this work is documented by its inclusion as a reference in the Oxford University Press Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt.
As a teacher, Dr. Kritsky has designed the entomology courses at three institutions and coauthored an entomology textbook for undergraduate biology students. He has published over 25 papers with undergraduate student coauthors, and this has encouraged several students to seek advanced entomology degrees. In 1985, Dr. Kritsky received the College of Mount St. Joseph’s highest teaching award, and he received the College’s Alumni Appreciation award in 1999. His efforts to promote science education through the National Association of Academies of Science were responsible for his election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Kritsky’s teaching is not limited to the classroom setting. He has served as a consultant for several television programs, including Sir David Attenborough’s Life in the Undergrowth and Supersense. He has appeared on several news programs, including the CBS Evening News, ABC Evening News, The Today Show, Good Morning America, A&E’s Biography, and CBS Sunday Morning. In 2004, he was America Online’s cicada expert for the Brood X emergence, and his cicada website received over 7 million hits. He also served as the lead scientist for the Cincinnati Museum’s Center’s traveling exhibits “The Weakening Web,” “In the Dark,” and “Beakman’s World.”
Kritsky has published on Darwin for 35 years, and he has worked closely with members of the Darwin family on a number of projects. During 2001-2002, he spent his sabbatical at Cambridge University working with the Darwin Correspondence Project to transcribe Darwin’s research notes for The Descent of Man, a publication with numerous insect references. This project led to his appointment as a contributing editor of the American Museum of Natural History’s Darwin manuscripts project, and Dr. Kritsky’s Descent transcription has been published online by AMNH. In 2008, he published a review of the 19th-century entomological reaction to Darwin’s Origin of Species in the Annual Review of Entomology. Dr. Kritsky’s work on Darwin has received international attention with features appearing in Scientific American, Discover, The New York Times, and Der Spiegel. His ESA publication on Darwin’s Madagascan hawk moth was selected by several organizations as one of the top zoology news stories of 1993. Dr. Kritsky curated the exhibit “Charles Darwin: a Portrait Biography” in 1985; it has been on exhibit for the past 27 years, including at the ESA meeting in Dallas and the AAAS meeting in Los Angeles. It was exhibited for extended periods at over 20 museums, including the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University, the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and in Darwin’s bedroom at Down House. It is currently on extended loan to the University of Nebraska State Museum. In 2009, Dr. Kritsky curated the exhibit “Darwin’s rEvolution” for the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History as part of the celebration of the bicentennial of Darwin’s birth.Dr. Charles Darwin
Although some may not think of Darwin as an entomologist, in fact he published numerous articles on insects, used entomological examples to support his theories of species origin and sexual selection, and made countless references to insects in his books. Fifty years ago, the Annual Review of Entomology featured an article on Darwin’s contributions to entomology, in which the authors noted that the Origin of Species contains about 50 references to insects, including Darwin’s own observations on the similarity of British and Brazilian fresh water insects, the importance of insects as pollinators (a topic he later expounded on in his book, On the Various Contrivances by which British and Foreign Orchids are Fertilised by Insects), and the evolution of cellmaking in honey bees, among other topics. The authors asserted that, “Darwin’s direct contributions to entomology during his lifetime were outstanding,” adding that his theory of evolution “has had a profound impact on the direction of entomological research.” Darwin drew on insects extensively for The Descent of Man and cited 85 entomologists whose work encompassed the globe. In Insectivorous Plants, he discussed the types of insects captured by the various plants. Darwin also advanced research in the discipline by reviewing favorably and encouraging the work of his entomological colleagues H.W. Bates, Alfred Russel Wallace, and John Lubbock. A list of publications resulting from the insects Darwin collected, including those from his five-year voyage aboard the HMS Beagle, is available online.
Darwin’s interest in insects extended back to when he was ten years old and noticed insects along the English coast. By the time he entered Christ College in Cambridge, he was an avid collector, hiring young boys to procure specimens for his collection. He had a special cabinet built to house his beetle collection, and provided new county records for James Francis Stephen’s Illustrations of British Insects. He maintained a friendly but fierce competition for insect collecting with his cousin, and collected with the Reverend Frederick William Hope, who established the entomology professorship at the University of Oxford. Darwin was a charter member of the Entomological Society of London (later the Royal Entomological Society) and was an honorary member of the Entomological Society of France. He had direct contact (correspondence and/or personal meetings) with previous ESA Founders’ honorees C.V. Riley, J.H. Comstock, and B.D. Walsh.
Darwin continued this avid interest in collecting while traveling around the world on the HMS Beagle. It was during this time that Professor Hope wrote to Darwin that he had been named a charter member of the newly formed Entomological Society of London. Upon reading this, Darwin informed his cousin, “I look at the Orange Cross [the society’s crest] as the emblem of Entomological Knighthood.”
After his return to England, Darwin began to use insects as evidence for his research on species. To verify his assumptions, Darwin wrote to entomologists all over the world with questions about species diversity, honey bee comb construction, insect-plant associations, and insect sexual dimorphism. With the publication of his On the Origin of Species in 1859, he included numerous insect examples to support his views on ecological relationships, instincts, and speciation. This work inspired entomologists like no other work before or since. Henry Bates used it to develop his theory on mimicry. Benjamin Walsh, the Founders’ Memorial Award honoree for 1987, was a classmate of Darwin’s, and was inspired to apply Darwin’s work to his own research. Walsh became one of Darwin’s strongest allies in the 1860s and his greatest American proponent, challenging Louis Agassiz at every opportunity.
Darwin’s impact on entomology in the U.S. grew during the 1860s. Charles V. Riley, the second ESA Founders’ Memorial Award honoree (honored in 1959), visited Darwin at Darwin’s home outside of London. Riley peppered his annual reports with numerous observations that supported Darwin’s views. The third Founders’ Memorial Award honoree, John H. Comstock (honored in 1960), corresponded with Darwin and also sent Darwin his cotton report. Darwin corresponded with many of the early American entomologists, including Alpheus Packard and Samuel Scudder, inviting the latter to visit him in England. Darwin’s influence on many of the later Founders’ Memorial Award honorees can be seen in their writings. Vernon Kellogg (honored in 1973) and Herbert H. Ross (honored in 1981) wrote textbooks on evolutionary biology. Robert E. Snodgrass (honored in 1969) and T. D. A. Cockerell (honored in 1978) both applied evolution to their work on insect morphology and paleoentomology, respectively. Darwin’s entomology was not limited to On the Origin of Species. His book On the Various Contrivances by which British and Foreign Orchids are Fertilised by Insects documented insect-plant coevolution, and The Descent of Man included two chapters discussing sexual dimorphism in insects. For Darwin, entomology was a global science, and American entomologists are still feeling his impact today.
The Entomological Society of America (ESA) is the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines. Founded in 1889, ESA today has more than 6,000 members affiliated with educational institutions, health agencies, private industry, and government. Members are students, researchers, teachers, extension service personnel, administrators, marketing representatives, research technicians, consultants, and hobbyists. For more information, please visit http://www.entsoc.org. |
I’ve spent a bit of time this week rummaging through the 182 page PDF of the 30th Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah. It is not an easy task, believe me.
I expected to find more detailed record keeping of the events of that legislative session. You know, the usual stuff like the vote count, arguments in favor or against certain bills, members of the assembly who crafted each bill presented for a vote, etc. Sadly (but also maybe fortunately, considering the size of this thing), I didn’t find those details. Instead, this contains the exact wording for each law that was enacted by that specific assembly. Not what I was hoping for, but quite interesting nonetheless.
I must confess, I skimmed through a lot of this document. A lot of the language is old, makes references to amending laws that are already on the books, and discusses topics that aren’t part of our modern society. What I did find, however, was that Senator L.M. Olson was part of the body of legislators responsible for many of the current laws, practices, and institutions established by this assembly. There’s no real way for me to know for which side of each bill Olson voted, but here are some of the laws enacted during the 30th legislative assembly that I found to be quite interesting:
- Naming of Utah’s first university as, “University of Utah”.
- Prosecution of polygamous relationships.
- The observance of Labor Day in Utah.
- Granting the right to Mayors to veto City Council measures.
- The observance of Arbor Day in Utah.
- Prosecution for starting forest fires.
- In the event of bankruptcy, forced closure, or legal seizure of a company, laborer wages are considered prefered debts to prefered creditors and must be paid first.
- Prosecution for anyone acting as a pharmacist without a license & university training.
- Creation of the Bureau of Statistics.
- Observance and regulations of local beekeeping.
- Establishment and assignment of a dower for widows.
- Amount of allowable privately owned cattle on public lands (grazing).
- Establishment of a Board of Medical Examiners.
- Creation of a unified system of free schools throughout Utah Territory.
- Allowance of poor people to enact law suits without cost.
- Establishment and funding of an agricultural college (now known as Utah State University). |
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Afternoon Books and Tea at the Lynden Library
Join us for a lively book discussion and a warm cup of tea. Our theme for March is beekeeping with guest speaker Russell Deptuch from Choice Bees. Weather permitting; Russ brings an observation hive to view honeybees up close and personal, but behind glass. For details, contact Deborah Dotson at (360) 354-4883. Meets monthly on the first Wednesday. |
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The Geneva Bee Conference (genevabeeconference.org) is held once a year at Hobart and William Smith College in Geneva, NY. I've attended almost every year usually as a vender. This year I just sat and listened.
First, a record number of Steuben County Honeybee Association members attended—3. The conference was sold out, meaning all the seats in the auditorium were full. But wait! Not everyone who paid actually came, so there were lots of empty seats. That’s good fact of human nature to file away, for next time. Always have pay-in-advance registration, and then allow in the last minute people if there is room.
2. Staying seated for a whole day can be painful, but the seats were padded and the back rests flexed so you could shift a bit.
3. Your $25 fee included free coffee, tea, and pastries.
4. Mike Palmer has presented his talks in Australia and the United Kingdom and both are available on YouTube. Type his name into the search bar and you can have the GBC experience in the privacy of your own home. I’d already watched them twice so it was review for me. Even after watching the presentation 3 times, by the end I feel confused. You remove queens from nucs, but you need new queens to replace them and you need hives in which to place new queens or queencellsandyoushouldhaveremovedqueensthedaybeforefromthehives… Anyways, there is lots of good information. The take away is a quote he borrowed from someone: “All beekeeping problems can be solved by either putting something into or taking something out of a nuc.” I thought Mike had developed his techniques by reading the nineteenth century bee writers, but surprise! He developed them independently, thought he had discovered something radical and new and then, leafing through Fifty Years among the Bees, discovered it had all been done before.
5. Dr. Tom Seeley talked about his research on the wild bees of the Arnot Forest near Ithaca. Again, his presentation is available on YouTube. Two takeaways: First the population of wild colonies is approximately the same as before the mites came and we all assumed the wild colonies had been wiped out. Second, as a youth Seeley had pinned a bunch of bees in the 1970s and by genome sequencing those and the modern Arnot forest bees, surprise! There had been a big gene shift indicating a population drop and then a recovery. The wild bee genes indicate a mix of Italian, Black bee, Carniolan, and Middle Eastern and even some African genes.
6. There were also presentations on bee nutrition, mead making, dealing with pests, and labelling honey.
7. I’d say the really big climax of the day, not counting the bad bee puns that the masters of ceremonies filled in with, is the free refrigerator magnet with the date of next year’s Geneva Bee Conference—March 18th, 2017. |
Put Your Beekeeping Hive in the Right Place or Else
The most important decision you can make as a beginning beekeeper is where to house your honeybees. There are several things to consider as you select your beekeeping hive and where to put it. Hive designs have reached a level making honey gathering very easy.
The Langstroth remains the most popular hive choice in the United States. That basic design has been around for over 150 years as Mr. L.L. Langstroth came up with it in 1852. The Langstroth hive, as it is commonly referred to, is made up of rectangular frames that hold the combs.
Combs are a wax sheet or plastic base that hang within a frame. On average each frame holds about ten combs. Bees will utilize the wax sheets as a base when making wax and constructing honeycombs. Bees will start to store both honey and pollen inside the combs once the honeycomb is constructed. The beekeeping hive design makes it easy to gather honey by taking out the frames once they’re full of honey.
The top-bar design isn’t used as much by United States beekeepers but is very popular in other countries. A top-bar beekeeping hive has bars which run along the top frame. As the bees build wax combs they connect to the bars then hang the combs down from those bars. In contrast to the Langstroth removable hive frames, the top-bar hive bars can’t be used again once removed and the honey harvested.
Because the bars can’t be reused, the honey output from the top-bar hives tends to be much lower than other hives. With less honey what would be the point of this type of hive? Because the honey quality you do get tends to be the highest quality honey due to the clear yellow combs. By selling this type of honey you can offer an awesome in-comb honey product.
Once the beekeeper has selected a hive design, there are other issues to consider before setting up a bee hive on their property. Start out with making sure your local regulations allow keeping hives in your area. Some areas limit what you can do and even prohibit keeping hives.
Will there be enough space on the property to correctly place the hive? The beekeeping hive shouldn’t be set up next to places where people tend to gather like a park. A lot of people, especially if they’re allergic to bee stings, do not like being close to areas with a significant amount of bees.
Ideally, the beekeeping hive should be put close to a good pollen and nectar source. However, while being close to food sources would make the bees food-harvesting task easier they can actually travel great distances in a day to get food. Many beekeepers actually depend upon their bees to assist with pollinating their crops or garden.
One other necessary hive placement point to consider would be putting the hive close to a water source. Place the beekeeping hive close to clean water. That water can be natural, like a creek, or a water supply provided by the beekeeper.
Finally, the hive needs to be placed where it’s protected from a variety of potentially damaging factors. Several types of animals, such as bears, raccoons, or skunks, love honey and will break into the hive to get it. Also, some people would vandalize the hive if it was easy to get to.
The hive should also be protected from any bad weather. Even though bees are not active year-round, the beekeeping hive should be accessible at all times. With the proper hive design and placement, the resulting beekeeping activities will be more enjoyable and profitable.
Robert Moore has been a beekeeping expert and honey lover for over 27 years. Want to more great tips on a beekeeping hive? Grab Robert’s “10 Essential Steps to Better Beekeeping” popular free ecourse, available at: => http://www.beekeepingbooks.com/ |
Helpful Hint - order your equipment and hives at least 3-4 weeks before you expect your bees to arrive. Picking up at our store in Fairmount, Il? Call us to place your order and be scheduled for a pick up date and time.
INDEPENDENCE KIT is a starter kit. You will need to add more boxes to this hive as it grows, but you can purchase this kit to get started without paying for the full hive at one time. Buy other boxes as you need them. This hive kit comes assembled with a screen bottom board, a deep hive body with 10 assembled wooden frames and foundation, an inner cover, top cover, feeder and entrance reducers, a cloth hat/veil combo, a smoker and smoker fuel, and a hive tool. Also comes with a book on how to start beekeeping. Boxes are rabbet joint corners and the hive is assembled and painted. Quality craftsmanship, these workhorses will last for years to come. Made in the USA! Bees are not included.
OUR HIVE STORY: When we first started making hives at LONG LANE HONEY BEE FARMS around 2006, it was just our family. We would cut the boards, build the hives, and paint them. Our three youngest children helped us, and sometimes we would sit for hours in our workshop with the wood burner going, a pot of soup on top of it, and just build and paint for hours at a time. The years have passed, and the children are grown, and so we found an Amish beekeeping family who helps us now. Cabinet makers by trade, these hives are high quality, with wood manufactured and milled here in the US, built by master craftsmen, right here in Illinois. These hives are workhorses and will outlast your lifetime. |