NEWSLETTERPresident’s Message February 2012Richard Ellis We have had some warm days this month and the bees have been able to take cleansing flights. We have been able to check our hives to see if the bees are still alive and need to be fed or if they have all disappeared. It seems a lot of beekeepers have had bad luck and a lot of their bees have disappeared. There is not much we can do this month but think about beekeeping and get our equipment ready for spring. The queen will start laying eggs and the bees will start eating more honey/sugar. Once we start feeding our bees we need to keep on feeding them. In March the queen will increase laying more eggs and there will start to be some drones in the hive. We can start to get excited about working with our bees in March.

Should You Keep Bees?Decide Whether Beekeeping is Right for You

With all the buzz (sorry!) about beekeeping, you may have considered taking the plunge and getting a hive of your own. But as with adding any new species to your farm or homestead, it can be tough to know whether you’ll eventually regret the addition or celebrate it. So let’s cut to the chase: what does it take to keep bees?

Bee Allergies

If anyone in your family or close circle of friends is highly allergic to bee stings, this might be one venture to cross off your list, for obvious reasons. Beekeepers, even decked out in a full bee suit, get stung oc-casionally. And although you can position the hives to minimize human contact (and you want to make sure you don’t set things up so the flight path will be interrupted by humans constantly), there is the risk that someone could get stung even when not tending to the bees.

Time to Care for Hives

Kim Flottum, author of Backyard Beekeeper, says that bees need “more time than you need to properly care for your cat, but less time than needed to take good care of your dog.” The amount of time required to keep bees depends on the method you’re using, but to give you some ballpark of the amount of time that’s needed, the San Francisco Beekeepers’ Association says to figure 30 minutes per hive per week, and 2 hours per hive twice a year to extract honey.(cont. on page# 4)

Langstroth Bee HivesAshe McFionn

Early beekeepers used many different designs for their hives. Hollowed out logs. Straw boxes and the traditional “Skeps”. The skeps were straw rolled in coils and made into a upside down basket. This is the domed hive that is the Utah State Emblem. In 1851, the Reverend Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth (1810-1895), a native of Philadelphia, noted that when his bees had less than 3/8 inch of space available in which to move around, they would neither build comb into that space nor cement it closed with propolis. This measurement is presently called “bee space”. Langstroth Hives have a common nominal dimension of inside width of 14–11/16 inches and the inside length of 18–5/16 inches. The depths are 9-9/16 inches for a Deep Super, 6 5/8 inches for a Medium Super, 5-3/4 inches for a Shallow Super and 4 3/4 inches for the Comb Super. The standard Langstroth is designed to provide space for 10 removable frames or 8 removable frames. Many experienced beekeepers use 9 frames in a 10 frame box and swear that they get more honey because the bees draw deeper comb. There is a bottom board that the bee boxes set on and several different designs of top covers. There are many different accessory boards such as feeders, dividers and queen excluders. The main advantage of the Langstroth is that you can have easy access to manage your bees and harvest honey without destroying the hive or frames. borilar_e@yahoo.com

Bee hives in honey making museum in Stripeikiai, Lithuania.

~Wojsyl, 2005

February 2012

The charm of history and its enigmatic lesson consist in the fact that, from age to age, nothing changes and yet everything is completely different.

~ Aldous Huxley

How many hives can I have in one place?

This is a difficult question to have a distinct answer to. Even in a given place it varies from year to year depending on the nectar flow which depends on the timing of the rain and the early and late frosts. In a place with really good forage (like the middle of 8,000 acres of sweet clover) it may be almost impossible to have too many hives there during a flow. But in general most rural locations in areas where there are the typical farm crops of corn, beans, alfalfa etc. about 20 hives in one place is usually the economic threshold where after that the competition will cost you honey. Try increasing the number of hives gradually until you see too much competition and honey crops decreasing.

How many hives should a beginning beekeeper start with?

The standard answer is two. I’ll say two to four. Less than two and you don’t have resources to resolve typical beekeeping issues like queenlessness, suspected queenlessness, laying workers etc. More than four is a bit much for a beginning beekeeper to keep up with.http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfaqs.htm#howmanybeginner

Odorless beekeepingYou need to know that bees don’t react well to bad body odor. So, please don’t inspect your bees when you’re all sweated up after a morning jog. Take a shower first. Brush your teeth. On the other hand, don’t try to smell too good, either! Avoid using colognes, perfumes, or scented hairsprays. Sweet smells can attract more attention from the bees than you want. Be sure to remove your leather watchband before visiting your bees. They don’t like the smell of leather or wool, and these materials retain body odor. Removing any rings from your fingers also is a good idea. It isn’t that bees don’t like pretty jewelry. But in the rare event that you take a sting on your hand, you don’t want your fingers swelling up when you’re wearing a decidedly non expandable ring.

Why Keep Bees?

Of course, collecting the honey they produce is the obvious answer, but there’s more to it than this. Keeping bees is good for your garden and crops, too. They help pollinate vegetables and flowers and may help your yields. Honey, honeybees, beeswax and other bee-related products like propolis tincture and beeswax-based beauty products can be a great supplement to a homestead or farm income and can even form the basis of your farm’s business. Many small farmers find bees to be a rewarding and productive means of income.

How Much Does It Cost to Get Started?

This varies, again, depending on the method you choose. Most people start with two hives so they can compare how they’re doing. Check our list of beekeeping supplies to see more details on what you’ll need, but here is a basic breakdown for one hive, according to New England Beekeeping

Supplies: •Onehivesetup(includesbottomboard,frames,etc):$200 •Packageof bees(3lbof beesandaqueen):$75 •Clothingandtools(veil,gloves,smoker,2hivetools,beebrush):$125 •MedicationandFeed:$35•Beeschool:$75•Extraction:$15Accordingtothisestimate,yourfirstyearwithonehivewouldcost$525andwithtwohives,$835.However,don’t get discouraged - read more here and learn how to minimize startup costs and use more natural methods that may require less outlay of cash! And remember, you’ll end up with enough honey to pay back those costs pretty quickly.

http://smallfarm.about.com/od/farmanimals/a/Should-You-Keep-Bees.htm

Essential Beekeeping Tools

Hive Tool Usage

Hive tools are can be used for:•looseninghivebodiesandframes.•removingexcessburcomborpropoliscanbescrapedfromhive parts.•removingabeestingfromthebodyHive tools, when jointly used for beekeeping, should not be used for Mixing paint, varnish or chemicals

Selecting a Design

There exist multiple designs of hive tools, but in truth most any kind of pry bar with a blade will work. If you find that money is burning a hole in your pocket, feel free to invest in a high quality Teflon coated hive tool that would likely outlast any beekeeper. Hive tools generally come in7and10-inchvarieties.If possible,beforepurchasing,seehowthetoolfitsinyourhand,andbuy the one you are most comfortable with. Although it may not seem like an issue, color, for a hive tool may be important. If possible Purchase a bright colored hive tool or paint it such. A bright colored hive tool will stand out a lot better when dropped. It is rather difficult to continue working if you loose your tool.

Hive tools are sold by nearly every bee keeping supply house, but similar items can be found at most every hardware store. Simply look for a quality scraper/nail puller type of tool.

Maintenance

It is advisable to sharpen the blade of a hive tool when needed. It is difficult to predict the intervals when such would need to be done, but most beekeepers do so at least once a year. If a hive tool is used on a hive that may be infected by disease it is often advisable to clean the tool by flame.http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Beekeeping/

Spray Bottle Usage

It is a good idea to have one or two spray bottles. The main bottle is filled with a 1:1 mix of sugar and water. Any kind of sugar, just warm it up and dissolve the sugar in the water. Make sure you don’t caramelize the sugar as it can make bees sick. Just spray it directly on the bees to calm them down and spray new frames when you add them to the hive to make the bees want to draw comb. The second bottle is filled with just plain water and is used for cleanup.

Maintenance

Rinse with warm water to keep the nozzel from becoming encrusted with crystallized sugar.

GlovesUsage

New beekeepers like the idea of using gloves, but I urge you not to use them for installing your bees or for routine inspections. You

don’t really need them at those times, espe-cially with a new colony or early in the season. Gloves only make you clumsier. They inhibit your sense of touch, which can result in your inadvertently injuring bees. That’s counterpro-ductive and only makes them more defensive when they see you coming. The only times that you need to use gloves are;

•Lateintheseason(whenyourcolonyisatitsstrongest)•Duringhoneyharvestseason(whenyourbeesareprotectiveof theirhoney)•Whenmovinghivebodies(whenyouhaveagreatdealof heavyworktodoina short period of time)Beekeeping for Dummies-book

Bee Brush

Usage

The long, super-soft bristles of a bee brush enable you to remove bees fromframes and clothing without hurting them. Some beekeepers use a goose feather for this purpose. Keep that in mind in the event you have an extra goose around the house.Beekeeping for Dummies-book

Frame Rest

Usage

A frame rest is a super-helpful device. This product hangs on theside of the hive, providing a convenient and secure place

to rest frames during routine inspections. It holds up to three frames, giving you plenty of room in the hive to manipulate other frames without crushing bees.Beekeeping for Dummies-book

Smoker

Selecting a Design

The smoker will become your best friend. Smoke calms the bees and enablesyou to safely inspect your hive. Quite simply, the smoker is a fire chamberwith bellows designed to produce lots of cool smoke. Figure out how to lightit so that it stays lit, and never overdo the smoking process. A little smokegoes a long way. Smokers come in all shapes, sizes, and price ranges.The style that you choose doesn’t really matter. The key to a good smoker isthe quality of the bellows. Consider one fabricated from stainless steel toavoid rusting.

Usage

The smoker is the beekeeper’s best friend. Yet for many, keeping a smoker lit can be the trickiest part of beekeeping. It doesn’t have to be. What you’re trying to achieve is enough thick, cool smoke to last throughout your inspection. You certainly don’t want your smoker to poop out as soon as you’ve opened the hive.

Begin with a loosely crumpled piece of newspaper about the size of a tennis ball. Light the paper and place it in the bottom of the smoker. Nest it in place us-ing your hive tool. Gently squeeze the bellows a few times until you’re sure that the paper is burning with a flame.

Add dry matchstick-size kindling, pumping the bellows as you do. As it ignites (you’ll hear it crackling), slowly add increasingly thicker kindling. Ultimately, the fattest of your twigs will be about as thick as your thumb. None of the kindling need be more than four or five inches in length. The kindling needs to fill three

quarters of the smoker, and must be thoroughly packed from side to side. Us-ing your hive tool, occasionally stoke the fire. Keep pumping. When your kindling has been burning for about 10 minutes, and embers are glowing, it’s time to add the real fuel.

Use a fuel that burns slowly and gives off lots of smoke. The bees really don’t care what you use, but avoid using anything synthetic or potentially toxic.A smoker with all the “ingredients” is ready to load with paper, kindling of vari-ous sizeA smoker with all the “ingredients” is ready to load with paper, kindling of various sizes, and some hemp twine.

Pack the smoker right to the top with your preferred fuel, as you continue to gently pump the bellows. When billows of thick, cool, and white smoke emerge, close the top. Pump the bellows a few more times. Use a long, slow pumping method when working the bellows, rather than short, quick puffs. Doing so produces more and thicker smoke than short puffs.

Congratulations! You’re now ready to approach the hive. Your smoker should remain lit for many hours.

Make certain the smoke coming out of the smoker is “cool”. You don’t want to approach the hive with a smoker that is producing a blast furnace of smoke, fire, and sparks. Place your hand in front of the chimney as you gently work the bellows and feel the temperature of the smoke. If it feels comfortable to you, it will to the bees, too.http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-plan-your-first-beehive-inspection.htmlP.S. Hint: use a propone torch to light your smoker

Beekeeper Suit

Selecting a Design

There are many different brands of beekeeping suits on the market; you will find that the big differ-ence lies in whether you buy one that is loose fitting and lightweight or the older style that is somewhat heavier and made of several layers designed to keep you from getting stung. Both of these designs work very well. The one most important thing you must remember is that no matter what type of suit you decide to buy, none of them come with a 100% guarantee that you are not going to get stung.

The most commonly used beekeeping suit today is the lightweight lose fitting one piece jumpsuit style. Made from lightweight cotton or nylon, the idea of this suit is that is designed to fit loosely enough that the stinger will not be able to reach your skin. Because the material is much thinner, you do not have to worry about overheating. Since the neck, cuffs and pant legs are designed to be sealed to prevent bees from entering your suit, all of your body heat is going to remain inside the suit and lightweight materials make a much better choice.

When you look at all the different beekeeping suits the one thing that you will notice is that they are all made in either white or very light colors. You might think that this is to allow you to see the bees that are on your suit or to make it easier to see any stingers that get stuck the fabric or even simply because you are handling a food product. None of these would be the correct answer, the light color and very smooth materials are chosen because bees associate darker colors and rough materials with their natural enemies such as skunks and bears.

What does this have to do with you? Darker colors make bees far more aggressive

and can put you at risk for being attacked by a swarm, which is the way in which bees will act in the wild to protect their hive and their queen. A lighter color is still no guarantee that you will not be attacked; it simply reduces the risk significantly.

In order for you to be able to enjoy the hobby of beekeeping in relative safety, your suit must fit properly and be designed in such a way as to keep the bees from get-ting inside. This means that your best bet is a one piece jumpsuit style beekeeping suit that has elastic at the wrists, zippers or Velcro at the ankles and Velcro around the neck where your veil can be attached. The sole intent is to eliminate any pos-sible chance that even a single bee can get inside your suit and sting you. Beyond the suit you are going to need to use a beekeeping hat and veil.

Usage

Always wear your veil when you’re inspecting your hive. Doing so keeps the bees away from your face and prevents them from getting tangled in your hair.

If a bee ever gets under your veil, try not to panic. It isn’t that big a deal. She’s unlikely to sting you unless you squeeze her. Simply walk away from the hive and slip off your veil. Don’t remove your veil at the hive, and don’t thrash around screaming and yelling. Doing so only upsets the bees and the neighbors will think you’ve gone wacky.

New beekeepers need to wear a long-sleeved shirt. Light colors and smooth fabrics (like cotton) are best, because bees don’t like dark colors or the smell of wool or leather (material made from animals). Using elastic, Velcro straps, or rubber bands around the cuff of each pant leg and sleeve keeps clothing bee-tight, unless, of course, you think you might actually like having curious bees traveling up inside your trousers.http://www.beekeepingstarterguide.com/beekeeping-suit/

David Sam is a United States District Judge. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 16, 1985 and received his commission the same day. He servedaschief judgefrom1997–1999andassumedsenior status on November 1, 1999. He is also a beekeeper with an observation hive in his chambers. He spoke at the February WBA meeting and shared his love of bees.

Marlin Harmon spoke about the public meeting on the classification of honey.

Jerry Lynn - the Vice President of the Wasatch Beekeepers As-sociation demonstrated how to put a Langstroth hive together, with some of tools you need.