The Buzz Newsletter

Page 1

Greetings from the President of the IHPA

Dear Honey Producers;
April showers bring May Flowers. We really could use more moisture. Our area has missed almost all of the snow or rain this winter. We have only missed one day of school because of bad weather and it was just because ice was predicted, but it didn’t materialize. I have had to fill the water for our bees a couple of times this winter.

Thanks for completing the survey of Iowa honey and beekeepers. The statistics are available now at: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/other/zho-bb/hony0206.pdf

As long as we are talking about statistics, it would be of great help if you contacted your US Senators and Representatives about the Agriculture budget. Of course, it is proposed to be cut and that will leave a lot less money available for the honey bee research labs. Please let them know that the money is needed to keep the mite research going to help keep our colonies healthy. If we have healthy colonies of honey bees, more pollination is completed, we have more of a crop and supplies are maintained. The key talking points are that *Honey Bee Colonies Are Dying; *U.S. Agricultural Crops Are Threatened; and *More Honey Bee Research Is Urgently Needed. If you need information, please contact me or check on the American Beekeeping Federation website: www.ABFnet.org

Chuck Eckermann from the Pesticide Bureau has informed me that the chemicals needing a Section 18 have been approved for use in Iowa and should be available for your use. If you encounter any difficulty getting them, let me know. Remember to follow the labeled instructions carefully and use the precautions suggested. This is for your safety and the health of your honey bees.

Some new programs for the IHPA are in the works and will be presented at the Iowa State FFA Convention in April. We are sponsoring a Youth Mentoring Program and are working on information for FFA groups to sell Iowa honey with the annual fruit sales for a money making project for both the local Iowa honey producers located near FFA groups and the FFA groups themselves. We are excited about both programs.

The Field Day is all planned and looks like it will be a great learning day and also some fun. Plan to attend.

Remember to register your apiaries so that when spraying occurs in your area, you will be notified. The new procedure is outlined in another article in this issue. I have entered the site and put in our information. It is not hard to do. Read the article and if you have questions, contact Becky Ohrtman at IDALS.

If you have a promotion planned and would like to have the Iowa Honey Queen help you, contact Liz at jimsj@netins.net or phone her at (319) 279-3892.

April reminds us of warmer weather to come, but also can be a nasty month with ice or snow. This just lets us know that we are not in control of the weather. We can only hope for good package or queen installation weather.

Sincerely,
Donna Brahms, IHPA President

The Buzz Newsletter Submissions

Please send submissions, classified ads, and photos to Alex W. Ebert by email to TheBuzz@ABuzzAboutBees.com
or by mail to The Buzz, c/o Phil Ebert, 14808 S. 102nd Ave. E., Lynnville, IA 50153.
The deadline for submissions to The Buzz is the 15th of each month.

The Buzz is a monthly newsletter published by the Iowa Honey Producers Association which is an affiliate of the Iowa State Horticultural Society. IHPA Membership is only $10 annually. To join IHPA and receive your complimentary member subscription to The Buzz Newsletter, please contact:

Gordon Powell, IHPA Treasurer

4012 54th St.

Des Moines, IA 50310

Phone : (515) 278-1762