The Buzz Newsletter

July 2007

 

 

Page 2

Dates to BEE Remembered:

August 9-19th, 2007 Iowa State Fair, Des Moines, IA

November 16th & 17th, 2007 IHPA Annual Meeting, Marshalltown, IA

To add an important date to the list, contact the Buzz by email at
thebuzz@abuzzaboutbees.com

Field Day

The Field Day sponsored by the IHPA will not be held this summer. Due to busy schedules and some unfortunate resignations, we are unable to provide a complete agenda and would rather members spend some time working your honey bees.

We are experiencing unusual things taking place in our colonies and the membership needs to stay on top of any problems that arise. If you need any assistance, contact any officer or board member of the IHPA or contact Maury Wills at IDALS to get an inspector out to visit you.

Please help us get the word out that the Field Day has been cancelled for 2007.

Wanted: Buckwheat Honey Contact: Leo Meyers 260 Washington Ave. Alden, MN 56009-1007 Ph. 507-874-3303

FOR SALE: Queens from high producing Carniolan stock that has survived an Iowa winter. Available from late June to early Sept. Marked queens are $12.50 each. Shipping and insurance on small lots runs $7. Shipping to most points in Iowa is overnight. Contact Adam or Phil Ebert at 641-527-2639 or e-mail ehoney37@netins.net

For Sale: 2 gallon buckets with lids. Great for feeder buckets or small quantities of honey. 1-10, $1; 11+, 75 cents. Contact Phil Ebert 631-527-2639 or e-mail ehoney37@netins.net

For Sale: Going out of bee business. Complete Cowen uncapping and extracting system. Other equipment – come see what else. Contact: Albert Andriano 5737 Cumming Ave. Cumming, IA 50061 (515) 981-0360

Bitty Bee update

The regression to a smaller size bee is going better than I had hoped. By the time this update is in the Buzz all of the package large bees that I started with will be gone and I will have all small bees. They are about the size of a yellow jacket and are kind of cute.

I was told that the bees might mess up the small cell foundation on the first try, but overall the comb looks very good. I have had regular size bees mess up new regular foundation a lot worse. At this time I can not see any different between the hives with Italian or Carniolan queens. The first real test will come when I do the first mite test around the first of June. I plan on testing for mites each month.

When I started writing this update I had not been stung by the little bees yet. I since have been stung twice on the same leg at the same spot about a week apart. Both stings felt the same as the larger bees, but the stinger was not left behind so there was no swelling. I have had mosquito bites that swelled more.

I was surprised to see the bitty bees that were started on all new foundation bringing in more honey than my larger bees that were started on all drawn comb. Then I looked at the queen excluder and the bitty bees go right threw the excluder, the larger bees hesitate.

I lost one queen and the bees did make six superseder cells. These queen cells are about half the size of most queen cells. Now it is easy to find the large queen in the small bees. A smaller queen could be harder to find. I am not sure if the queen excluder will work now. Will let everyone know how that works out next month.

Submitted by Delmar Nelson