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Iowa Honey Producers Association |
The Buzz Newsletter May 2005 |
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Greetings from the President of the IHPA Dear Honey Producers, Spring has sprung. Another month has flown by. Hope everyone is on top of hive management and we have supers on. The flowers are just bursting out all over. I know the queen and package situation was unpredictable this early spring. Some are just receiving queens and need to get them installed. The life of a beekeeper is always interesting and never the same as the year before. I talked to Chuck Eckerman, the Pesticide Bureau Chief with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship several times last month about the Section 18 approval for mite treatments. Chuck informed me that he sent the paperwork to the EPA located in Washington D. C. earlier this year, but it took longer for them to approve it. Several other states had the same problem. There is not a lot we can do about making the government move faster. We were on top of the situation from our end. I talked to several frustrated beekeepers and suppliers. The only thing I could do was to reassure them that the approval was coming. It finally was approved and Mr. Eckerman called as soon as he got the notice to let me know. If you received a survey from the Department of Agriculture Economics at Louisiana State University, I hope that you filled it out and returned it. The Department of Agriculture Economics and Agribusiness is surveying and researching the options for controlling Varroa mites and Tracheal mites in conjunction with the USDA Agricultural Research service. The information that we can provide is very much needed to continue researching a problem that is not going away. The future of successful beekeeping rests with this research and other research programs. If you would like to check out the website go to: www.honeybeesurvey.com Spring also brings with it the opportunity to hear from lots people interested in finding out about honey bees and beekeeping. We have received lots of phone calls regarding this. Most of them are from people that have seen the website and want more information about beekeeping. I hope some of you have received calls from these people also. I usually refer the future beekeepers to experienced beekeepers located near them. I feel that the website gives us the opportunity to help new beekeepers and to find out just how many people are interested in beekeeping. The beginning beekeeping classes also showed us how interested people are. There was good attendance at all of the classes. Some have expressed interest in taking advanced classes such as wax production, comb honey production, etc. While you are working out in the bee yard, plan your entries for the state fair. Use new frames and wax for the entries. It is not too early to be thinking about it. Take your camera with you and record photos for the photography exhibit. Maybe if we start thinking about it early, we will get it all done without putting it off to the last minute. I am trying to convince myself, I hope it works. Lots of time has been spent on contacting legislators about the beekeeping program. I also attended the Commodity Congress for the Iowa Farm Bureau. I was appointed to an advisory position with the Horticulture Advisory Committee. We discussed recommendations for the Farm Bureau Ag Programs and the needed funding for research, inspections and the beekeeping programs. Don’t get too busy with all the celebrations in May to neglect your hives. Enjoy the family time and take time to smell the flowers. Sincerely, The Buzz Newsletter Submissions Please send submissions, classified ads, and photos
to Alex W. Ebert by email to TheBuzz@ABuzzAboutBees.com 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:
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