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Iowa Honey Producers Association |
The Buzz Newsletter September 2005 |
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LDAF Press Release - Africanized Honeybee Plan August 1, 2005 Traps set up to detect the arrival of Africanized honeybees will be moved east as part of the Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s response to the detection of Africanized honeybees in Louisiana, Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Bob Odom said this morning. “When Africanized bees arrived in Texas, we set up a protocol for how we would respond once they entered our state,” Odom said. “Our first step will be staying in front of the bees by moving our trap line that runs north to south along the Texas-Louisiana border further east. We’ve learned from other states they’re virtually impossible to stop but we do want to keep a handle on where they are and how fast they’re expanding.” The traps, which originally closely followed the border, will now be located starting at Converse in Sabine Parish along Highway 174 to Pleasant Hill up Highway 177 to Armistead then up Highway 371 to Minden. In Minden the traps will follow Highways 159 and 521 to the Arkansas line. The department will also contact beekeepers in the area surrounding the trap where the Africanized honeybees were detected. “Our first goal was to let the public know so they are aware the bees are here,” Odom said. “We’re not trying to scare anyone but it’s especially important for people who work outside or spend a lot of time outside in recreation to watch out for these insects and avoid stinging. “We also want to protect beekeepers and
their livelihood by certifying their colonies for sale or movement
into areas requiring certification.” Africanized honeybees were first confirmed in Louisiana last Friday when LDAF received notification from USDA that samples sent to the bee lab in Tuscon, Ariz., were positive for the Africanized variety. The samples were taken in June from a swarm of bees found in a trap near the town of Rodessa in north Caddo Parish. This is the first case of Africanized bees moving into the state through natural range expansion. Africanized honeybees are smaller, more aggressive bees than the European honeybees commonly raised for honey production. The venom in Africanized bees is the same as that in European bees, but Africanized bees will sting in greater masses leading to a toxic reaction in some cases. Seeking cover immediately will help to reduce the number of stings in a confrontation with Africanized bees. Submitted by Arvin Foell
Education Committee Report The Iowa Honey Producers will be partnering with four community colleges to offer beekeeping classes after the first of the year. Ron Wehr and Vern Ramsey will be teaching a class in Washington in conjunction with Kirkwood Community College. Kirkwood was already considering having a beekeeping class before Ron called them. They were excited that he contacted them. Pat Ennis has lined up a class at North Iowa Community College in Mason City. Gale Urquhart brought DMACC into the fold and I hooked up with Iowa Valley Community College in Marshalltown. The reaction was the same at every location. They are excited. I had a big sales pitch worked up bur I never had to use it. I was surprised to find out that Iowa Valley has a program in sustainable agriculture. Classes will be taught in January, February and March. Exact dates will be announced later. Instructors for all of the courses are not firmed up yet but we have a pool of people to work with. If you have something that would contribute to these classes, feel free to volunteer. Submitted by Phil Ebert
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