We will have one hour of classroom followed by a workshop. First workshop will include building your own equipment both commercial and top bar hives. This association will cover all methods of beekeeping, working in wax, pollen collection, queen rearing and all facets of our industry. We plan to have two

From BEE-L on Installing Queens:

I agree. "Normal" installation of packages in warm temperatures in daylight is asking for trouble. However, it can be done with great success.

On April 12 I installed 100 packages into nucs during the day. Temps were in the mid 50's to start and ended up in the mid 70's. I learned 30+ years ago from an 'old timer' that the way to do it was to dunk them in a tub. Most advice says to spray with warm water. IMHO, that is not enough and I have tried. We remove the feeder can and the queen, put the board back on the feeder can opening, hold it there with fingers, shake the bees to the bottom of the package, and submerge it in 60-70 degree water for 5 seconds or so. Drain for perhaps 15 seconds, and then shake into the box. Put the queen in with an open hole, or fold the screen on the cage back in half.

As of this morning, lots of orientation flights in the yards. We will look at the bees in about a week and expect to see lots of brood and little to no dead bees on the bottom. Been doing it this way for many years. The only time we do not dunk is when the temps are in the 40's or lower. But then the bees are in such a cluster that they won't fly!

Lloyd

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I learned all of my beekeeping from a commercial beekeeper in eastern MT who produced all of his own queens for a 3000 colony operation.

He preferred to use press in cages for queen introduction. He also didn't like taking a chance that the queen would fly off as he was transferring her in to the cage.

I had ordered some sister queens, hand inseminated to the same drone line. We introduced all of them with 100% success. He also used the water trick. A glass of warm water sitting on the frames. Take queen cage with queen, submerge her, pop the cork, and let her walk out on the comb. Worked well, with no obvious harm to the queen.

Jerry

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Alarming plight of bees spurs hobbyists’ interest

Growing number of area residents explore starting own hives.

Honey Bee Virus Sampling Information and Some Casual Observations Regarding Essential Oils and Viruses

End of the Road for Almond Pollination?

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are developing self-pollinating almond trees that can produce a bountiful harvest without insect pollination.

Almond Pollination: The following is an ad placed by an almond grower in California for bees to be delivered for a pollination contract. As you prepare for 2011 you might want to consider the following response by a commercial beekeeper:

Re: Bees needed for 2010 almond pollination

I am looking for quality bee keepers to supply almond pollination contracts for the 2010 season

I am interested.
Are you bonded for contracting?

What is your minimum frame count? (6 frame minimum, 8 frame average)
Do you average the frames into the frame count?
What is my pollination fee.
When do you make your payments to me as a pollinator?
Does your growers provide potable water for the bees?
Do all my hives go into one location/orchard?
What are the growers spraying of pesticides and fungicides while my bees pollinate the almonds?
At what stage of bloom are the bees moved into and out of their pollination sets?
Are the locations hilly or flat?
How old are the trees?
Is there young trees within flying distance around the ones being pollinated to provide additional floral sources?
Do you pool your contracts in case one of your grower defaults on payments?
Are the roads accessible in wet weather?
Do the bees have access to surrounding flora such as yellow mustard, filaree and willows?
Will you take strong 10 frames singles with an inside feeder? = 8 frames of bees.
Who will inspect the bees in my presence and what is your protocol for the inspection?
Will you take 8 frame hives with a medium depth super?
Can you provide a fork lift for unloading?
What kind of security can you provide?
Can you or your growers provide cotton locations and negotiate their value into the almond contract?
Regards.
Ernie

Seed Give Away

Free Seed for a worthy project

Farmer Markets for the Spring and Summer

Archives of old, out of print beekeeping books and books on all aspects of gardening, farming and horticulture. There has a tremendous volume of books that have been digitized and placed on the internet. We have include in this newsletter and also in our website some old favorites available for reading or downloading to your computer. We will also address how to find where these books, magazines and publications can be found.

Seeds of Change Seed Give-away and

Dixon Seed Exchange form an Alliance
by Emily Skelton

Seed Giveaway Every April Seeds of Change hosts a Seed Give-away. We invite local home gardeners who are interested to come to our seed cleaning facility and pick seed from our seed seconds. These "seconds" are a result of the rigorous seed cleaning process performed on every seed lot we sell. All Seeds of Change seed goes through this seed cleaning process to remove any excess chaff, rocks, dirt or other seed species (such as noxious weeds) from the lot before we send it out to a certified seed lab to be tested for germination and purity before sale. The seed seconds are usually comprised of lightweight, immature seed or seed that is broken or cracked and also inert material such as mentioned above. Since we give the seconds away free, home gardeners are happy to receive them and don't mind if the germination rate is lower than that of our number one seed for sale. We have many gardeners tell us that they planted heavily in their gardens thinking that not many seeds would germinate and they have had an abundance of very healthy seedlings to thin. More on this story

Seeds of Change Seed Donation Program

Thank you for your interest in the Seeds of Change Seed Donation Program. Depending on availability, we share seeds with organizations that promote education and sustainable living through organic gardening projects. Seeds of Change is committed to providing 100% certified organic, open-pollinated seeds of the highest quality including many heirloom, traditional, and unique Seeds of Change varieties. One-third of the varieties Seeds of Change offers are heirloom and traditional. Through these seeds we share with gardeners and farmers our commitment to a sustainable future for all. We truly appreciate efforts which seek to educate and inspire.