buzzwords November Meeting State Honeybee Inspector Questioned By Assistant Us Prosecutor

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1 buzzwords November 2016 Barnstable County Beekeepers Association November Meeting The next meeting of the club has been moved one week to Tuesday, November 15th, at 7:30 p.m. at the West Barnstable Community Building, Route 149, West Barnstable. Our presenter is Renae Barton on Apiculture, Art and Sustainability in Slovenia. Renae Barton, from the Bristol Club, has travelled to Slovenia several times and will present on Apiculture, Art and Sustainability in Slovenia. Back in February 2015, she attended a presentation on AŽ Hives and Slovenia by Mark Simonitsch which was life-changing; beekeeping in Slovenia fuses apiculture, art and sustainability so well that she felt strongly pulled to learn and bring this back to America and share with others. Her talk and slide show will provide a unique opportunity to gain insight into a fascinating perspective on beekeeping that is gaining a foothold in the US. For this of you who are on Facebook and are interested in this subject, Renae has created a Facebook group called AŽ Hivers. She also has a Facebook page called Bee House Art, about her studio, where the fusion of art and beekeeping comes to life. As always, sweets and treats will be kindly accepted for the refreshment table. Claire Desilets State Honeybee Inspector Questioned By Assistant Us Prosecutor It was the summer of 1962, and I was just in my first summer serving as State Honeybee inspector for eastern Massachusetts and the State Department of Agriculture. I was checking bee hives in the towns toward the tip of Cape Cod. It was just another name on the inspection card, somewhere out toward Bound Brook Island. I inquired for directions at Wellfleet Town Hall.

2 I finally found the house, knocked on the front door. I was greeted by a young lady, and after I stated my business, she ushered me in to the dining room. An elderly man was sitting at this Duncan Phyfe table in his pajamas and bathrobe reading the New York Times and enjoying a late breakfast. He explained that he did not keep honeybees any more, but that he had enjoyed the hobby for several years. He felt that it connected him with the agricultural roots of his family, and that good soil and forage crops were an important part of a prosperous nation. He then proceeded to ask me several questions: Where was I in my schooling? What were my immediate or long-term goals in life? What prepared me for assuming the duties of this post? What did I like most about beekeeping? What were some of the things I had learned from my readings about honeybees? The thing I began to sense during our conversation was that there was a sincerity and penetrating interest in his line of questioning. I had never experienced this before, but these questions caused me to think more deeply about why I was into beekeeping and why it was important to me. Some of my responses to him may have seemed shallow, but in no way did I take offense at his questions, they only caused me to think more deeply about what I was doing. Up to that time, or even since, I had not encountered such a deep thinker and beekeeper who could pose such penetrating questions. Here I was age 19, with only one year of college under my belt, with no college history courses yet, and a smattering of high school level US History. It was several years later, after I had completed a three year Army enlistment that sent me to Germany no less, and after returning home as a full time college student with a solid course in Modern European History to my credit, but not until I had seen a PBS TV documentary about the Nurnberg War Crimes trials, that I began to realize my 1962 bee inspector interaction in Wellfleet had been with Mr. Francis B. Biddle who had served as US Attorney General from for FDR, and was subsequently appointed by Harry S. Truman as Assistant US Prosecutor at the War Crimes Tribunal in Nurnberg, Germany. Peter B. Cooper Notes from the President We ve had a request from Linda Lubelczyk in Mashpee. She would like a hive set up on her property if someone has interest in doing so. Please her directly at lglctl@comcast.net. Two quotes were submitted to Barnstable Municipal Airport to put bee hives on their property. Noah Wilson Rich from Best Bees and Mike Chute from Honeypot Hives submitted with notation that I am a managing partner in the business. As a reminder, all BCBA members are also members of the Cultural Center of Cape Cod for about 6 more months! There is a discount on classes, workshops, and events. Please take advantage of this opportunity to let the arts into your life! Kalliope Egloff

3 LOOKING FOR HONEY The Falmouth Museums on the Green, located on Falmouth's historic Village Green, is hosting a holiday pop-up shop Thursday, Dec 8, exact time TBD, but most likely 5-8pm. They are looking for edible gift items and are looking for someone interested in selling local honey. If you are interested, contact Sarah Murphy, Marketing Manager at the Museum at sarah@museumsonthegreen.org. Claire Desilets December Winter Market Our December club meeting will be the annual holiday festival where members are encouraged to bring a table and sell homemade items. Last year we had 29 vendors offering items as diverse as photography, wood working, bees wax creams and lotions, knitting, candles, painting, ceramics, pepper sauces, and the list goes on. If you would like to reserve a table space (you supply your own table) please contact me at john.a.beach@comcast.net. Thank you for your support of this holiday tradition! John A. Beach 2017 Barnstable County Beekeepers Calendar After months of collecting photos, selecting the shots, laying out and finalizing a design, the calendar is back from the printer. We have reviewed an initial print, and it will now be available to the members of the BCBA! This is an amazing, truly unique production, with contributions written by BCBA members for BCBA members, conceived and born of the Cape Cod beekeeping experience, and made particular to the challenges that beekeepers on Cape Cod face. Thank you to all of those that submitted photos. The calendar is a standard 11 x 17 wall calendar priced at $10, and they ll make a beautiful present for any beekeeper or bee lover on the Cape. Come get yours at the November meeting or at the December Marketplace! Mike Smith

4 Five Beauty Fixes Using Raw Honey Raw honey is one of nature s great nurturers. And considering the wide array of health benefits it provides, most people only view honey from a culinary perspective. Sure, it adds a sweet, delicious taste to baked goods. And sure, it makes a great natural alternative to conventional sugars. But the culinary applications of raw honey are just the tip of the iceberg. Historically people applied it to wounds and abrasions to avoid infection and speed recovery. But while the health benefits of raw honey cannot be refuted, you probably had no idea that honey can make a powerful addition to your beauty routine. Considering how delicious honey is, you may be surprised to learn just how many wonders this natural sweetener can work for your hair, skin and nails. These include keeping your skin looking more supple and young, making your hair shinier and stronger, strengthening your nails and warding off unsightly skin conditions. 1. Soothes sunburns - a tablespoon of raw honey with two tablespoons of pure aloe gel. Just snap off a leaf and squeeze out the gel. Otherwise, head down to your local supermarket and buy a gel that only contains aloe vera nothing else! Apply the honey and aloe mixture gently to any sunburned area of your skin and leave it on for at least a few hours before rinsing off with cold water. Reapply as needed 2. Reduce wrinkles and lines-moisten your skin with a wet cloth, then scoop out some raw honey with your fingers and gently but firmly massage it into your face. Leave the honey on your face for five minutes, then rinse off. OR leave on for 30 minutes for a honey face mask. 3. Repair rashes - dry skin, rashes, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea. Same as above but leave on longer or overnight. (Ya right). Remember to put a towel down to prevent making a mess of your sheets. 4. Cleanse your facial skin - Many people who suffer from acne or other skin disorders turn to conventional face wash products to solve their problems. Most of these conventional treatments merely dry the skin out further, exacerbating the problem. Mix together a teaspoon of raw honey with the juice of a whole fresh lemon. Add one to two teaspoons of warm filtered water to help soften the honey and make the mixture uniform. Use this each morning and night instead of your usual toxic face wash. The lemon will help to remove dead skin cells while preventing the growth of bacteria, while the honey will keep away acne and hydrate your skin. This also works well for people with oily skin. 5. Scare away scars - Honey actively hydrates your skin, promoting skin cell restoration and encouraging skin elasticity. It also provides a wide range of nutrients, helping it to heal any stubborn scars and leave your skin looking smoother and more supple. To make a natural scar treatment formula, combine a teaspoon of raw honey with a teaspoon of coconut oil. If either the honey or coconut oil is hard to mix, try leaving them out in the sun or a warm place for 10 minutes to get them flowing easier. Once you ve mixed the ingredients together, gently massage the solution onto any areas of scarring for at least a minute. Place a

5 warm wet cloth over the area for five minutes to help the mixture penetrate your skin tissue more thoroughly, then rinse it off. Repeat daily for best results. The benefits of honey don t end there! Here are 39 other ways that honey can improve your life, naturally. From The Alternative Daily 39 Honey Uses That Are Good For You - The Alternative Daily 39 Ways to Use Honey and Why It s Good For You.... There are literally hundreds of ways to use honey here are just 39 of my favorite. Marte Ayers The Continuing Beekeeping Adventures of Paul n Patty (part 7) It was about 5:30 in the evening when Paul n Patty installed their bees. They waited until then on the recommendation of one of their instructors, the reason being that the bees would orientate better to their new home and their new queen if they were to settle in immediately for the night. They also decided to supply both hives with sugar syrup for food. The formula suggested by Bee School was a ratio of one measure of sugar to one measure of water. Being rather competitive, they each chose a different method of feeding their hives. My girls will be able to bring more syrup down into the hive, said Patty. This hive top feeder holds more syrup and hundreds of bees can feed at the same time. Well, I think I like this bucket feeder, said Paul. It is simple, and some of the instructors reported instances when those hundreds of bees of yours drowned in the syrup. Simple is simply better. I bet you a dinner out that my bees use more syrup this week than yours. You are ON! All suited up, the pair of excited, new beekeepers each carried a new two gallon gasoline container, boldly marked SUGAR SYRUP, out to their hives. Patty removed both the outer and inner covers and put on the hive top feeder. Paul watched, wanting to help, but he knew this was something Patty wanted to do on her own. Because of the disturbance of opening the hive, hundreds of bees were now flying around. They weren t aggressive. This wasn t their home yet. Quite a few landed on both of them, leaving distinct yellow spots. Cute, thought Paul. We give them a new home and they thank us this way. Could be worse, I guess. Uhh, grunted Patty. Who would have thought two gallons could weigh so much? I hope I don t over fill the feeder. That would let syrup to pour into the hive and kill lots of my bees.

6 I hesitate to ask, Paul began to suggest, but would you like some help? Shockingly, Patty said, Just this once, if you don t mind. I d hate to goof up so early in my new career. After pouring into the feeder the entire contents of the syrup container, and closing up Patty s hive, Paul got busy feeding his. He put his feeding bucket on a flat patch of ground so it wouldn t tip over as he filled it. When filled, he put on the cover and proceeded to open the hive. He had only to remove the outer cover, as he was going to place the feeder over the oblong hole in the inner cover. No bees flew from his hive. If you keep doing that, giggled Patty, you most certainly will win our bet. Paul had inverted the bucket feeder and, not having sealed the lid correctly, proceeded to pour a gallon of sticky sugar syrup all over his right foot, causing a string of interestingly colorful words to escape his lips. At least, he thought, I didn t invert it over the hive. Thank goodness I learned that much from Bee School. Silently, he refilled his feeder, double checked the lid, and put it, successfully, on the hive. After putting on a second deep body, and closing up the outer cover, he silently took up the syrup container in one hand, Patty s hand in his other, and they walked back to their house. The swishing of the two syrup containers on their bee suits, punctuated by the squishing of Paul s syrup filled right shoe, became the musical prelude to their beekeeping adventures. by Andy Morris Small hive beetles get chased by the bees so some trapping works well. Here you can see the use of a small strip of the Swiffer microfiber worked perfectly to trap or capture the beetles. No bees became entangled in the fiber. This seems to be a rather safe IPM. #ONE AND # TWO

7 Claire Desilets TO PANIC OR NOT? Why all these dead workers? No beekeeper wants to see the scene as shown to the left. But it does not always spell trouble. It is most helpful to keep notes and inspect the hive on a regular schedule. The answers might just be a bit easier to realize. Here are some thoughts and possible answers keeping in mind that the time of the year also plays into the answers: Starvation? More noticeably you would see pupa lying on the door stoop where the workers would be pulling out the drone when stores become too light to feed the hive. But if all honey is eaten, of course your bees will succumb. Robbing? There is nothing worse than watching your hive being robbed out. Generally, the hive would be weak and not able to fend off the invaders. But dead bodies will be everywhere, piled inside, on the ground and on the stoop. Pesticide kill? There are situations where workers can bring back tainted pollen or nectar. This will not always kill the hive but can affect just those workers exposed to the pollen or nectar and those that might have eaten or fed the young. Hives can survive if the external wood is accidentally hit with an insecticide but you will note a scene as above. Natural demise? Certainly you know that the lives of the workers during the height of the season are shortened as they literally work themselves to death. More often, the workers die in the fields before returning, but if you have a very strong hive with a nectar flow on, workers can die in the hive and no one has the time to drag out the bodies and carry them off. Secondly, remember come winter a certain percentage of workers will perish and drop to the floor of the hive. Keep an eye on the entrance keeping it free and clear of bodies and debris all winter long. Varroa? We do know that when a hive is overridden with the varroa mite, it will completely abscond. The theory is the bees know they are sick and do not want to infect the rest of the hive, so they leave. However, looking closely at the entrance and bodies, you might see

8 deformed wing or hairless bodies. This is a definite indication of viruses vectored by the mite. These bees will not survive and will be cleaned out. The take home message here is to know what is going on in your hive from late March (weather permitting) til you put them to bed for the winter late October. Inspection every 7 to 10 days is imperative during the active months. Disaster can strike in a short period of time but in most cases, it can be corrected. Claire Desilets And remember our bumble bee presentation? Here is a site with short video on the rusty patch disease - WINTER FEEDING At this time, early November, all liquid feeding should be stopped and dry foods fed. This can be fondant, sugar bricks or just plates of dry granulated sugar. Misting is not necessary now as the condensation in the hive will make the sugar pile into a nice solid clump. Feeding pollen substitute should also be discontinued, as you do not want to entice the rearing of brood at this time. Those treating with Oxalic acid apply before adding more feed, read the directions carefully, smoke the bees down between the frames so more will be covered and the phoretic mites will be affected. Claire Desilets DIY: Winter Beehive Quilting Box Editors Note: Please see Tilly s Nest for picures. As a beekeeper you already know that excess moisture in the hive is never a good thing, especially in the cooler weather when the bees are more prone to harm and death from living in a wet environment. During the winter the bees are still active in their cluster. They keep a small bit of brood alive and focus on over wintering their queen. Despite the outside temperatures, the center of the cluster must remain 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The bees do this by taking turns on the outside of the cluster and flapping their wings to generate heat. During this process their warm air mixes with surrounding colder air and naturally creates condensation in the hive. Usually this moisture collects on the lid of the inner cover and turns into water droplets. Those droplets then drip down into the hive, creating a condition incompatible with life.

9 To prevent this from happening, some beekeepers try to ventilate the hive in the winter to allow this warmer air to escape the hive. They do this by placing a pencil or twig between the inner cover and the lid. Some leave the screened bottom board in place. I leave the IPM board in during the winter on my screened bottom boards. The last two years, I had success by placing a twig between the covers and having a ventilation hole in my candy board shim. This year I wanted to try something different. As a beekeeper, I have always loved looking at other types of successful hive other than my Langs. I noticed that the Warre hive uses a quilting box in the winter to help with moisture. The idea is this: The quilting box is covered with a piece of cotton muslin and filled with kiln dried pine shavings. The moist air permeates the muslin and still collects on the inner cover. However, when those water droplets drip down, they land in the pine shavings instead of dripping back down onto the bees. The muslin also helps to wick moisture out of the hive. I just loved this idea! This year, I decided to make my own. Two of these came together in ten minutes and they were super easy to make! Here s how you can make your own: Supplies: Honey super Cotton Muslin Staple Gun Scissors Kiln-dried pine shavings (important to not introduce mold) Queen excluder

10 Steps: Align the muslin on the bottom of the honey super. Tack it into place with a staple. Pull the muslin taut. Staple around all four sides. Trim off the excess muslin to the outer edges of the honey super. Flip the box over. Fill it 3/4 of the way with fluffy kiln-dried pine shavings. Place the quilting box on the hive. It should go between the feeding shim or upper most deep and the inner cover. Click here for the candy board tutorial that I make for my feeding shim. It is very easy! The feeding shim has a small one inch hole drilled into the middle of it. This serves as an upper entrance as well as a ventilation hole in the winter. Of note, consider adding a queen excluder between the feeding shim and the quilting box. One season, I waited too long to remove the quilting box. When I went to remove it, the bees attached beautiful comb to the muslin and the queen chose to lay her spring brood in that comb! Smart bees, they went where it was dry and warm. Once winter passes and spring arrives. Simply remove the quilting box. Remove and discard the muslin and pine shavings. Refill the honey super with frames and you are all set to transition the hive into collecting honey for the upcoming season. Read more about my beekeeping and ideas. Melissa Caughey via Tilly s Nest OATMEAL BANANA MUFFINS This recipe was featured in Better Homes and Gardens many, many years ago but has become a family favorite as a breakfast muffin, snack or dessert cupcake. When preparing, ½ the mix goes into paper cups and a handful of mini chocolate chips goes into the second half and poured into foil cups. And they come out equally great when you need to convert them to a gluten free recipe. Just use Bob s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour and the GF oatmeal. Nutritious and no frosting is needed!! Makes 18 to 24 depending of pan size. Claire ½ c sugar ¾ c honey 1 tsp baking soda ½ c butter 1& 1/2c all purpose flour ¾ tsp salt 2 eggs 1 tsp baking powder 1 c quick cooking rolled oats 3 medium bananas mashed (1 cup) In mixer bow, cream together sugar and butter. Beat in eggs, bananas and honey. Stir together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture, beating just till blended. Stir

11 in the oats. Fill muffin papers 2/3 full with batter. Bake in 375 deg oven for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from pans to cool on wire rack. Claire Desilets Check out our club s Facebook page DID YOU KNOW? Honey bees use their antennae to detect odor. According to research by the National Institutes of Health, published in the "Genome Research" journal, honey bees have 170 odor receptors, or chemoreceptors, in their antennae. This is high for an insect -- fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) have 62 receptors and mosquitos (Anopheles gambiae) have 79. The honey bee s sense of smell is so sensitive that it can detect the trace of a scent in flight. This ability equips the bee to effectively and efficiently locate pollen-rich flowers. Once the scent is detected on the antennae, the bee s hyper-sensitive olfactory path processes the information, enabling the bee to determine the relevance of the scent to her search for pollen. As well as for finding food, honey bees use their sense of smell to locate other bees. CONSIDER JOINING THE MASSACHUSETTS BEEKEEPING ASSOCIATION For more information on the event and other state-wide happenings, you can download the Massachusetts Beekeepers Association newsletter here. A small overview follows in the next page. RESOURCES (accurate as of 6/16) The following officers and directors are a great resource to answer questions and requests for assistance. Officers President Kalliope Egloff kalliopeegloff@yahoo.com Vice President Michael D. Smith michaeldgetsmail@gmail.com Secretary Claire Desilets beekeepr@gmail.com Treasurer Lynn Heslinga ynneheslinga@gmail.com

12 Directors Marthe Ayers Rebecca Matarazzi John Beach Joe McClure Maria Cashdollar Andy Morris Melissa Caughey Brian O Donnell bjmdod98@aol.com Peter Cooper brpbc1@gmail.com Melissa Sanderson melissa@capecodfishermen.org Kimberly Concra klconcra@msn.com Lisa Sheehy lisasheehy@msn.com Paul Lefebvre lefbvr@gmail.com Mark Simonitsch fishweirs@capecod.net Julie Lipkin julie.lipkin45@gmail.com Miguel Zamora zamorasmiguel@gmail.com