January 2012 - Massaro Community Farm

HONEY BEE
The Connecticut
Volume 84, Number 1 Winter 2012
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Bee School
February 11th at Jones Auditorium
CT Agricultural Experiment Station in New
Haven
To guarantee a spot at Bee School,
you must pre-register
Text book Beekeeping Basics available $12
(REGISTRATION FORM AND
DIRECTIONS ARE ON PAGE ???)
Mail Registration info to Becky Jones, 55
Wolf Pit Rd., Farmington, CT 06032 or email to
[email protected]
Bring your favorite pot luck dish to
share for lunch!
Table of Contents
Page 1 Feb Bee School Meeting, President’s
Message
Page 2 List of Officers, Vice President’s
Message
Page 3 Treasurer’s Report, Notes from
Program Chair
Page 4 muffin recipe, Ads
Page 5 CATCH THE BUZZ, In Memory of Ira
Kettle
Page 6 Ambrosia Coffee Cake, Ads
Page 7 Brushy Mountain Bee Farm
Page 8 BetterBee Ad
Page 9 Nationwide Insurance Ad
Page 10 Fall SNEBA meeting observations
Page 11 Bee School Form, Directions to CT Ag
Experiment Station, Poem
Page 12 Notes for ABF meeting
Page 13 Dues Block, CBA meeting schedule,
Bee Culture
Page 14 CBA Apiary Research Report
Page 15 Honey Bee Laws in Connecticut
Page 16 Membership Form
www.ctbees.com
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Happy New year everyone hope you all had a nice holiday.
Some of the time it did not seem like winter anyway we
had enough winter last year. So we need a break this year.
If you have not heard Ira Kettle passed away on December
3, 2011. He will be missed as he was a great asset to the
beekeeping community, a great source of knowledge and a
excellent teacher. He will be sorely missed at our meetings and events. At this time the Ag. Station is waiting to
find out if the position can be filled. When we know more
we will put the information out on an email blast.
The club bee yard at Massaro Farm had a good year. We have 10 hives
that Massaro purchased with grant money for the farm and 2 donated hives
that belong to the club. We had 3 workshops this year, all very successful
with a total of 40 people each time. Dr. Dingman from the Ag. Station has
done some work on the hives this year and plans to do more next year, see
his report in the newsletter. Just to give an idea on what stock we have in
the yard, 3 New World Carniolans, 4 Minnesota Hygienic and 3 Connecticut queens from wintered over colonies from 2010. So we have a little diversity and we will see how we look in the spring. I would like thank everyone who helped on the workshops and helped with maintaining the yard
this past year. We did not get a honey crop this year. All the hives were
new set ups and the spring was cool and wet. We hope next year is a better
year for them. I would like to hear from any beekeepers interested in helping with workshops. We have many experienced beekeepers, so this is a
chance to share your knowledge with other beekeepers. Looking forward
to hearing from some of you.
You may have noticed if you have email that we have been sending announcements out this summer and fall through email blasts .I would like to
thank Richard Moore for setting up and sending out the messages. If you
want to be on the list but are not receiving the email blasts now, make sure
your email address is correct on the treasurer’s list. When you renew your
dues, and be sure to print clearly then the treasurer will recheck all emails
against the membership list and get it to Richard for his list. I think this
has been a very useful tool.
The SNEBA meeting went very well this year at our new location, St Matthias Parish in East Lyme, Ct. A thank you to Steve Dinsmore and his wife
for taking care of the food and set up. Larry Connor did a great job on our
program and speakers. Attendance was down about 10%, we still did okay.
Next year the meeting will be November 10th, same location, speakers to be
announced. Save the date! Thanks to Becky Jones for keeping track of the
registration this year. I just want to thank to everyone who step in to help
no matter what needed to be done, it all went very smoothly.
The last thing, for next year we will need to find a place for February and
April 2013 meeting as there will be renovations going on at the Ag. Station
so if anyone knows a place to meet please let me know. Hope to see you
all at the February Meeting
Ted Jones
CBA officers
President Ted Jones
Farmington, CT
860-677-9391
email: [email protected]
Vice President Gilman Mucaj
Granby , CT
860-844-0404
email: [email protected]
Secretary Francis Bowen
Yonkers, NY
914-779-9642
Treasurer Becky Jones
Farmington, CT
860-677-9391
email: [email protected]
Eastern Apiculture John Kananowicz
Society Director East Haddam, CT 06423
860-873-9099
email: [email protected]
Program Chair Steve Dinsmore
East Lyme, CT
860-739-2756
email: [email protected]
Newsletter Peter MacDonald
Coordinator email: [email protected]
Members at Large Peter MacDonald
Orange, CT
203-799-7357
email: [email protected]
State of CT Victoria Smith
Experimental Ag Deputy Entomologist
Station CT Agriculture Experimental Station
123 Huntington Ave
New Haven, CT 06504
203-974-8474
State Bee Inspector Ira Kettle (IN MEMORY)
Deputy Entomologist
The Griswold Research Center
190 Sheldon Rd
Griswold, CT 06351
860-376-4503
CT Agriculture Experimental Station
123 Huntington Ave
New Haven, CT 06504
203-974-8500
877-855-2237
VICE PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
It is mid-January and just started to snow. Snowing in January sounds normal but this is not a normal winter. This is the
second time it snowed since late October, that storm that left
us without power for days. The lack of snow and relative
mild temperatures makes this winter unusual.
Snow makes a great insulator against extreme weather, it
helps the honey bee colonies to maintain the cluster temperature, reduce the amount of energy used and the need for
cleansing flights.
On the other hand, the mild temperatures in November and
December, time when bees were breaking cluster and flying
constantly without bringing anything in the hive, represent a
concern about the amount of the honey reserves left in the
hive. With more seasonal temperatures in forecast we still
have a lot of winter left ahead.
The deeper in the winter we get, the less options we have to
positively influence the rate of the colony survival. The time
when we have the most leverage is late summer and early
fall. That is the time that we should make sure that the
amount of Varroa is under control and the bees are in a location that can support there needs for honey reserves to survive
the long New England winter.
The colonies that go in the winter with low mite count and
heavy honey reserves, can survive even harder winters.
We can visit the hives in a good sunny windless day when
temps are in the 50s. Hopefully the bees are nicely clustered
somewhere deep in the hive with plenty of reserves on top.
But in some hives we can see that the bees have consumed
most of the reserves and are hanging on top of the inner cover. That is a sign that they need our help. That is the time for
emergency feeding, that is the kind of feeding that I like the
least and try to avoid the most but we have to perform it when
faced with it.
We cannot use liquid syrup in the middle of the winter. It is
too cold for the bees to process it. Frames of honey are the
best but rarely available this time of the year. If we don’t
have the honey we should use sugar candy, fondant or even
regular sugar on top of the inner cover.
Hopefully there is no need for emergency feeding and our
hives are full of honey and bees and will give us few splits
and lots of supers of honey in the summer……..but it is still
winter. For now let’s hope that they will survive the great
selector. Hope is one of the few things that we can do well in
January.
Gilman Mucaj
The Connecticut Honey Bee
Official journal of the Connecticut Beekeepers Association, Inc. Published four times a year prior to the meetings in February,
April, June and October. The Honey Bee is mailed to all members of the Connecticut Beekeepers Association, Inc.
Advertising rates: Full page: $50,
Half page: $25,
Quarter page: $15,
Eighth page: $8
Send all news articles, announcements and advertisements to [email protected].
2
Treasurer’s Report
As of February, 2012
Notes from the Program Chair – Winter 2012
Expenses
Newsletter -------------------------------------- $414.84
Postage ------------------------------------------ $143.54
Food ---------------------------------------------- $272.96
Speaker, travel ------------------------------------ $0.00
Office ------------------------------------------------ $0.00
Pens ---------------------------------------------- $230.33
EAS membership --------------------------------- $0.00
ABF membership --------------------------------- $0.00
Heifer Project ------------------------------------- $0.00
Ag Day----------------------------------------------- $0.00
Website host -------------------------------------- $0.00
Misc. (ABJ subscription, smoker contest) -- $0.00
State fees----------------------------------------- $50.00
TOTAL ------------------------------------ $1,084.67
Income
Ads ------------------------------------------------ $195.00
Raffle ------------------------------------------------ $0.00
Auction --------------------------------------------- $0.00
Books- ---------------------------------------------- $0.00
Hats, pens --------------------------------------- $140.00
Dues ---------------------------------------------- $560.00
Food donations ----------------------------------- $0.00
Donations ---------------------------------------- $45.00
SNEBA profit ------------------------------------ $370.05
Here comes the Bee School again. All year long we hear from
people wanting to get into beekeeping. If you know of anyone,
encourage them to attend. The benefit is not only what you learn
at the bee school, but meeting experienced beekeepers from your
area who can answer your questions and help you out if you get in
a bind.
In April, our next meeting will be held on April 14th, again at the
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Our speaker will be
Janet Brison, who will demonstrate Integrated Pest Management
techniques with screened bottom boards. We are working on additional topics for the meeting as well.
In June, the summer meeting will be at Lockwood Farm in Hamden. We have a special guest from Cornell – Dr. Tom Seeley, author of ‘Honeybee Democracy’. The Bee Journal had some articles last year on his inventive experiments at Appledore Island, off
the coast of Portsmouth New Hampshire. This is a field day and
should be a great experience.
SNEBA will be held again in East Lyme at St. Mathias Church on
November 10th. We have tentative speakers, but I will announce
them when they are confirmed.
The following weekend, there will be a mini-Apimondia in Quebec, Canada. This is an international meeting that draws speakers
and attendees from around the world. If you can make it, try to
attend.
TOTAL ------------------------------------ $1,310.05
Net Gain ----------------------------------- $225.38
Checking -------------------------------------- $6,231.49
Savings ---------------------------------------$14,658.65
Ed CD ------------------------------------------ $1,093.99
Legal CD -------------------------------------- $6,700.49
Respectfully submitted,
Becky Jones, Treasurer
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We will also be holding workshops this summer at Lockwood
Farm in Woodbury. Watch our website www.ctbees.com for
more information an registration information.
If there are any programs you are interested in, let us know. If
you’d like to get involved and help out, we welcome the assistance. Many hands make light work.
Steve Dinsmore
Immunity System Builder
Amongst the many health benefits of honey, what is most impressive to me is that honey can be
a powerful immune system booster. It's antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties can help improve digestive system and help you stay healthy and fight disease. Start every brand new day
with this cleansing tonic if you want to see this health benefit of honey: before breakfast, mix a
spoonful of honey and lemon juice from half a lemon into a cup of warm water and drink it.
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Alba Flower Apiaries
Jones’ Apiaries, LLC
Granby, CT
Home (860) 844-0404
Cell (860) 589-2170
[email protected]
Dealers for
Nucs and
Queens for sale
We are offering 5 frame native nucs for sale this spring.
They will be available for pick up early to mid May.
These are splits from our strongest colonies. The number is limited so order early. The price is $130 each. This
is the third winter that our colonies have not been treated
for Varroa and are surviving on their own.
Starting early June we will be offering for sale a limited
number of young mated queens bred from our best stock.
They will be available for pick up or we can ship them
The price is $25 plus shipping.
To place your order please call
Gilman or Ela
Muffins, Plain or Blueberry (From the Winnie the Pooh
Cookbook)
(Yield: about 12 medium, 2-1/2” diameter)
(Preheat oven to 400 degrees F)
1 ½ cups all-purpose flower
2 ½ teaspoons double acting baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup butter
3 Tablespoons honey
¼ cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
½ cup of blueberries or buckleberries (optional)
Grease the muffin tin or tins
Sift and combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar
Over low heat melt the butter and the honey. Stir together.
Remove from the heat and add the milk. Beat in the egg.
Combine the two mixtures, stirring only until moistened.
Stir in the blueberries
Fill the muffin tins half full and back for 20 minutes or
until a toothpick stuck in the center of a muffin comes out
clean.
Eat with fresh butter
“Pooh put the cloth back on the table, and he put a large
honey-pot on the cloth, and the sat down to break-
Ted & Becky Jones
Country Rubes Bottom Boards
Sundance Pollen Traps
Ross Rounds
All parts for Ross Rounds available
Authorized Maxant Dealer
Assembled Equipment Available
Unassembled Equipment Available
5 Frame Nucs - order now
Limited supply, order early
Mid Late May delivery
Weather pending
55 Wolf Pit Road
Farmington, CT 06032
860-677-9391
[email protected]
CATCH THE BUZZ
Phorid Fly Found Killing Honey Bees
Alan Harman
A new threat to honey bees and perhaps, a partial explanation for colony collapse disorder has
been uncovered at Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Entomologist Dr. Brian Brown says the pest is the tiny but dangerous phorid fly, which may
pose an emerging threat to North American beekeeping.
It is the first documentation that the phorid fly Apocephalus borealis, previously known to only
parasitize bumble bees, also infects and eventually kills honey bees – by leading them to abandon their hives at night.
Brown, a world authority on phorid flies, has received reports of nighttime bee activity in Los
Angeles.
“It seems to be concentrated near the coast, which is where our collecting has also encountered
the flies,” he says.
Contributors to a report on the research included Andrew Core, Charles Runckel, Jonathan
Ivers, Christopher Quock, Travis Siapno, Seraphina DeNault, Joseph DeRisi, and John Hafernik
from the San Francisco State University Brown and his colleagues say they have proof that parasitized honey bees show hive abandonment behavior, leaving their hives at night and dying
shortly thereafter.
On average, seven days later, up to 13 phorid larvae emerge from each dead bee and pupate
away from the bee. Using DNA barcoding, the authors confirmed the phorids that emerged from
Ira worked for the State of Connecticut as a entomologist,
"Honey Bee Inspector."
Besides his wife, he is survived by his four children, April
Ullrich of Brooklyn, Ira Kettle Jr. of Voluntown, Amanda L.
Kettle of Pawcatuck, and Walter Heibel of Brooklyn; his four
brothers, Harold Kettle of Plainfield, Donald Kettle of Ohio,
Wallace Kettle of Putnam, and Mitchell Kettle of Brooklyn; a
sister. Marie Jones of Voluntown; five grandchildren, Korenza, Zoe, Krista, Ivan, and Brielle, and numerous nieces
and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Ira's memory to
Pilgrim Baptist Church, 27 Chase Hill Road, Ashaway, RI 02804. Published in The Westerly Sun on December 6, 2011
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Ambrosia Coffee Cake
Makes 10 servings
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3 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
2/3 cup honey, divided
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1/3 cup canned crushed pineapple, well drained
2 Tablespoons orange zest, divided
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour an 8-inch square cake pan; set aside. In a
small bowl, combine melted butter, honey, coconut, pineapple and 1 teaspoon orange
zest; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat butter until fluffy. Add 1/3 cup honey, egg,
milk, vanilla and remaining orange zest and beat on low speed until blended. Add flour,
baking powder and salt, and mix on low speed until dry ingredients are moistened. Beat
on medium speed for one minute. Spread into prepared pan. Spoon honey coconut mixture carefully over top of batter, spreading evenly. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until cake
tests done in center. Serve warm.
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11
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FALL SNEBA MEETING
At the Fall SNEBA meeting, Judge Dan O’Hanlon said that at every meeting you should learn
something, or why bother sitting in that meeting? I learned quite a few things. One of which is going
to change my hive management method going forward.
When I first started beekeeping, I was taught that one of the best forms of swarm prevention was to
split your strong hives in the spring. It relieves pressure on the brood nest, gives them frames to expand on, but it still gives the original hive time to build up for the spring honey flows. The bonus is
the extra nuc of bees.
Many places in Connecticut, the major honey flows are over by early July. At that point, you know
which of your hives are the strong ones, and which haven’t done anything for whatever reason.
You’ve had little return form those hives, for all the care and attention you’ve given them. Those
will also be the hives you will worry more about overwintering. It was suggested by Judge O’Hanlon
that rather than overwinter that hive, break it up, add a locally raised queen that is adapted to our climate, and over winter it, as several individual nucs. Larry Connor refers to this as ‘Palmerizing’ your
hive, after Mike Palmer of Vermont who pioneered this technique. People I’ve spoken with have indicated that the success rate of overwintering nucs is around 80-90%. You have a new, fresh queen in a
colony and a break in the brood cycle that drops your mite loading. The following spring, you have
nucs to put in your colonies that don’t over winter. So rather than replacing your dead-outs with an
early package or a mid spring nuc at $90-140, you have your own early April nuc with a northern
queen, ready to drop in, for the cost of a new queen in the fall. It’s likely that you can get a honey crop
off of a nuc you’ve started that early, and you’ve eliminated the weak colonies in your apiary.
CONNECTICUT QUEEN BREEDERS GROUP
At SNEBA, Judge Dan O’Hanlon made a great presentation on why each northern state needs to develop its
own queen breeding program. His driving reason was that it will cut down on the likelihood of importing Africanized bee genetics from down south. Queens raised locally from over wintered survivor stock are more
likely to be adapted to our climate. Most of the pests and diseases that we deal with today have been introduced from southern stock.
We have tried to start a queen group over the past 2 years with little success. Judge O’Hanlon presented the
model they use in West Virginia. It is organized as a non-profit agricultural cooperative. It provides training
and education to its members. It helps to improve genetic stock, provides specialized equipment and a support
network for raising northern queens. The activities are funded from different sources including grants. Judge
O’Hanlon provided us with our first grant which we will use to organize the cooperative.
A cooperative supports the members. Every beekeeper has their management style. Queen breeders also have
their own preferences. One might prefer raising a Russian strain. Another might swear by Northern Minnesota Hygienic queens. Another might prefer Buckfast. As long as they are all breeding from adapted survivor
stock, it will increase the overall health of bees in Connecticut by providing better genetic pools of queens.
We will be trying to form a queen breeders group based on the West Virginia model. We are hoping to have
an organizational meeting before the February bee school. With luck, we will have queens available this summer. Consider the benefits you will receive by supporting this group. If you want to follow the discussions,
join the yahoo group at:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/NEQBG/
To guarantee a spot at the Bee School, you must be pre-registered
Bee School Registration
Space limited to 96 people, Register early to ensure a spot!
Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Telephone Number: ______________________________Email address: ____________________________________________
Connecticut Beekeepers Association Member?
Yes ____ No ____
Previous Beekeeping Experience: ____________________________________________________________________________
Additional Topics you’re interested in: _______________________________________________________________________
Pre-registration prices
Walk-ins, if room
_________ NO fee for members of CBA
__________ NO fee for members of CBA
_________ $20.00 for non-members,
includes 1 year membership
__________ $25.00 for non-members
includes 1 year membership
Text book, Beekeeping Basics, available for $12
Do you need a textbook? Yes _______ No_________
Bring your favorite pot luck dish to share for lunch
Make checks payable to: Connecticut Beekeepers Association
For Office use:
Amount___________________
Check # __________________
Date _____________________
Mail to: Becky Jones, Treasurer
55 Wolf Pit Road
Farmington, CT 06032
CT Agricultural Experiment Station
Jones Auditorium
123 Huntington Ave New Haven, CT
From I-95 North or South: Exit onto I-91 north in New Haven. Take Exit 6 (left exit) to Willow Street. Follow instructions below
From I-91 South: Take Exit 6 in New Haven to Willow Street. Follow instructions below
From I-84: Take Route 691 to I-91 south to Exit 6 in New Haven. Follow instructions below
Detailed instructions: Turn right onto Willow Street and proceed to the end. Turn right onto Whitney Avenue.
Take the third left off Whitney Avenue (Huntington Street) and proceed up the hill.
The Experiment Station is on the right just past the first cross street .
Notes for American Beekeeping Federation meeting
Hello from Vegas, Ted and I are here at the ABF annual meeting. Ted is the CT Delegate to ABF and I will be
continuing in my role on the Board of Directors representing Small Scale/Sideline beekeepers, that is basically
just about everyone in CT. I would invite each and every one of you to look into a Small Scale/Sideliner membership to ABF, the annual meeting is always a good event to attend, but the benefits go far beyond that. There is
the E-Buzz sent out monthly by Tim Tucker, it shares industry information, interviews with beekeepers, supply
houses, and much more. There are discounts with suppliers. A quarterly newsletter/magazine about the happenings of ABF and the beekeeping industry, you will know the latest in the legislative process and what’s being
done for you as a beekeepers. It doesn’t matter whether you have 2 hives or 20,000, all this impacts you as a
beekeeper. The Education Committee has been hard at work looking for ways to engage more of the Small Scale/
Sideliner beekeepers. One of the success stores is the Conversation With A Beekeeper, see the release below for
the first one we did. It was open to ABF members, we had 40 at the first one with Jerry Hayes. Feedback was
awesome! More conversations are in the works. Check out the website, www.abforg.net, and begin to see the
many advantages that await you.
Becky Jones
A sample of what you can participate in as a member of ABF:
Conversation with a Beekeeper Webinar Series
The ABF Education Committee has been hard at work developing new ways to keep its members engaged and informed in between ABF annual conferences each year. To this end, the ABF is pleased to
introduce a new online educational Webinar series titled "Conversation with a Beekeeper." Plans are
in place to host these sessions every few months.
Pollinator Decline and the Managed Honey Bee
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Jerry Hayes, Chief, Apiary Inspection Section for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Division of Plant Industry
It's no secret that the apiary industry is under siege from pests, diseases, Colony Collapse Disorder
and other environmental factors. As a result, the managed honey bee continues to struggle for survival
and, by extension, so does today's beekeeper. Take a deeper dive into the state of pollinator decline
and the future of the industry with Jerry Hayes, the chief of the Apiary Inspection Section for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Division of Plant Industry.
Hayes participates in the CCD Working Group, the BIP Board and is a Project Apis m. Science Advisor. In addition, he has authored the "Classroom" column in the American Bee Journal for 25 years
from which the book of the same name was developed. Hayes is also an author or co-author on 20+
honey bee research papers.
But, he wasn't always a beekeeper or in the industry. He started off as a high school teacher and hated
it, but then he discovered beekeeping and, just like you, he devoured everything about honey bees.
Soon after he obtained a degree in Apiculture he worked at the USDA ARS Bee Breeding and Stock
Lab in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and then on to Dadant & Sons as director of New Product Development.
Dues for 2012 are now due. Please check your address label
area, if there is an ‘N’ after 2012, you now owe dues. To keep
your membership going and enjoy the benefits please be sure
to pay your dues.
Meeting Schedule for 2012
February 11, 2012 – Bee School, pre-registration required
At Jones Auditorium, CT Experiment Station
123 Huntington St, New Haven
9am – 4 pm, Pot Luck Lunch (bring your favorite dish to share)
Book available to purchase at meeting, Beekeeping Basics, $12.00
April 14, 2012 – general meeting,
At Jones Auditorium, CT Experiment Station
123 Huntington St, New Haven
9am – 4 pm, Pot Luck Lunch (bring your favorite dish to share)
Janet Brisson, speaker, Country Rubes Bottom Boards, Screened bottom boards and how they work, latest
updates.
2nd Speaker – TBA
June 16, 2012 – Field Day at Lockwood Farms
Lockwood Farm, 890 Evergreen Ave
Hamden, CT
9am – 4 pm, Pot Luck Lunch (bring your favorite dish to share)
Dr. Tom Seeley - his research + TBA
General hive openings
November 10, 2012 – SNEBA, pre-registration required ,fee charged, TBA
St. Matthias Parish, 317 Chesterfield Rd.
East Lyme, CT 06333
9 am- 5 pm
Speakers - TBA
A project (involving myself, personnel from Massaro Community Farm, and members of CBA) was started in 2011 to monitor several honey bee diseases at the CBA apiary (Massaro Community Farm, Woodbridge,
CT). This project will examine changes in disease presence over a course of time while maintaining a program of
minimal disease treatment.
This apiary, started in early 2011, is being tested for the presence of varroa mites, American foulbrood (AFB),
and nosemosis. Location of the CBA apiary, in relation to other registered apiaries, is within 2 miles of 4 other
apiaries; two of the 4 apiaries are within 1 mile.
To date, bee samples collected from 13 hives on August 11 and 10 hives on October 22 have demonstrated the
presence of varroa mites in a few hives (the mite populations were very low). Endospores of the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae (contagion for AFB) were found in 3 hives at the August sampling and only 1 hive for October.
The P. larvae isolates obtained in August were sensitive to Terramycin. The October bacterial isolate has not
been tested for antibiotic sensitivity. Levels of endospores in these samplings were extremely low and the hive
containing endospores in October was also one of the three identified in August.
Nosema presence was monitored via a molecular diagnostic protocol (i.e., multiplex-PCR amplification) and
samples testing positive were quantified via microscopic counting. Of the 13 hives at the apiary, 8 hives were
determined to contain Nosema ceranae in the August sampling. Of the 10 hives tested in October, 6 hives had
Nosema ceranae. Nosema apis was not detected via PCR amplification. Nosema ceranae spore counts in hives
sampled in August were low to moderate for 7 hives and high for 1 hive. Three hives had low to moderate spore
counts, 2 hives had high counts, and 1 hive had very high spore counts in the October hive samplings. Hives having high levels of nosemosis will be closely monitored for winter survival.
These bees are to be genetically typed for measurement of genetic diversity and to correlate bee genetics and
disease presence/persistence. Maternal genetic testing of the bees (via mitochondrial DNA) has identified all
queens (and off-spring) to group within mitotype C (e.g. Carnica, Caucasica, Ligustica). DNA sequencing analysis will further differentiate maternal lineage. Paternal lineage testing of the samples (drone diversity) will be performed, presently.
Long-term monitoring of this apiary will help to better understand disease dynamics in an “isolated” apiary.
Hopefully, disease characteristics will be related to bee genetics and genetic diversity. Future updates on research
findings will follow annually.
Honey Bee Laws in Connecticut
Connecticut's honey bee laws regulate anyone who owns and operates one or more
hives in the state. An application must be submitted, inspections may need to take
place and public records must be kept on file. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and the Office of the State Entomologist are two agencies that oversee
issues regarding the ownership of honey bees.
Bee Registration
Anyone who owns and operates one or more honey bee hives is required to register
their bees annually. Registration needs to take place on or before Oct. 1 of each year
through the Office of the State Entomologist. The only documentation required for the
application is a mailing address, telephone number and the location of the hives. Applicants do not have to pay a fee to register their honey bees. However, failure to comply with this law can result in a small fine.
Public Records
The Office of the State Entomologist must keep a public record of all honey bee registrations. This information must include the name and address of the person who owns
the bees and the exact location of the hive or hives. The office must also supply a
copy to the town clerk where the applicant resides and maintains bees
Bee Inspections
The Office of the State Entomologist in Connecticut is responsible for the inspection
of bees suspected of contagious diseases. This department maintains the right to treat,
quarantine and destroy bees whenever it is deemed necessary. People owning honey
bee hives must allow any assigned inspectors to have full access to the location where
the hives are kept. Colonies or packages of honey bees arriving from other countries,
states or territories must come with an official certificate verifying that they are in
good health. Anyone who receives a shipment that is lacking the proper documentation must hold it and inform the Office of the State Entomologist.
12
CONNECTICUT BEEKEEPERS - MEMBERSHIP FORM
It is advantageous to be a member of the Connecticut Beekeepers Association in order to save money on subscriptions to your bee
journals, stay informed on the lasted issues concerning beekeepers and bees and receive information on the upcoming meetings of
the association. Journal subscriptions are less when purchased through the Association.
NAME ________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS _____________________________________________________________
CITY/TOWN______________________________________ST ______ZIP ________
PHONE (____) _______________EMAIL ___________________________________
CT Beekeepers Asso. dues ................ $20.00
Special Legal Fund Donation.......... _____.__
Norm Farmer Educational Fund ..... _____.__
General Donation to the Club ......... _____.__
$________.____
Note: New policy
You may still receive a discount on your subscriptions to the
magazines, pick up a form at the meeting or when sending in your
dues, send along a stamped, self-addressed envelope and which
magazine form you would like. It will be mailed to you.
Mail to: Rebecca S. Jones
55 Wolf Pit Rd.
Farmington, CT 06032
Phone: 860-677-9391
Email: [email protected]
Forwarding and return address requested
C/O Rebecca Jones
55 Wolf Pit Rd.
Farmington, CT 06032
www.ctbees.com
The Connecticut Beekeepers
Association
Total enclosed
Make checks payable to:
Connecticut Beekeepers Association
First Class