____________THE WAGGLE - Eastern Missouri Beekeepers

Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association
June 2013
Volume 5, Issue 6
____________THE WAGGLE
President’s Message
Inside this issue:
EMBA Calendar
Meeting Preview
Important Member Survey
2
Recipe of the Month
HAS July 11-13,2013
3
STL Zoo Pollinator Dinner
4
A Member Writes from Belgium
EAS August 5-9, 2013
5
Bee Movies
6
Articles and Pictures Sought
6
Busting out all over! Beekeeping and EMBA, that is. The workshop planned for
Danforth next weekend kicks off an amazing month. Hosting a warm - weather workshop with two world-class research scientists and beekeeping instructors, has been a goal
of mine since our first workshop in 2008. Based on our past experiences, I know that Dr.
Caron and Jennifer Berry will provide an unsurpassable educational experience for our
members.
On June 19 (please note that
this is the third Wednesday in June), we
will hold a special members’ meeting. In
addition to sharing the results of our
annual beekeeping survey, and The
Month in Beekeeping, the meeting will
be the next step in our goal to increase
participation in the Club’s activities. So
many people have contributed over the
years; it is hard to believe that we need
more. But we need your help to continue to grow and thrive.
We are trying to identify and
coordinate members who want to contribute to the Club’s programs, as the
best way to sustain the traditions of service and fellowship that have become
the hallmark of EMBA. At the June
meeting, we will follow up on the volunteer card responses that members
provided in April and May, and hold the
first meetings of the 4 major action
Black Locust in Bloom
groups – beekeeping programs, commuPhoto by Donald Koppy
nications, events, and finance. If you did
not have a chance to fill out a volunteer card before, but would like to help, please attend
the meeting and participate. Look for more about this meeting and your group in the
Waggle and in your inboxes the next few weeks. Please reflect on what you want the
Club to be, and how you would like to be part of it.
Most of all enjoy your bees in this month of nectar flow. I think it’s going to be
great!
Bob
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Volume 5, Issue 6
EMBA Calendar
Friday - Saturday, June 7-8, 2013 - Beekeeping Short Course presented by Dewey Caron and Jennifer Berry at Donald Danforth Plant
Science Center. We have reached the maximum enrollment of 50 persons, but are starting a waiting list in case of any cancellations. If
you would like to be added to the waiting list, you may go to "Beekeeping Course Registration" under the EMBA Main Menu on the
right side of the page and register for the waiting list at no charge.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - St. Louis Zoo Pollinator Dinner, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Call (314) 646-4897 for information and registration.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - NOTE DATE CHANGE. EMBA Meeting with at MONSANTO, Creve Coeur Campus at Olive Blvd.
& North Warson Rd., 6:15 - 9:00 pm. Follow signs to R Visitor parking or W1 parking lot. Enter R building through the front doors.
You will be directed to the O auditorium.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013 - EMBA Meeting with at MONSANTO, Creve Coeur Campus at Olive Blvd. & North Warson Rd., 6:15 9:00 pm. Follow signs to R Visitor parking or W1 parking lot. Enter R building through the front doors. You will be directed to the O
auditorium.
Thursday - Saturday, July 11, 12 & 13 - Heartland Apicultural Society's 12th annual meeting to be held at Tennessee Tech University,
Cookeville, TN. Registration information at http://www.heartlandbees.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16
Saturday - Sunday, August 3 & 4, 2013 - Tentative dates for EMBA’s 6th Annual Extractaganza at Bob Sear’s Honey House. Cleanup and preparation on Saturday. Extraction and picnic on Sunday. More information to follow.
Monday - Friday, August 5-9, 2013 - Eastern Apicultural Society 2013 Conference and Short Courses, West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Registration information at http://www.easternapiculture.org/conferences/eas-2013.html
June Meeting Preview
Monsanto Meeting Sign-In
As part of its commitment to honey bee health, Monsanto has offered the Club free use of its first-rate facilities for our
monthly meetings. Because Monsanto is responsible for the safety of its invitees, it, and other companies, follow generally accepted
safety procedures when guests attend events on the headquarters campus. These procedures routinely involve name badges and sign-in,
which adds time to entering the building. The Club is working with Monsanto to streamline the procedures, and will appreciate your
patience and cooperation.
June Meeting Preview
Informal networking – 6:15 - 7:00
Announcements – 7:00 - 7:15
2012 EMBA Annual Beekeeping Survey Results – 7:15-7:30
Month in Beekeeping – 7:30-7:45
EMBA Action Group breakout sessions – 7:45-9:00
Four committee break out groups will be formed based on people's interests and skills. Volunteer opportunities range from
big to small commitments, short term to long term. Attendees are welcome to room hop to get a feel for all of the opportunities before
committing to specific roles. See President's Message for more details.
Important Member Survey
Member Survey
Please take a moment to fill our brief survey (5 minutes or less) that will provide the committees on June 19th some guidance
for decision making for how EMBA communicates with members, what events and programs are provided, and how membership dues
are structured. We are looking for input from the full membership to best utilize resources, target our energy, and serve the group.
Thank you!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/116ZkoJwhI14AlUe7cXPsJT3_nO09MumclOnn6WXSaIg/viewform
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Volume 5, Issue 6
Recipe of the Month: Chicken Nachos with Honey, Zucchini and Jalapeño Salsa
Ingredients:
3 tbsp - honey
2 - chicken breast, fillets
2 cups - zucchini, cubed
1 - red onion
1 - garlic clove
4 - jalapeño peppers
1 handful - cilantro
¼ cup - olive oil
1 ¼ cups - lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
In a small bowl, mix one tablespoon of honey, the lemon juice, one teaspoon of
olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Place the mixture into a resalable freezer bag and
add the chicken breasts. Seal the bag tightly and gently shake it to cover the chicken
breasts. Let marinade for 2 hours.
Boil the chicken breasts in a saucepan. Once cooked, wait for them to cool.
Finely chop the garlic, red onion and jalapeño peppers. Cut the zucchini into small cubes. Place all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix them with 5 teaspoons of
olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Preheat oven to 250°F. Spread vegetables onto a
baking dish and cook them in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes.
While the vegetables are cooking, cut the chicken breasts into small cubes and
place them in a large bowl. Finely chop the cilantro and mix it into the bowl with the
chicken. Once the zucchini cubes have lightly browned, remove vegetables from oven
and wait for them to cool. When cool, add them into the bowl with the chicken cubes
and the cilantro, and mix them with 2 tablespoons of honey, the juice of 4 lemons, 6
teaspoons of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
Refrigerate for 2 - 3 hours. Serve over tortilla chips.
National Honey Board
Heartland Apicultural Society
Annual Conference
July 11-13, 2013
Tennessee Tech University
Cookeville, TN
Registration form now online!
Pre-registration deadline is June 19.
Registration information at:
http://www.heartlandbees.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16
Plans are coming together for the conference. Here is just a partial list of scheduled speakers:
Kim Flottum, Jim Tew, Jerry Hayes, Wyatt Mangum, Jennifer Berry, Jeff Harris, Greg Hunt, John Skinner, Phil
Craft, Jim Garrison, Tony Prettyman, Juliana Rangel-Posada, Debra Delaney, Zach Huang, John Timmons
Topics already on the schedule include:

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
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Basic bee biology
Sustainable beekeeping (several talks)
Urban beekeeping
Queen breeding and production
Non-grafting methods for raising queens
Setting up a small scale queen and nuc business
Candle and soap making
Producing comb honey
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Volume 5, Issue 6
St. Louis Zoo Pollinator Dinner on Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Beneficial Pollinators
Did you know that one out of every three bites of food you eat depends on pollinators? Honeybees, bumble bees, and other insects, birds and small mammals pollinate over
90% of the planet's flowering plants and one third of human food crops.
Sit down to a special dinner where you can sample the many foods pollinators help
provide. In celebration of National Pollinator Week, June 17-23, 2013, sip mead and honey
wine, enjoy a honey tasting, and peruse booths with information and activities related to
pollinators. After a buffet dinner, hear a presentation on pollinators and learn what you can
do to help.
Event takes place in The Living World. Reservations are $31.50/adult; $20/children 12-and-under. Advance registration required. For reservations, call (314) 646-4897.
Male Blueberry Bee Photo by Ed Spevak
A Member Writes from Belgium
(Ed. Note: the first of two parts of a letter from Luc De Temmerman.)
As I have not yet been able to locate my dream-house in
France or Spain, I decided to join a beekeepers association and have
some bees here in Belgium. After all, life goes on... I thought you'd be
interested in some of my observations.
It is amazing to see the differences, although the bees are of
course more or less the same. I say, more or less, because as a matter of
fact, they are not exactly the same. Two beekeepers that I visited on
their apiary were working the bees in their shorts, never wore anything
to protect their head and were in short sleeves. They were only complaining the weather was so cold that it was a stretch to wear short
sleeves. The system of not using any protection for your head/eyes is
so normal that they sell smokers in the form of a pipe. It hangs like a
pipe from the mouth and you are supposed to blow (never puff) whenever you need some smoke, which is seldom, as a lot of people just use
a dusting or spray of water to reduce flying of the bees when they open
the hive. Strange to be at a club demonstration where a hive is opened
and no one wears any protection and no one gets stung.
"European Member Still on Swarm Trail"
Keeping bees is quite a production. As you are becoming not only a beekeeper but also a food producer (honey), you have
to abide by all the rules of the Food Agency. Each hive has a logbook where every detail is noted … origin of the wax or plastic used
in the frames, medical treatment, EVERYTHING! Yes, you have to be registered with a recognized club, and yes, there is a system
of inspections of the hives. In case of disease, you have to alert the Food Agency and they install quarantine for certain situations.
As I do not have endless space here in Neerijse, I actually have only one specific location on the property to set up an apiary
that meets the criteria. Distance to the entrance of a neighbor’s house (any entrance to a living space) has to be 20 meters (~22yards),
same distance to the street unless there is a 6.5ft tall fence or hedge in which case the distance is reduced to half. So I ended up installing the stand just in front of the window of my office, so I can keep an eye on the girls from inside. (Just hope they stay outside:) That location meets the other distance requirements and no one can complain. (They still may.)
Lucky you in the US. One standard (Langstroth) seems to work for any climate from Canada to Mexico. Europe is giving a
glimpse of its typical show of unity and there are so many different standards (sizes) for hive boxes that exchanging materials between
beekeepers is very difficult. In a catalog, just the list of sizes of frames takes a whole page of fine print)……
To be continued next month.
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Volume 5, Issue 6
Eastern Apicultural society Annual
conference and short course in 2013
West Chester, Pennsylvania
August 5-9, 2013
Swarm to West Chester University for the
2013 EAS Conference and Short Course hosted
by Pennsylvania State Beekeepers' Association.
Located 25 miles northwest of Philadelphia International airport, EAS
2013 will feature local, regional and national experts giving lectures and
workshops, plus a long list of other beekeeping activities.
During the 2013 program we will focus on our relationship with honey
bees and how they connect us with the environment and other people. We engage growers and gardeners, educators, and other beekeepers beekeeping
organizations both at home and abroad.
Tom Seeley, Dave Tarpy, Dewey Caron, Michael Palmer, Dennis vanEngelsdorp, Debbie Delaney,
Warren Miller, Mark Winston, plus a long list of local, regional, and national experts highlight EAS 2013.
In addition to the usual program, we've added a special event on Wednesday evening that’s geared
toward the general public, both adults and children.
Three-day Short Course with Core & Electives, Including:
◦Queen Rearing
◦Top-Bar Hive Management
◦Natural Beekeeping
◦Sideliner Sessions
◦Train the Trainers
◦Microscopic Explorations in Beekeeping
Three-day Conference with Multiple Symposia
Vendor Booths of Beekeeping Supplies
Live Auction & Honey, Wax, and Photography Award Dinner
Friday Banquet
Hands-on Beeyard
Master Beekeeper Certification
Registration is Open! Additional information is available at
http://www.easternapiculture.org/conferences/eas-2013.html
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Volume 5, Issue 6
Bee Informed: Bee Movies
Posted: 14 May 2013 10:30 AM PDT
Bees truly are everywhere. Even in cinema you can find them. With the anticipation of the 2013 summer movies, I thought I would
investigate movies with bees as a main character. I came across a few classics: The Deadly Bees (1966), Killer Bees (1974) and The
Bees (1978). The movie posters are amazing. Then there are more modern movies such as Killer Bees! (2002). An updated version of
bees attacking people. Run for your lives! If you like a little animation, the Bee Movie (2007) may “bee” it. The movie may radically
misrepresent an actual hive; it does feature bees and was meant to be fun! You will not find killer swarms or psychic control here.
The next time you want to rent a movie or two, try picking up an oldie and pop up some popcorn and have a giggle. Enjoy!
Francis, Freddie, dir. The Deadly
Bees. Paramount Pictures, 1966. Film.
Buitenhuis, Penelope, dir. Killer Bees!.
Shavick Entertainment, 2002. Film.
Seinfeld, Jerry, perf. Bee Movie. Dream
Works Animation, 2007. Film.
Zacharias, Alfredo, dir. The Bees. New
World Pictures, 1978. Film.
Honey Bees (and African Rats) Being Trained to Find Landmines
By Nenad N. Bach | Published 06/5/2007 | Science |
Mine Detection Method Was Created in Croatia at the University of Zagreb
An interesting new way of detecting lands mines is being reported by the BBC today. According to the BBC the new method
uses regular honeybees to search out and alert their human companions of dangerous land mines. The new land mine detection method
was created in Croatia, at the University of Zagreb. One of the scientists working on the project, Professor Nikola Kezic, told the BBC,
"We started this because our citizens are exposed to serious risks with mines. Luckily we also have a long tradition of keeping bees and
making honey. Our solution makes use of what we have." So how are simple honeybees trained to detect land mines? According to the
BBC and Professor Kezic, a tent is set up in which a bee hive is placed along with a number of places for the bee to find food. The key is
in the feeding locations. Only a selection of feeding locations actually has food for the bees. These selected locations have soil surrounding them that contains the explosive material found in land mines. Eventually the bees associate the smell of explosives to food. Professor Kezic says that this is a quick learning process that takes less than a week.
The initial stage of the project has been a success and the next step is to test the bees for real in an area that de-mining teams
have already visited to see if they detect any missed mines. Croatia, which is now a popular holiday destination, was not to long ago part
of one of Europe's most recent major conflicts that occurred at the end of the Soviet era. Croatia was once part of Yugoslavia. When
Yugoslavia broke up in the 1990s there were a number of conflicts in the region such as Bosnia and Croatia. As a result there are many
landmines hidden in the earth around the country and these pose a serious danger for the people living in the affected areas of Croatia's
countryside.
It is thought that there are still around 250,000 land mines hidden in the land of Croatia. The BBC has reported that over 100
deaths have ccurred as a result of land mines in Croatia in the last nine years. Bees aren't the only animals that are being trained and used
for landmine detection. In Africa rats are being used. The Seattle Times got the chance to meet Henrietta a four-pound African giant
pouched rat that is in the middle of her training for landmine detection in Morogoro, Tanzania. When Henrietta finds a land mine she
begins to dig in the ground, when this happens her trainer uses a clicker to tell her she was good. She then goes over to her trainer to
receive a food reward. The man behind using rats to detect land mines is a Belgian by the name of Bart Weetjens. When he spoke with
the Seattle Times, Weetjens said of the rats, "They are very keen to work, as long as they get food." He also said, "The training is very
simple. We associate a food reward with a target scent." Weetjens came up with the idea to use rats after trying to think of an alternative
to German shepherds. According to the Seattle Times the dog worked well but were costly, and susceptible to "tropical disease" and
even "Occasionally, one will trigger a mine". The Giant African rats were used because they were not heavy enough to set of mines and
extremely resilient to diseases.
According to the Seattle Times close to 20,000 people are killed by landmines each year.
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Volume 5, Issue 6
EMBA 2013 Summer Short Course, Friday and Saturday, June 7 & 8
The workshop will be held at the The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, located at 975 North Warson Road, Creve
Coeur, MO 63132, and is open to persons who pre-registered. Please use the parking area accessible from the Warson Road entrance.
The Danforth Center is the building that faces Olive.
Sign-in will start at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. The program will start at 3:00 p.m. The Friday evening program will continue
through after-dinner presentations and Q&A, ending by 9:00 p.m. Dinner is included. The Friday programs will not require protective
gear. Beekeeping books will be available for purchase.
Saturday’s program will start at 8:30 a.m., also at the Danforth Center. Breakfast will not be provided, but lunch is included.
Please bring protective gear on Saturday, but leave it in your vehicle in the morning, and retrieve it after lunch, when needed for the
fieldwork. Fieldwork in the Club apiary (located West of the Center, and reachable by walking path) will start at 1:00 p.m. The program is scheduled to end at 5:00 p.m. Saturday.
Dr. Dewey Caron, Emeritus Professor, University of Delaware, and Jennifer A. Berry, Apicultural Research Coordinator, University
of Georgia, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Honey Bee Program are the presenters.
Friday, June 7
Danforth Center
Auditorium
3:00-3:45
Dewey Caron - Honey Bee Losses
4:00-4:45
Jennifer Berry - Realistic Natural Beekeeping, Part I
5:00-6:30
Dinner
6:30 – 8:30
After Dinner: Dewey Caron and Jennifer Berry – New and
Exciting Developments in Apiculture, with Q and A
8:30 – 9:15
10:00-10:30
Dewey Caron - Seasonal Management: summer/fall, preparing for winter
Jennifer Berry - Seasonal Management: winter/spring and
swarm management?
Break
10:30 – 11:15
Dewey Caron – Queen and Colony Evaluation
11:15 – 12:00
Jennifer - Queen Rearing
12:00 – 1:00
Lunch
1:00 – 1:45
Jennifer Berry - Realistic Natural Beekeeping, Part II
Jennifer Berry -Realistic Natural Beekeeping, Part II
Saturday, June 8
Danforth Center
Auditorium
9:15 – 10:00
Bee Yard
1:45 – 2:30
2:30 – 3:00
Break
3:00 – 3:45
Jennifer Berry - Raising Queens – Nongrafting technique with summer splits
3:45 – 4:30
4:30 – 5:00
Jennifer Berry - Raising Queens – Nongrafting technique with summer splits
Questions and Answers
Dewey Caron Frame Reading
Dewey Caron Frame Reading
Dewey Caron Queen and Colony
Evaluation
Dewey Caron Queen and Colony
Evaluation
EASTERN MISSOURI BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION
President: Bob Sears
[email protected]
Vice President: John Pashia
[email protected]
Treasurer: Loren Grossman
[email protected]
Secretary: Keith Pey
[email protected]
Editor: Yvonne Von Der Ahe
[email protected]
Webmaster: [email protected]
Mission Statement
"To promote beekeeping generally; to broaden the
knowledge of beekeeping among its members; and to
foster the best practices and techniques in apiary
management."
Find the EMBA Stl on
and become a fan.
Help spread the word
about our club!
Articles and Pictures Sought for The Waggle
The Waggle Needs You! Please email short articles and/or pictures to [email protected]. The editor
reserves the right to use or keep material for a later issue. We are always on the lookout for interesting facts, figures and
stories about honey bees and the art/science of keeping them. If you would like to be published in The Waggle, send
your article!
Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association will be on Wednesday, June 19
2013, 6:15 - 9:00 pm at MONSANTO, Creve Coeur Campus at Olive Blvd. & North Warson Rd.
Follow signs to R Visitor parking or W1 parking lot. Enter R building through the front doors.
You will be directed to the O auditorium.
Founded in 1939