September Newsletter - The Wasatch Beekeepers Association

President’s Message September 2012
Richard Ellis
In the first part of August there was a item of news on television that said Utah State
University was raising bumble bees for pollination purposes. While the TV broadcast was not
clear as to how or what the bumble bee would pollinate. They would like to have made every
one think the bumble bee would replace the honey bee. On Monday August 20 in the Ogden
Standard Examiner there was a article explaining how the Bumblebee was good for pollinating
crops grown in plastic-enclosures. The bumble bee is content to work in the enclosure while
the honey bee’s will fly to the top and try to escape. Honey bee’s like to move around while
pollinating. There is no chance the bumble bee will replace the good honey bee’s and the work
they do in pollinating our crops in the open fields. The honey bee’s also give us something in
return, honey. Just keep on working and having fun with your honey bee’s.
http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/08/19/big-bees-play-big-role-gardens
THANKS
A big thanks to all the volunteers for the Utah State Fair 2012!
The Utah County Beekeepers were assigned the beekeepers exhibit at the Utah State
Fair for 2012, in Salt Lake City, Utah. When they put out the call for volunteers to help man the
booth the Wasatch Beekeepers Association answers in multitude. There needed to be at least
2 people per four hour time frame. There were several time slots where there were more than
the allotted amount. The state fair representatives explained that any extra volunteers would
have to pay for their own tickets to get onto the fair grounds, to help with the beekeepers
exhibit. The Utah County Beekeepers came forward and paid for any extra tickets.
The venture of the volunteers is to be there to assist the public with any questions
September 2012
NEWSLETTER
they might have about beekeeping. That is the simple explanation, there is so
much more involved when you are talking about your passions as a hobbyist
beekeeper or a backyard beekeeper or a professional beekeeper.
The biggest attention grabber was Kevin Cook 5 ft. tall observation hive.
This spectacular structure is installed every year by Mr. Cook several days before
the fair opens, so that the bees have time to take their orientation flight.
continued on page #4
Life isn’t about the number of breaths we take,
it is about the moments that take our breath
away. ~Anonymous
Planting Flowers for Your Bees
Flowers and bees are a perfect match. Bees gather nectar and pollen enabling plants
to reproduce. In turn, pollen feeds baby bees and nectar is turned into honey to be enjoyed by
the bees and you, the beekeeper. Everyone’s happy.
While many kinds of trees and shrubs are bees’ prime source of pollen and nectar, a
wide range of flowers contributes to bee development and a bumper crop of honey. You can help
in this process by adding some of these flowers to your garden or by not removing some that
already are there. Did you know that many weeds actually are great bee plants, including the
pesky dandelion, clover, goldenrod, and purple vetch? You can grow all kinds of flowering plants
in your garden that not only will add beauty and fragrance to your yard but also give bees handy
sources of pollen and nectar. You’ll hear the warm buzz of bees enjoying them before you even
realize the plants are in bloom.
Each source of nectar has its
own flavor. A combination of nectars produces
great tasting honey. Not all varieties of the flowers
described in the sections that follow produce the
same quality or quantity of pollen and nectar, but
the ones that listed here work well and bees simply
love them.
Asters (Aster/Callistephus)
The Aster family has more than 100 different
species. The aster is one of the most common
wildflowers ranging in color from white and pink to light and dark purple. They differ in height
from 6 inches to 4 feet and can be fairly bushy. Asters are mostly perennials and blooming times
vary from early spring to late fall. However, like all perennials, their blooming period lasts only a
few weeks. Several varieties can be purchased as seeds, but you’ll also find some aster plants
offered for sale at nurseries.
Callistephus are china asters, which run the same range of colors, but produce varied styles of
flowers. These pincushions-to-peony style flowers start blooming late in summer and continue
their displays until frost. They are annuals. Plants can be bought potted from local nurseries or
purchased by seed.
Sunflowers (Helianthus/Tithonia)
Sunflowers are made up
of two families. They provide the
bees with pollen and nectar. Each
family is readily grown from seed,
and you may find some nurseries
that carry them as potted plants.
When you start sunflowers early
in the season, make sure that
you use peat pots. They are rapid
growers that transplant better when you leave their roots undisturbed by planting the entire pot.
Helianthus annuus include the well-known giant sunflower as well as many varieties of dwarf and
multibranched types. Sunflowers are no longer are only yellow. They
come in a wide assortment of colors, from white to rust and even several varieties of mixed shades. Watch out for the hybrid that is pollen
less, because it is of little use to the bees.
Salvia (Salvia/Farinacea-Strata/Splendens)
The Salvia family, with more than 500 varieties, includes the
sages (Salvia officinalis) and many bedding plants. The sages are good
nectar providers. When in bloom, they’re covered with bees all day
long. The variety of colors and sizes of the Farinacea and Splendens
cover the entire gambit from white, apricot, all shades of red, and
purple, to blues with bicolored and tricolors. They’re
easily found potted in garden stores or available as
from seed. Salvia officinalis is the sage herb that you
can use in cooking.
Bee balm (Monarda)
Bee balm (Monarda didyma) is a perennial
herb that provides a long-lasting display of pink, red,
and crimson flowers in midsummer. They start flowering when they reach about 18 inches and
continue to grow to 3 or 4 feet in height. Deadheading them encourages more growth, which can
prolong their flowering period. Bee balm is susceptible to powdery mildew but the Panorama type
does a good job of fending off this problem. Bee balm is a good source of nectar for bees as well
as butterflies and hummingbirds. This family
also includes
horsemint (M.
punctata), and
lemon mint (M.
citriodora). The
fragrant leaves
of most of these
plants are used in herbal teas. They are easily
found in seed catalogs. Several varieties usually are available at local nurseries.
Hyssop (Agastache)
Anise
hyssop
many gardeners are happy
to share their plants. Most
nurseries carry peppermint
and spearmint.
Cleome / Spider flower
(Cleome)
Spider flower
(Cleome hasslerana) is heat
and drought tolerant and
grows well in the cold Northeast. This annual is easy to
start from seed and grows
more than 4 feet tall with
airy flowers that are 6 to 8
inches across. It comes in white, pink, and light purple and adds an unusual flower to your garden.
It’s also a good producer of nectar for the bees, blooming from midsummer to fall.
Thyme (Thymus)
(Agastache foeniculum) has a licorice fragrance when you
bruise its leaves. It produces tall spikes of purple flowers in
midsummer. Sometimes you can find a white variety of this
plant. The bees happily gather nectar from it. Hyssop flowers
from seed the first year that you plant it. Another common
hyssop is found in the wild — Agastache nepetoides. It has a light, yellowish flower and is found
in wooded areas. The seed for this variety are more difficult to find, but some seed houses carry
them.
Mint (Mentha)
Chocolate, spearmint, apple mint, peppermint, and orange
mint are only a few of the types of mints available. They come in a
variety of colors, sizes, fragrances, and appearances, but when they
produce a flower, bees are there. Most mints bloom late in the year.
Some can be easily grown by seed; other varieties you can start from
roots. Mints are easily obtained because they spread readily and
Thyme varieties are low-growing hardy herbs. Common, French, wooly, silver, and lemon are but a few of the
varieties available. Several are used in cooking. In spring most
nurseries have large selections. These varieties also can
be started by seed at least
two to three months before
planting. Put plants between
your stepping stones or at the
edges of your garden beds.
They bloom from midsummer on. Bees will cover them
most of the day gathering
nectar, which is aromatic and
produces nice tasting honey.
continued from page #1
He has a clear acrylic tube that leads from the observation hive through the
wall of the Agriculture building to the outside. Nothing, save the giant pumpkins drew
more attention than the busy bees in the observation hive. A great time was had by
all of the public who would take the time to play’ Where is the Queen Bee?’ Kevin has
his queen marked with a white dot on her back. This gave us a great opportunity to
explain to non-beekeepers why the queen is marked and for them to exercise their
grey matter in looking for the elusive insect.
Poppy (Papaver/Eschscholzia)
Danish flag (Papaver
somniferum), corn poppy (P.
rhoeas), and Iceland poppies (P.
nudicaule) are easily grown from
seed. Some are deep scarlet or
crimson, but others are found in
pastel shades. All bloom freely
from early summer to fall, need
full sun, and grow 2 to 4 feet tall.
Literature claims that poppies are
valuable mostly for the pollen, but bees also are
gathering a fair amount of nectar.
For all the volunteers from the Wasatch Beekeepers, the Utah County Beekeepers presented us with free T-shirts. If you were not at the September WBA
meeting on Thursday September 20, 2012 at the Day-Riverside Library and would
like a T-shirt please contact Terry Jensen at 801.722.8809 or Sam Wimpfheimer at
801.422.4825.
California poppies (Eschscholzia) are golden
orange and easily grown. They are a good pollen
source for honey bees. California poppies will selfseed in warmer climates.
Bachelor’s buttons (Centaurea)
Annual and perennial selections of
bachelor’s buttons are available. The annuals (Centaurea cyanus, C. imperialis), found in
shades of white, pink, yellow, purple, and blue,
are also referred to as cornflowers.
The perennial version is a shade of
blue that blooms early in summer, and sometimes
again in late fall. They’re sometimes referred to
as mountain blue buttons. Annual and perennial varieties produce an ample supply of nectar.
They’re easily grown from seed and most nurseries have the annual variety available as potted plants.
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/planting-flowers-for-your-bees.html
Trees and shrubs were not covered in this article for this growth season. Check the pollen chart on www.wasatchbeekeepers.com for
more ideas on which trees, shrubs and flowering plants the bees in this area like.
The beekeeping exhibit at the Utah State Fair 2012.
The Hopkins Family representing the Wasatch Beekeepers Association.
This year’s fair was a huge success. There were thousands of attendees that
went through the gates every day. The beekeepers booth was located in the Agricultural Building. It wasn’t indicated on the fairgrounds map, so it was a happy accident
for most visitors.
Again, we want to thank the volunteers for their time and efforts. Please let
us know if you have any suggestions for next year’s fair, the Wasatch Beekeepers Association will again have the responsibility of providing volunteers and displays for the
Utah State Fair in Salt Lake City in 2013.
In 1975 they started Jones Bee in Murray, Utah, Bill retired from this government
job to set up shop. They carried beekeeping supplies, honey bees and honey. In the wood
shop they made top, bottoms and frame. They bought wax from beekeepers to make foundations. They also bought honey from local beekeepers. In the day honey was 16¢ a pound and
wax was 60¢ a pound. In 1997 when the construction of I-15 was started they lost their
property and moved to their present location at 2586 West 500 South Salt Lake City, UT
84104. The new location afforded them privacy with neighbors, being the railroad cars that
go by in front of the shop.
The whole family is involved in the business, Olive son’s Skip and David. The
daughter-in-laws and granddaughter and grandson all work the beekeeping business. Every
year they take the empty cages to Sacramento, California to get filled. Skip flies out to and
drive the 14 hours to bring the bees back to Utah. Olive, Skip and Jody have spent the last
40 years picking up bees to bring back to Utah to sell to the local beekeepers.
Olive and her family take their bees out to Bakersfield, California to pollinate the almond
trees.
Meet Olive Jones
At the age of 88 Olive is still very active as a
beekeeper and matriarch of Jones Bees, the local supplier of
honey bees, honey and beekeeping supplies in Salt Lake City,
Utah. She cooks lunch for her family and employees every day.
She is originally from Spokane, Washington, where she married Bill Jones in 1945, just as World
War II had ended, as he was finishing his service for the US Army.
The young couple headed to Utah to go to school at Utah State University in Logan,
Utah. After graduating they moved to Salt Lake City so that Bill could work for the Department of
Reclamation and Olive would teach first grade. In 1958 their son brought home a swarm of honey
bees in a box. They bought their first boxes and equipment from Miller Honey. Bill was hooked, he
loved the bees. Not so much for Olive, she was afraid of being stung. They bought 7 packages
from California to start their beekeeping adventure. Their first hives wintered just fine and gave
them enough that could split them the next spring.
When the Wasatch Beekeepers Club was started, they were meeting in the Murray Library.
Olive says the most interesting thing about being a beekeeper is the people that she has
met.
Behind the Beehive
Jul 14th 2010
Mary Brown Malouf
They’re everywhere-on the state highway signs, on
the Capitol building, on the state flag, on manhole
covers.
Dozens of Salt Lake businesses begin their name with
“beehive:” Beehive Bail Bonds, Beehive Tea Room,
Beehive Auto, Beehive Elementary School, Beehive Credit Union, Beehive Title Insurance, Beehive
Glass. Insurance companies, scooter sellers, clothing stores-all use the logo of a beehive, which is
actually a coiled straw dome, called a skep, that hasn’t been used to house bees for over 100 years.
There’s a beehive fountain in front of the Brigham Young Academy; the Beehive Society is the oldest
honor society on the University of Utah campus.
No wonder visitors ask, ‘Where are the bees?’
But I’m surprised how few native and resident Utahns know the reason Utah is called “The Beehive
State.” It has nothing to do with insects-the state ranks 24th in the U.S. in honey production-and
everything to do with ancient symbolism.
“The beehive has been used as a symbol for thousands of years,” according to historian Mark
Staker, an expert on early Mormon anthropology at the LDS Church’s Family History Center. “The
Bible refers to the Promised Land as “the land of milk and honey.”
Of course, there were no honeybees in the ancient Middle East.
“The European monks whose scriptoria kept the Bible in print before Gutenberg came along had no
way of knowing that Biblical honey was most likely date honey and had nothing to do with bees. So
they incorporated bees and the cooperative life of the hive into early Christian symbolism,” explains
Staker.
Freemasons also used the bee and beehive as symbols of cooperative work, and the images are
found in early American art and literature. “Many of the founding fathers were Masons, and America
had become the new “promised land” of opportunity,” says Staker. Many early Mormons were also
Masons, including Joseph Smith.
The Book of Ether in the Book of Mormon tells the story of the Jaredites, a tribe that lived at
the time of the Tower of Babel in the Old Testament. According to the Book of Mormon, the
Jaredites made a miraculous 344-day voyage across the ocean to North America. They brought
with them the “Deseret” which means “honey bee” in the language of the Book of Mormon.
The State of the Hive
When Brigham Young and the Latter-day Saints arrived in Salt Lake Valley in July of 1847,
Young chose the name “Deseret” for their new home, and the beehive as its emblem, symbolizing the kind of cooperative work that would be required to make the desert bloom. Images of
bees and beehives-the traditional skep, five of which the Mormons brought with them on their
trek-were used in much early church construction-on the interior and exterior of the Salt Lake
Temple and, famously, on Brigham Young’s own Beehive House, which is crowned with a carved
bee skep. Newell posts, doorknobs, windows and all bore the emblem of a beehive.
Mark Twain commented on the Utah beehive symbol in his book on the 1860s American West,
Roughing It, “The Mormon crest was easy. And it was simple, unostentatious and it fitted like a
glove. It was a representation of a Golden Beehive, with all the bees at work.” On October 11,
1881 an article in the Deseret News explained the symbolism: “The hive and honey bees form
our communal coat of arms. ... It is a significant representation of the industry, harmony, order
and frugality of the people, and of the sweet results of their toil, union and intelligent cooperation.”
Of course, you can’t go too far with the etymological comparison or you raise awkward implications. What about drones? What about the queen bee?
“The meaning of the beehive shifted a little as Brigham Young’s Deseret became a territory,
then a state,” says Staker. “It lost some of its religious connections but the community connotations continued.” The beehive still serves as the logo of some Church-related organizations,
but it’s come to symbolize the whole state of Utah.
When Utah territory became a state in 1896, it retained the beehive symbol in its state seal and
on its flag. The state adopted the beehive as its official symbol in 1959, designated the honeybee as the state insect, and even named the “beehive cluster” as the state’s astronomical symbol. Utah is known as “The Beehive State,” and businesses continue to name themselves after
the antique skep, many of them without knowing what a bee skep is, or where the bees are. But
even without them knowing it, the beehive has become an everyday icon that links present-day
Utahns-Mormons and non-Mormons- with their pioneer past.
http://www.saltlakemagazine.com/blog/2010/07/behind-the-beehive/
5 Eco-Friendly Halloween Treat Choices
artisans. Chinese jump ropes are also available in bulk but can easily be made by cutting thin rope
elastic into 10 feet each then knot the end. Include instructions and watch neighborhood children
get active again.
Spooky specters, fairy princesses and hungry zombies will soon take to the streets in
search for yearly Halloween treats. With obesity on the rise within our youth, toxic candies the norm
and products made at the expense of poorly treated and paid workers, there is a better way to
celebrate this autumn affair.
4. Fair Trade Candy
October 25, 2011 By Vivian Nelson Melle
This year, bring a little green into this fall favorite
with these 5 eco-friendly Halloween treat choices.
Granola bars
1. Granola Bars
There are quite a few of these snacks on the
market so make sure to find a non-GMO variety and
compare it to the list of corporations to avoid. You
are looking for a bar with fiber and protein but lacking corn syrup and additives. You wan to be able to
pronounce the ingredients on the list and definitely
less is probably better.
Homemade Halloween crayons
2. Art Supplies
Kids love art so art supplies are a fun alternative to
candy that kids are likely to happily embrace. There are
several non-toxic variety on the market but you could
even make your own. Save all those little bits of broken
crayons and melt them all down into Halloween candy
molds for little multi-colored crayons.
3. Hacky Sacks and Chinese Jump Ropes
A great idea is to get kids moving instead of sitting
around eating candy. Hacky sacks, which are little
rice or bean filled bags that are balanced on feet and
kicked to one another, are a fun choice. They are available for purchase in bulk at most party-supply stores,
can be easily made or purchased by local or online
If you must hand out candy, try to
find sweets that have not sacrificed
human rights in their creation. Most
health-conscious stores offer a
variety of these type of treats but
local farmer’s markets may find a
few artisans making confectioneries
as well. Some local favorites make
use of native ingredients like the
maple candies above.
5. Honey Sticks
What child doesn’t love these sweet, flavorful treats? Available at farmer’s markets and most anywhere that sells honey, these straws filled
with honey are easy to hand
out and fun to eat. They are
available in several flavors
but your local variety from native flower-pollinating bees is
one of the best choices. This
is a great way to open discussion on the importance of
bees with children. You might
even include a packet of native wildflower along with this sweet treat.
Green Living Ideas (http://s.tt/13C7i)
{CC photo courtesy of Greatist on Flickr}
Mark Borovatz-resident expert in pollen gave us great presentation on what he has
planted in his yard for his honey bees. He brought samples of his honey to show the
different colors that comes from different pollen. Mark also spoke on the recent city
ordinances for South Jordan being voted on for beekeeping.
Bryant Weber-Program Director of the Wasatch Beekeepers Association
receiving his free T-shirt from the Utah County Beekeepers for being a
volunteer at the Utah State Fair.