The Bee Line - Oregon State Beekeepers Association

The Bee Line
Newsletter of the Oregon State Beekeepers Association
Volume 37, Number 2 March 2012
overwintering loss surveys of Oregon beekeepers:
winter 2010–2011
Dewey M. Caron and Ramesh Sagili
Note: This article is part of a larger study soon to be published in the American Bee
Journal. It is provided here in two parts; the second will appear in the April 2012 issue.
IN THIS ISSUE...
Overwintering Losses
1
President’s Message
2
Board Meeting Minutes
2
OSBA Resources
4
Regional News
5
Keeping Bees
7
Questions of the Month
8
ABF Convention
9
Classes and Events
10
Membership
10
October Honey Flow
11
Making Skeps
13
Magazine Subscriptions
14
OSBA Membership Form 15
The winter is a season of elevated risk in beekeeping, but recent seasonal losses
have been unusually high. Significant regional colony losses with somewhat similar
characteristics, labeled with a variety of names such as spring dwindling, autumn
collapse, May disease, and other descriptive terms have occurred over at least 100
years of US beekeeping. One early documented loss, referred to as disappearing
disease, occurred in 1915 in Portland, Oregon. Many of these reported instances,
past and present, involve symptoms that included the sudden disappearance/
dwindling of large numbers of bee colonies with elevated seasonal losses.
As part of the Bee Informed Partnership (BIP), one of us (Caron) has been
involved in documenting national losses over the last five years while Oregon
State University (Sagili) has been analyzing beekeeper samples for overall health
factors for the past two years. The initial national loss survey of spring 2007,
conducted by the Apiary Inspectors of America in cooperation with the USDA,
queried beekeepers in fifteen states and reported a loss rate of 31.8 percent. The
2007/2008 and 2008/2009 overwintering loss surveys included about 20 percent
of the owners of US commercially managed colonies. Estimated colony loss rate
was 35.8 percent in 2008 and 28.6 percent in 2009.
National electronic surveys were conducted by BIP during the first two weeks
of April the past two years. The 2010 survey garnered responses from 4,027
beekeepers managing an estimated 17.7 percent of total managed bee colonies in
the United States (survey included 49 Oregon beekeepers managing just slightly
less than 31,000 colonies). Colony loss rate was 34.4 percent. The most recent
survey (2011) tallied losses of 5,441 beekeepers managing an estimated 11.5
percent of total colony numbers (177 Oregon beekeepers, 168 of whom are small
scale, are included in this national effort with slightly over 20,000 colonies). This
past winter’s national survey reported a 29.2 percent loss rate. Clearly such loss
levels are of great concern and unsustainable in the long run.
Image above: The newly released
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
incorporates greater accuracy
and detail as well as GIS-based
interactive features. It now includes
13 zones and can be viewed at:
http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/
PHZMWeb/. A recent study indicates
that both plants and bees have thus To date, no single factor has been identified as the reason for the elevated losses
far adapted to changes in mean documented since the winter of 2006/2007. Although pathogens are identified in
annual temperatures and the arrival
killing of both brood and adult bees, the reasons why honey bees appear to be so
of springtime.
OSBA Website: www.orsba.org
Webkeeper: Thom Trusewicz
ccbees@gmail.com
susceptible to the pathogens is a source of considerable debate and study. Pesticide
exposure, colony stressors, viruses, Nosema, and Varroa have all been implicated
and are most likely interconnected in some yet-to-be understood negative way.
Losses in one area or region in the world may not necessarily be due to the exact
same set of conditions compared to other regions. Keeping Varroa levels below 5
Continued on page 12
The Bee Line
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Here we are back in the sunshine, something that we do not find in Hermiston, Oregon, in
February and March ever! Did I mention no wind! It is really nice to have such exceptionally warm
days for working bees and very little rain, but I suspect that California needs the rain badly at this
point. Only, hopefully, not during the almond bloom.
It is always such a rush to get into the honey bees the first day in California, to see their amazing
housekeeping abilities, and to be a small part of this process. Winter was kind to most Oregon
beekeepers, and most reports that have come in are that beekeepers are quite pleased with their
colony strength this year and feel good about overwintering. Hopefully Drs. Sagili and Caron will
have some Oregon state, Pacific Northwest, and national statistics to verify these emotions.
On the OSBA scene, we have finalized our first Specialty Crop Grant Report, and I would like to
thank my fellow officers for digging in and helping me understand and complete the report ahead
of schedule. With the ability to receive funding, there comes a huge responsibility to account for
said funds. We are very happy to have funding to help with our newly launched Oregon Master
Beekeeper Program, and we currently have over 100 beekeepers interested in the program. We are
working on training more mentors and instructors to help with the program. If you are interested
in becoming a mentor, an instructor, or an apprentice, please contact Carolyn Breece for more
information.
Well, enjoy your spring, finish reading those beekeeping magazines that keep piling up, and find joy
your honey bees.
OSBA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
Jan
fees involved. Because only a few people have requested
this option, we will not proceed with these methods of
payment. Paul will file taxes on May 1. Chuck Sowers
motioned to accept the treasurer’s report and Nancy
McFarlane seconded the motion. The board unanimously
approved.
Canby, Oregon v January 23, 2012
Attendees: Paul Kowash, Paul Andersen, Nancy
McFarlane, Marjie Ehry, Chuck Sowers, Jan Lohman,
Alan Ehry, Todd Balsiger, Linda Zielinski, Rosanna
Mattingly, and Carolyn Breece
4-H
Marjie Ehry discussed the role of OSBA in 4-H at the
state and county level. The OSBA has been a long-time
supporter of 4-H students in beekeeping and beekeeping
competitions. The OSBA has awarded a cash prize to
winners of state and county fair beekeeping exhibits and
presentations. In 2011, the OSBA elected to give the 4-H
Foundation $250 and have the Foundation distribute
prizes to the winners. However, we were not aware that
the Foundation is only able to award state winners and
not county winners. OSBA will continue to award state
winners with an item prize (instead of cash). Marjie
suggested that the OSBA branch associations work with
their local 4-H groups and distribute prizes to winners in
their own and neighboring counties. Marjie will contact
OSBA regional representatives and branch associations to
present this idea. She will report back in April.
President Jan Lohman called the OSBA Executive Board
Meeting to order at 7:05 pm.
Minutes
The minutes of the November Executive Board Meeting
were read by Carolyn Breece, secretary. A motion was
made to accept the minutes as printed in The Bee Line,
and Nancy McFarlane seconded the motion. The board
unanimously approved.
Treasurer’s Report
Paul Kowash gave us a report on the OSBA finances. Paul
is working out the kinks with QuickBooks, but things
should be resolved soon. Some people at the conference
expressed interest in paying via credit card or PayPal.
Paul investigated these options but found that there are
March 2012
The Bee Line
Citing increases in postage rates and the years since it has
been considered, Rosanna Mattingly suggested a review
of the list of recipients of complimentary Bee Lines.
Please send in recipes and questions for the Question of
the Month column. We admired the directory created
by Rosanna and decided that in future years the cover of
the directory will match the International Queen Color
Marking Code. This year (2012), however, the directory is
green, while the queen color is yellow.
enrolled, and the rest are on waiting lists. Classes are
underway in Portland and will soon begin in Salem,
Eugene, Corvallis, and Bend. We still have space available
in Coos County and Central Oregon. Please visit www.
oregonmasterbeekeeper.org for more details and to apply.
We will have a training session for new mentors after the
main festivities at the Portland Metro Bee Day at George
Hansen’s (approximately 3 pm).
We formed a grant committee to participate in reporting
for the ODA Specialty Crop Block Grant for research and
the Oregon Master Beekeeper Program. The committee
members include Jan Lohman, Paul Andersen, Paul
Kowash, Rosanna Mattingly, and Carolyn Breece.
Regional Representative Reports
Welcome Todd Balsiger, our new Portland Metro Regional
Representative! This was Todd’s first board meeting, so we
introduced Todd and explained his duties as a regional
representative.
Fall Conference
The 2012 OSBA fall conference will be held on
November 1–3 in Seaside, Oregon. Potential speakers
include James Tew, Larry Connor, and Dave Tarpy. We
discussed additional possible speakers. Washington State
Beekeepers Association will stay in Washington this year,
as they are also hosting the Western Apiculture Society
meeting. The 2013 conference will be held October
31–November 2, also in Seaside. WSBA hopes to join us
at the 2013 meeting.
Regional Association Reports
Linn-Benton Beekeepers Association
Welcome Linda Zielinski, the president of the new LinnBenton Beekeepers Association! The new club started
in April 2011. Linda reports over 100 people on the
“Bee-Friendly” list of community members interested in
beekeeping in Linn and Benton counties. The group is
electing officers and working out details of becoming an
established bee club. The club will have a mini-bee school
during monthly meetings in February, March, and April.
Long-Distance Board Members
We discussed options to include long-distance board
members in Executive Board meetings. Traveling to board
meetings for some of these members simply isn’t possible.
We discussed online meeting programs. Paul Andersen
will look into options.
Portland Metro Beekeepers Association
Nancy McFarlane described PMBA’s new policy on club
officers: each officer will serve a three-year term, then
rotate. This has resulted in a welcome mix of new and
veteran beekeepers on the board. The PMBA will offer a
free youth membership for members under 18. They are
developing weekend workshops on topics such as hive
construction, brand-new-beekeepers day, and raising
queens. Their annual Bee Day will be held on April 21,
2012, at George Hansen’s place. Congratulations to new
PMBA Lifetime Members: Kerry Haskins, Dewey Caron,
John Keeley, and Paul Hardzinsky.
The OSBA Executive Board Meeting adjourned at 9:00 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Carolyn Breece
We at the OSBA all wish
Karen Finley a speedy recovery!
Standards of Identity of Honey
House Bill 2947, Standards of Identity of Honey, is
waiting for the Secretary of State’s stamp. The bill is
not approved until stamped. We are patiently waiting.
Meanwhile, the American Beekeeping Federation is trying
to establish a national standard for honey. Stay tuned!
Pesticide Booklet
The extension publication How to Reduce Bee Poisoning
from Pesticides will be updated by Oregon State University.
Oregon Master Beekeeper
The Oregon Master Beekeeper program currently has 103
applicants from all over the state! There are 74 students
The Bee Line
Oregon State Beekeepers Association
EXECUTIVE BOARD AND ASSOCIATIONS
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Southern Oregon: Floyd Pawlowski
415 Pompadour Dr, Ashland; 541.482.4797
fmpawlowski@ashlandwireless.net
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North Willamette Valley: Harry Vanderpool
7128 Skyline Rd S, Salem; 503.399.3675
shallotman@yahoo.com
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South Willamette Valley: Jason Rowan
80881 Turkey Run Rd, Creswell 97426
541.942.6479; beetanical@q.com
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OSBA OFFICERS
President: Jan Lohman
77225 Colonel Jordan Rd, Hermiston OR 97838
541.567.3209; 541.980.0304 (cell)
vazzafarms@yahoo.com
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Central Oregon Beekeepers
Meets 6:30 pm, third Tuesday
63211 Service Rd, Suite 130, Bend
President: Dennis Gallagher; 541.389.4776
For information, please contact John Connelly
johncobka@gmail.com
Vice President: Paul Andersen
19255 SW Prospect St, Aloha OR 97007
503.649.5089; 503.332.5410 (cell)
paulande@easystreet.net
Coos County Beekeepers
Meets 6:30 pm, third Saturday (except December)
Ohlsen Baxter Bldg, 631 Alder St, Myrtle Point
President: John Gardner; 541.572.3847
Vice President: Shigeo Oku; 541.396.4016
Secretary: Bobbi Gardner; 541.572.3847
Treasurer: Jane Oku; 541.396.4016
janeoku1958@gmail.com
Secretary: Carolyn Breece
743 NW 18th St, Corvallis OR 97330
541.207.3668
carolyn_breece@yahoo.com
Treasurer: Paul Kowash
5959 SW Taylors Ferry Rd, Portland OR 97219
503.452.2664; 503.367.5242 (cell)
paulkowash@aol.com
Klamath Basin Beekeepers
Meets 9:00 am, last Saturday (except Nov/Dec)
OSU Extension, 3328 Vandenberg Rd, Klamath Falls
President: Tom Chester; 541.850.8384
klamathbeekeepers@gmail.com
Vice President: Chris Kerns; 541.884.8664
Secretary: Donna Schmerbach; 541.891.3066
Treasurer: Kathy Nelson; 541.882.3141
Website: www.klamathbeekeepers.org
Past President: Chuck Sowers
26730 S Hwy 170, Canby OR 97013
503.266.1740; sowers@canby.com
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OSBA REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
OSBA REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
North Coast: Terry Fullan
39450 Northfork Rd, Nehalem 97131
503.368.7160; tfullan@nehalemtel.net
Lane County Beekeepers
Meets 7:30 pm, third Tuesday, Trinity United
Methodist Church, 440 Maxwell Rd, Eugene
President: Judy Scher; 541.344.2114
judyscher@gmail.com
Vice President: Rita Ostrofsky; 541.685.2875
Secretary: Barbara Bajec; 541.767.9086
Treasurer: Nancy Ograin; 541.935.7065
woodrt@pacinfo.com
Website: www.lcbaor.org
South Coast: Del Barber
PO Box 31, Ophir OR 97464
541.249.0160; mydedocs@charter.net
Columbia Basin: Bill Edwards
5040 Lost Lake Rd, Hood River 97031
541.354.2223
Eastern Oregon: Jordan Dimock
2635 Mitchell Butte Rd, Nyssa 97913
541.372.2726
Linn-Benton Beekeepers
Meets 6:30 pm, fourth Wednesday, South First
Alternative Co-op Meeting Room, Corvallis
President: Linda Zielinski; 541.929.4856
Secretary: Marie Laper
Treasurer: Suzi Maresh
Portland Metro: Todd Balsiger
3284 Edgeview Ln, Forest Grove OR 97116
503.523.9572; toddbalsiger@comcast.net
March 2012
Portland Metro Beekeepers
Meets 7:00 pm, second Thursday, Clackamas Community
College, Clairmont Hall, Room 118, Oregon City
President: Nancy McFarlane; 503.260.3930
nancymariemcfarlane@yahoo.com
Vice President: Jim Barlean; 503.659.9718
jbarlean@msn.com
Secretary: Kat Yeager; 503.452.5010
peace.is.purple@gmail.com
Treasurer: Rex McIntire; 503.720.7958
remcintire_5@msn.com
HONEY BEE RESEARCH
Dr. Dewey Caron
302.353.9914 (April–October)
carond@hort.oregonstate.edu
Dr. Lynn Royce
541.929.5337; mitebee@peak.org
Dr. Ramesh Sagili
541.737.5460; sagilir@hort.oregonstate.edu
REGIONAL NEWS
Southern Oregon Beekeepers
Meets 7:30 pm, first Monday, Southern Oregon
Res & Ext Ctr, 569 Hanley Rd, Central Point
President: John Jacob; 541.582.BEES
john@oldsolenterprises.com
Vice President: Floyd Pawlowski
541.482.4797; fmpawlowski@ashlandwireless.net
Secretary: Michele Bashaw; 541.512.0155
hapistitch@earthlink.net
Treasurer: Ron Willing; 541.582.9694; rwilling@charter.net
Regional Representatives
South Coast
The Coos County Beekeepers held their regular meeting,
and reports from local beekeepers are that the bees are
bringing pollen into hives during this period of good
weather. Most beekeepers seem to have weathered the
recent severe storms (an ongoing regional problem for
coastal beekeepers). Below is the text of a letter to editors
that we submitted to South Coast newspapers regarding
our involvement in the Kalmiopsis Audubon Society
Film Festival. It was published in five newspapers, and we
received positive feedback. —Del Barber
Tillamook County Beekeepers
Meets 7:00 pm, second Tuesday, Art Space
Hwy 101 & 5th St, Bay City
President: Bob Allen; 503.322.3819
Dear Editor,
Tualatin Valley Beekeepers
Meets 7:30 pm (7:00 pm to socialize), last Friday
Cameron Public Svcs Bldg, 155 N First Ave, Hillsboro
President: Kevin Beckman; 503.539.5996
kevin_beckman2@msn.com
Vice President: Herb Brasington; 503.701.4180
herb@hwbsystems.com
Secretary-Treasurer: Jerry Maasdam
503.648.7906; jmaasdam@mac.com
We are writing to publicly recognize the Kalmiopsis Audubon
Society for including the showing of Vanishing of the Bees
at the recent Kalmiopsis Nature Film Festival held at the
Savoy Theater in Port Orford. With more than a hundred
participants, Coos County Beekeepers Association members
were able to meet many citizens who are interested in the
survival of honey bees and the production of local honey. Pat
Reed was there to demonstrate his Warre top bar hive. The
Coos Association meets on the third Saturday at 6:30pm in the
OSU Extension Building in Myrtle Point. This opportunity to
distribute information regarding the Oregon Master Beekeeper
Program (www.oregonmasterbeekeeper.org or 541-737-5440)
and to solicit contact information from people interested in
establishing a Curry County Beekeepers Association. Although
colony collapse has not been in the headlines recently, the future
of the honey bee is still a major concern. The Oregon Coast has
many unique climate factors that must be addressed for local
beekeepers. This was an excellent event to inform the public.
We also express special thank you to Ann Vileisis for her quick
response and facilitation of the beekeepers participation.
Willamette Valley Beekeepers
Meets 7:00 pm, fourth Monday, Chemeketa
Community College, Building 34, Room A, Salem
President: Richard Farrier; 541.327.2673
Vice President: Harry Vanderpool; 503.399.3675
shallotman@yahoo.com
Secretary: Mike Rodia; 503.364.3275; drodia@yahoo.com
Treasurer: Patricia Swenson; pkswenson@gmail.com
Website: www.wvbatoday.com
COMMITTEES
Agriculture Liaison: Harry Vanderpool; 503.399.3675
Respectfully,
Del & Myrna Barber
Coos County Beekeepers Association
Fairs and Exhibits: Marjie Ehry; 503.434.1894
Nominations: Chuck Sowers; 503.266.1740
NW Apiculture Fund for Honey Bee Research, Extension,
and Education: Kenny Williams; 541.456.2631
South Willamette Valley
Happy New Year to all the keepers in the South Valley
and those crazy enough to love us. The fall conference
Public Relations: Paul Andersen; 503.332.5410
The Bee Line
Portland Metro Beekeepers
The Portland Metro Beekeepers voted in the new
officers in January. Nancy McFarlane, president, Lonnie
Addleman, librarian, and Rex McIntire, treasurer, are
continuing. Jim Barlean is vice president, Kat Yeager is
secretary, and Jessica Stenerson is our communications
person. In recognition for their significant service to the
club and beekeeping in general, Kerry Haskins, Paul
Hardzinski, John Keeley, and Dr. Dewey Caron were
elected to have a Lifetime Membership to our club.
Congratulations and thanks for your generosity over the
years! The club also voted on a new membership category:
Youth Membership, young–age 18, at no charge for full
membership benefits to encourage youth beekeeping.
Nancy McFarlane announced our annual outdoor Bee
Day will be April 21, again at George Hansen’s apiary in
Colton. This year the number of participants will be the
first 175 to sign up. In addition, there will no longer be
“day of the event” sign-ups. Sign up at www.orsba.org.
in November was great as per usual, very informative.
Thanksgiving came and went, and at the time of this
letter, Christmas has yet to arrive. For those of us thinking
about California, the temptation to look into the hives
is almost too much. Here in our operation, we are in full
—Jason Rowan
winter mode. Regional Associations
Klamath Basin Beekeepers
The Klamath Basin Beekeepers Association held its first
meeting of the new year the last Saturday in January.
Fortunately, although the weather was cold, there was
not the typical January snow, and fifty people were in
attendance. The program was a presentation on sideline
operations by a local beekeeper with more than a hundred
hives. In addition to the program, there was a questionand-answer session, snacks, and a drawing of door prizes.
The club will have a beginning beekeeping class on
Saturday, March 10, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. For
information, call 541.850.8384 or visit the club’s website at
klamathbeekeepers.org. The KBBA also has its own Facebook
page. In addition to the class, the club is assembling a
library of books on beekeeping. Also, the KBBA will be
coordinating a group order of packages of bees for members.
Last year, the order totaled 100 packages and is expected to
surpass that number this year. —Tom Chester
Jim Barlean presented “What to do in February/March”
during our February meeting. This included: see if the
queen is laying, look for disease, feed if necessary, and
repair new and broken equipment. Next we had a panel
discussion of “Natural Beekeeping” with Bev Koch,
Roberta Cranswick, Tom Lea, and Tim Wessels. Tom
defined natural beekeeping as “leave bees to their own
devices and minimal interference.” Panelists described
a mixture of low-maintenance operations with minimal
feeding, no chemical treatments, and reducing the use
of plastics in frames. The panel’s consensus seemed to be
that allowing the bees to go through their natural cycles
in the long run may benefit overall bee’s health and also
is a more enjoyable way to be a bee keeper. Next month’s
topic will be “Installing a Package or Nuc” by Kerry
Haskins.
—Paul Jarrett
Lane County Beekeepers
The weather in Lane County has been drawing bees out to
forage during the day and cluster tightly during the 30oF
nights. Increased brood laying is evidenced by the amount
of pollen being brought in during the day. Several of our
members are supplementing hives low on honey with
granulated sugar or fondant to support new brood.
Winners of the LCBA November
2011 honey taste-off (L to R):
Barbara Bajec (1st place),
Pam Leavitt (3rd place), and
Ruth Beller (2nd place).
Tillamook County Beekeepers
The gallery where we meet has a current display of hats,
all 410 of them, so that was the club’s backdrop for our
January meeting. It provided a vast mosaic of color.
Everyone mentioned the mild winter and reported minor
bee losses at this point. For learning, we had Richard
Patten share how he makes creamed honey. We all agreed
it would be a good product to make available for our
customers. One of our newest members, Jim Fanjoy,
shared with us his newly constructed Warré hive. All of us
were able to look closely at all the component parts.
The final topic was Bob Allen helping us plan for our
club’s bee order for spring 2012. Our next scheduled
meeting will be on February 9. —Terry Fullan
We were very fortunate to have Bertie Stringer, co-author
of Nectar and Pollen Pants of Oregon and the Pacific
Northwest, speak at our January meeting. Bertie braved the
snow storm to give a great talk. Lane County Beekeepers
hosted a booth at the annual Good Earth Garden Show
at the Lane County Fairgrounds in January. We sold $545
of club honey and happily educated the public about bees
and beekeeping during the three-day event. Thank you to
all our wonderful volunteers.
Our bee school will take place on March 3 and is booked
up with a long waiting list.
—Judy Scher
March 2012
KEEPING BEES IN February–March
Todd Balsiger
Below are five “Best Management Practices” for
pollinating California’s agricultural crops as published in
a Managed Pollinator CAP article. I think these practices
are just as pertinent to us here in Oregon and need to be
objectives in our colony management:
1. Manage for Varroa control.
2. Purchase or breed mite-resistant, hygienic queens.
3. Maintain adequate colony nutrition.
4. Control diseases.
5. Minimize exposure to toxins, inside and outside
the colony.
v
The tips:
v Heft hives to find any light ones. Brood production
is ongoing and energy demands have increased, so
this is prime time for starvation. Provide light hives
emergency feed. When daytime highs exceed 55oF,
syrup can be used instead of fondant or frames of
honey. Consider adding Fumagilin-B to syrup to
control possible Nosema.
v Varroa control is still of preeminent importance. Keith
Delaplane reported in January’s 2012 Bee Culture that
“high levels of Varroa are associated with high levels of
virus and low populations of adult bees and brood.” And
Jamie Ellis states, “Left unchecked, even with the best
cultural controls and genetic resistant stock, Varroa mites
will eventually almost assuredly kill your colony.”
v
v
In the past I wished there was an accurate, practical,
and standard sampling system that could be used to
estimate colony infestation to determine if there is
a need to treat. I believe we may have this now. It
is from the University of Minnesota and can found
online as an instructional poster that has step-by-step
directions accompanied by pictures: www.extension.
org/pages/31539/varroa-sampling. Varroa treatment
thresholds are recommended at 10–12 percent
infestation, which equates to around 3,000 mites per
colony. I am not discounting other sampling methods
like sticky boards; it is just that the University of
Minnesota’s sampling method is well documented and
has easy-to-follow directions.
Early spring and fall (February/March and August), the
periods between the nectar flow, have historically been
the windows for Varroa treatments. We should certainly
sample at these times to know if a treatment is necessary.
ApiLife VAR, Apiguard, and formic acid are examples of
treatment options. Interestingly, HopGuard and Mite-
v
v
Away Quick Strips can be used while supers are on. It is
incumbent upon us to consider the efficacy of a miticide,
its drawbacks and caveats—how well it kills mites,
possible impacts on colony health including queen
and brood loss, residue in comb, and super withdrawal
times. Follow the directions; it is the law. I certainly
do not recommend hard miticides like fluvalinate and
coumaphos. Aside from the fact that they don’t work
anymore due to resistance, they have been shown to
leave residue in comb which can react dangerously with
agricultural fungicides.
Consider using cultural and genetic controls. Screen
bottom boards give a 15 percent reduction in mites.
Drone brood trapping, labor intensive and not practical
on a large scale, can significantly reduce mites. Genetic
control is even better; through the use of mite-resistant
queens like Minnesota hygienic, Russian, and VSH,
reductions can be 40–50 percent. As stated above, even
with cultural controls and resistant queens, eventually
the threshold will be reached and the colony will need
treatment.
Prophylactically treat colonies with Terramycin in
powdered sugar weekly for three weeks to prevent
American foulbrood. To learn more about foulbroods I
recommend this video: www.extension.org/pages/25099/
university-of-florida-bee-disease-video. Some people
do not want to treat with antibiotics; I can think of
exceptions. For example, colonies with known hygienic
behavior, and maybe beekeepers who timely monitor
all of their colonies and can readily identify AFB and
are not squeamish about burning infected colonies.
Terramycin requires at least a four-week withdrawal
time between the last antibiotic treatment and the first
marketable nectar flow. Tylosin provides up to four
weeks of protection with a single treatment, but it is
much more persistent and requires a longer withdrawal
period before supering. There is a growing problem
with Tylosin being detected in US honey.
Look for signs of Nosema. Symptoms include
slow buildup, lots of fecal matter on the outside of
the colony near entrances (best indicator for me),
disjointed wings (K wing), and crawling bees outside
of the colony. These symptoms may also be associated
with tracheal mites (K wing and crawling bees). Make
sure that suspect colonies have good ventilation and
are in full sunlight to encourage cleansing flights.
Treat with Fumagilin-B in syrup (follow the directions
exactly; overdosing does not help).
I mentioned above the symptoms of tracheal mites—K
wing and crawling bees. Near-perfect control for
The Bee Line
v
v
v
v
tracheal mites can be achieved through resistant
queens. New World Carniolan and Russian queens,
to name just a few, are very resistant to tracheal mites.
If your bees are not resistant, then grease patties and
menthol can be used for control.
Find and remove queenless or dead-out colonies. We
can usually pinpoint struggling or dead-out colonies by
the lack of flight activity. Take an investigative peek into
hives that are not keeping up with their peers. For dead
outs, determine why the colony perished: queenlessness,
starvation, disease? If the frames and hive components
are disease free and in good condition (e.g., no Nosema
spore fecal matter covering everything, no AFB scale in
the brood cells, brood frames are less than five years of
age and don’t have hard chemical residues, etc.), then
store for future use in a dry location and stack so that
light can penetrate and air can circulate to discourage
wax moths and mold, respectively. These disease-free,
dead-out boxes can be added to strong colonies in the
spring for future splits.
Some beekeepers like to stimulate their colonies in
the spring through feeding to increase the rate of
buildup—either to make splits or to have colonies
ready for the main nectar flow, which generally begins
in earnest by late May. To stimulate your colonies,
begin feeding sugar syrup and pollen patties when daily
highs exceed 55oF.
Wax moth activity dramatically picks up with increased
temperatures. Keep an extra eye on stored supers
(especially in stacks) that have had some brood and
pollen. Moth crystals (paradichlorobenzene) as well as
freezing the frames can be used for control. Exposing
the frames to light and air circulation can inhibit the
moths, too.
Spring usually brings some of the windiest weather, so
make sure lids are secured.
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH
Question
?
Not seeing any flight, we opened it this spring and
found it dead. Four frames had this dark material? We’re
wondering if they swarmed some time after we last
inspected or if the queen died and they didn’t have time
to replace her. Where did all of the bees go? I saved the
dead bees (freezer), and they only filled half of a gallonsized zip-lock bag. The frames still had plenty of honey.
Can the frames and hive be restocked?
Response
Dewey Caron: Dead Colonies Do Tell Tales. This type
of loss, in which colonies dwindle rapidly in the fall
(often the strongest, best producers, all undetected by
the beekeeper) and then die as smallish clusters, often
still with stores of honey and pollen, is characteristic
of what we have been seeing since about 2000. They
are strong colonies (often the strongest, decent honey
producers with good winter stores and plenty of
bees in August, etc.), but then they fail quickly and
often don’t take winter feed well (hard to feed them
Fumagilin-B, for example). They get nasty sometimes;
they dwindle in fall with brood looking terrible on
inspection in late September/October; adult bees
look sickly (a subtle distinction); and the colony
eventually lacks enough bees to cover the brood well
(sometimes they cluster off the brood patch in a
second clustering area away from the brood). Thus,
we have lots of very, very subtle symptoms that are
not easy to diagnose. This is the classic of bee PMS
(Parasitic Mite Syndrome) or CCD (which includes
another signal, i.e., that no adult bodies are present).
It is a result of high virus infections of the adult bees
(maybe with interaction of elevated Nosema spores)
and Varroa mites (CCD shows fewer Varroa mite
numbers). Frames/comb/wooden equipment can be
reused after surface cleaning with soapy/bleach-water
solution and scrubbing the fecal matter area on the
frames with a stiff brush. Need to consider a change
in your mite-control program (more resistant stock),
with monitoring for Varroa numbers in August, and
consider taking a more proactive mite approach.
?
?
I include photos from our largest, most active hive all
summer and into the fall below:
Question
I am a new beekeeper and am curious. I read the news
article about the parasitic fly on the honey bees of
which I am sure you are aware. Do you still have the
bee bodies from the health survey and are they being
examined to see if the parasitic fly larvae are in those
bodies from our local colonies?
March 2012
Response
AMERICAN BEEKEEPING FEDERATION
Jan Lohman
Ramesh Sagili: The phorid fly that you mention is
native to North America and has been documented to
parasitize bumblebees, but this is the first study which
has shown that these phorid flies can also parasitize
honey bees. We have not found any larvae of these flies
in the samples analyzed so far, but we are keeping an
eye out for these larvae. My view is that these phorid
flies might be around in some locations during bee
foraging season, but the rate of parasitization is very
low to negatively impact a honey bee colony. Please
let me know if you have any further questions.
“Luck Bee a Lady” was the theme for the American
Beekeeping Federation Annual Conference in Las Vegas
this January 10–14. I felt like a lucky lady indeed to be
amongst the stars of the beekeeping industry and proud,
as always, of Oregon’s own Mr. George Hansen. George
was for the past two years vice president of the ABF, and
after his two years (in training) is currently the president
for the next two years.
The ABF Conference is organized with concurrent
programs, so it is our job to go through the program,
carefully, plan our day so that we are able to catch as
many talks as possible that we are interested in, and visit
with as many beekeepers and vendors as we can during
the breaks.
Updates: Samples of the robber bees described in the October
2011 Bee Line, page 9, were sent to the USDA lab in Tucson
for morphometric analysis. The results indicate that the bees
are European and not Africanized. The events thus remain a
curious case of robbing.
Jerry Hayes, in his column “The Classroom” in the November
2011 American Bee Journal, responded to the first of the
two questions that appeared in the October 2011 Bee Line.
His response differs from Dewey’s in that Jerry notes that it
appeared the bees were “welfare bees” because they had
done nothing since the Spring of 2010 other than swarm and
eat sugar syrup. In his view, “even Italians will do better than
this,” though he adds that what is typical Italian behavior is
less clear these days. Dewey disagrees that the bees exhibited
behavior that was “not typical Italian.” He writes that Jerry
recommended feeding, requeening, or doing nothing, so that
“survival of the fittest” will apply, and adds that colonies that
store too little to overwinter do not survive.
There are always surprises at these conferences. One of
my favorites this year was a speaker from the Pollinator
Partnership, Laurie Adams, who spoke with such heart
about all pollinators, how policy can be influenced, and
the things that can be done to support change. One of the
most amazing programs that she spoke about was highway
bettering, where highways are planted with pollinatorfriendly plants to improve the landscape and at the
same time help the pollinators. She emphasized, it is the
small things that we do that add up to solutions for our
industry.
It is difficult to point out all of the many things learned
and/or experienced at the ABF Conference but the lineup
of speakers was incredible and the tone that I took from
the meeting was that pesticides/fungicides are probably
the new and important hotspot currently for our industry,
and at the other end of the spectrum, we must let our bees
learn how to adapt to this new life and not do everything
for them. That, however, is a difficult position to be in if
we make our living with honey bees.
I would like to thank Chuck Sowers and Mark Johnson
for being the delegates from Oregon to the ABF this year.
They attended the delegates’ breakfast and did a great job
of representing us.
Again, I would like to encourage all of you to add the
ABF Conference to your busy schedules. I know that the
timing is not perfect for commercial beekeepers, but it is
a very worthwhile event, and it is held in a different city
each year so you are able to experience a new and different
part of America each year. Next year, the conference will
be held [January 8–12] in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and
promises to be another great time.
The Bee Line
BEE SCHOOLS and EVENTS
Lane County Bee School: March 3. FULL!
Tualatin Valley Bee School: March 5, 7–9 pm, and
March 10, 9 am–1 pm. Washington Street Conference
Center, 225 South First Ave, Hillsboro. See “Bee Schools”
at www.orsba.org for registration.
Klamath Basin Beekeeping Class: March 10, 9 am–3
pm. Klamath Basin Research and Extension Center, 3328
Vandenberg Road, Klamath Falls. $20 per person. Donations are appreciated. Proceeds will be used to purchase an
extractor for club members to use. For additional information, visit: www.klamathbeekeepers.org.
Astoria Bee School: March 17, 9:00 am–4:00 pm.
Clatsop Comm College, Columbia Hall, Room 219. $15/
individual, $25/couple or family. Please bring sack lunch.
Oregon Sustainable Beekeepers: March 18, 1–6 pm.
Cozmic Pizza, Eugene. Featuring “Queen of the Sun” and
pollinator-friendly seeds/plants. Donations accepted.
Willamette Valley Bee Day: April 7 (following the
February Bee School).
Portland Metro Bee Day: April 21, Foothills Honey,
Colton. Limited to the first 175 to sign up; no “day of the
event” sign-ups. See the OSBA website [www.orsba.org]
for a sign-up form to mail in to our treasurer.
WELCOME, NEW & RENEWING MEMBERS!
Ken Alvis
Morris Arthur
Kristen Arthur
Timothy Arthur
Todd Balsiger
Bindy Beck-Meyer
John Connelly
Charles Daellenbach
Mark Delladio
Allen Engle
Joe Fassio
Steven Griffith
Pat Heitkam
Russell Heitkam
Richard Hughes
John Huxley
Terry Max Kuhn
Wendy Lagerquist
Ryan Lieuallen
Darlene Marquardt
Wayne Marsonette
Jason McEntee
Nancy McFarlane & Steve Stash
Michael Medina
Jonathan & Sheila Millet
“Breeder and Shipper of Northern California Italian Queens”
MASTER BEEKEEPER CLASSES
Wooten’s Golden Queens, Inc
Bend: March 1, 6 pm, for eight weeks. Connelly’s Shop,
63211 Service Rd, Unit 130, Bend. Instructors: Stephen
Harris and John Connelly.
Top Quality Italian Queens
Corvallis: March 12, 6–8 pm, for eight weeks. Benton
ggggggggggggggggggggggggg
County Extension Office, 1849 NW 9th St, Corvallis.
Instructor: Karessa Torgerson.
Note: Classes are open to Master Beekeeper program participants
2012 Queen Price
50 or more Queens $18.00 + shipping
at the Apprentice Beekeeper level. Pre-registration is required.
Colton: April 21, approximately 3 pm. Foothills Honey.
Accepting Orders for
3 frame Nucs
March 2012
Training for program mentors.
Snow Peak Apiaries
Custom Wood Shop
All types of supers, including 8-frame,
Shannon & Glenda Wooten
11189 Deschutes Rd
Palo Cedro CA 96073
Tel (530) 549-3555
Cedar top and bottom boards; Frames—all styles
Custom cut to fit your operation
Franz & Audrey Yordy
541.451.3752 Toll free 1.877.530.5882
Tim Molenda
Alistair Mowat
Bernard Newland
Rita Ochoa
Floyd Pawlowski
Matthew & Dara Pickens
Sheila Reeves
Lil Reitzel
Mike Robinson
Tanya Rudometkin
Bill Rufener
Ramesh Sagili
Judy Scher
Brian Scott
Paul Smedley
Jessie Spurlock
Ellen Steel
Duane Swenson
Jack Thomas
John Van Riper
Nick VanCalcar
Tim Wessels
Lisa Whitridge
Ted Winters
Douglas Youngberg
34769 E Lacomb Dr
Lebanon OR 97355
www.wootensgoldenqueens.com
10
March 2012
AN OCTOBER HONEY FLOW IN OREGON?
Mature English ivy blossom on
a warm October afternoon.
Fred VanNatta
As a kid of the Oregon Coast Range, I moved to Salem
in the mid-1960s and soon reestablished my beekeeping
hobby in South Salem. I rarely meddle with my bees in
October. Imagine my surprise on warm mid-October
afternoon in 2011 when I observed a patch of green
6-foot tall shrubs on about 20 x 30 feet of earth, with
hundreds of bees excitedly working green-appearing
blossoms. It was a quarter of a mile from my bees. I
reached out the window of my pickup and harvested a
sprig with a knife from beneath the front seat.
Bees roll out of the hive in
October as they visit English
ivy blossoms and return to the
hive with loads of pollen.
know they existed. My one-third acre has lots of ivy on it,
and I am unlikely to live long enough to get it all pulled
up. I have no hint at the moment about how many years
English ivy has to be left alone to blossom.
When I examined my half-dozen colonies, it was a good
thing I had seen the source of their excitement, because
they demonstrated the characteristics of robbing a
nearby hive—except about half of them were bringing in
leg loads of white pollen.
When I returned to my bees in early November to
gather a sample for the OSU Bee Lab analysis at the fall
conference, I sought a sample of beeswax from brood
comb for insecticide analysis. I had no unoccupied comb
in the brood chamber. Several frames were partially filled
with capped brood, and the rest of the cells were filled
with uncapped nectar/honey.
The sprig I had harvested appeared to be English ivy,
except the leaves were much larger than any I had ever
seen. Research quickly revealed there is only one species
of English ivy…but, the article added, when it matures,
English ivy blossoms and bees are very interested in the
flowers. I had never seen an ivy blossom and did not
It proves again, every year a beekeeper learns something
new. For my part, in the future, I am going watch for
warm October days with great interest.
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11
The Bee Line
Overwinter Losses—Continued from page 1
percent infestation level seems to mean lower loss levels
for individual beekeepers.
median number of colonies was two; the largest number
of colonies owned by a single beekeeper in this small-scale
group was forty-five.
Prior to the appearance of the two honey bee mite parasites
Acarapis woodi and Varroa destructor in the mid- to late1980s, beekeepers typically had winter losses of 10–15
percent. The introduction of bee mites caused loss rates
to increase substantially. A ten-year study (1989–1998) of
Pacific Northwest (PNW) beekeepers by OSU’s Michael
Burgett reported an average annual ten-year loss rate of 22.6
percent among commercial/semi-commercial beekeepers,
with rates trending upward over the ten-year period.
Bee personnel at OSU, initially Burgett, followed by
Caron, and now Caron and Sagili, began documenting,
parallel with the national surveys, bee losses by PNW
beekeepers. In the winter of 2007/2008, fourteen
commercial and eleven semi-commercial beekeepers
(owning an estimated 68 percent of the total colonies in
Oregon and Washington) had a 30 percent loss rate. For
the 2008/2009 winter, twelve commercial and twentytwo semi-commercial beekeepers had a lower loss rate
of 21 percent. An additional survey form, distributed to
attendees at 2009 local Oregon bee association meetings
west of the Cascades, revealed a 25.8 percent spring
loss rate from 100 small-scale beekeepers. The median
beekeeping experience of this group was three years and
Bar 1: National
Bar 2: Commercial &
semi-commercial
Bar 3: Small scale
Figure 1. National bee losses: 2007 = 31.8%, 2008 = 35.8%, 2009
= 29%, 2010 = 34.4%, and 2011 = 29.9%. Four-year summary
commercial and semi-commercial Oregon beekeepers: 2008 (n =
25, 62,100 colonies) lost 30%; 2009 (n = 34, 39,252 colonies) lost
21%; 2010 (n = 29, 37,138 colonies) lost 24.5%, and 2011 (n = 25,
57,022 colonies) lost 21.4%. Two-year summary small scale beekeepers: 2009 Oregon (n = 100) lost 25.8%, 2010 Oregon/Washington (n = 125) lost 42%, and 2011 Oregon (n = 102) lost 32%.
An oscillation of heavy losses one year followed by lighter
losses the subsequent year has continued for Oregon
commercial and semi-commercial beekeepers (see Figure 1).
This same pattern of higher followed by lower loss levels has
been found in Germany (German Bee Monitoring Program)
and by Caron during ten-year sampling on the East Coast.
—To be continued—
We ’
Have Em
Healthy Queens
=Healthy Hives
1750 Dayton Rd. Chico, CA 95928
Fax (530) 865-5570
12
March 2012
MAKING SKEPS
Joy Markgraf
In the summer of 2009, my interest in basket making and
beekeeping merged into a passion for skep making. I was
introduced to the idea by my mentor Martin Buckle (who
lives in England) through his website on how to make skeps.
After a period of research on the history of skep making,
I began two years of experimentation
with different local materials. In
England, one can still buy thatching
straw to use for making skeps, but
here one must find and harvest native
weaving materials. After trying many
different kinds, I settled on those with
the best qualities of strength, pliability,
and beauty. A high-quality skep must
be neat and tightly woven. This not Joy with skep grass.
only adds to the final beauty but also makes the skep well
insulated, long lasting, and weather resistant.
Three-part skep hive.
supers can be added, and honey can be collected. The first
three-part skep I made is in my bee house and filled with
happy bees. They seem to enjoy their space more than
bees in modern hives.
My childhood, spent on a small farm southwest of
Hillsboro, Oregon, instilled in me a love for nature
and four years of training at the Portland Art Museum,
earning a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art, taught me the
discipline of creative work.
Note: We enjoyed the remarkable display that Joy set up
during the 2011 OSBA conference in Seaside. It included
one of these skeps. She will share information from the
display in future issues of the newsletter.
Swarm Call List Update
Be sure to contact Thom Trusewicz at ccbees@
gmail.com to be listed for SWARM CALLS in 2012.
Listings are for OSBA members and updated
annually. The listing is free.
I designed and created a threepart, vertical, top-bar skep hive
because I wanted to have a grass hive
that I could use legally. Skeps are
discouraged for beekeeping because
they are fixed-frame hives that cannot
be inspected for pests and diseases.
This hive functions like a Langstroth
hive. Hive bodies can be taken apart,
frames can be removed or inspected,
DONATIONS TO THE NORTHWEST APICULTURE FUND FOR
HONEY BEE RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND EDUCATION
v
v
v
Make your check out to: OSU FOUNDATION
On the memo line, take care to write: THE NORTHWEST
APICULTURE FUND FOR HONEY BEE RESEARCH, EXTENSION,
AND EDUCATION
Mail to: Oregon State University Foundation at 850 SW 35th St,
Corvallis OR 97333-4015
If you have any questions regarding details of the fund or how to donate,
please contact Kenny Williams, Chair of the OSBA’s Endowment Fund,
at 541.456.2631.
IMPORTANT: Making your check out only as described above ensures
that your donation is correctly applied to the appropriate Endowment and
not to any other program.
13
Honey and
Crop Pollination
George and Susan Hansen
30576 Oswalt Rd
Colton, Oregon 97017
(503) 824–2265
www.foothillshoney.com
The Bee Line
MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS
Please use the forms provided here, with current pricing information, to subscribe to magazines at the discounted rates
offered to OSBA members. Take care to renew subscriptions before they expire to avoid lapses in subscriptions.
New Subscriptions and Renewals for OSBA Members during March 2012
New Subscriptions and Renewals for OSBA Members during March 2012
New Subscriptions, Extensions, and Renewals for OSBA Members during March 2012
The fifth edition of the Oregon Agripedia, with statistical, regulatory, and contact information, is now available at:
http://oregon.gov/ODA/pub_agripedia.shtml.
14
March 2012
Oregon State Beekeepers Association
Membership Form
The Oregon State Beekeepers Association is a nonprofit organization representing and
supporting all who have an interest in honey bees and beekeeping. Membership is open to anyone
with an interest in bees and beekeeping. You do not need to own bees or reside in Oregon to
join. Membership includes the ongoing work of the organization on behalf of the honey bee and
beekeeping, a vote in OSBA elections, discounts on publications, and an annual subscription to
The Bee Line. For new memberships and renewals, please send check made payable to OSBA
with this completed form to:
Paul Kowash, 5959 SW Taylors Ferry Rd, Portland OR 97219
Name: ________________________________________ New ___ Renewing ___
Additional name(s) for added memberships at the same address:
__________________________________________________________________
Mailing address: ____________________________________________________
City/State/Zip: ______________________________________________________
Telephone number: ________________ email address: ___________________
Contact information: The OSBA respects the privacy of members. Please check if you do
not want your contact information included in a membership directory sent to OSBA members
only: Do not include contact information _____
Please also check if you want to share only a portion of your contact information:
Share only mailing address: _____ phone number(s): _____ email address: _____
Local group, if member: _____________________________________________
Membership: $25 per person ($34 per person outside the US)
$_________
Voluntary contribution(s):
General Fund
Research Fund
$_________
$_________
Total amount enclosed:
$_________
Thank you!
To place an order for a T-Shirt with the OSBA logo, please complete this form and mail with check made payable
to Oregon State Beekeepers Association to: OSBA T-Shirt, 4207 SE Woodstock Blvd Ste 517, Portland OR 97206.
Amount enclosed: ____________
Cost: $15 + $3 for shipping and handling per shirt.
Color: _____Cranberry _____Navy
Size: Men’s _____ S _____M _____L _____XL _____XXL; Women’s _____ S _____M _____L _____XL _____XXL
Mail to: ________________________________________________________________________________________
Street address___________________________________________________________________________________
City_____________________________________________________ State ____________ Zip code ______________
15
The Bee Line
Newsletter of the Oregon State Beekeepers Association
4207 SE Woodstock Blvd Ste 517
Portland OR 97206
NONPROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE
PAID
PORTLAND OR
PERMIT NO. 2358
Note: For new memberships and to renew, see form on page 15.
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
—Lao Tzu
The Bee Line
The Bee Line is the official publication of the Oregon
State Beekeepers Association. Annual subscriptions to
the newsletter are included with membership in OSBA.
Please send news about your bees and your experiences
in keeping them, as well as your corrections, comments,
questions, photographs and stories (both from “old”
times and “new”), interviews, recipes, and points of
view to: Rosanna Mattingly, The Bee Line, 4207 SE
Woodstock Blvd Ste 517, Portland OR 97206; email:
osba.newsletter@gmail.com.
The next issue to be printed will be the April 2012 issue.
The deadline for submitting copy is March 10, 2012.
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This issue of The Bee Line is printed on recycled paper by Minuteman Press Powell; 503.234.2040.