The Bayer Bee Care Healthy Colony Checklist suggests the following approach during your inspection: Use a buddy system. Know how to assess the six conditions of colony health. Take concise notes. Record any general notes and observations of each hive. Visit the Healthy Colony Checklist webpage for more in-depth information, including images, video, and a downloadable inspection checklist.
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Pesticide Toxicity to Bees “Traffic Light” List
View the NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services’ Pesticide Toxicity to Bees “Traffic Light” list (PDF). The pesticides listed are arranged by Highly Toxic (red), Moderately Toxic (yellow), and Relatively Nontoxic (green). Specific pesticide uses are categorized as Microbiocide, Miticide, Insecticide, Fungicide, Herbicide, Growth Regulator, or Repellent.
Instructional Beekeeping Videos
The Honey Bee Research Center at The University of Guelph located in Ontario, Canada produced 32 How-To Videos during 2016. They are excellent. ENJOY! The Honey Bee Research Center maintains populations of a hybrid strain of honey bees known as Buckfast bees. This is a man-made bee race and is a cross of many strains of bees, developed by Karl Kehrle, …
OSU/Bee Lab Varroa Mite Webinar
The Bee Lab at The Ohio State University has made available a Webinar entitled “Mite Check: Using Beekeeper Citizen Science to Transmit Bee Health Information, Not Varroa destructor” by Becky Masterman, University of Minnesota Bee Lab, Bee Squad Associate Director. A PDF handout is also available. Also check out the University of Minnesota Bee Lab’s:
Historical Bee and Beekeeping Literature
If you have noticed, our newsletter’s editor has an inclination for historical bee and beekeeping literature. If your historic interest parallels that of our editor’s, as it does mine, then I have just the links for you. The last page of January 2017 issue of the Alamance County Beekeepers Newsletter featured a copy of the last page of Volume 1 from …
Recent November Happenings
If you attended our last meeting, we were treated to four different presentations. Our President, Ira Poston, initially introduced Mr. Richard French, the coach for FIRST LEGO League team of four kids from Alamance County. The next three presentations, by 1st-year beekeepers Sally Bryan and Darrell Holt and 2nd-year beekeeper Zivon Price, were both informative and entertaining. During the Burlington …
Gibsonville Elementary School
ACB members Jennifer Welsh, Linda Leister and Geoff Leister participated in Heritage Day activities at Gibsonville Elementary School on Thursday, November 10, 2016. A presentation designed for grades Pre-K&ndash2nd grades covered basic information on honey bees and pollination. A different presentation, for 3rd, 4th & 5th graders, also included images of a natural hive, as well as ancient, traditional and …
North Carolina State Fair 2016
ACB Members Zivon Price and Sheyenne Michelizzi created the following display, delivered to the fair grounds on October 11 with the help of Ira Poston. Zivon and Sheyenne’s display of Geoff Leister’s (#1-12) nectar and pollen producing plants received a 1st place ribbon. Geoff Leister’s black & white photo (#13) received a 3rd place ribbon. Mike Ross’s chunk honey received …
“Bees at the Brink”
The following links lead to an extremely well written 4-part Star Tribune documentary that includes amazing images and imbedded videos posted on Star Tribune website. Enjoy! Nature’s Dying Migrant Worker (Part 1) Battle for Our Hearts and Minds (Part 2) Fields of Green: A Desert for Bees (Part 3) A Scientist’s Aim: Save the Bees (Part 4) Also, for a …
Neonics Back in the News
This PBS NewsHour report by NPR correspondent Allison Aubrey aired on November 24, 2015. The accompanying NPR article is also interesting. Additionally, on November 4, 2015, Bee Culture reported on Native Bees Foraging in Fields are Exposed to Neonicotinoid Insecticides