www.srvbeekeeping.com
MAY
4, 2009
At GZ BZ HONEY FARM
7:00 P.M.
Bring your chair!
Hurray! Hurray!
Spring has finally sprung! Our pear tree
that is in full bloom sounds like a hive in itself! They are really enjoying
the pollen.
Make sure your hives have plenty of space! I
can't over emphasize that they do not like to be crowded this time of year!
With the brood hatching it will get that way quick!
At our April meeting, we had a good turn
out! Of course the meeting was informational as well as entertaining with our
own members talking about what they learned at the Tri-county bee meeting.
This next meeting will be on the Small Hive
Beetle, presented by out Vice-President, Kenny Lynch.
Queen Rearing Class:
The queen rearing
class is full, but if you are still interested, let John Schick know, in case
someone can't make it. For those who have signed up for the class I've included
a note from Dana Stahlman on some of the concerns you
wanted to know before hand.Please call John Schick at 419-668-8947 for further
questions.
In answer to your questions (and they are good ones).
1) A nuc to raise the queen cell.
Answer: I would suggest a deep super divided into two parts. I say
this because almost everyone will have a deep super. Nail a solid piece
of plywood to the bottom and make sure bees can not get from one side of the nuc to the other nuc. This
will give a person two nuc's. Individual
inner covers will be required for each section and a top cover (standard top
cover). Bore a 3/4 inch hole on each end of the box for entrances
to the nuc's. If using one side for a nuc, they will need a frame of honey and pollen or a feeder,
two frames of 1/2 filled brood with enough bees to keep the brood covered and
warm. One extra frame for expansion when the queen begins to lay. This could even be a new frame of foundation.
2)Do students need grafting tools:
Answer: Only if they want to buy one. I like the German Grafting
needle but I will have several on hand. Another grafting needle some like
is called the Chinese grafting tool. Students will not need to have their
own needle to take the class. I will also show them how to make their
own.
3) I will supply you with a grafting bar and frame. It will belong
to the club when you harvest the cells. It will give class members an
idea of what they will need to buy to raise queens for themselves.
I am kind of the opinion that beekeepers can spend a lot of money on some
equipment that will be expensive and can be built themselves for practically
nothing. However, if a person wants to buy equipment there are plenty of
people who will sell them almost anything.
4) A cell builder hive needs to have a lot of bees -- no weak hive.
Also it needs to be queenless. If the beekeeper
has a strong hive, he can split out part to put the queen in, and then
recombine them after the cells are ready for harvest. No more than 11
days.
PACKAGE BEES!
If you ordered
pkg. bees from John Schick, please give him a call right away. The packages are
due anytime.
At the same number
as above.
A good Spring Recipe!
Honey-Nut
Snap Peas
4 cups frozen sugar snap peas
½
c. peanuts or pine nuts
1 Tbls. Butter or margarine
1
Tbls. Honey
1 tsp. prepared mustard
In 1 1/2-quart microwave-safe
casserole, combine sugar snap peas and 2 tablespoons water. Cover. Microwave on HIGH for 6 to 9 minutes or until crisp-tender,
stirring once halfway through cooking. Drain.
Add
peanuts, margarine, honey and mustard; toss gently to mix. Serve warm.