VOL.26 ISSUE 3 APRIL/MAY 2012

NEW JERSEY BEEKEEPERS

ASSOCIATION NEWS

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Last night I went to a Central Jersey Branch meeting. Oh my, how that Branch has grown: not only in membership and leadership but in the elec-tricity brought to the meeting by avid beekeepers, both old and new. Sev-enty-two members socialized over a fine snack. They heard about branch business and learned a bit more about hive management actions needed to be a successful New Jersey beekeeper in 2012. NJBA now has over 1,000 members. Next, I will attend a Northwest meeting where the energy level is high and leader-ship is great. I hope to meet all of you at a meeting of your branch during the next 12 months. The NJBA Executive Board will meet in April to look at and fund programs which bring benefits to our members and help to keep New Jersey beekeeping fun . Committees will review old programs and allocate funding from the 2012 budget. New pro-grams to be considered include:

A communication system which increases remote participation and reduces travel time.

A resource library which contains NJBA videos, Powerpoint presentations, and lists of local speakers that branch leaders can access through our website to cus-tomize information for their local needs.

A historian to reconstruct and store NJBA’s history on our website. A grant committee to identify funding sources for projects that enhance our abil-

ity to achieve our mission without raising dues. An education program that gives municipal and state decision makers the infor-

mation they need to enact policies that nurture New Jersey beekeepers and honey bees.

A review of existing legislation that impacts New Jersey beekeepers to accentu-ate the positive aspects and eliminate the negative ones.

There is a lot for us to do but everything is possible when you volunteer to make it happen.

Bill Coniglio , President PS: I got stung yesterday. Spring must be on the way

NEW! CHANGED NEW! New Jersey Beekeepers Association

Spring Meeting May 12, 2012

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HARVEY’S HONEY 912 ROUTE 40

MONROEVILLE, NJ 08343

MANUFACTURER EASTERN PINE WOODENWARE

NEW DEALER MANN LAKE BEE SUPPLIES

DISTRIBUTOR GAMBER HONEY CONTAINERS

856 358-1010 FAX 856 358-1166 US HIGHWAY 40 MILE POST 15

SALEM COUNTY, NJ

PRODUCER NEW JERSEY AND FLORIDA HONEY AND BEESWAX

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Important Bee Dates;

New Jersey Beekeepers Association Spring Meeting May 12, 2012 Agenda for meeting on page 9

E-Mail: WASITOWSKIS@YAHOO.COM

Visa/Mastercard/Discovercard

QUEENS / 3 Lb. Packages

Quality Beekeeping supplies

Glassware Honey Stix Distributors

Crop Pollination

We buy beeswax/propolis

MITE-AWAY II Dealer Call or Visit us at:

57 Amwell Road Flemington, NJ 08822

Phone/Fax

(908) 782-7525

S&F

Honey Farm

North Hunterdon High School 1445 Route 31 South Annandale, NJ 08801

From Route 78 West or Route 22 West - Route 78 West or Route 22 West to Exit 17 (Route 31 North - Clinton, Flemington, Washington) - From the exit you will be on Route 31 North. - Proceed .7 of a mile to exit for Route 31 South (Clinton, Flemington). -Bear right on exit - Go over bridge to traffic light. - Make a left at the traffic light and proceed to Route 31 South (Flemington) - Make a right to Route 31 South. - Proceed to second traffic light - Make a right to Regional Road. - Make the first right past the tennis courts into the school driveway

From Route 78 East

- Route 78 East to Exit 17 (Route 31 South - Fleming-ton, Trenton) - Proceed to the second traffic light. - Make a right to Regional Road. - Make the first right past the tennis courts into the school driveway

From Route 287 South or the Garden State Park-

way South - Route 287 South or the Garden State Parkway South to Route 78 West. - Follow directions for Route 78 West as above.

From Route 287 North or the Garden State Park-

way North - Route 287 North or the Garden State Parkway North to 287 North to Route 78 West. - Follow directions for Route 78 West as above.

Directions;

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Carniolan Queens and Nucs

New Jersey Bred—Selected for Hygienic behavior and Mite resistance;

Naturally winter-hardy, gentle Nucs available Spring through Summer RESERVE EARLY for Fall Requeening to

Reduce Spring Swarming Karoly (Charlie) Toth— Beekeeper since 1953

(732) 873-2989 member of CJBA

38 Van Cleef Road - Somerset, NJ 08873

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The BeeHive Barn aka Woodworking Barn

156 Plainsboro Rd. / Cranbury, NJ

Bee Hive Woodenware & Supplies

See our monthly Specials Website:

www.WoodworkingBarn.com CALL

For Color Brochure

(609) 395-7758

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After May 1st: 1-5 $22ea. 6-10 $20ea. 11-50 $18 ea. plus shipping

Singing Cedars Apiaries, Orwell, VT 05760

“We Breed for Gentleness, Productivity, Disease & Mite Resistant Traits”

VERMONT SURVIVOR QUEENS & NUCLEUS COLONIES

Call 802-948-2057, or www.vermonthoneynbees.com

HONEY FILLED CANDY DROPS USA made, USA honey

82 individually wrapped pieces per pound For Fairs, Farm markets, Craft shows

Call; Cindy or Bill How Lane Farm and Garden Center

North Brunswick, NJ 732-545-6361

Bee Flower & Sun Honey Company

NJ - PA Local Honey Bottled or 60 lb. Pails

Creamed & Cut Comb Honey

3 lb. Pkg. Bees w/Queen Available April 5, 2012

Queen Bees Full line of Beekeeping Supplies Glass & Plastic Jars w/lids Yellow Beeswax

Larry Saums Bee Flower & Sun Honey Company

378 Rick Road Milford, NJ 08848

Phone: 908-735-6946 Cell: 908-303-6810

Email: beeflowerandsunhoney@yahoo.com Web: http://

www.beeflowerandsunhoney.com

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Jean’s Honey, Inc.

NJ - NY - PA - Honey in

60 lb. Pails Cut Comb Honey

NJ Nucs Available in Spring

George Schaefer (908) 782-7912

Stiles ApiariesGrant Stiles

(Fords, NJ)

(732) 661‐0700

Honey Containers:Glass & Plastic  

NUCSNucs available early April

All nucs are 5 frames with new laying queens!

Order early to ensure availability!

Sugar for feeding BeesBest Prices Around!

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Report from the Apiarist April – May, 2012

As I am writing this column, it’s March10 and we had some very warm weather. Skunk cabbage was blooming Feb. 5th in South Jersey. Maples, daffodils, hyacinths, and chickweed, all bloomed very early this year. Some colonies were in danger of running out of food. Beekeepers that weren’t vigilant about checking for food may have had some starvation issues. Most beekeepers I have heard from had very little over-winter loss. Most of the keepers who experienced over-winter losses were beekeepers who either did not treat to control varroa mites, or they treated too late, i.e., September, October and November is too late in New Jersey. Winter Death Loss Survey: By the time you read this, you should have received the link to the winter loss survey. Please fill it out. Responses will help deter-mine what management practices increase your chances of wintering colonies in NJ. The NJBA and I will be conducting the fourth winter death loss survey this year. The survey’s purpose is to determine the manage-ment practices with positive or negative ef-fects on over wintering in our state. Please participate in this survey. It will come out by e-mail from the NJBA webmaster. Please make sure your e-mail address is on file with the NJBA webmaster. The form is filled out on line and submitted electronically. If you do not have e-mail capability and would like to participate, please let me know and I can get you a copy to submit hard copy. We want to know how many colonies you had at Thanksgiving, 2011, and how many you have at the end of March, 2012. The survey will also ask what you used to control mites and what month you started your mite control. Spring chores 1. Check your colonies for signs of brood

disease. Let me know if you see brood that does not appear normal.

2. Make sure you get your honey supers on early to help prevent swarming.

3. Do not put honey supers with only foundation (no drawn comb) over a queen ex-cluder. The bees do not like to go through the excluder to work foun-dation. They tend to fill the brood nest and then swarm due to lack of room.

4. Make splits or nuc’s to control swarming and increase your num-bers.

5. Check your equipment for extract-ing. Make sure it is clean and in good working order. It will soon be time to extract.

6. Get involved in your local chapter of NJBA or step up and volunteer at the state level. There are many things that need to be done in the NJBA. Getting involved and helping out will make the NJBA and its branches stronger.

7. Attend beekeeper meetings. a. I recently spoke at the Central Jersey beekeepers meeting. They had a great turnout and a good discussion on 2012 beekeeping perspectives. b. Plan on attending the spring state beekeepers meeting. The Northwest Chapter is hosting. Randy Oliver will be a speaker and he is a very observant bee-keeper/researcher. He writes great articles for the American Bee Journal (ABJ). I think you will learn alot from his talks. The cool thing about beekeepers is they come from all walks of life, all types of backgrounds, all economic levels and they usually all get along. Their love for the honey bee binds them together. Well I hope I get to see you at the NJBA spring meeting on May 12, 2012.

All the best, Tim Schuler

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New Jersey Beekeepers Association Spring Meeting Agenda

North Hunterdon High School 1445 Route 31 South Annandale, NJ 08801

May 12, 2012 8:30-9:15 AM Registration, coffee, donuts

and networking with fellow beekeepers 9:15-9:30 Move to meeting room. 9:30-9:35 Call to Order (NJBA President,

Bill Coniglio), Pledge of Allegiance, Moment of Silence

9:35-10:00 Tim Schuler—Winter Losses 10:00-11:15 Randy Oliver—Featured Speaker 11:15-11:30 Break 11:30-12:00 NJBA Business Meeting 12:00-2:00 Lunch, Demonstration Stations, Vendor Booths 2:00-3:30 Randy Oliver—Featured Speaker 3:30- 4:00 Meeting Wrap Up, Closing Comments, Door Prizes

Cost per person is $25.00 for adults and children 12 and over. Under 12 $15.00. No registration at door. Non-members $35.00

Menu Light Breakfast Lunch will be a variety of hot food including salads by Soriano’s

RSVP to Karin Weinberg at 908-479-1564 by April 27th, 2012

or metricom1@comcast.net. Send check payable to NWNJBA to:

Karin Weinberg 337 Tunnel Road,

Asbury, NJ 08802-1120

Late registration by MAY 5th $35.00 Adults; $25 Children; Non-members $45.00

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When it’s not beekeeping but bee removal…...consider calling

The Beeman

Your customers like to talk about bees and honey, nectar and flowers, but when it comes to ladders and second story soffits, sheetrock, crawl space, dirty old insulation, attic knee-walls and the like, you can easily spend a lot of time at bee removal with no time to either talk about or even sell bee prod-ucts.

Let me do the work I charge reasonable rates, and if you make the referral I will give you the swarm if at all possi-ble.

Robert “Beeman” Simonofsky (member of the North West Branch of NJBA)

(908)-730-0830 Cell Phone: (908) 797-0562

Tom Fuscaldo

(973) 942-5066

Sting Therapy

School or Group Presentation

Live Bees Honey Taste

EMBROIDERY HATS TEES

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with most designs

A. TRAPANI (609) 259-7457 atrap69530@aol.com

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EMBROIDERED POLOS $12

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Bees give us sting therapy, orange juice, apple pie

and even honey.

● School Lectures ● ● Swarm Removal ● ● Free Advice ●

● Sting Therapy ● Call for details

BEEKEEPER

Tom Fuscaldo

429 Preakness Ave Paterson, NJ

(973) 942-5066

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Another Phone Call to Rescue Bees

I’m sure many members get more of these calls than I do. But I’ve had my share of trips to rescue bees which turn out be yellow jack-ets or bald faced hornets. You can refer peo-ple to this website to check out the ‘Bee, Wasp, or Yellow Jacket?’ (http://kerryg.hubpages.com/hub/beeidentification). Sometimes people are just afraid. Sometimes they don’t want to pay for an exterminator, or feel that ‘saving the bees’ is a good motiva-tion to having someone else take care of their problem. I tend to think that most of the time people just feel they’re doing the right thing by calling in a beekeeper. Recently I got a call from someone I’ll call ‘Jerry.’ His phone message was something like this: "Hey Curtis it's Jerry a calling from 609-xxx-xxxx. We have an infestation of a form of in-ground bees that have sprung up over the last couple days with this warm weather. The area infected is a large portion of a play-ground area in our yard and in a neighbor-ing yard. I was looking to figure the best way to get rid of them and I was told that with the bee population being endangered, to reach out to a beekeeper so I found you on the beekeep-ers website for New Jersey. Just hoping you could help us 609-xxx-xxxx and my name is Jerry from one I'm in xxxville New Jersey. Thank you – bye."

It’s very possible that Jerry did call an ex-terminator, but the exterminator was con-vinced that these were honey bees and did-n’t want to deal with them. This happens a lot. Also, bees can make a mess, and many exterminators just want to apply toxins, leave an invoice, and move on. Here’s a rough transcript of my return call to ‘Jerry’. I called him from my office the same day he called and left his message: Curtis > Jerry- I think these are probably yellow jackets. Jerry > I'm sure they're not, I checked the internet and these are not the right color. Curtis > Honey bees don't nest in the ground. Jerry > But I'm certain these are honey bees. Curtis > Then you've discovered a new species. Don't call me, call the Smithsonian! Jerry > Can’t these bees be rescued? After all bees are endangered? Curtis> Jerry, if these were honey bees, how would a beekeeper retrieve these bees? With a backhoe? How would anyone har-vest honey from an underground colony of bees? The final discussion was of my recommen-dation to take a bucket of warm soapy water and, after dark, flood the entrance to the nests. -Curtis Crowell

13

S

Actual size in ad

Don’t Forget to send in your entry!

1) In each Newsletter I will hide a tiny Editor Bee in one of the ads. 2) Find the bee, cut out the ad and mail it to me with your name and address.

Angelo Trapani

9 Olde Noah Hunt Road Clarksburg, N.J. 08510

One winner will be drawn for each addition. Only one entry per membership, per edition. Must be

post marked up to 30 days after I receive my copy in the mail. Take the challenge and find the bee

Winner will be posted in next Newsletter

NEWSLETTER CONTEST Find the Editor’s Bee

Win a Free NJBA tee shirt

Winner FEB/MAR. MAT WINGLE in Grant Stiles’ ad.

With the 2012 Honey Show and winter meeting behind us, looking back the honey show was very competitive. Going over the scores, a single point could have meant a 1st place blue rib-bon or a 2nd place red one. There were 41 members putting in 89 entries. Some of the entrants were first timers putting in entries. The qual-ity of entries was very good this year. The Best in Show was an Apiary Scene made in wax with miniature hives with shiny metal covers. A real eye-catcher. The entry was from Anna and Angelo Trapani and bought at the auction by Dottie Harvey after a brief bidding fight. The Best Exhibitor with the highest ribbon-point total was Anna and An-gelo Trapani with 15 blue ribbons. This year the show was judged by Joe Duffy, a veteran beekeeper of 40

years, past president of the Pennsyl-vania State Beekeepers Association and a judge of many honey shows. We had a full house at the winter meeting with the reins of the NJBA being turned over from President Seth Belson to the newly-elected Bill Conigilo. One of Seth Belson’s final acts was to award Dave Frank the Jake Matthenius Award for his outstanding service. Many thanks to Seth Belson for his caring and moving the organi-zation forward. Many thanks again to Rod Dono-van, our beekeeper auctioneer who uses his expertise to get the most for our fundraiser and to have a little fun. Don’t forget our Chairperson Janet Katz for all the work that goes into the preparation for a successful honey show. This was her last honey show. Any volunteers to take over?

2012 HONEY SHOW

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Extracted Honey Division Best: Bill Coniglio for Light Class 1 – Light (14 Entries) Points 1st Bill Coniglio 98 2nd Susan Brandauer 96 3rd Isidore & Kate Venetos 95 Class 2 – Light Amber (11 Entries) Points 1st Angelo and Anna Trapani 96 2nd Charles Ilsley 92 3rd Jeffrey E. Thomas 90 Class 3 – Amber (12 Entries) Points 1st Angelo & Anna Trapani 96 2nd Donald Pidcock 95 3rd Frank & Bea Legnaiol 92 Class 4 – Dark (3 Entries) Points 1st Angelo and Anna Trapani 96 2n Alf & Ceil Berg 93 3rd Anthony Cifelli 81 Honey Comb/Spreads: Division Best Anthony Cifelli for Ross Rounds Class 5 – Sections, Ross Rounds, Cut Comb (3 Entries) 1st Anthony Cifelli 97 2nd Angelo and Anna Trapani 92 3rd Roman Osadca 91 Class 6 – Creamed (4 Entries) Points 1st Angelo & Anna Trapani 98 2nd Alf & Ceil Berg 94 3rd Joe Lelinho 93 Class 7 – Chunk (1 Entry) Points 1st Angelo and Anna Trapani 96 Class 8 – Frame of Honey (2 Entries) Points 1st Angelo and Anna Trapani 97 2nd Mat Wingle 88 Mead Division Best: Angelo & Anna Trapani for Sweet Class 9 – Dry (2 Entries) Points 1st Angelo & Ann Trapani 96 2nd Alf & Ceil Berg 91 Class 10 – Sweet (2 Entries) Points 1st Angelo and Anna Trapani 98 2nd Alf & Ceil Berg 91 Class 11 – With Fruit Juice (3 Entries) Points 1st Angelo & Anna Trapani 95 2nd Jim Morse 92

3rd Alf & Ceil Berg 91 Mead (Cont’d) Class 12 – Sparkling (1 Entry) Points 1st Alf & Ceil Berg 87 Beeswax Division Best: Angelo & Anna Trapani for Novelty Wax Class 13 – Block, 1 pound (2 Entries) Points 1st Angelo and Anna Trapani 98 2nd Alf & Ceil Berg 97 Class 14 – Novelty Wax (3 Entries) Points 1st Angelo and Anna Trapani 99 2nd Isidore & Kate Venetos 96 3rd Mary Kosenski 91 Class 15 – Tapers (2 Entries) Points 1st Angelo and Anna Trapani 97 2nd Alf & Ceil Berg 96 Class 16 – Novelty Candles (2 Entries) Points 1st Angelo and Anna Trapani 97 2nd Alf & Ceil Berg 90 Cosmetics Div. Best –Alf & Ceil Berg for Hand Cream Class 17 – Hand Cream/Lotion (5 En-tries) Points 1st Alf & Ceil Berg 98 2nd Joe Lelinho 97 3rd LeeAnn Coleman 96 Class 18 – Soap (3 Entries) Points 1st Angelo and Anna Trapani 99 2nd Miriam Dunne 95 3rd Alf & Ceil Berg 93 Class 19 – Lip Balm (6 Entries) Points 1st Angelo and Anna Trapani 97 2nd Pete Leighton 96 3rd Joe Lelinho 95 Photography Division Best – Denise DeCristofano Class 20 – Photography (8 Entries) Points 1st Denise DeCristofano 95 2nd Cathy Blumig 93 3rd Gary Schempp 83

2012 Annual Honey Show Winners

Best Exhibitor – Angelo & Anna Trapani (Highest Ribbon Point Total) Best in Show – Angelo & Anna Trapani (For Class 14 Novelty Beeswax)

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2012 Honey Show

10 Year Old Emily Ridgeway winner of the hive door prize from Brushy Mt. Best in show from Angelo Trapani

Rod Donovan hard at work at the Auction

Our Honey Show Chairperson Janet Katz setting up the Auction

Looking over the Honey on display.

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CATCH THE BUZZ Increasing genetic diversity of

honey bees needed

by: Kathy Keatley Garvey, UC Newsroom DAVIS — Increasing the overall genetic diversity of honey bees will lead to healthier and hardier bees that can better fight off para-sites, pathogens and pests, says bee breeder-geneticist Susan Cobey of the University of California, Davis, and Washington State University. Just as stock improvement has served the poultry, dairy and swine industries well, the beekeeping industry needs access "to stocks of origin or standardized evaluation and stock improvement programs," Cobey said. Cobey is the lead author of the chapter "Status of Breeding Practices and Genetic Diversity in Domestic U.S. Honey Bees" of the newly published book, "Honey Bee Col-ony Health: Challenges and Sustainable Solu-tion." "The many problems that currently face the U.S. honey bee population have underscored the need for sufficient genetic diversity at the colony, breeding, and population levels," wrote Cobey and colleagues Walter "Steve" Sheppard, professor and chair of the WSU Department of Entomology and David Tarpy of North Carolina State University, formerly a graduate student at UC Davis. "Genetic diversity has been reduced by three distinct bottleneck events, namely the limited historical importation of a small subset sam-pling of a few honey bee subspecies, the selection pressure of parasites and pathogens (particularly parasitic mites) and the consoli-dated commercial queen-production practices that use a small number of queen mothers in the breeding population," Cobey pointed out. The honey bee, Apis mellifera, originated in the Old World where it diverged into more

than two dozen recognized subspecies, they related. However, only nine of the more than two dozen Old World subspe-cies ever made it to the United States and only two of these are recognizable today. European colonists brought one subspe-cies, Apis mellifera mellifera or "the Dark Bee" of Northern Europe, to America in 1622, establishing it in the Jamestown colony. The bee was the only honey bee present in the United States for the next 239 years (1622 until 1861). The Italian or golden honey bee, Apis mel-lifera ligustica, was introduced into the United States in 1859 and is now the most common honey bee in the United States. "Currently available U.S. honey bees are primarily derived from two European sub-species, A. m. carnica and A. m. ligustica," the bee scientists said. The U.S. ban on the importation of bees in 1922 to ward off a tracheal mite (Acarapis woodi) further aggravated the genetic bot-tleneck. Today the No.1 enemy of the bee-keeping industry is the parasitic Varroa mite (Varroa destructor), which has played a major role in the crippling decline of the U.S. honey bee population. Found in virtually all bee colonies in the United States, it feeds on bee blood, can transmit diseases and generally weakens the bee immune system. What's being done? "In the U.S. the recog-nized need to increase genetic diversity and strengthen selection programs of com-mercial breeding stocks has resulted in collaborative efforts among universities, government researchers, and the queen industry," according to Cobey, Sheppard and Tarpy. "The current challenges facing the beekeeping industry and new technolo-gies being developed are pushing beekeep-ing into a new era."

17

To increase genetic diversity in the U.S. honey bee gene pool, Cobey and Sheppard are importing honey bee germplasm or semen of several subspecies of European honey bees and inseminating virgin queens of domestic breeding stock. They are also working on diagnostic programs to assist beekeepers to assess colony health and to evaluate commer-cial breeding stocks. Cobey, who teaches queen-bee rearing classes and queen bee instrumental insemina-tion at UC Davis and WSU, joined UC Davis in May 2007. Her research focuses on identi-fying, selecting and enhancing honey bee stocks that show increasing levels of resis-tance to pests and diseases. Cobey developed the New World Carniolan stock, a dark, win-ter hardy race of honey bees, in the early 1980s by back-crossing stocks collected from throughout the United States and Canada to create a more pure strain. Sheppard, who leads the Apis Molecular Systematics Laboratory at WSU, studies population genetics and evolution of honey bees, insect introductions and mechanisms of genetic differentiation. His work was fea-tured in a recent edition of the Washington State University Magazine. Tarpy, now an associate professor and Exten-sion apiculturist, at North Carolina State University, received his doctorate in ento-mology from UC Davis in 2000. He studied with Robert Page, emeritus professor of ento-mology at UC Davis who later became the vice provost and dean of the College of Lib-eral Arts and Sciences and Foundation Pro-fessor of Life Sciences, Arizona State Uni-versity. Overall, the 21-chapter book "provides an overview of the complexities of honey bee health, including colony collapse disorder (CCD)," Cobey said. The book, published by CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, Fla., is edited by

research entomologist Diana Sammataro of the Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tuc-son, Ariz., part of the Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; and Jay Yoder, professor of microbiology and immunology, Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio. The purpose of the book, the editors wrote, "is to provide collective knowledge from the many scientists who work with bees, to share their research, and to inspire future generations of researchers, beekeepers and students to continue to study bees and keep them healthy and pollinating." The chapters, written by noted bee scien-tists, range from information on pathogens, parasites, pests and viruses to problems encountered in bee pollination, nutrition, disease outbreak and breeding practices

Did You Know?

The colors of honey range from water white to dark amber, depending on its mineral content and floral source. Light colored honey typically has a mild flavor, while dark colored honey is usually stronger. There are more than 300 floral sources in the U.S., including clover, alfalfa, buckwheat, cotton, and kudzu. Honey contains 64 calories per table-spoon. Bees travel 55,000 miles and visit more than 2 million flowers to make 1 pound of honey. From Alabama Bee & Honey Producers, A Division of Alabama Farmers Federation: http://www.alfafarmers.org/commodities/bee_honey.phtml

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Wilson’s Honey Est. 1950

New Jersey & New York Honey in 60lb. buckets

Distributor of Packages 3lb. Packages/Queens

Taking orders for April 2012 Reserve Early!!

Central Jersey Beekeepers Association Member Life Member of EAS

Walt Wilson Jr. (518) 497-6723 Or (732) 546-5406

Email: wilsonshoney26@yahoo.com

Mono-floral & NJ Wild Flower Honey Handmade Beeswax Candles Natural Beeswax Bath Products

Pollination Bee Presentations Swarm Collection

2011 Italian Prices:

Douglas Farm Gladstone, NJ 07934 www.douglasfarm.com

Contact: Brian Rowe - bdrowe81@gmail.com - 908-443-1199

Products Services

2011 Live Bees: NJ inspected & certified disease free Northern NJ raised, mated and wintered Hives tested & selected for hygienic behavior,

gentile nature and strong productivity All queens come marked, included in price Ordering starts October 1st Annual re-queening is recommended Feeding supplements available.

4 Genetic Lines (Breeds) Available

Order Date Queen 3lb

Package Nuc

Before Feb 15th

$28 $ 90 $ 120

After Feb 15th $29 $ 95 $ 125

Italian NJ Over-wintered

Cordovan Italian “Aurea” / “Blond Italian”

Carniolan *from New World Stock

Buckfast *from Canadian Stock

Other breeds may be higher priced. Some hybridization may occur as queens are naturally mated. Visit www.douglasfarm.com/livebees.htm for more info.

$20 June 2011 Italian Queens

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The First 100 Stings By Josephine M. Giaimo March 10th, 2012: By way of introduc-tion: I started keeping bees in June of 2010. I have two hives in Highland Park, NJ. As a new beekeeper, I am learning something all the time. In this column, I’ll share what I am learning so that other new beekeepers may perhaps benefit. More experienced beekeepers may use this opportunity to keep the conversa-tion fresh. I am open to your suggestions. Winter hive loss: I checked my hives in February, and found that my larger hive had died. I had noted less activity at the entrance of the hive, but I didn’t attribute it to anything at the time. I was concerned that there were several flies on and around the hive, but I did-n’t know what to make of that. When I per-formed my full dead hive inspection, I won-dered whether the hive had died of starvation. To determine whether the hive had starved, I was told to look for cells in which a bee had died facing the bottom of the cell. There were no bees like that found. I did find several frames of honey, and cells that looked as if they had been chewed, perhaps from flies or from robber bees. A couple of cells looked as if they were webbed, and I attributed that to wax moths. I noted a number of frames that had lots of pollen. There were cells which had been partly opened, with an emerging dead bee inside of them. Perhaps a hungry fly didn’t want to eat a dead bee? I don’t know. I found no brood cells. Could varroa mites have caused my hive to die? It’s possible. What to do about the fact that I have a dead hive now is an open question. I’d like to have two or three hives this year, and the win-dow for ordering packages, nuc’s, and/or queens is getting smaller as I speak. I was lucky last year to get two packages ordered and received in June. I finally learned what makes a nuc a nuc from one of my mentors, Cynthia Werts. Nuc stands for “nucleus” which is simple enough. Packages are three pounds of bees plus a queen, taken from up to seven different hives of unrelated bees, all vacuumed up into one buzzing box. In con-trast, a nuc consists of four or five frames usually, of brood, bees, and a queen, all of whom are related. It’s likely that the nuc, due

to the interrelatedness of all the bees in it, is more stable as a community than a package of up to seven groups of unrelated bees in a package. In other words, a nuc is an established colony, whereas a package is not, as I understand it. This year, I may try to breed a queen, with help, of course, and perhaps split my good hive into two. We will see what time and resources will allow. I have been feeding a sugar water syrup to the bees in my good hive in this warm spring weather. I am reminded of what Tim Schuler and Cynthia Werts and others have told me. If the bees don’t need the food, they just won’t use it. I have been noticing such early budding of various varieties of maple and other trees, and wonder if there is enough food out there yet. I noticed that the flight paths of the bees this spring have been different from the ones they were using last year. Where they are get-ting their food these days? I will be checking for brown caps indicating brood emerging on my white plastic test plate soon. I got on with my most two recent bee stings (numbers #10 and #11) early. They were received not from my bees, but from Bill Coniglio’s and Cynthia Werts’. I was getting an informal guided tour in early March, and Bill was showing me a flight path between two of his stronger hives, and I apparently got in the way. The next thing I knew, there was a bee buzzing in my hair, and I was running, to no avail. Bill pulled the stinger out of my scalp, and while I was howling, I said I hadn’t done anything to deserve being stung. Bill replied that bees can sting, even when we don’t deserve it, or words to that effect. On my way home, I discovered there was a second sting, and pulled out that stinger while driving. When I got home, I applied some wet green clay to the stings, and felt immediate relief. My new remedy. Green clay. Follow me at @giaimojosephine. Email me at josephinegiaimo@gmail.com. How about we plan a #beechat soon, okay?

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Letter from the Editor

Nutrition News In honor of National Nutrition Month (March 2012), we wanted to share the nutrition profile of pure, one-ingredient honey: Honey is composed primarily of carbohydrates (natural sugars) and water, as well as trace enzymes, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids. Providing 17 grams of carbohydrates and 64 calories per tablespoon, honey is an all-natural sweetener without any added ingredients. For a complete nutrient listing, please visit USDA’s National Nutrient Database, http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/. As always, feel free to e-mail us anytime at foodservice@nhb.org with any questions or topics that you’d like to see covered in Hot from the Hive.

Did you ever think of hive management to maximize your hive production? Whenever you practice or have in place a good hive man-agement program, you will have good hive production. Keeping a good healthy hive with plenty of bees and Mother Nature providing lots of flowers should yield a good honey crop. If you don’t have a good management program, then now’s the time to develop one that fits your needs. A good beekeeper should know what his or her bees are doing. Are they bringing in nectar, do they have plenty of room, is the queen lay-ing eggs, how much capped brood is there, are there or will there be a lot of field bees at the right time to gather nectar, are they getting ready to swarm, do you have the mites under control? These are some important things to keep in mind when looking through your hive. While looking through your hive, also make sure that they are storing honey and putting the surplus in the supers. When you examine your hive, wear protec-tive equipment and have your smoker lit before diving in there. Lots of beekeeper have trouble lighting their smoker. Use the right fuel. Start small then add more fuel slowly. Don’t dump a lot of fuel and smother the newly lit fire. In-spect the hive in midday when the bees are flying and very busy on a nice sunny day. Overcast or cloudy days are not the best time to go looking in a hive because the bees could be real nasty. What are you going to do once the hive is open? Move slowly, avoid jerky motion; don’t

spend a lot of time with the hive open. If it is a new hive, make sure that they are building out new comb. Before adding another box make sure three quarters or more is built out before adding another box, to prevent them from chimneying up. Check the brood. Is it nice and tan, is the frame full without many empty cells forming a shotgun pattern? Take a good look and see if there are eggs, (small like specks of sugar) in the bottom of the cells. Larvae is easier to spot. They look like small worms coiled in the bottom of the cells. If you see eggs, you don’t have to see the queen. Look for capped honey and pollen in an area around the brood. In the outside frames, are they starting to put in a surplus? When you are satisfied, close up your hive. Now for the important part. Write it down! Good record keeping is real important, especially after doing any treatments. Keep your records from year to year so you can compare and see what you have been doing right. Checking past dates this year may seem that keeping dates is immaterial. The bees this year are about a month ahead of last year. With this warm temperature and warmer soil temperature, trees and plants are starting to bloom. So be ready and don’t miss out on the flow. It looks like Mother Nature doesn’t use a calendar with dates.

Angelo Trapani, Editor

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RECIPES - From the National Honey Board

Asian Honey-Tea Grilled Prawns Makes 4 servings

1-1/2 lbs. me-dium shrimp, peeled and de-veined

Salt

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup brewed double strength orange spice tea, cooled

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper In plastic bag, combine marinade ingredients (everything but the shrimp, salt and onions). Remove 1/2 cup marinade; set aside for dip-ping sauce. Add shrimp to marinade in bag, turning to coat. Close bag securely and mari-nate in refrigerator 30 minutes or up to 12 hours. Remove shrimp from marinade; discard marinade. Thread shrimp onto 8 skewers, di-viding evenly. Grill over medium coals 4 to 6 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and are just firm to the touch, turning once. Season with salt, as desired. Meanwhile, prepare dipping sauce by placing reserved 1/2 cup marinade in

Cumin Spiced Honey Carrots with Lemon Co-riander Vinaigrette Makes 8 cups

2 cups Clover honey

2 quarts (3-1/2 lbs.) carrots, sliced di-agonally

2 teaspoons cori-ander seeds, whole

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1-1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

2-3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1-1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided

1/4 cup ground cumin In a stockpot over high heat bring 6 quarts water and the honey to a boil; Add carrots; simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water; drain again. Transfer to a bowl; set aside. In a small dry skillet over medium heat place coriander seeds. Heat until fragrant, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes; cool slightly. Grind coriander in a spice or coffee grinder into a fine powder. Place in a bowl along with olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and

Spicy Honey Vinaigrette Makes 64 (2 Tablespoon) servings

3 cups cider vinegar

1-1/2 cups honey

3/4 cup prepared Szechwan sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger root

1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

3 cups vegetable oil Combine all ingredients except oil; whisk until blended. Gradually whisk in oil; blend well. Serving Suggestion: Serve on main dish salads with meats or on green salads. Nutrition: 44 Calories * 3 g Fat Total * 0 g Protein * 0 mg Cholesterol * 4 g Carbohy-drates * 136 mg Sodium * 0 g Dietary Fiber * 67% Calories from Fat *

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WHO’S WHO in NJBA President – Bill Coniglio, 732-545-6361, president@njbeekeepers.org 1nd Vice President –Angelo Trapani, 609 259 7457, atrap69530@aol.com 2rd Vice President – Jeff Burd, jeff.burd@comcast.net 3rd Vice President– Mark Muller, markmuller1@verizon.net Treasurer -Curtis Crowell, 609-651-4585, treasurer@njbeekeepers.org Recording Secretary—Pier Guidi, 908-432-6262 secretary@njbeekeepers.org 1st Past President- Seth Belson, 856-285-0074, snakesrb@comcast.net 2st Past President– Pete Leighton, 732 928 4259, jpleighton@verizon.net EAS Delegate –Jeff Burd Agriculture Week Delegate –Ann Trapani, 609-259-7457 MAAREC Representative -Joe Lelinho, 973-228-4806, Klutch.cargo@verizon.net Research Committee—Jake Matthenius, 908-454-7316 Speakers Bureau & Film Librarian -Pat Ricci, 609-758-8729, Mrpatr@comcast.net Honey Queen Program - Grant Stiles, Grant.I.Stiles@aphis.usda.gov Honey Queen –Ella Barry– ebarry9591@hotmail.com Honey Princesses– Rebecca Muller, markmuller1@verizon.net.

Jordan DiPietropolo, jordiejefferson@yahoo.com Budget Committee -Ray Markley, 609-261-1638, rambeeman@aol.com Honeybee Advisory Committee –Grant Stiles, Grant.I.Stiles@aphis.usda.gov Publicity –Seth Belson, 856-285-0074, president@njbeekeepers.org Webmaster—Vacant NJBA Newsletter Editor- Angelo Trapani, 609-259-7457, atrap69530@aol.com Bob Hughes, Annual Picnic Chairman bobsbuzzybees@aol.com NJ APIARY INSPECTOR: -Tim Schuler, 609 292-5440, Tim.Schuler@ag.state.nj.us Branch Presidents: Central Jersey—Ken Preteroti, k.preteroti@verizon.net Essex County– Michael J. Frey, michaelfrey@optonline.net, 973 239-3434 Jersey Cape—Bill Eisele. beeeisele@comcast.net Morris and Somerset County – Rich Lepik, rlepik@verizon.net, 732 469-2574 Northeast Jersey –Frank Mortimor, frankmort@gmail.com Northwest Jersey –Charles Ilsley—732 469 0043, c.ilsley44@gmail.com Raritan Valley - Cynthia Werts, cynthiawerts@aol.com South Jersey –Ned Morgan, ned.morgan@comcast.net Sussex County –Chris Tomlinson, syncrostomlinson@gmail.com

Branch Club Dates: Jersey Cape: Third Thursday of the month, 7:00 p.m., Cape May County Courthouse, 355

Route 657, Cape May Court House. Morris-Somerset: Short course and package hiving demo. See website calendar. Northeast : Third Friday, Room 135S (the Amphitheater), Anisfield School of Business,

Ramapo College, 505 Ramapo Valley Rd., Mahwah, 7:30 p.m. Northwest: April 21, 2012, Echo Hill Park, package installation. See website calendar. Raritan Valley: Third Thursday of the month, 7:00 p.m. Somerset 4H Building. South Jersey: April 7, 2012 , at John and Chris Hibbs Home, “Waking up your bees”. Second

April meeting for package installation, day to be determined. Raritan: Third Thursday of the month, 7:00 p.m., Somerset 4H Bldg., 310 Milltown Rd., Som-

erset Sussex: May 19, 2012. Spring Management. Time and location TBD. See website calendar. Central: May 18, 2012, 7:00 p.m., Hightstown First Aid.

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NEW JERSEY BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION

Membership Form

Check one: New Renewal

Name _____________________________________________________

Address _________________________________________________

City ________________________ State _______ Zip ___________

Phone ______________________ E-mail ________________________

o Check here if you agree to have your name, city, phone and e-mail address published and made available to other NJBA members only (your full mailing address will not be published).

o Check here if you would like the NJBA newsletter sent to you by email, as a PDF attachment instead of a hardcopy via the US Postal Service. Make certain to provide a valid email address above.

Make checks payable to your local branch (e.g. “Essex Beekeepers”) and mail the dues with a copy of this form to the appropriate branch treasurer listed below.

Membership is for a full calendar year, ending December 31st. Dues are payable by January 1st of the current year and are considered delinquent as of March 1st. New memberships paid for after July 31st are good through December 31st of the following year. Dues must be current to receive the state newsletter, informational emails from the state, be listed on the product or swarm collector web pages and to enter the annual honey show. If you’d like to join additional branches once you have joined the NJBA through a primary branch, you can do so by paying the branch-only portion of the dues ($8) to the additional branch or branches.

o Junior Membership (under the age of 18) $ 8 o Membership (State Association & One Primary Branch-Required) $20

Select your primary branch below whose meetings are most convenient for you:

o Central Jersey Branch: Curtis Crowell, 152 Broad St., Hightstown, NJ 08520 o Essex County Beekeepers: Joe Lelinho, 15 Hill St., N. Caldwell, NJ 07006

o Jersey Cape Branch: Marjorie Brooks,21 East Station Rd.,Ocean City, NJ 08226 o Morris-Somerset Branch: Mary Hart, 54 Crest Dr., Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

o North East Branch: Karl Schoenknecht, 683 Summit Ave., Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417 o North West Jersey Branch: Karin Weinberg, 337 Tunnel Rd., Asbury, NJ 08802-1120

o Raritan Valley Beekeepers: Denise DeCristofano, 978 Evergreen Dr., Somerville, NJ 08876 o South Jersey Branch: Doris Morgan, 838 Tuska Ave., Millville, NJ 08332

o Sussex County Branch: Roman Osadca, 10 Old Stage Road, Newton, NJ 07860

o Secondary Branch-Only Membership (Optional) $ 8 Secondary Branch: _________________________________

Most branches will allow members of any NJBA branch to attend their meetings. Already a member of one branch, but want to get newsletters from another? Check the box next to

‘Secondary Branch’, write in the name of the branch you’d like to be an ‘associate member’ of and send the $8 branch portion of the dues and membership application separately to that

branch’s treasurer. Remember, you must have a Primary Branch membership at one branch before requesting a secondary or associate membership at an additional branch or branches.

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