September 1995

In this Issue:


Bee Tidings is a cooperative publication of the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension and the Nebraska Honey Producer's Association. The newsletter announces events of interest to beekeepers, provides timely advice, and summarizes current research that beekeepers can use. A newsletter subscription includes membership in the Nebraska Honey Producer's Association (NHPA).

The Nebraska State Fair, Fall Festival of Color Open House, and a Brazilian house guest contributed to Bee Tidings getting out behind schedule, but we are back and humming with lots of good news and useful information. Thanks for your patience.

Marketing Your Honey Crop

Many Nebraska beekeepers were blessed with excellent honey crops. The fall brings many excellent opportunities to market honey, and honey prices are at record levels with prospects of going even higher. The reasons are simple - supply and demand. Many outlets will sell more honey from September 1 to December 31 than they move during the other eight months of the year. While honey keeps for a long time, the flavor and aroma of honey fresh from the extractor is hard to beat. Many opportunities are available in the fall to market honey at a premium price. In these environments, quality and presentation rather than a discounted price determine the volume of sales. Explore these non-traditional markets:

Always remember these wise words: "He who has a thing to sell and goes and whispers in the well, is not-as-like to get the dollar, as he who climbs a tree and hollers".

State Fair Honey Exhibit, Ice Cream a Big Hit


The Bee Culture Exhibit was a popular place to bee at the Nebraska State Fair. We used 237 gallons of honey soft serve ice cream mix which translates to a mind boggling number of 25 cent cones. We received excellent television and newspaper coverage, and it did not hurt having a new live entertainment stage adjacent to our exhibit.

This year our exhibit featured an educational display about the value of our pollinators by Mary Shipman and Kay Smith, a bank of observation hives and bee biology display by Jerry Bishop, a twice daily live bee demonstration by Marion Ellis, Jerry Bishop, Brian Suchan, and Floyd Opfer, a beautiful open class with many participants, and a well stocked and manned sales and information booth. Shift managers were Warren Nelson, Paul Tunakan, Marvin Dooley, and Bud Miller. Many other people helped with the sales booth and answered questions about bees and beekeeping. They were worth every ounce of free honey ice cream we fed them while they were on duty.

The sweepstakes winner for the open class was Lesa Becker of Lincoln, Nebraska. Beekeeping is a family affair for Lesa, her husband Robert, and their children. You can learn more about how and why they make the State Fair a family affair in an article about them that will appear in Bee Culture in the coming months.

Beekeeping Field Day and Open House

A fall field day and open house has been scheduled October 28, 1995, for the University of Nebraska's new Apiculture Lab located at the Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead, Nebraska. SEE MAP HERE. This meeting will also serve as the November meeting for the Nebraska Beekeepers Association.

FIELD DAY PROGRAM

Saturday, October 28

9:00-9:30 am ---- Registration (coffee, juice, and rolls)

9:30-9:45 am ---- Welcome

Sharron Quisenberry, Chair, UNL Dept. of Entomology
John Rudebusch, President, Nebraska Honey Producers
Warren Nelson, Eastern Nebraska Beekeepers

9:45-10:25 am ---- Removing Surplus Honey

Bee brush
Escape board
Bee blower
Repellants

10:45-11:45 am ---- Preparing Colonies for Overwintering

Detection and control of diseases
Detection and control of parasites
Fall requeening methods
Fall feeding methods
Packing colonies for wintering

11:45 am-1:15 pm ---- Picnic Lunch

A picnic lunch will be provided courtesy of the Nebraska Beekeepers Association. The meal will include grilled hamburgers, chips, apples, cookies, and drinks. Nebraska vs Colorado Big Red game reports via television will be available.

1:15-1:30 pm ---- Bee Caging Rodeo

Just for fun, see some of Nebraska's toughest bee cowboys face off in a bee caging contest to see who is the fastest at corralling 20 worker bees in a queen cage.

1:30-3:30 pm ---- Preparing the Crop for Market

Extracting demonstrations
Wax rendering demonstrations
Packaging extracted honey
Comb and chunk comb honey packaging
Beeswax candles and other craft wax items

This is a "hands on" field day so come prepared to help turn the crank and fill the buckets. The field day will be held rain or shine since much of the activity will be indoors.

Nebraska Honey Producers Association Convention

After getting your hands sticky at the field day, you can look forward to a relaxing weekend of arm-chair beekeeping at the Nebraska Honey Producers annual convention. This year's meeting will feature Dr. Keith Delaplane from the University of Georgia. Dr. Delaplane is best known for his monthly column in the American Bee Journal. He has also done considerable work on dealing with tracheal and varroa mites in warm climates.

The meeting will be held November 17-18 at the Harvester Motel, 1151 Centerpark Road, Lincoln, NE 68512. Room rates are $35.10 for one person, $37.80 for two people, and $45 for a room with two double beds. Rooms come with a complimentary continental breakfast. A pool and lounge are available to guest. You can make reservations by calling: 800-341-8000 or 402-423-3131.

FALL CONVENTION PROGRAM

Friday, November 17

Morning

8:00-9:00 ..........Registration, coffee available, commercial displays open
9:00-9:15 .........Welcome, John Rudebusch, President
9:15-9:45 ..........State Fair Report, Marion Ellis
9:45-10:30 ....... Beekeeping in Georgia, Keith Delaplane
11:00-11:30 ......Pollination Contracting Video
11:30-12:00 ......Honey Bee Research News, Ellis/Delaplane

Afternoon

12:00-1:00 ........Lunch, buffet available
1:00-1:30 ..........Videos: Beekeeping in Brazil with Africanized Bees, Cook & Beals Extracting Equipment
1:30-2:00 ..........Honey House Designs Considerations, Jerry Bydalek
2:00-2:30 ..........Open Forum, Sharing Useful Ideas, Jerry Bydalek
2:30-3:00 ..........Successful Approaches to Overwintering Bees in Nebraska, Marion Ellis
3:00-3:30 ..........Break, Apples, Cookies, and Soda Pop
3:30-4:15 ..........Bumble Beekeeping, Keith Delaplane
4:15-4:45 ..........Brewing Mead, Kirk Weidner
4:45-5:15 ..........Brewing Honey Beer, Kent Reinhard
6:00-6:30 ..........Mead and Cheese Tasting
6:30-8:30 ..........Banquet

Saturday, November 18

Morning

8:30-9:00 ..........Registration
9:00-9:45 ..........The History of Mead Making, Tom Hunt
9:45-10:15 .......Wax Moth Control Options, Keith Delaplane
10:15-10:30 ......Break, Coffee and Cookies
10:30-11:15 ......Recommendations for Dealing with Bee Diseases and Parasites, Marion Ellis
11:15-12:00 ......Business Meeting, John Rudebusch
12:00 pm ..........Adjourn

Dorothy Kline - A Friend Remembered

Many of you will be saddened to learn that Dorothy Kline of McCool Junction was killed in a traffic accident while traveling from her home to her honey house on September 4.

I am saddened most for those of you who did not know Dorothy. She had a pioneering spirit and was one of the few women who have found a calling in commercial beekeeping. Dorothy loved her bees, she loved the people whose farms and ranches she kept them on, and she knew and loved every plant that grew in their pastures and meadows. Dorothy, 58, was a longtime member of the Nebraska Honey Producers Association. She knew her business, and those who thought they could out-work her in the bee yard usually had humble pie for supper. She was a gift to those of us who knew and loved her, and she will be missed.

Dorothy's husband, Chris Baldwin, will continue the business.

Subscription Information

Bee Tidings is published jointly by University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension and the Nebraska Honey Producer's Association six times a year. Subscriptions are for one year and begin July 1. Individuals subscribing later during the year will receive back issues.

To subscribe to Bee Tidings, send a $10 check made out to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln along with your name, address, and phone number to:

Bee Tidings
Box 830918
108 Ag Comm Bldg.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE 68583-0918
This newsletter was respectfully written by:
Marion D. Ellis
209 Plant Industry, Box 830816
University of Nebraska
Lincoln, NE 68583-0816
Phone: 402-472-2125
Fax: 402-472-4687
Internet address: mellis@unlinfo.unl.edu

Your comments and suggestions about the newsletter are always welcome.