Overview: The average respondent started with 6 hives at the end of winter and increased their number of hives mostly by making splits, and entering winter with 10 hives. Some hives were combined before winter. Fewer packages and nucleus hives were purchased in 2016 likely because the winter of 2015-2016 had only a 24% loss. 21% of beekeepers intend to overwinter nucs. 72% of respondents were pleased to some extent, with the 2016 honey crop, 23% were definitely not, due to the widespread drought conditions in the mid to late summer. There was an unsettling trend of Fall dwindling and absconding, perhaps an omen for 2016-2017 winter survival/loss.
Please watch for the NY Bee Wellness Spring Survey in April 2017. To subscribe to the survey: email. Results of previous surveys can be found on theNYBeeWellness.org site or here.
Put NY Bee Wellness in the NYS Budget!
As you know, NY Bee Wellness as a 501c3 provides educational opportunities for the beginning and small scale beekeeper in NYS. The 2018 NYS Budget is currently under consideration. Now is the time to let Governor Cuomo, Agriculture Commissioner Ball, your Assembly person and State Senator know to allocate funds for NY Bee Wellness, Inc. We are asking for a modest amount ($27,000).
Please contact them this week at the latest. Call and/or write, if you have contacted them already, please remind them;
(calling and/or writing is best), to tell them to Put NY Bee Wellness in the NYS Budget!
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Contact info:
1) Governor Cuomo:
(518) 474-8390; https://www.governor.ny.gov/contact-iframe
The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo Governor of New York State, NYS State Capitol Building, Albany, NY 12224
3) Our state legislature is divided into two separate bodies: the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. We are each represented by one State Senator and one State Assembly member, each determined by your address.
These elected officials like to be contacted by mail or telephone. Or, you can contact their local office and ask for a meeting with the elected official or relevant staff member.
When you call or write, do the following:
Introduce yourself and tell them that you are a constituent and benefit from NY Bee Wellness.
Briefly mention your relationship to NY Bee Wellness (i.e.: If you have attended a workshop or training session connected with NY Bee Wellness, take the surveys etc.)
Pictured is a frame from a hive that had a high mite/virus load.
Deadouts, what to do about them
Preliminary reports from New York beekeepers reveal many dead colonies, some with few or no bees. They may be no easy answer as to the cause to colony loss, but there are some things you may do to understand and prevent future loss.
Close the hive to prevent robbing on warmer days, this is important if on rare occasion there is American Foul Brood (AFB) present.
send a comb and/or bee sample to the Bee Lab in Beltsville MD, it is a free service, and will give you an idea of what pathogens the bees may have had
Clean out the dead bees as much as possible before decay and mold form on the combs
Replace some old comb with new foundation or buy new frames to reduce spores and pathogens
use a 1:10 bleach solution to spray used comb
refill the hive using package bees (if buying packages), andtreat with oxalic or Hopguard II within 10 days of hiving, before brood is capped, to remove the varroa mites on the bees.
during the year, create brood breaks by making splits or by confining the queen; this is a good time to useoxalicor hopguard II or other miticide, when the hive has uncapped brood.
This Spring many beekeepers will be replenishing dead hives with packages. As all bees have some level of varroa mites, controlling mites in newly installed hives during a brood less period is key to ensure colony growth in the spring and summer. NY Bee Wellness , partnering with Beta-tec, maker of HopGuard II, will be conducting a program where beekeepers will treat their newly hived packages with either HopGuard II or oxalic acid and monitored for efficacy of treatments. This monitored trial is a first for the the Northeast region. Similar trials have been done in the Southwest.
Beekeepers who are not directly involved in this program are also encouraged to treat their package bees, too. For more info, contact Pat : info@nybeewellness.org
Treat your packages!
Broodless period in the hive is the best time to treat with oxalic acid for the varroa mites. See instructions and videos, and other info here.
Your support continues the work of NY Bee Wellness, a grassroots, non-membership educational non-profit dedicated to new, beginning, and small scale beekeeping. If you benefit from the info, videos, workshops, surveys, website, or know of someone who does, pleaseDONATE!
Shopping on Amazon? Usethis link and Amazon will donate to NY Bee Wellness at no cost to you!
***** Donations can also be sent to:
NY Bee Wellness POB 25291 Rochester NY 14625
NY Bee Wellness is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Sincerely, - Pat Bono, Project Director, NY Bee Wellness
Pat@NYBeeWellness.org
Events
* March 4, Southern Adirondack Beekeepers Association Seminar