Taking Care of Honey Bees During Storms


Hello Fellow Beeks:
This email arrived in my inbox this morning. It contains critical information on how to protect your hives during storms.

Good Luck Everyone,
Pat

williams, jason h
Sep 12, 2018, 11:48 AM (19 hours ago)
Beekeepers,

I wanted to reach out to all of the beekeepers that have registered with the Driftwatch (Beecheck Program), to remind you to prepare your hives for the approaching hurricane.  I have linked two articles below that will aid in this.  The first is written by Dr. David Tarpy, and is titled Protective Measures of Beehives During Hurricanes.  The second is from Dr. Michael Waldvogel and is titled “Bee” Kind If You Spray for Mosquitos.  Both of these articles are good resources for both beekeepers and mosquito applicators.

In the event that Hurricane Florence causes massive rainfall and flooding, a State of Emergency could be declared by the Commisioner of Agriculture.  If this occurs, the State would authorize exemptions from certain restrictions of aerial applications of pesticides to control the mosquito population.  If plans are made for wide-area mosquito applications, I will send out further updates on this matter.

https://entomology.ces.ncsu.edu/2017/09/protective-measures-of-beehives-during-hurricanes-2/

https://entomology.ces.ncsu.edu/2018/09/bee-kind-if-you-spray-for-mosquitoes/

Thanks and Happy Beekeeping

Jason Williams

Pesticide Operations Specialist

NCDA&CS – SPCAP

jason.williams@ncagr.gov

(919) 857-4151

1090 Mail Service Center

Raleigh, NC 27699
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Protective Measures of Beehives During Hurricanes


Have you seen this? Thanks Ron&Nancy I am forwarding it to everyone.

Protective Measures of Beehives During Hurricanes

— Written By David Tarpy

bee hivesWith track of hurricane Florence poised to make a significant impact on North Carolina, there are some important considerations for beekeepers who may be affected by the heavy rain and winds. Please further disseminate to your local network of beekeepers.

First, make sure hive equipment is secured to resist strong winds. A simple brick on the top lid is likely to be insufficient to keep the lid from flying off in winds above 50 mph. A lidless hive can cause problems for the bees by introducing moisture and letting heat escape. Strapping the lid down with ratchet straps or securing with duct tape might be in order, particularly for outlying yards. The same is true for hive boxes, particularly if they are relatively new (i.e., the bees have not yet propolized them together sufficiently). Also consider removing unnecessary boxes (e.g., top-hive feeders) to minimize the wind profile.
Second, be sure to have the hives on sturdy stands or level ground. Entire beehives can be blown over by strong winds, particularly when they are fairly tall with many honey supers or are otherwise top heavy. If the hives are on tall or insecure stands, you can move them onto (dry) level ground temporarily to lessen the chances that they topple. Importantly, if you’re using solid bottom boards, be sure to have your hives tilting forward so that rain water does not pool and collect on the floor of the hive.

Third, beware of falling trees and tree limbs. These can be particularly problematic for beehives since they can completely crush all equipment and kill the entire colony. It is also hard to prevent with some sort of barrier or cover because of the sheer weight of many trees, so if you apiary is in a wooded location you may need to move the hives temporarily.

Fourth, make sure the hives are not in low-lying areas or those prone to flooding. River banks can be useful apiary locations because of their proximity to fresh water, but in flooding conditions entire apiaries can be tragically swept away. Be sure to move any beehives in flood plains until the waters have subsided. Beehives on the ground but in recessed areas can cause water to flood the entrances and may even suffocate the bees if not given an upper entrance.

Finally, following heavy rains like hurricanes, various local and state agencies have traditionally sprayed regions with stagnant water to control mosquito outbreaks. While important for public health, such insecticides can be extremely problematic for honey bees. If you are registered through the NCDA&CS through the volunteer program DriftWatch, you will be contacted directly if your beehives are in an area schedule to be sprayed. If you are not registered, however, the state has no means to notify you and your bees may be at risk to insecticide exposure. Please consult the Agricultural Chemical manual for information and advice about how to mitigate exposure to pesticides.

Hope your bees stay safe and dry!

WRITTEN BY

Photo of David Tarpy, N.C. Cooperative ExtensionDr. David TarpyProfessor and Extension Specialist (Apiculture)Entomology & Plant Pathology – NC State University

UPDATED ON SEP 11, 2018

Register now for Sept. 8 Pollinator Field Day


Hello Fellow Beeks:

Team McCarter (Mark and Ellen) sent this to me to post. Thanks Team!!!

I’ve attended Debbie’s conferences before and look forward to learning from her again and again.

Debbie is truly knowledgeable on all things pollinator including garden plants as well as the pollinators themselves. If you can possibly attend the events below, you will learn something new that will help you become a better beekeeper.

Debbie’s web pages are packed with helpful information and she updates them frequently. Check it out!!!

Pat Allen, Webmaster

From

Debbie Roos <dlroos@ncsu.edu

The Piedmont Research Station will host a “Bee Pollinator Friendly” Field Day on Saturday September 8 from 1 to 4:30 p.m. in Salisbury, NC.

Attendees will rotate through several stations to learn about habitat for farms, roadsides or constructed pollinator meadows; native plants that make for good pollinator habitat; native bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects; honey bees and beekeeping; pesticide application techniques to protect pollinators; and how to use available technology to map honey bee and specialty crop locations. The Field Day will start promptly at 1 p.m.

Target Audience: Farmers, Beekeepers, Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisors and Staff, Extension Agents, Urban Planners, Landscapers and Landscape Architects, Master Gardeners, Nurserymen/Greenhouse Growers

Educational Stations:

Native Pollinators:

Hannah Levenson (NCSU Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology), Jonathan Giacomini (NCSU Department of Applied Ecology), Sara Giacomini (NCSU Department of Applied Ecology), and Elsa Youngsteadt (NCSU Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology)

Farm Habitat:

Hunter Barrier (NCDA&CS) and John Isenhour (NC Wildlife Resources Commission)

Native Plants for Pollinator Habitat:

Debbie Roos (NC Cooperative Extension, Chatham County Center)

 FieldWatch/Pesticide Options:

Jason Williams (NCDA&CS)

Application Equipment:

Steve Gatton (NCDA&CS)

Participants will also be able to visit educational displays from several different organizations.

The Pollinator Field Day is sponsored by the following organizations:

North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

North Carolina State University

North Carolina A&T State University

North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

NC State Extension North Carolina Pollinator Conservation Alliance

Rowan County Beekeepers

 

The event is free and offers three hours of pesticide credits for attendees (for N=Demo and Research, O= Ag pest plant, D=dealer, X=private).

To register, go to http://go.ncsu.edu/pollinator-field-day

Field Day Location:

Piedmont Research Station 8350 Sherrills Ford Road

Salisbury, NC 28147-7579

For more information, contact:

 Kelly Snider

NCDA&CS Research Stations

704-433-3053

kelly.snider@ncagr.gov

 

Debbie Hamrick

N.C. Farm Bureau

919-302-9538

debbie.hamrick@ncfb.org

 

Debbie Roos
Agricultural Extension Agent 
Chatham County Center

North Carolina Cooperative Extension
919.542.8244
debbie_roos@ncsu.edu

www.growingsmallfarms.org

www.facebook.com/growingsmallfarms.nc

www.twitter.com/GrowSmallFarms

August 9th Meeting Announcement


Stanly County Beekeepers Meeting August 9th 2018

(Place) Stanly County Agri-Civic Center, 25032 Newt Rd, Albemarle 28001

(Program) 7 pm Practical demonstration of making splits to increase your number of hives for next year. Bring your bee suits if you need to.

Reports from summer meeting.

If you can please do a mite check (powered sugar shake) on one or more of your hives, we would like to know where we stand gong into August.

(Meal) 6pm Grilled hot dogs, slaw, baked beans, potato salad, chips, and iced tea $5.00

Door prizes welcome. Look forward to seeing everyone.