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The Carroll BeeCarroll County Beekeepers Association
January 2018
Message from the President
Happy New Year! First of all, I would like to thank Fred Sypher, our outgoing President, for his many years of service. He put a lot of time and effort into CCBA and it shows. I’m excited to have Russell Sprangel as our new VP, Monica Schmitt as our new Secretary, and Olivia Canfield is taking over as Editor of The Carroll Bee. I’m hoping to get many more members involved in our Club's activities. Having these three helping out is a good start.One of CCBA’s roles is educating the public about honey bees. I hope to expand on this by having more members participate. Mike Kehs has volunteered to head the Education Outreach Committee. He will be the CCBA point of contact for anyone looking for a speaker or speakers for a group interested in learning about honey bees and beekeeping. Mike will be compiling a list of members willing and able to help, so if you'd like to participate, I encourage you to sign up. This year, we're planning to invite local scout groups out to the CCBA Apiary to both learn about and see honey bees close up. Educating youngsters will help our cause greatly.We will be hosting our annual Beekeeping Class, starting in February. We are expanding the class from five nights to six, so as not to not rush through the information too quickly. If you were a recent student and have any suggestions about the class, I would like to hear them. Feel free to drop me an email, as we try to improve the class every year.At our upcoming January meeting, we will be having a give and take session; Something new, Something blue, Something to look forward to. It’s both fun and educational, we had very good feedback after doing this event last year. I hope to see you there.Larry Truchon
Here’s the Buzz….
Honey Bee Hive Registration
With the New Year here, it is time to register your hives for 2018. Remember that registration is free. If you bring your competed form to January's meeting, we will pass them along to Cybil, our State Apiarist. If you did not receive a form in the
mail, it can be downloaded here.
Important Dates:
January Meeting 1/17 @ 7:30pmBeekeeping Class– CCC @ 7:30-9:30
2/7, 2/14, 2/21, 2/28, 3/7, 3/14, 3/21 2/17 @ 9am Bear Branch ,
NO February Meeting
Watch This!Another excellent presentation by Dr. Tom Seeley. It explains how a colony is able to collect as much nectar as possible as quickly as possible. It should be of interest to all beekeepers. It's well worth the time.The Bee Colony as a Honey Factory by Tom Seeley
CCBA meets at 7:30pm the 3rd Wednesday of the month at Bear Branch Nature Center 300 John Owings Road Questions? Comments? Westminster, MD 21158 [email protected]
Visit our new website! www.carrollcountybeekeepers.orgCheck us out on Facebook! Carroll County Beekeepers Association. Join the page to post photos, articles, ask questions, etc. Anyone can view!
Letter from the Editor
Welcome to the 2018 edition of The Carroll Bee! I hope you enjoy reading through all the updates, articles, pictures and opportunities available this New Year.
As a new beekeeper, I have appreciated this community tremendously and hope to get to know all of you better this year. My journey as a beekeeper has been quite a learning experience…many of you warned me it would be! You can’t know things until you experience them, and I got to experience quite a mix of beekeeping trial and tribulation. My bees have taught me more than I could ever imagined, and I am eternally grateful for my mentor. I couldn’t have gone this far without him!
We want this newsletter to be something you look forward to reading each month and welcome any article or picture submissions. I look forward to hearing from all of you!
Happy Beekeeping!
Olivia
Did You Know?
Honey Bee ScienceA honey bee (or honeybee) is any member of the genus Apis, primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the construction of perennial, colonial nests from wax. In the early 21st century, only seven species of honey bee are recognized, with a total of 44 subspecies,[1] though historically six to eleven species are recognized. The best known honey bee is the Western honey bee which has been domesticated for honey production and crop pollination. Honey bees represent only a small fraction of the roughly 20,000 known species of bees.[2] Some other types of related bees produce and store honey, including the stingless honey bees, but only members of the genus Apis are true honey bees. The study of bees, which includes the study of honey bees, is known as melittology.
Gardening for BeesWinter Bee Food Sources By Connie Young
As I write this just before Christmas, we’ve had snow three times already this winter. Cold enough for snow means honey beesare clustered deep within their hive bodies, diligently working to sustain their lineage via regulating temperature, caring for the queen and raising limited brood, all the while eating through their honey stores. The Winter Solstice is already upon us and our colonies will now slowly begin to rear brood in preparation for the all-important nectar flow, but not before we worry. I know that I’m not alone in worrying about my honey bees in winter- their ability to get to their food, how much food they haveremaining, the volume of overwintering bees keeping colonies going and just whether or not they are alive. I visit my hives regularly in winter in search of any signs of life, bending next to my hives, knocking, plastering my ear to the sides of the hives, listening for any sound indicating that my esteemed winter bees are alive. It can be hard to believe in what you cannot see regardless of how much thought went into winter preparations, so any sound or sighting is encouraging. So what will our girls eat in January, when you read this article? We all know that they eat their own honey and certainly bee candy and pollen patties provided by diligent beekeepers. January is typically our coldest month in Maryland, producing the most snow of our winters here so food stores are vital. Yet, the errant Maryland weather allows for days when temperatures soar, melting away snow and ice, and our girls will exit their hives, orient and relieve themselves, and perhaps on a warm enough day,search for food sources. And oh, what a sight it is to see!
Skunk cabbage is one of the first plants to provide pollen for honey bees here in Maryland. I’ve seen my girls flying on warm January and February days, returning with pale colored pollen pouches that likely comes from skunk cabbage in the neighboring woods. Skunk cabbage is a wetland wildflower so named for it’s smell and has an unique ability to push through ice and maintain warmth at 20 degrees above air temperature. The pollen from skunk cabbage provides a valuable early protein source for young honey bees. Maple trees can bloom as early as February. I’ve even seen some dandelions bloom that early in microclimates next to buildings where the sun nurtures the blooms. Some varieties of witch hazel bloom end of December or early January here.
Crocuses tend to be one of the first bulbs to pop out of the ground and offer bright orange/ yellow pollen to bees, but not before even earlier bulb sources like winter aconite, a somewhat fickle bulb that does not like any ground disturbance once planted.When left alone, winter aconite bulbs will shoot up late winter and provide a food source to honey bees months before other bulbs even consider emerging from the warmth of the nurturing soil.One of my favorite early food sources are winter hellebores, some varieties blooming as early as December, others bringing theirblooms late winter and carrying them for months. These plants provide a medium height ground cover, leaves remaining year-round, and have the bonus of being drought tolerant when the heat and humidity of summer set in. The bell like blooms hang from the plants that slowly spread and provide food to our honey bees during a time when the temperatures are not warm enough to sustain much else.
Winter flowering heather, snowdrops and willows are other plants that offer nutrition to our
honey bees when snow and cold temperatures are still very much in the forecast. Seeing honey
bees returning with full pollen pouches on warm winter days is reassuring to see, suggesting the
colony is rearing brood, ramping up for the critical nectar flow with as many bees as they can
sustain, planning ahead as they so fastidiously and remarkably do.
As we once again await the blooms of tulip poplar and black locust to welcome the return of the
nectar flow, take heart that honey bees are working behind the scenes, soldiering on through
winter, readying themselves to renew in due time. Until then, don’t fret. Instead, direct your
energies into spring planting dreams. Peruse those seed catalogs and think about what plants
could be added to your landscape to support honey bees and pollinators during times of dearth.
Or jot down a note in your planner to consider adding one of the above referenced plants when
conditions for planting are favorable, and this time next year, you’ll begin to watch for blooms
while outside monitoring your hives. Spring planting and bee chores will be here soon enough!
winter aconite
Skunk Cabbage
Winter Hellebores
December 2017The thermometer was down to 26 degrees this morning. All those things I was going to do before it got cold are now things I’m going to do when it gets warm. Someday I really should do something about this procrastination. Those of you who couldn’t get to the MSBA Fall meeting on November 4th missed some interesting and relevant presentations. Overall, the meeting was well worth the time and travel. Speaking of overall, Carroll County Beekeepers Association had the most entries in the honey show and we can prove it by the picture of me holding the annual award plaque, to which CCBA will be added. Sincere thanks to those who made the effort to enter. Given that MSBA is a statewide organization, the number of entries was not indicative of the 2,178 registered beekeepers in Maryland who manage some 15,609 colonies, according to our State Apiarist Cybil Preston. Jessica Louque (pronounced “luke”) of Checkmate Apiary and author of a number of articles in Bee Culture Magazine was the keynote speaker. Her two presentations were both interesting and relevant. Look at the latest issue of the Beeline newsletter for more information on the presentations and statistics from Cybil. As winter closes in on us, be sure your bees are prepared. Long range weather forecasts are predicting a colder than normal winter for our area. Going outside and yelling “Huddle up, bees!” is not adequate. I know this from experience. I wish you all a happy, safe, and healthy holiday season.Fred
Beekeeping Book SharingBy Russell Sprangel
So we have started the CCBA beekeeping book sharing program. But we need your help to make it successful. First we need you to select a book from our library, wrap yourself with a blanket and get your beekeeping learning on. This cold time of year is the perfect time to get caught up on some reading and just think of how your bees will react in spring the next time they see you all beekeeping smart. Second we need books that you would be willing to share with others to be added to the library. You will still own the books but just allow others to share them. Once I have the books, I will bring them to the meetings so folks can sign them out and I can also have them available at my house to be picked up. For a few more details, see an email from CCBA that was sent on 12/24/2017. Remember spring is time to read to your bees. Winter is time to stay inside and learn, plan and prepare.
CCBA 2018 OFFICERSPresident Larry Truchon [email protected] President Russell Sprangel [email protected] Jody King [email protected] Secretary Monica Schmitt [email protected] Carroll Bee Editor Olivia Canfield [email protected]
In my opinion......understanding honey bee biology makes a better beekeeper.
...”Queen of the Sun” is a little out there, but still worth watching.
...everything will Bee ok.
This picture was taken on 12/19, two days before the Winter Solstice, when the temperature surged into the upper 50's. It's always good to see your bees flying on warmer winter days but to see that my resourceful honey bees found pollen in December was really uplifting. Name: Connie Young, SykesvilleYears beekeeping: 5
Pic of the Month
We want your pics! Please submit your bee picture to the Carroll Bee editor to be included in future publications!
Worker Bee Classifieds
CCBA Beekeepers,
Are you replacing colonies wiped out by yellow jackets? Are you expanding your Apiary? Did you not treat for mites?
Now is the time to order packages for early spring delivery. Check out our vendor list, "Vendor List_Jan2017.pdf" in the CCBA Digital Library,
HT Krantz in Frederick is one of several vendors accepting orders for late March or early April pick up. http://www.htkbeesupply.com/product-page/2018-spring-3lb-package-w-italian-queenApril 1st Pickup$110
Also check out Jim Fraser's Maryland Honey Company at: (301) 518-9678
Larry Fritz
FOR SALE - CCBA T-SHIRTS (Navy Blue shown)Short-sleeved navy blue club t-shirts will still be available at meetings Long-sleeved options are also available.The special order color choices are as follows:Short-sleeve - Heather Cardinal Long-sleeve - Navy (same as our short-sleeve club shirts) and Military Green
JOIN THE MARYLAND STATE BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATIONThe cost is $10/year. Click here for the membership application. The application also gives us an opportunity to donate to MDA’s Apiary Inspection Fund. Donations will help to cover the expenses of our state honeybee colony inspectors who work long hours for low pay. These folks are a beekeeper’s friend! Many other states charge us for their services, but in Maryland it is still free of charge. Our contributions demonstrate to the MDA how we feel about this valuable service, and encourages MDA to retain state funding
