Honeybee Corner by Dick Johnson

Honeybee Corner

Bee Awareness Week, August 14-22nd
by Dick Johnson 8.19.10

Many beekeepers, their associations, and environmental groups are marking this week and especially August 21st as a time for recognition and appreciation for the valuable contributions of honeybees. The purpose of this event is to encourage public awareness of the wonderful gifts from the honeybee hive. A few ways that non-beekeepers can support, help, and save the honeybee are listed here:

Consider beekeeping as a hobby.
Support local beekeepers-buy local honey.
Attend and support your local bee club (Catskill Mountain Beekeepers Club).
Use caution using pesticides at home.
Recognize the honeybee compared to other more aggressive bees, like yellowjackets and hornets.
Plant a bee-friendly garden with nectar producing blossoms.
Understand that bees need dandelions and clover for spring build up. Save some for the bees.
Consider allowing a beekeeper to place a hive on your property.
Know that beekeepers are always ready to help home owners by removing swarms and to remove bees from buildings. Be aware that your local beekeepers are involved in community educational nature activities for children and garden groups.

The devastating orange grove disease called “greening disease” has been spreading among the groves in Florida as reported in previous “Bee Corner” columns. This serious disease spread by an insect called a psyllid has caused some growers to cut down and burn diseased orange trees and replace them with new resistant varieties. Some growers are even giving up on oranges and planting wine grapes instead. Research on control of this insect invasion continues in DeSoto and Orange counties and the state “Florida Grower Organization” has presented the 2010 Citrus Achievement Award to Jerry Newlin. Jerry reports outstanding results in his work since 2007 with spraying dimetholate in various concentrations on those groves heavily impacted by the disease...By limiting the treatment to night time they reduce the hazard to honeybees in the groves.

During the Honeybee Awareness Week our club celebrates 15 years of continued growth by counting record membership of 100. The next meeting of the Catskill Mtn Beekeepers Club will be held on Tuesday September 14th at 7:00 PM at the Agroforestry Resource Center on Rt 23 in Acra.

Honeybee Corner Archive 2010

Honeybee Corner Archive 2009