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Project Apis m.

6775 Chardonnay Road

Paso Robles, CA 93446

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BEE a PAm Philanthropist!

The National Honey Bee Conferences are just around the corner...January 7-11th

The American Beekeeping Federation will bee on the bayou in Baton Rouge & the American Honey Producers Association will bee donning boots in San Antonio. PAm will bee at both - register today!

CSBA 124th Annual Conference Highlights

The hive tool was passed from John Miller to Bill Lewis at the 2013 CSBA convention held November 19-21st in Stateline, Nevada. With 380 attendees and 60 exhibitors the event was a great chance for PAm to meet beekeepers and others in the industry.

PAm Highlights:

Speakers:

Dr. Gordy Wardell, Joe Traynor, Gene Brandi, John Miller, Randy Oliver, Dr. Eric Mussen, Jerry Hayes & Christi Heintz.

Costco partners with PAm, Shauna Lopez, Buyer Corporate Foods, and Tess Wilkens, VP, GMM Corporate Foods, attended. Tess gave a presentation on sustainability and their unique partnership with PAm.

Awards:

Dr. Eric Mussen

'Lifetime Service Award'

Dan Cummings

'The President's Award'

To read the November/December 2013 issue of the BEE BOX written by Christi Heintz and Meg Ribotto, click on the pic.

Dr. Eric Mussen

How Much Does It Cost To Keep Commercial Colonies Going in California?

To read Eric's insights,

click here.

Beekeepers:

Do You Provide Pollination Services?

The Almond Board of CA has

re-structured its Pollination Directory. This resource provides growers with information they need for pollination services. Beekeepers and bee brokers, make sure you are listed and your information is up-to-date! Log on to the Pollination Directory by following this link.

January Bee Husbandry

GOAL:

Strong 8-frame colonies for almond pollination by February 1st

Maintenance

Good maintenance prolongs the life of hive parts, clothing, vehicles and other apiary equipment.

Nutrition

Continue supplemental feeding and hydration.

Colony Management

Order packages, nucs and queens for the coming year.

Time hive placement prior to bloom and pickup after bloom.

Be aware that overwintering location can positively or negatively affect the strength of colonies.

For more BMPs, click here.

Kodua Photography 2014 Honey Bee Calendar

Emergency Response Kits (ERKs)

Bee Informed Partnership and the USDA have piloted a program to aid beekeepers. ERK is designed to rule out causes of large scale, suspicious colony loss through small scale sampling. The cost of the kit without pesticide analysis is $80. PAm offers a cost-share program for pesticide analyses of hive matrices. View lab directory.

January 2014

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Many people start the

New Year with a resolution. They resolve on a course of action with firmness and determination. Here at Project Apis m., our New Year's resolution is to enhance the health of honey bees while improving crop production. Challenging, yes, as over-wintering colony losses continue. However, PAm is very much focused. In 2014 we resolve to:

Create a tech transfer team in Oregon
Cryopreserve more bee genetic stock at Washington State University
Continue funding a PhD student at Montana State University
Plant bee-friendly landscapes
Enroll 240 almond growers in the forage project
Increase testing for mating success and sperm viability with the Nexcelom System
Determine if 'bee-safe' bloom insecticide sprays are really 'bee-safe'
Develop tools for Varroa control
Seek additional private and corporate funding for research
Direct research for practical solutions for managed colonies

With help from you and others in the beekeeping and agriculture industry, we can make a difference. From all of us at Project Apis m., may your year be filled with peace, prosperity and happiness.

Meg Ribotto, Editor

CSBA 2013 Pollination Survey Results

Projected VS. Actual Almond Pollination Fees

Year Projected Actual Difference

2011 $158.37 $151.56 - $6.81

2012 $154.74 $153.42 - $1.32

2013 $154.03 $156.37 $2.34

Average Projected 2014 Almond Pollination Fee $169.79

For the complete crop pollination survey results, visit the PAm BMP tab under 'Business Management', click here.

Dr. Gordon Wardell featured in

Western Farm Press

PAm Board Chairman and bee biologist with Paramount Farming Co., discusses how to protect honey bees through BMPs and research. To read the December 7th article, click on the pic.

Photo courtesy of Western Farm Press

Thank you!

Almond Grower Tony Campos Recognized

As a major and long-time contributor to Project Apis m., almond grower Tony Campos was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation at the Almond Board Conference by Christi Heintz, Executive Director, PAm. Thanks to growers like Tony, PAm is able to fund honey bee research. Thank you, Tony!

PAm at the 2013 Almond Board Conference
AgNeTVideo: Project Apis m.

Meg Ribotto was recently interviewed at the Almond Board Conference in Sacramento. The 'Seeds for Bees' forage project that enlists almond growers to plant a cover crop that provides honey bees with a diverse pollen and nectar source was the focus.

Drs. Neal Williams, Gordy Wardell and Christi Heintz gave a presentation to a packed room on 'Honey Bees and Pollination: Looking at the Bigger Picture'. Their powerpoint can be viewed here.

Thank You to Our Supporters

Valeri Severson, owner of Strachan Apiaries, thank you for your generous donation and support of Project Apis m.

Alan Steigerwald and all the staff at Kamprath were key in the distribution of the seed orders for the PAm forage project participants. In addition, Kamprath made a donation to PAm. Thank you!

Dr. Caydee Savinelli, Pollination and IPM Stewardship Lead with Syngenta, has committed monies to assist PAm's 'Seeds for Bees' forage project. Thank you for your donation!

PAm and Sonoma Wine Company Team Up for the Honey Bee in California

Sonoma Wine Company in Graton, CA is working with PAm on developing bee-friendly flower mixes. This Fall, demo plots of the PAm Mustard Mix, Lana Vetch and Borage were planted. The above sign was recently erected. Photo courtesy of Natasha Granoff

Thank you for all your support in 2013!

PAm is 501 c (5) non-profit organization.

Consult your tax advisor for deductibility of contributions.

Project Apis m | | christih@cox.net | http://www.ProjectApism.org
6775 Chardonnay Road

Paso Robles, CA 93446