The Wardell & Cummings Reports
If you missed last month's updates on honey bees and almonds by industry leaders Dr. Gordon Wardell and Dan Cummings, visit our homepage.
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PAm Hits the Road for Fall Beekeeping Meetings
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Fall is a busy time for beekeepers and those of us who work for beekeepers. We'll be letting you know about Project Apis m.'s latest activities at the Florida, North Dakota, Montana, California and Idaho state beekeeping meetings. PAm will also be participating in the Almond Board's Conference in December and the North American Beekeeping Conference in January. If you're there and see us on the agenda, we guarantee you will be uplifted, delighted and impressed by what PAm is doing for you. For a full list of events, visit our webpage here.
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Over 1,400 acres of Honey Bee Forage Enrolled...and Counting!
PAm's "Seed for Bees" honey bee forage project is off to good start this Fall with over 1,400 acres already committed. Seed mixes are being shipped to almond growers throughout the Central Valley of California to provide bees with the necessary food resources prior to and after almond bloom.
It's not too late for almond growers to enroll in this project! PAm will be distributing seeds all month and into November. Sow after harvest and before the first germinating rains in December.
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Honey Bee Forage Plant
(Grindelia)
Curlycup gumweed is a plant native to North America that attracts honey bees and native pollinators. Gumweed is in the
Asteraceae (sunflower) family. It may behave as an annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial plant. The plant grows to about 1' tall with yellow flowers. With the exception of the southeastern states, gumweed is found throughout the U.S. Bloom period is June through Sept. Gumweed is a good honey producer.
Photo: Christi Heintz
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Pollination Contract
Do you have a contract in place for 2015? A signed contract protects both the grower and the beekeeper. A template can be accessed on the PAm website here. Don't delay!
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PAm Supporter!
Thank you to Steve Watkins who has made a donationto PAm, via PayPal in memory of Emily Saxon Timms.
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Make your donation to Project Apis m. securely with PayPal or mail to:
Project Apis m. 6775 Chardonnay Road Paso Robles, CA 93446
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BEE On Our Supporters' Page!
Make your donation today!
Help Us Help the Honey Bee!
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Both PAm and Honey Bees on the Road
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This month Project Apis m. will be heading to Alexandria, VA to attend a 2-day USDA Forage and Nutrition Summit. There will be work groups focusing on nutrition, establishing forage plantings, providing access to honey bees on federally managed lands, rights-of-way and land trusts. We are expecting positive results from these dialogues! We will be travelling to Virginia by way of Bozeman and Lewistown, Montana. PAm-funded researcher, Dr. Michelle Flenniken, will provide a tour of her bee lab at Montana State University. Then it's on to Lewistown where we will give a presentation on 'How PAm is Helping Honey Bees' at the annual state beekeeper's meeting.
Speaking of being on the road...this month marks the migratory sojourn of our U.S. commercial beekeepers as colonies with be loaded onto semis to begin the long journey to warmer temps in California. Once cleared through the border inspection stations, honey bees will be staged throughout the Central Valley in preparation for pollination services. To help with this process, PAm has tips and BMPs in this enews to make that trek a smooth one.
Meg Ribotto, Editor
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Putting Corporate Sponsorship to Work for Beekeepers!
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Yet another corporate sponsor sees what Project Apis m. is doing for beekeepers and has committed funding for bee research through PAm. With monies generously provided by Blue Diamond Growers' BeeCause We Care program, and in recognition of their new line of honey-flavored products, PAm is funding three new proposals. While meeting PAm's goal of funding studies that can be efficiently transferred into field practice and offer practical value, we are focusing on diagnostic tools with these proposals. Using technology now available, we will look at:
1) Employing Infra-Red technology to access
colony strength;
2) Comparing the Integrated Virus Detection
System (IVDS) to PCR-based evaluation; and
3) Developing diagnostic tools for the recently
discovered (with PAm funding) and very
abundant family of Lake Sinai viruses.
These proposals were submitted by the Seccomb and Bromenshenk, Brian Johnson, and Michelle Flenniken Bee Labs, respectively. For more about PAm research, click here.
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Plan Ahead for Keeping Bees Cool
In August, we reported the limited water supply at the California Border Inspection Stations. The state-wide drought has severely affected wells, and beekeepers are advised to pre-water colonies prior to arrival at inspection stations in the event of extended delays. The Tulelake (SR 139) and Needles (I-40) stations report intermittent well problems. The Yermo station (I-15) well is non-operational. To reduce colony stress due to heat and dehydration, follow best management practices:
- Pre-outfit trucks with soakers, hoses and coupling links to attach to functioning hose bibs.
- Self-inspect colonies prior to shipment.
- Hives and pallets should be clean, free from dirt, plant material or other debris. High-pressure wash or brush.
- Truck driver must provide the exact physical address of the location of where the colonies will be placed. No P.O Boxes, range/township or GPS coordinates are acceptable.
- Obtain voluntary "Ant Free" certification in state-of-origin.
- Plan to arrive at the border station during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, when pests can be ID'd quickly.
PAm has produced a " Guide for Honey Bee Colonies Entering California" which can be accessed here.
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Migratory Commercial Beekeepers
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Transporting Honey Bee Colonies to California for Almond Pollination
6:47 Minutes
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Dr. Gordy Wardell narrates this how-to video!
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WANTED: 1.7 Million Colonies
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The Almond Board of California provides a pollination directory - a searchable database of beekeepers that almond growers can use to source pollinators. To maintain the accuracy of the pollination directory for almond growers, there is an annual review of the beekeeper entries. Visit their website to review, update, and resubmit your information every year, or your entry and contact information may be removed.
Click here to see if your pollination service is listed. Click here to update your info or submit a new entry.
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Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities
Do you like what PAm is doing? How can your corporation or business help the honey bee? You can become involved in the vital pursuit of improving honey bee health and productivity for improved crop pollination and in increasing U.S. honey production.
Project Apis m. has the experience in developing partnerships within your corporate environmental stewardship and sustainability program. A sustainable supply of bees equates to a sustainable food supply.
We can help you plant the seeds for a corporate responsibility program that involves honey bees. Contact Christi Heintz. To learn more, click here.
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October Bee Husbandry
- TRANSPORTATION - Prepare colonies for transport to California orchards.
- NUTRITION - Maintain bee strength and build baby bees for Feb. 1st.
- REQUEEN - Over-wintering colonies fare better if young. Requeen if necessary.
- INSPECT & MONITOR - Continue to inspect colonies and apply treatments as necessary to control pests and diseases!
- COLONY MANAGEMENT - Maintain a reserve; don't commit all your colonies to contract.
Project Apis m. has developed BMPs for beekeepers and growers, including hive, colony and business management. All can be accessed here.
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