Southside Beekeepers Association February 2017

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Kristina Loren Allison
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Southside Beekeepers Association February 2017 2016-17 OFFICERS: President: Harvey Joyner Vice President: Jerry Taylor & Bucky Moore Treasurer: Donna Rogers Secretary: Sue Moore Program Coordinator:

1 Southside Beekeepers Association February OFFICERS: President: Harvey Joyner Vice President: Jerry Taylor & Bucky Moore Treasurer: Donna Rogers Secretary: Sue Moore Program Coordinator: Karen Joyner Newsletter Editor: Tammy Malkin The President s Corner It's Groundhog's Day, Again?! Groundhog Day (Feb 2) 2017 has come and gone. This observance used to have great significance in the rural calendar. In fact, there is more information on the Internet by witches than there is by Christians! Lots of Wiccans, those identified with earthcentered spirituality, celebrate a time of the year which naturally forms a transition period in winter, and there is a sense in which we thank the Circle of Life for moving us onward into brighter and better days. As Candlemas traditions evolved, many people embraced the legend that if the sun shone on the second day of February, an animal would see its shadow and there would be at least six more weeks of winter. Bears or badgers are watched in some European countries, but the German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania found an abundance of groundhogs and late in the 19th century a few residents in Punxsutawney began celebrating the groundhog as weather prophet. In the movie, Groundhog Day, Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, a cynical egocentric and self-opinionated weatherman at the TV station in Pittsburg. Each year (to his evident disgust and distaste) he is sent upstate to Punxsutawney to do a fun weather piece about the Groundhog ceremony. He hates it and everything about it. Near the beginning of the movie he does the Groundhog piece to camera and then can t wait to get back to the big city. But a blizzard sets in and Punxsutawney is cut off Phil must spend another night in his lodgings. The next morning he wakes up and finds he is caught in a time loop it is still 2 February, still Groundhog Day, and the whole day starts again and continues just like it did the day before the same guy on the stairs saying the same thing, the same beggar on the street corner, the same hilariously obnoxious guy he was at school with trying to sell him life insurance, the same camera crew waiting for him to do his groundhog piece. And day after day after day the same bit of music wakes him up on his radio alarm, the same landlady asks him the same question about what coffee he wants, etc., etc., etc. The real charm in the film Groundhog Day is when Phil Connors, the egotistical man, is forced to starts asking what life is about: What is the point? How can he make a difference? It is a movie that pushes us to look afresh at our lives, really seeing it for what it is, pointless and empty, and then claiming the time and space to build a new life. As always, the calendar has come full circle since the previous year s Groundhog Day, and the question for beekeepers is What should I be doing with my bees this month? Keep in mind that the queen in your colonies probably has already started laying eggs. If the temperature is too cold to open the hive, you can listen to the hive instead. Do you hear the gentle hum of the cluster? If so, you can be relieved to know your bees are still alive. Wait for a warmer day to open the hive and look at them. If you are accustomed to knowing the weight of your hive full of honey, you can also lift the hive slightly to judge how much food stores the bees have left. This will give you an idea how soon they will need supplemental food. Sue Moore facilitated an excellent conversation at last month s meeting about

cluster. How are they doing for food stores?

or granulated sugar to ensure they have enough food.

wax paper into ¼ thickness (I usually cut into 4 x 6 inch strips.).

You might want to consider placing pollen patties in the same way.

extra super on top, and, of course, return the outer cover!

early food sources in their natural world.

It is about learning to see more clearly and deeply.

So, you see, even in the winter we have a lot to think about, and, when

2 winter feeding. Remember, as soon as the temperature rises to 50 degrees, take a quick peek inside the hive. Without removing any frames, see if you can spot the location of the cluster. How are they doing for food stores? It is a good idea, now, to provide your bees with fondant, sugar candy or granulated sugar to ensure they have enough food. In my opinion, fondant, a mixture of sugar and high fructose corn syrup, is the best type of feeding. When softened, you can roll it out on a cutting board between sheets of wax paper into ¼ thickness (I usually cut into 4 x 6 inch strips.). You can place these strips of fondant across the top of the frame bars. You might want to consider placing pollen patties in the same way. Afterwards, replace the inner cover, or, if necessary, you can place an extra super on top, and, of course, return the outer cover! When the temperature warms enough, the bees will be able to take cleansing flights. As you already know, they hold their feces until the temperature gets warm enough for them to leave the hive. You may even have the good fortune of sees bees carrying pollen in from early food sources in their natural world. Remember the movie isn t just about second chances. It is about learning to see more clearly and deeply. Like with Phil Connors, we are challenged, as beekeepers, to notice the wants and needs of our bees. We do not have to continue repeating the same mistakes. So, you see, even in the winter we have a lot to think about, and, when the weather is right, as has been indicated, there are things we can do. Remember, the groundhog is a rodent, not a meteorologist! Whatever the weather forecast, the winter of our discontent will soon be over, and the bees will be flying freely once again, as we are co-participant in the Circle of Life. Bee Happy! Harvey * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEXT MEETING WHEN: Thursday, Feb 23rd, 6pm WHERE: Emporia/Greensville Extension Office 105 Oak Street Emporia, VA Meeting topic: Swarms, splits, & bait hives

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6 Ingredients 1 cup raisins 1 cup walnuts 1 cup sliced almonds 1 T vegetable oil Instructions 1. In a food processor, combine raisins and walnuts. Process until they form a sticky ball 2. Coat hands with oil and roll mixture into balls the size of large marbles, then coat with sliced almonds. 3. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

These tanks work great if you just want to let the honey drain out without extracting, the lid really helps with this. These tanks will be $95.

8 I have 2 uncapping tanks for sale. Includes Maxant honey gate and a grate with legs for draining the cappings inside the tank. Works well with hive body frames and all others. Frames will hang on sides of this size tank. I also have a board that goes on top to cut off capping. These tanks work great if you just want to let the honey drain out without extracting, the lid really helps with this. These tanks will be $95.00 each and all are new never used. Donna Rogers, Let me know if you are interested. I have 2 of these tops for sale. They will go with the tanks from Better Bee and Brushy Mountain. They are $13.00 each.

Weather Signs and Rhymes

3 Weather Signs and Rhymes When we want to ﬁnd out what the weather will be tomorrow, we usually turn on the radio or TV. But in the time before radio and TV, people also needed to forecast the weather.