Many of you have seen articles being released about the Giant Asian
Hornet, Vespa mandarinia, making its way to the United States
recently. Fortunately, this invasive insect has been on the radar
for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for
many years. Fact: There have been NO sightings or confirmed
identifications here in Florida. Beekeepers: you are our first line
of defense- as a reminder, if you think you’ve spotted a Giant Asian
Hornet (or any invasive species) in Florida, please contact your
local apiary inspector or submit a sample by using the following
link:
The UF Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory is dedicated to
providing you the most up-to-date scientific information as quickly
as possible. We will release information as we hear more. Thank
you.
Sincerely,
Amy Vu
________________________________
Extension Coordinator Honey Bee Research & Extension Laboratory
Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences
University of Florida
Meeting is open to anyone wishing to
learn more about bees, and those that are interested in becoming
members
2020 officers were: President: Keith Councell, Vice
President: Beau Klassen, Treasurer: Virginia Riggs, Secretary: Cory
Dombrowski
As promised Dennis has created an
online store
with all items sold as "PICK UP ONLY"... purchases can be made online and to
save on freight by having the purchased items brought to meetings instead of
shipped. This will allow you to purchase smaller orders without having to
pay shipping that typically would require spending $100 or more to get the free
shipping.
Don't want to buy from Dennis, wait for meeting or pickup?...
but instead would just rather order and have quickly delivered. Often FREE
delivery if you have an AMAZON Prime Account then check out
PRODUCT LINKS.
We have purchased some items for raffles until will can
secure raffle donations, plus Mann Lake has donated a few items to help get
us through this year. This month's items include: Bee Design Pot
Holders, Heavy-Duty Clear Plastic Queen Catcher, Bees Wax Heart Candle (from
Sarasota Honey Co.), Bee Hive Tie Down Strap, Club Apiary Honey Bears (8 oz.
& 12 oz.), Pirate Decor/Motif Photo Frame,... and
"free" Mann Lake 2019 catalogs.
Mann Lake has provided a few items for 2019:
2 Blue Hive Tools, 9 1/2"
2 premium bee brushes
1 Gal 2" Feeder w/Cap & Ladder
1 Field Evaluation Journal
Mann Lake 2019 catalogs
for a total value of over $61.00 in donated items. Thanks again
Mann Lake! This will help us get through to the end when
combined with the items ordered and items donated by members.
2017: Jan |
Feb |
Mar | Apr (none BBQ) | May
(none outside meting) | Jun |
Jul | Aug (EHCO trip) |
Sep (hurricane) | Oct
| Nov |
Dec 2016:
Apr | May |
Jun | Jul (none) |
Aug | Sep (none Echo) |
Oct (none Apiary BBQ) | Nov
| Dec
Pay by Mail
Submit completed
Application for Beekeeping Registration with a check or money order
payable to FDACS (please put “Bee Registration” in the notes section of your
check) and remit to:
FDACS
P.O. Box 6720
Tallahassee, FL 32314-6720
Once Application and notification of payment is received in the
Gaionesville office, a firm number will be assigned and you should receive
your Certificate of Registration via email from
Apiary@FreshFromFlorida.com
Please allow 2-3 weeks for processing. Certificates are sent to you
via email on Fridays.
Join Your Local Beekeeping Association
Don't forget to join our local association (if you have not already done
so). We are a great starting point to gather information and network
with some experienced beekeepers. We even have a mentoring program
where some of our members (who have been around for awhile) will invite
newbies out to work hives with them.
The University of
Florida Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory has a wealth of
information about beekeeping. They also offer a 2-day course called
"Bee
College". It is taking place in Gainesville on October 12-13,
2018. This is a great place to go to get all of the information you
need to get started in one place. Once registration is open, the link
to register can be found on their webpage.
Selling Your Honey: Additionally, as a Registered Florida
Beekeeper you can sell Honey as a
Cottage Food following Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services Food Safety Laws and Regulation.
Read, Study from reputable resources (books, internet):
Books and websites.
Regarding "Registration Number" Relevance: The FL
registration number (FL0*******) and a firm number (480*****). Moving
forward, ONLY the firm number will be relevant. It is this number that you
will need to have permanently marked on the outside of your hive bodies.
Regarding "Selling Bees": "As of March 27th, 2018, if you are selling
bee colonies (nucs, full colonies, etc.) in Florida you must follow these
two steps. First, your queens must come from a certified queen source. This
is to ensure European motherlines across the state. Second, you must be
certified by the state as a Stock Dealer. "
Regarding "Beekeeper Classifications": You may be classified as
"backyard" [1-40 colonies], "sideline" [41-100 colonies], or "commercial"
[>100 colonies] beekeeper.
Mark Terrell treats bees for varroa mites using oxalic
acid drip method. All did either mite roll and count. Dennis
labeled hives with scan code and covered code with BASF logo (corrugated
plastic) to prevent fading, etc. Code connects to
Beetight program (phone app) that
Dennis is experimenting.
BASF apiary at Edison Fort Estates, Hands-On day, April
10, 2019. Keith shows bees which are doing well at drawing out the
foundation. — with B Keith Councell at Edison and Ford Winter Estates.
BASF apiary at Edison Fort Estates, Hands-On day, April
10, 2019. President Keith discusses/teaches while going through our hives. —
with Cory Dombrowski, B Keith Councell, Dennis E Riggs and Melissa Lee
Councell at Edison and Ford Winter Estates.
BASF apiary at Edison Fort Estates, Hands-On day, April
10, 2019. Looking at a caged queen and listening to Keith. — with Wendy
Sprague, Dan Sprague and B Keith Councell at Edison and Ford Winter Estates.
BASF apiary at Edison Fort Estates, Hands-On day, April
10, 2019. Watermelon ends the day while Beau Klassen weedeats using Dennis'
battery-powered trimmer. — with Beau Klassen and Wendy Sprague at Edison and
Ford Winter Estates.
BASF apiary at Edison Fort Estates, Hands-On day, April
10, 2019. Keith smoking and pulling frames for inspecting (frame reading). —
with B Keith Councell at Edison and Ford Winter Estates.
Edison Ford Estates installed flyway barrier screen.
Photo provided by Keith (April 2, 2019).
Rob (Grounds Director for Edison Ford Estates) scheduled
their fence contractor to install the fence (at no cost to our club) around
the bee hives for Monday morning (March 11, 2019). Keith was there while the
holes & fence posts were being installed for the fence around our hives.
Photos provided by Keith.
Another photo of the posts installed and ready for fence.
Photos provided by Keith.
Keith advised Dennis that signs needed to be also in
Spanish. Dennis ordered some more signs in Spanish.
Membership Survey Results for wishlist, wants, needs,
topics, speakers, etc. Click for
full results
The following results should be analyzed
using "Weighted Average" as a guide. Clear winner would be 4.24
(highly important) followed by second place of 3.88 (very important).
Those with 3.58 would be about average (slightly important to important)
and those less than 3.58 would be of least importance (or not important).
We should have a topic and speaker at each meeting presented by a
club member, mentor, club officer, advanced and seasoned
beekeeper, or other person reliable and knowledgeable on the
subject presented.
0.00%
0
4.00%
1
16.00%
4
32.00%
8
48.00%
12
25
4.24
Handouts of presentation or other information related to the topic
of presentation made available for future reference, notes, etc.
0.00%
0
12.50%
3
33.33%
8
37.50%
9
16.67%
4
24
3.58
Online YouTube, Websites or links, PowerPoints, or supplemental
resources related to topic made available for reference or further
study on subject.
4.17%
1
20.83%
5
50.00%
12
16.67%
4
8.33%
2
24
3.04
Book outside "beekeeping-related" speakers such as professors of
entomology, apiary inspectors, authors, well-known authorities or
experts in beekeeping. (i.e., Dr. Jamie Ellis, Freddie Howard,
Michael Bush, David Westervelt, etc.)
8.33%
2
8.33%
2
25.00%
6
33.33%
8
25.00%
6
24
3.58
Hands on (in-the-field) daytime visits to apiaries, bee yards, or
other beekeeping facilities in our area appropriately scheduled on
Saturdays if possible.
0.00%
0
12.50%
3
29.17%
7
16.67%
4
41.67%
10
24
3.88
Allocation of more time for answering of "new" beekeeper
questions.
0.00%
0
8.00%
2
44.00%
11
32.00%
8
16.00%
4
25
3.56
Appoint a greeter to moderate and take questions asked by new
beekeepers during the Q&A time set aside for "new" beekeepers.
4.17%
1
20.83%
5
25.00%
6
20.83%
5
29.17%
7
24
3.50
First Place winner topics were: Treatment and control of hive pests and
disease; evidence of queen (finding, handling, accessing, why, when, how);
splits and types of splits (why, when, what, how). Second Place
most were Discussion of insecticides not used by beekeepers, but those used
by non-beekeepers (orange groves, farmers, mosquito control) which may
affect death of honeybees; basic bee biology with basic beginner beekeeping;
local nectar flows and nectar sources (what, where, when, intensity,
duration) Third Place: Feeding colonies; seeds and
planting for honeybees; Honey harvest and extraction Fourth Place:
Hive products; Beekeeping Resources (You-Tube, Online, etc.) Lastly
Fifth Place: Honey Varieties, etc.; Other Bees; as follows:
Evidence of Queen: Finding, handling, accessing, why, when, how
0.00%
0
3.85%
1
26.92%
7
26.92%
7
42.31%
11
26
–
Hive Products: Propolis, pollen, honey, wax
3.85%
1
15.38%
4
50.00%
13
15.38%
4
15.38%
4
26
–
Treatment and control of hive pests and hive disease.
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
23.08%
6
26.92%
7
50.00%
13
26
–
Local nectar flows and nectar sources: what, where,
when, intensity, duration
0.00%
0
7.69%
2
53.85%
14
11.54%
3
26.92%
7
26
–
Beekeeping resources: YouTube and other online resources
7.69%
2
19.23%
5
50.00%
13
11.54%
3
11.54%
3
26
–
Discussion of insecticides not used by beekeepers, but those used
by non-beekeepers (orange groves, farmers, mosquito control) which
may affect death of honeybees.
7.69%
2
23.08%
6
26.92%
7
11.54%
3
30.77%
8
26
–
Seeding or planting of beneficial plants and flowers for honeybees
Written by Malcolm T. Sanford, Jeanette Klopchin, and James Ellis,
and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology,
March 2015. (UF/IFAS Photo: Thomas Wright)
Consent and Release Form
As previously explained at meetings,
is so our club has permission to use your provided information for
such things as: Creation of an membership listing/directory
shared with our members to allow them to more easily stay in contact with
each other by having phone numbers, contact information, etc.
available, also for displaying your photos taken at website
activities, etc. on our website for public viewing... or so we can
contact you about upcoming special meetings, events, sales, etc.;
however, please do not abuse the club directory by sending mass
e-mails to complain to the membership about your club dislikes or
problems with the leadership, to send junk to our members, for
spamming, for hate e-mails, etc... as this is not the purpose of a
club directory.
Login Information (username & password) is e-mailed to
"paid-up" members on a monthly basis. Please allow up to two
months for monthly information about club, website, etc. to begin.
If you just cannot wait and need access to membership and/or other
members area items (minutes,
treasurer's report, membership list, etc.), you may attend a meeting and request the login
information from our treasurer if she is able to ascertain your
current membership status as "paid-up" Active. All previous login information has
expired as of December 31, 2016. Login information may change
more than once a year, so please keep up with the e-mailed monthly
announcements (sorry, it may require that you actually open your
e-mail and read something).
Reminder to registered beekeepers from
Freddie Howard, local apiary inspector:
If you have not already done so, please call
Freddie and schedule your yearly inspection
FAQ (Frequently Asked Question):
QUESTION: Where can I get package bees and/or queens?
ANSWER: Here are a few suggestions
"We sell established Nuc's every year and we sell them nice and
full. We have had increase in demand for Nuc's so we are going to
venture out and offer 3 lb packaged bees. We have both available
online for reservations with a deposit."
"We are shutting down the last week of December as usual. Our last
day of shipping online orders will be the 19th. Any orders placed
after the 19th will ship in January. Gift certificates are also
available as those have been a hit every year."
"We do have an online store." Regarding concerns over shipping
costs: "We now have UPS with rates that are supposed to be very
favorable so hopefully it works out and it allows more customers to
purchase online." ~ Gloria Balboa
It’s our specialty to deal with small orders, because there aren’t
many Queen producers doing that:
Spring pricing is usually $30-35 ea
I always discount large and local association orders.
10 -25 are $28
25 + are $25
The only thing that effects this is the Queens and attendants are
all in separate boxes. If I can load the battery box full and they
can be separated later in that is the pricing. If I have to
put 1 or 2 Queens in a battery box for a big order I ask for $5 for
the battery box fill.
QUESTION: Where can I get beekeeping items without
spending over $100 to avoid high shipping costs?
ANSWER: This is an often brought up question, but there
may be a solution. Dennis can keep common popular items on
hand or sell things he purchases in over $100 orders (or other
methods). This is not bulk buying, nor bulk pricing, but
regular small-quantity or single-item selling pricing, but with the
exception that it avoids the high shipping charges members
experience for small orders... when not wanting spend over $100 just
to get free shipping. The club benefits from sale of club
honey through this outlet (but really no other benefit other than
keeping members happy by offering a possible solution) and yes...
sometimes Dennis may even make a few bucks on an item, or he could
make nothing on an item, but hopefully can make enough to offset the
cost he spends for the store hosting, website hosting, accounting,
sales tax collecting, printing of invoices, credit card fees, etc.
He is giving it a try to see if there is enough interest to make it
worthwhile and work.
BEES ON MY PROPERTY!... What Should I do?
Thank you for caring about bees and wanting to know about bee
removal options. Due to liability issues we cannot remove bees
from private or commercial structures, nor recommend beekeepers that
do so. However, you may be able to find a registered beekeeper
who uses non-lethal methods (not all on this list save or do live
removals) on a list provided by Florida Department of
Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Agricultural
Environmental Services:
The above methods may not help you locate ONLY a "live bee removal
rescue relocation specialist"... if you feel that LIVE removal is
the ONLY option for you (do not want to kill or exterminate), then
try the following:
Still not finding somebody to remove, rescue, and relocate your
live bees?... then another method which has proven successful is to
use GOOGLE with the following KEYWORDS which narrow down the results
to somebody in your area who may not exterminate your bees:
Try searching for
live bee removal relocation rescue fort myers florida However,
substitute your city (i.e,
live bee removal relocation rescue alva florida
or
live bee removal relocation rescue lehigh florida
and you should get applicable results. Also, don't be fooled
by the results at the top of the search results nor the ones along
the right side of the search results marked "Ad" or "Ads" for those
are paid results which are not always applicable. Look for top
results immediately below the "Ad" (these are known as "organic"
search results) and which are more likely to provide the service for
which you searched instead of paid results. Do NOT include the
word "free" in your search which often leads you to many removers
which are not really free and could result in a sad removal
experience.
NOTE:
BEE REMOVAL SERVICES ARE NOT FREE!... there is
a charge for live bee removal services!
Not a beekeeper, but wish to support our efforts and show your
support for our cause, then please consider donating. You may
use the convenient "Donate" button to donate online (securely and
safely) using your credit card... or you may mail your donations to
our treasurer.
Beekeepers Association of Southwest Florida can use
your help. Please DONATE to support our group's efforts.
We are a now a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization and your donations are tax deductible!:
Notice: You do NOT have to be a member of PayPal (or sign up) to
use your credit card to donate, simply look during the donation process for the
section "Don't have a PayPal account? and click continue.
How do I join Beekeepers Association of Southwest Florida (BASF)?
Attend one of our meetings and pay applicable dues to our Treasurer,
or you can DOWNLOAD
Membership Application. Consent/Release Form, and mail it to our treasurer along with
applicable dues. Currently $15 for current year.
If you are not already a member of FSBA then please join FSBA as well;
however, we do not collect dues or fees for the Florida State
Beekeepers Association (FSBA), you must pay FSBA directly: Click
HERE to Join or Renew your Florida State Beekeepers
Association (FSBA).
