http://whiteflowerstudio.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/honey-in-the-heart-the-stories-of-two-yogi-beekeepers/

Are more than pesticides killing our bees? http://home.ezezine.com/1636/1636-2012.05.07.16.37.archive.html

Corn Plant Drift Killing Bees?  http://home.ezezine.com/1636/1636-2012.05.11.14.40.archive.html

Special Program: Michael Bush – author of “The Practical Beekeeper (RSVP encouraged)

The Beekeepers of Northern Virginia (BANV) with support from the Prince William Regional Beekeepers Association (PWRBA) will be hosting Michael Bush – author of “The Practical Beekeeper” and well known internet personality http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm

The event will span two days: July 30th and 31st 2012. The exact location is being determined and will be updated when it is finalized - locations in Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William are being considered.

There will be afternoon and evening session both days. After each session there will be ample time for Q&A with Mr. Bush. He will also be selling and signing his book.

Session topics to include:

• Organic/sustainable beekeeping
• Queens – rearing, maintaining, selecting
• Trends and thoughts on the evolution of beekeeping especially in the face of current challenges

IMPORTANT – Attendance will be limited due to location size restrictions. All those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP – please e-mail beekeepersnova+rsvp@gmail.com to indicate your interest.

http://jerry-rigs.com/news/the-great-invade

See more about Dr. Schwarz here:  http://www.ars.usda.gov/pandp/people/people.htm?personid=46249

1) A a short video that raises some important issues such as what types of frames to use and what should be on the frames can be found here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEUlbcV7MsE

2) See the fabulous presentation by the Haskells.  A pdf file – give it a minute to download- is here:  http://pwrbeekeepers.com/splits-and-nucs-demonstration.pdf

3) Links to other wonderful educational videos can be found right on our website here:  http://pwrbeekeepers.com/resources/educational-videos/

http://pwrbeekeepers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/queencells.pdf

http://pwrbeekeepers.com/resources/swarm-management/

The Xerces Society has just released the report, Are Neonicotinoids Killing Bees? A Review of Research into the Effects of Neonicotinoid Insecticides on Bees, with Recommendations for Action.

A possible link between neonicotinoids (a widely used group of insecticides) and honey bee die-offs has led to controversy across the United States and Europe. Beekeepers and environmentalists have expressed growing concern about the impact of neonicotinoids, concern based on the fact that neonicotinoids are absorbed into plant tissue and can be present in pollen and nectar, making them toxic to pollinators.

This report details potential negative impacts of neonicotinoids insecticides to honey bees, bumble bees, and solitary bees. It also makes recommendations on how we can better protect these important pollinators.

Download the full PDF report.

Some of the major findings of the report include:

-  Several of these insecticides are highly toxic to honey bees and bumblebees.

-  Products approved for homeowners to use in gardens, lawns, and on ornamental trees have manufacturer-recommended application rates up to 120 times higher than rates approved for agricultural crops.

-  Many neonicotinoid pesticides that are sold to homeowners for use on lawns and gardens do not have any mention of the risks of these products to bees, and the label guidance for products used in agriculture is not always clear or consistent.

-  Neonicotinoid residues are found in pollen and nectar consumed by pollinators such as bees and butterflies. The residues can reach lethal concentrations in some situations.

-  Neonicotinoids can persist in soil for months or years after a single application. Measurable amounts of residues were found in woody plants up to six years after application.

-  Untreated plants may absorb chemical residues left over in the soil from the previous year.

-  There is no direct link demonstrated between neonicotinoids and the honey bee syndrome known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). However, recent research suggests that neonicotinoids may make honey bees more susceptible to parasites and pathogens, including the intestinal parasite Nosema, which has been implicated as one causative factor in CCD.

by RVANews staff

From Ashley McLeod | Capital News Service

Beekeepers across Virginia soon will be able to get government money for creating new beehives – a move legislators hope will resurrect the state’s dying bee population.

During this year’s regular session, the General Assembly passed legislation to establish a $175,000 fund and award beekeepers as much as $200 for every new beehive, up to $2,400. Gov. Bob McDonnell recently signed the two bills, SB 354 and HB 300, into law. Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, sponsored the Senate bill. He hopes the money will encourage beekeepers to create more beehives. “We’ve seen declining bee populations throughout Virginia, and they are the foundation of agriculture,” Deeds said. “If they’re not pollinating flowers and plants, crop production begins to lag.”

State apiarist Keith Tignor is responsible for educating and training beekeepers in Virginia. Tignor said his office has received numerous phone calls from Virginia beekeepers interested in the grant program. “We estimate that there are between 20,000 and 30,000 beehives in Virginia, around 2,000 to 3,000 beekeepers, and most maintain an average of between 10 and 12 hives,” Tignor said. “Beekeeping is a very important part of Virginia, in many different aspects.”

Delegate Ed Scott, R-Culpeper, agreed. He proposed the House bill creating the grant program. “There are a wide range of benefits to having a healthy bee population – not just for honey production,” Scott said.

“When bees pollinate other crops, they are stimulating agricultural production in a wide range of areas, anywhere from apple and peach orchards, to grapes and alfalfa hay crops. If we didn’t have beekeeping, we wouldn’t have other crops being as successful as they are.”

Deeds and Scott introduced their bills after judging a student competition conducted last summer at the Sorensen Institute’s College Leaders Program at the University of Virginia. The lawmakers were inspired by a group of college students who had drafted mock legislation aimed at addressing the state’s declining bee population. Similar bills failed in previous years. The legislation, which will go into effect July 1, was initially introduced as a tax credit but was changed to a grant program by a legislative committee.

Beekeepers must apply for the grants, which will be administered by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Honey Bee Genetic Diversity and Breeding: Towards the Reintroduction of European Germplasm

Overall, it has been estimated that less than 500 queen mothers are used to produce around 900,000 daughter queens annually for commercial sale in the US. (Delaney et al. 2009).