The ABCs of bees
Amy Jordan
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Honeybees are interesting social insects that are essential to our food supply. In addition to their role of pollinating crops, they produce honey which is a long-time favorite treat.
Honeybee colonies may be comprised of more than 40,000 bees, each with a distinct purpose. The majority of the bees are female, and they are the only ones that can sting. They may sting when they feel threatened, but will die after they sting.
Bee colonies may be especially noticeable this time of year when they become too large and swarm, or form a new colony. As the new colony searches for a home, they may end up in a tree in your backyard. While this may be startling, bees in a swarm are quite docile. Many local beekeepers will collect swarms from your property, so contact a beekeeper if you know one. Or, contact the Lyon County Extension Office at 620-343-3947 and I will put you in touch with one.
Humans have recognized the importance of honeybees and have harvested honey from them for centuries. Beekeeping is still a popular hobby. If you are interested in learning more about beekeeping, visit a meeting of the Emporia Area Beekeepers Association. They meet the 2nd Sunday of the month at 2 pm in the back meeting room of the Extension office.
Another learning opportunity will be Saturday, June 2. This is the Northeastern Kansas Beekeepers’ Super Funday at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2110 Harper, Lawrence KS. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the program is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost is $18 per person for those pre-registered by May 26, or $25 at the door.
Fee includes lunch, beverages, snacks and homemade ice cream.
This event is for beginners or advanced beekeepers. Hands-on workshops include:
• Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)
• Collecting, cleaning ands Selling Pollen
• Finding the Queen and Marking Her
• Removing Honey from the Hive
• In Hive Basics, finding eggs, larvae, working through a hive
• Assembling Equipment
• Making Spring Nucs & Requeening Hives
• Installing a package of bees
• Keeping an observation hive
• Queen Rearing, Bee Lining, Making Mead
• Testing bees for Varroa mites & various treatment methods
• Using Oxalic acid to control mites
• Preparing Entries for the fair
• Recordkeeping using Excel
• Soap Making
• Testing your bees for hygienic traits
• Beginning Beeswax & Advanced Beeswax
To register, or for more information contact Joli Winer at 913-856-8356 or joli@heartlandhoney.com.
• Amy Jordan is a horticulturist with K-State Research and Extension in Lyon County.