June 2012 BCBC Meeting

The splendid Edd Buchanan will lead our program on June 4, 2012.
Our focus for the month will be honey. 
Edd will show us how to  harvest cut comb honey.

Edd is one of our founders.  He is also Master Beekeeper and master story teller,
keeps bees at the Biltmore Estate, and is known for his knowledge and humor far and wide.

Click here to read Edd's recent article in USA Today.

7:00 pm on June 4th, 2012 at Groce United Methodist Church
at 954 Tunnel Rd in Asheville, NC.
Come early at 6:30 for informal mentoring, conversations about your bees,
opportunity to talk to other beekeepers.

Epipen

In April, we had the gracious Dr. Copenhauer visit the BCBC meeting and give us information about the proper use of the Epipen. This is a first aid tool for the emergency treatment of life-threatening allergic reactions, commonly bee stings. It injects epinephrine, commonly known as adrenaline, to tighten blood vessels and relax muscles in the airways, lessening the dangerous symptoms of severe allergic reactions.

IMPROPER HOLD

Normal symptoms of a honey bee sting include swelling, redness, and pain at the site of the sting. Systemic symptoms, or reactions that occur where you didn't get stung, are of greater concern. A drop in blood pressure is the most dangerous symptom, because in this case blood isn't being pumped into your brain, which can lead to death.

No matter the symptoms, if you are in doubt of the severity of the problem, use the Epipen! It results in a feeling like you drank too much coffee, but these symptoms pass in about 20 minutes and are preferable to a severe allergic reaction. About 25-30% of people need a second dose, so it is a good idea to keep two around.

PROPER HOLD

To use the Epipen, remove the cap, jam it into the victim's thigh, and hold it there for about 10 seconds to allow the pen to deposit all of the medicine into the bloodstream. The top picture demonstrates a foolish hold; if the pen were to accidentally be upside down with the thumb placed on top, the needle would surge into the administrator's thumb instead of the victim's thigh. The bottom photo demonstrates the correct hold.

Dr. Copenhauer also suggested that a "feeling of dread" is a common indicator that the sting is very severe. In this case, it is better to administer epinephrine than to wait to see how the symptoms play out. Interestingly, the "knock-off" brands are not as effective. Additionally, even if the pen has passed its expiration date, it is better to use it than to wait. Some ibuprofen might also help as an anti-inflammatory in case epinephrine is not available.

May 2012 BCBC Meeting

Join us once again at 7pm on Monday, May 7th, for the May Buncombe County Bee Chapter meeting at the Groce United Methodist Church. The meeting topic is yet undecided, but there are a lot of things to talk about this month as we, and our bees, gear up for summer.

As a new beekeeper, I recently set up my first hive with the help of Marion local Ray Revis (http://www.revisrussians.com/), and got the chance to inspect it for the first time a few days ago. I was very excited to snag this picture of the queen (she's over to the left on the frame).

I hope all BCBC members and WNC beekeepers have a wonderful and productive beekeeping year! See you Monday!

7:00 pm on May 7th, 2012
at Groce United Methodist Church
at 954 Tunnel Rd in Asheville, NC.
Come early at 6:30 for informal mentoring,
conversations about your bees,
opportunity to talk to other beekeepers.

4th Annual Women Beekeepers' Gathering

Save the Date!

4th ANNUAL WOMEN BEEKEEPERS' GATHERING

Sunday July 22, 2:30 at the Hawk and Ivy in Barnardsville

 

This year in addition to the delicious joy of being in a group of all women bee keepers and lovers, we will focus on what plants, shrubs, trees, and bulbs we can grow to help our bees through the dearth times of late winter, early spring, and late summer.

Please spread the word to your women beekeeper friends. We will expand notification this year outside Buncombe County to Henderson, Madison, and Yancey counties.  More reminders will follow, and we will ask you to RSVP as the time draws closer.  

It is our hope that all of you are having a glorious spring with your sacred bee friends.

Love, Debra and Eve

Contact Debra at:  debra@holybeepress.com

Contact Eve at:  info@hawkandivy.com

Don't kill honey bee swarms!

With all the swarming activity, spring is a great time to teach friends and neighbors about bees. Though intimidating, swarms aren't really dangerous since they're just moving to a new home and highly vulnerable. Swarms have about a 20% chance for survival, and like many others the beautiful swarm pictured here didn't make it. Tragically, this one was recently destroyed by the frightened owner of the property on which it rested.

If you want bees off of your property, you should call the North Carolina Extension Office at 828-255-5522, and ask for a list of beekeepers on the "swarm list" in your area. They will ask you a series of questions to help identify the bees.  If they are honey bees, someone will be thrilled to come out to wrangle them, and it will make a great show to boot!

North Carolina Extension Office: 828-252-5522

Studies reveal dangers of neonicotinoids!

A new pair of studies conducted by Sterling University suggests that the use of neonicotinoid pesticides places bee populations in significant danger. Neonicotinoids became widely used in the 1990s, in large part because it has little effect on humans while being very effective against insects, acting as a nerve poison to prevent important messages from being processed. According to Rowan Jacobsen, these pesticides cause interruptions in the same receptor affected by Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease in humans. The symptoms include "disorientation, short-term memory loss... tremors, spasms, and eventually paralysis and death."

What makes neonicotinoids so attractive to farmers is that they are systemic insecticides; instead of polluting the air and water, they spread through the plant itself. When insects snack on the leaves of treated plants, they die. Unfortunately, this is also true for bees, who dutifully collect pollen to bring back to their hive, essentially dosing the entire colony with poison... if they can make it that far. Part of what makes this chemical so dangerous to honeybees is that it causes such severe disorientation that affected bees are just not as likely to find their way home. In one of the studies published by Science magazine, "free-roaming honeybees were tagged with RFID chips that allowed researchers to track their movements. When dosed with a neonicotinoid, bees were more than twice as likely as non-dosed controls to die outside their hives."

Supporters of neonicotinoid use point out that farmers have strict limits placed on how much of the chemical they can use in their fields, and that the levels they use are hardly strong enough to endanger bees. But no two farmers are alike. While one farmer may be using one pesticide, his neighbor is using 2 others, and so on. When a bee can cover upwards of 15,000 acres, it is scary to consider the variety of chemicals with which they come into contact, and what the compounded effect is. A single shot of tequila may not have much effect on me, but how do I look when I follow it with a margarita, a beer, a gin and tonic, and long island iced tea? Certainly don't ask me to drive home, because I probably wouldn't make it.

"The fundamental problem isn't neonicotinoids," says James Frazier, a Penn State entomologist. "We're making ourselves the guinea pigs. I don't think that's what a rational society should be doing." It is certainly disconcerting to consider the effect of pesticides on bee populations (not to mention other stressors like poor nutrition, new diseases, and shipment). But bees are not the only pollinators, so how is it that native insects vital to the health of diverse ecosystems are faring? And what can we possibly do about it?

Check out these web pages for more information:

wired.com: Controversial Pesticide Linked to Bee Collapse

The Telegraph: Pesticides Harming Bee Populations, Researchers Suggest

BBC News: Insecticide Blamed for Bee Deaths by Stirling University Study

Also pick up Rowan Jacobsen's "Fruitless Fall: The Collapse of the Honey Bee and the Coming Agricultural Crisis"

Asheville for Bee City, USA!

Members of the Buncombe County Beekeepers Chapter are lucky to live in such a green city and region, and blessed to be among people who value and celebrate biological diversity. Because our county's residents are generally ecologically conscientious, Asheville, our fair city, boasts one of the largest beekeeping communities in the country.

In a collaborative initiative, backyard beekeepers, the Buncombe County Beekeepers Chapter, and the Center for Honeybee Research propose for Asheville to officially become the inaugural Bee City USA. Not only would this cast a spotlight on our neighbors the honey bees, but it would also obligate Asheville to uphold a set of standards in cultivating habitats for the pollinators that play such a vital role in our ecology. This includes setting aside a portion of the city's landscaping budget for pollinator-friendly plants, and educating the public about honey bees and the keepers that love them. Not to mention the fact that learning about bees is fun!

The Bee City USA proposal is almost finalized, and the planning team could use some extra help. Specifically, they would like new volunteers to help with getting the name legally trademarked, as well as a graphic artist to work on designing a logo. If you are interested in getting involved, or have any additional questions, you can contact Phyllis Stiles at beecityusa@gmail.com. Let's show the rest of the country what it means to live green!