www.bee-craft.com May 2009
icamerA
Editorial Editorial
4 Managing Increase
Dewey M Caron, PhD April and May are the great months of hope. Hope the surviving colonies have
7 How I Keep Records decent weather to take advantage of the increasing nectar/pollen sources; Hopethey don’t swarm; Hope there are good weekends to inspect colonies and, of
Ann W Harman cours,e hope the colonies expand and the year develops into one of the best.
9 AJ's Beetle Eater Presumably, flowers too hope enough bees visit and pollinate so they can
Susan Cobey complete their life cycles.
11 Caught in a Trap: One of us (DMC) took two weeks mid-March to travel from a former east coast
Bumblebees versus Robotic (University of Delaware) to a new western base (Portland, Oregon) and had a
Crab Spiders chance to see lots of bees. Trailer truck loads of bees headed back east from the
Tom Ings, PhD, and almond groves. In the Central Valley of California (Bakersfield to Redding), there still
Professor Lars Chittka were some bees in almonds and more colonies in plums, pears and strawberries
12 The Value of a Frame of in bloom. Around Bakersfield in the lower valley, the effects of a prolonged western
Eggs and Young Larvae drought was evident. With less water for irrigation some groves were abandoned
Claire Waring, BSc, DMS and others were already being recycled – too few remaining in agriculture as
15 Charles Darwin, Cats, Mice, productive as almonds. I also saw long rows of citrus under massive netting – to
Bumblebees and Clover keep bees away to keep Clementines seedless. Quite a paradox.
Norman Carreck, NDB, Toby As spring arrives, we again see the strange balance of water throughout the US.
Beasley and Randal Keynes Disastrous floods in the upper Midwest, drought in California and in the East. We
19 How to Clean Beeswax read about drought conditions in Australia, not for just this year but for seven
Pauline Aslin years. Both beekeepers and farmers suffer and wonder if there is a place with
23 Farming Native Pollinators neither too much nor too little rain. Extreme conditions affect farmer crops and
Dewey M Caron, PhD our bees. Beekeepers hope that forage will be plentiful so that bees do not
27 Bell Jar Bees require feeding in place of collecting nectar. Centuries ago Alexander Pope said
Turlough ‘Hope springs eternal …’ and we are glad it does.
28 Killing Mites in Hawaii Preliminary results of overwinter surveys should be available this month. Spring
Dewey M Caron, PhD is behind in many areas as of 1 April (no fooling!). Colonies seem to be eitherstrong or weak with few in between. We hope your bees wintered and are strong.
29 For Your Bookshelf
The Buzz about Bees This issue brings a mix of articles we hope you find interesting and of value. We
by Jürgen Tautz welcome your feedback on this – our third and final – FREE Bee Craft America. Next
Honey Handbook issue will offer you a teaser but to view, we need your commitment and dollars.
by Kim Flottum The subscription is only £4.50 (around $10) from www.bee-craft.com/shop. We
promise you will not be disappointed – each month we will be bringing articles30 Around the Colony
that you will want to read and save for future reference. Plan to subscribe now or if
Bee Craft you are too busy with spring management, once the busy spring season is over.
Apimondia gold medals: best magazine, We hope – no, we know – you will be richly rewarded.
website, books & educational material Dewey Caron and Ann Harman
EDITORS Ann W Harman, 1214 North Poes Road, Flint Hill, VA 22627
Tel: (540) 364-4660; e-mail: AHWorkerB@aol.com
www.bee-craft.com Professor Dewey M Caron, University of Delaware (retired), 7881 SW Skyhar Drive, Portland, OR 97223Tel: 302 353-9914 (cell); e-mail: dmcaron@udel.edu
COVER SUBSCRIPTIONS $10 per annum via www.bee-craft.com/shop
ADVERTISEMENTS Erin Bradley, 86 Colonial Circle, Thornton, PA 19373, USA; e-mail: erinbradley4@gmail.comA solitary native bee on goldenrod
BEE CRAFT SHOP Andrew Butler e-mail: shop@bee-craft.com (Photo: Claire Waring)
The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Editors or the Directors of Bee Craft Ltd.
Bee Craft America May 2009 Page 3
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