Queen Rearing Retreat in May

We're going to this.  I've met a couple of folks who attended last year who thought it was an excellent class.

Our Pollination Trip to Florida-VIDEO

A fully loaded 20' trailer.

Jerry of Rock Hill Bee Farms invited me to join him on a four-day expedition to move about 60 of his hives from a location in South Florida to the orange groves near Vero Beach.  So he loaded his Kubota tractor (with pallet forks) and a bunch of equipment and got the trip started from Northern Virginia about 500 pm on Friday, with the intent to drive straight through the night to our destination.

Capital Buzz Showing at DC Shorts-Best Of

Because this film received an award (the Pineapple) at the 2012 film festival, they are showing it again as part of a showcase on January 23rd and 24th at the U.S. Navy Memorial Heritage Center -- Burke Theater, 701 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC.

Here is the link for information:
http://wins.dcshorts.com/


Here is a link for the trailer of the film:
http://thecapitalbuzz.com/The_Capital_Buzz/Trailer.html

Wanted: Interns

The Spring approaches quicker then I think in most seasons, and it is the busiest part of the year for beekeeping.  Just a few things to do:

• Install new bees in our dead-outs;
• Feed sugar syrup to the colonies;
• Add pollen patties to our colonies;
• Build, deliver new equipment and set up for clients;
• Build nuc boxes;
• Introduce bees to nucs;
• Feed nucs;
• Inspect our hives for swarm prevention;
• Add honey supers;
• Harvest honey.

We have about 25 hives that we manage across the region, mostly in DC but a few in the hinterlands.  Thus, an intern must have a car.  We will provide all the syrup and other materials, but we need commitment, elbow grease, and wheels.  We will provide all the training.

Please contact me at jeff@dchoneybees.com if you are interested.

Goin' Pollinatin' in Florida

As some of you may remember I have had an excellent working relationship with Jerry Mattiaccio from Rock Hill Bee Farms.  I began buying bees from Jerry in 2010 when he was focused more on nuc production, equipment, and bee sales.  Happily, I am now the recipient of a windfall as Jerry is expanding, significantly, his focus on pollination.  This past summer I got to join him in southern Virginia where he had put about 60 hives on pumpkins.

DC Council Hearing on Beekeeping in the City-VIDEO

Here is the video of the non-debate where Tommy Wells, Councilmember for Ward 6, introduces the amendments to protect rooftop beekeeping and top-bar hives.  Given the lack of debate, I am pleased that our activism has proven effective without any political fallout.  Let's keep it up, and push for further refinements in the future given the ease with which this passed.  Excellent work, all.

Why Honeybees Are Important

Check out this video, below, which does an excellent job of describing the reach of bees and beekeepers in the nation's food-chain:

Sugar Shake For Mite Control - Video

We have some friends who have a rooftop hive in the Shaw area of town that has had some problems with varroa infestation.  We could actually see the mites on the bodies of some of the bees, and the mite count board below the IPM screened bottom board told a similar story with lots of dead mites.

We hiked some confectioner's sugar and a sifter up to the roof to do a sugar shake.  The theory goes, the bees get the sugar on their bodies and groom themselves to remove it.  This grooming behavior also brushes off the mites, that then fall through the hive and out the bottom through the screen.

Here is the video we took of our vertical expedition and then a trip to Old City Greens to check on their hives:

The Truth About Honey From NPR-VIDEO

NPR did some back-of-the-envelope research on the benefits of honey, presented in this video from 2010.

Post Sandy Rooftop Status

With winds expected to gust north of 60 miles per hour, we got lots of inquiries from our rooftop beekeeping friends about the security of their hives in prep for Sandy.  Indeed, the entire east coast was on alert, and the eye took a path west only a little more than 100 miles north of us in DC.

EPA Rally in Washington Today

Well, not really a rally, more of a small gathering of like-minded folks focused on the the use of neonicotinoid pesticides organized by the Center For Food Safety.  I got a ton of hits on the blog page giving notice of the rally,  but alas the attendance was sparse.  More folks have shown for some local bee meet-ups than at this event.  Given the mid-day schedule and the downtown location it may have been difficult to rally the troops.

More Beekeeping Classes Scheduled

We've had a lot of interest in these classes, and thus we are adding (much to my wife's surprise) two more weekends:

November 3rd and 4th;
November 10th and 11th.

These classes run from 1-4 at my home in Georgetown.  The cost is $300, and includes a basic hive, a veil, and a textbook, as well as plenty of refreshments:

Please email me at jeff@dchoneybees.com if you are interested.

I HATE WAX MOTHS

Wax moths have been a consistent problem this season for all local beekeepers, and as I toured my hives this past weekend I discovered several that have gone belly-up.  I find this strange as the particular hives in question were very strong, thus allowing for better guarding of the entrance and protecting the infestation.

Save the Date For the Bee Rally At EPA

The Center for Food Safety is sponsoring a rally in downtown DC on October 25th at noon.  Bring your friends and encourage the EPA to scrutinize the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.

Here is the flyer:

 

Harvesting Honey at the Farm

If you have been following us for a little while, you know we have a relationship with the folks at Paris Barns in Paris, Va, an organic farm and animal rescue.  They have become a little more famous as they have taken on the zoning board of Fauquier County and are now embroiled in a court case with the County.