Santa Clara Valley Bee Guild

Cute Bee Butt Shot

2012-02-01T17:56:00.000-08:00

Just because it was a cute shot of a bee butt.

S.F. Bee Keeping Workshop - FYI

2012-02-01T10:48:00.000-08:00

FYI for our guild members.

This is not part of the Santa Clara Valley Bee Guild but just in case you're interested or in the area.

When: Saturday, February 4
9:30a to 12:30 pm
Where: Recology Golden Gate,
900 7th Street, San Francisco, CA
Price: $35

More Info: http://www.hayesvalleyfarm.com

If you are interested in possibly becoming a beekeeper this class is for you.
We will cover:
* Legalities & insurance
* Responsibilities to the bees, yourself, household & neighbors
* Protective wear, tools & hive equipment options
* Things that can go wrong & corrective action options
* Options for getting bees, and the pro's & con's of each
* Cost & time commitments
* Resources for further learning
All class proceeds benefit non-profit SF Bee-Cause & Hayes Valley Farm.

Getting some ink

2012-01-29T16:43:00.000-08:00

Some of our guild members have been getting some ink. Here are the links.
Atom Magazine

Cupertino Press

Field Trip - Rabbit's Foot Meadery

2012-01-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

The guild will be planning a trip to the Rabbit's Foot Meadery in Sunnyvale later on this year. If you have never been to this place before, you are in for a treat. The owners and staff are very helpful to those wanting to know more about the whole mead making process and happy to share their knowledge. We will take a quick tour of of how they make their mead then be able to sample what they have on tap. If you sample all that they have, you will need to have someone drive you home. Date and time will be posted when we have confirmed everything.

Newbies Welcome

2012-01-12T19:29:00.000-08:00

Newbies are always welcome to attend a guild meeting. There are plenty of old timers around to help answer questions and give you their opinions on how to keep bees.
Check out the list of when the guild meets and the main topic of discussion.
Trust me I haven't met a beekeeper yet that won't talk your ear off about bees. :)

Close up shot of the bad little fly

2012-01-12T19:22:00.001-08:00

A. Borealis, the parasitic bee fly by Lothar

2012-01-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

Update on the story on A. borealis, the parasitic bee fly:

Today, 01/04/2012, I inspected one of my apiaries (Los Gatos) and collected live (partially disabled) and some dead bees from outside of the colonies. I have the specimens in quarantine to observe if there is any evidence of A.b. larva or pupae.
In another apiary (Campbell, just North of Los Gatos) in a shady area this colony has suffered a significant decline since November. A few bees guarding the one-inch entrance, a few bees flying, no pollen coming in. Two days ago I placed an apron in front of the hive entrance to collect bee carcasses. (Inside colony inspection will follow).
Today I collected what the bees removed and find the following (see image above):
Bees with a hole on top of the thorax.
Heads and abdomens separated from the thorax, abdomen, all hollowed out.
Wings with a part of the thorax separated from the thorax.
No sign of A.B. larvae.
No sign of A. b. pupae.
None of this looks typical of a yellow jacket attack!
Preliminary conclusion: Apocephalus borealis attack. The bees may have been attacked
while foraging and made it back into the hive. From examining the evidence, I conclude
that A.b. Larvae did the damage on the poor bees while the bees were inside the hive.
The undertaker bees then removed the carcasses.
To collect evidence it is important to place an apron (paper, old bed sheet,or a piece of old carpet in front of the hive to trap what the undertaker bees are removing. Grass and or leaves in front of the hive will hide the evidence.

Lothar (Bee Guild Member)

Merry Christmas 2012

2011-12-22T16:31:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a merry christmas!

Updates

2011-08-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

Due to a very low number of submissions, we have decided that it would be best to cancel the upcoming Handyman Fair. Therefore there will be no bee guild meeting on Sept 12, 2011.

On a brighter note however, the annual Bee Guild Picnic will be held as planned on Sept 18, 2011.
It will be held at the home and garden of Wayne and Carolyn Craft at 16380 Harwood Rd. in Los Gatos. The picnic starts about 3:00 P.M. and runs until we are stuffed and decide to leave.
The bee guild furnishes the main entrees of BBQ beef, pork and chicken as well as drinks including water and sodas. Members should bring their own alcoholic drinks.
The bee guild also provides table cloths, plates, knives, forks, spoons, cups and napkins.
Members who have shade shelters may bring them along to cover us if it is a hot day. Wayne "only" has 20 chairs, so bring chairs to sit in.
You are welcome to bring a homemade beekeeping gadget to share to the BBQ.

Guild BBQ 2011

2011-08-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

The bee guild's annual BBQ and picnic is on Sunday, September 18, 2011 at the home and garden of Wayne and Carolyn Craft. The bee guild will provide tables, plates, knives, forks, spoons, cups and napkins. The bee guild also furnish the main entrees of BBQ beef, pork and chicken as well as water and sodas. Bring your own alcoholic drinks if you wish.

BBQ starts at 3:00 and runs until we are stuffed and decide to leave. Members who have shade shelters please bring then along to cover us if it's a hot day.

16380 Harwood Road

Los Gatos

Randy Oliver's Workshop

2011-06-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

Had a full house for Randy Oliver's workshop this past Saturday.Had great weather and the bees were in a good mood. Thank you Wayne for hosting again this year.
We are working on doing a site visit to Randy's place to attend a Queen rearing workshop. Not sure of the date yet, but we are working on it. There are a lot of reasons to raise local queens.

You Know Your A Beekeepeer When

2011-06-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

The windshield of your vehicle has at least two yellow dots on it.
You have answers ready for questions about Africanized bees and the value of local honey in preventing allergies.
Year eagerly await the phone call from the post office asking you to please come pick up your bees.
You check out all the honey labels and prices at the supermarket.
You've gone through the supermarket checkout line buying nothing more than a big load of sugar, and maybe some Crisco.
You've estimated just how much money you spent to control mites.
You pick up matches at restaurants, even though you don't smoke.
Your friends and neighbors think you are the answer to every swarm and bees-in-the-wall problem.
You are keenly aware of the first and last freezes of each winter.
There is propolis on the steering wheel of your vehicle and the bottom of your boots.
There is a bucket of something in your garage that can only be good for smoker fuel.
You are called "the Bee Man," or "the Bee Lady" by a lot of people who don't know your name.
You know the bloom period of more local flowers than the state horticulturist.
You welcome a rainy weekend if it will stimulate nectar production.
You don't mind driving home with a few honey bees inside your vehicle.
Your family and friends know exactly what they're going to get for Christmas.
You don't mow the lawn because the bees are working the weeds.
You drive down a road and find yourself evaluating the roadside flowers for their honey-producing potential.
You pull over and check the bees on the wildflowers just to see if they are YOUR bees, AND -- you can tell the difference.
You come home smelling like a camp fire, and you haven't been camping.
You saw Ulee's Gold and didn't think there were enough shots of the bees.
You overhear your 9 year old daughter explaining to her friends how to tie a trucker's hitch.
The school principal calls to ask that you never again let your child take a drone tied with a thread to school for show and tell.
You never stop marveling at these wonderful creatures.

Bee Keeper's Handyman Fair

2011-06-08T22:13:00.000-07:00

In September the Guild will host a handyman's fair to show case the various tools or equipment our guild members (have a high number of retired engineers in our group) have made over the years. The format will be simple. Bring in whatever you have made to share with other beekeepers. You can also sell what you made to those attending. It's like a science or maker's fair. More details as we get closer to the show.

Honey Extraction Class - Sunday June 5, 2011

2011-05-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

Doug Smith (Bee Guild Member) will be teaching a hands on honey extraction class on Sunday, June 5, 2011 at the Akiyama Wellness Center in downtown San Jose.
A $5.00 donation to the Akiyama Wellness Center ( part of the Yu Ai Kai Senior Center) is requested. Call the Wellness Center to sign up.(408)753 -9283
Parking is free on Sunday
10:00 - 1:00
Akiyama Wellness Center
110 Jackson Street
(corner of Third and Jackson)
San Jose, CA 95112

Randy Oliver Workshop

2011-05-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

This is the last call for those who have signed up for the Randy Oliver workshop on June 11, 2011. Please send in your $45.00 payment to Ed Lo.

Swarm in Flight 2011

2011-05-29T20:47:00.000-07:00

A local swarm in flight

RFID Honey Bees

2011-05-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

micro chipped bee

Here's a link for all you high tech nerdy bee keepers! :)
RFID

Randy Oliver Bee Keeping Workshop

2011-05-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

If you signed up to attend Randy Oliver's Bee keeping workshop on Saturday, June 11, 2011 the confirmation emails have been sent out. If you think you signed up but have not recieved anything yet please contact Lisa Itatani.

Cell Phones and Bees

2011-05-13T10:22:00.000-07:00

If there’s one thing people around the world love to do — in fact, need to do — it’s eat. Unfortunately, another thing everyone likes to do is talk on their cell phones. And according to a new study (PDF), these two activities are completely at odds because of a cell phone signal’s confusing effects on one key player: bees.
Researcher Daniel Favre of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology has found that wireless signals cause honeybees to become so disoriented that they finally just die. Favre’s team conducted 83 separate experiments that tested bees’ reactions to a nearby cellphone.
The team found that honeybees made 10 times the amount of noise when a cell phone made or received a call than they did when the phone was in off or standby mode. As Fast Company reports, this noise (generally known as “worker piping”) usually signals the bees to leave the hive. But when the reaction is triggered by a cellular signal, the bees just became tragically befuddled.
So, what about a cell phone signal makes bees suicidally crazy? As Favre’s report explains: “Worker piping in a bee colony is not frequent, and when it occurs in a colony, that is not in a swarming process, no more than two bees are simultaneously active…The induction of honeybee worker piping by the electromagnetic fields of mobile phones might have dramatic consequences in terms of colony losses due to unexpected swarming.

It’s the “dramatic…colony losses” part that everyone should be concerned about. Honeybees are responsible for pollinating about 70 percent of the 100 or so crops on the entire planet that humans use for food.

So-called “colony collapse disorder” among the world’s bee population has been recorded since 1972. But it wasn’t until 2006 that the drop in the bee population took a nosedive, with beekeepers noting a 30 to 90 percent loss of their bee colonies, up from 17 to 20 percent in previous years.

Favre’s study corroborates a 2008 report that showed that honeybees would not return to their hive when a cell phone was placed nearby, which sparked the theory that wireless signals are the problem.
There are other reasons scientists believe the world’s crucial bee population is plummeting, things like the use of clothiandin, a pesticide used to treat corn seeds. But Favre’s study shows that our cell phone habit is playing a major role in the current bee holocaust.

Helen's Colorful Hives

2011-04-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

Nice to see young people taking an interest in beekeeping. One of the upsides is that they also like bright fun colors. Doug Smith has been bee mentoring one of our new members Helen with her new hives.

Tons of bee swarms call have been coming into the guild. Remember safety first when capturing swarms.

It's Honey Bee Swarm Season 2011

2011-04-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

It's honey bee swarm season. Guild members are getting calls everyday now. This swarm is from our hive and went over to our neighbor's yard. It funny that this is one of few living plants they have in their backyard. Most of the yard has been paved over.
This was an easy rescue and the girls will have a new home tonight.

Manuka Honey

2011-04-05T18:41:00.000-07:00

At last night's guild meeting there was mention about Manuka honey not being safe to eat. After some super quick Internet research on the subject (some members of the guild grew up eating Manuka honey) this type of honey is known to have a high level of methylglyoxal (MGO) which if taken in large doses or in concentrated form is not good for the human body. The levels of MGO in Manuka honey varies from very low to very high. So I believe (I'm no chemist) that eating manuka honey is fine but not to be confused with the MGO honey made to be used as an ointment.
Here's the link to the article that Wayne was referring to at the meeting . MGO

Guild Meeting Tonight - Extracting Honey

2011-04-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

Remember tonight is the Bee Guild meeting. Dr. Bee will be from 6:15 to 6:45. This is an open forum to ask a panel of bee keepers any questions you may have.
The guild will also have a short survey for you to fill out so, we can better serve our membership.
Please bring a pen or pencil to the meeting.

2011-04-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

CATCH THE BUZZ ™

This Time It’s The Right Time.
Check Out The Site, Take The Surveys.
Help Them Out. Got A Question, email or Call The Team.

Dear Beekeeper,

The Bee informed Partnership, a joint project among numerous universities and laboratories, needs your help and is asking you to please participate in two surveys. Both surveys are open only from 1 April through 18 April 2011. You can learn more about the Bee Informed Partnership at http://beeinformed.org/ . Thank you for your participation.
Please take 20 minutes out of your busy day to complete these two surveys.

1) Winter Loss Survey
Winter Loss Survey
This should take less than 5 minutes.

2) Past Year Management Survey
Past Year Survey
This should take less than 15 minutes.

The purpose of the Bee Informed Partnership is to use beekeepers' real world experiences to help solve beekeepers' real world problems. We will use the data generated from these two surveys to help you decide which management practices are best for beekeepers like you, who live where you do and have operations similar to yours. For this to work, we need as many participants as possible...so please take the time to fill out the questionnaire and SEND THIS EMAIL TO ALL THE BEEKEEPERS YOU KNOW asking them to fill out these questionnaires too.

Should you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us at askbeeinformed@gmail.com or call us at 443.296.2470.

You can learn more about the Bee Informed Partnership at http://beeinformed.org.

BE INVOLVED, BE INCLUDED, BEE INFORMED.
Thank you,
The Bee Informed Partnership Team

Swarm Season Has Started

2011-03-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

Now that the weather has warmed up, guild members are reporting record number of phone calls for Honey Bee Rescue. If you pick up a swarm, please make note of the location. The guild would like to keep track of where bees are most active.
This coming Monday is the guild meeting and the topic will be honey extraction.

Instrumental Insemination of Honey Bee Queens - Susan Cobey

2011-03-11T10:18:00.000-08:00

Parts of a hive

2011-03-08T16:07:00.000-08:00

Since we have so many new beekeepers coming to the bee guild meetings, I decided I would post a photo of what all the parts to a basic hive.

Randy Oliver Workshop June 11, 2011

2011-03-08T15:57:00.000-08:00

Save The Date -

Randy Oliver All Day Workshop

June 11, 2011

The Santa Clara Bee Guild will be offering an all day workshop with Randy Oliver, beekeeping expert and teacher on Saturday, June 11, 2011 in Los Gatos CA.
Workshop fee $45.00 (includes lunch)
Sign up at the bee guild meeting or send a check to guild treasurer Ed Lo (checks made out to SCVBG) 1388 Suzanne Ct. San Jose, CA, 95129

"Randy Oliver has kept bees for over forty years and now practices small commercial beekeeping in the Sierra Nevada foothills in Grass Valley, California, running about 500 colonies in an interstate migratory operation. He also researches worldwide scientific literature and beekeeping practices applying his knowledge to practical beekeeping in this country with a series of published beekeeping journal articles covering such topics as: management of the varroa mite, bee nutrition, nosema disease, and the critical pollination of the immense California almond crop. He holds a bachelors and a masters degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine and Humboldt State University, respectively. He has presented beekeeping classes and seminars since 1980, and is a popular speaker on beekeeping issues, maintaining a website with worldwide readership at scientificbeekeeping.com. He is a local naturalist and teaches science classes twice a week for elementary students."

FYI - Catch the Buzz Webinar

2011-03-01T12:13:00.000-08:00

CATCH THE BUZZ

Second Year and Beyond. Start Right This Year With A Webinar Just For You, March 9, 2011.
Bee Culture Magazine and Brushy Mountain Bee Supply feature another Fantastic chapter in their educational and informative Webinar series. Following on the footsteps of our last offering on Wintering with Mike Palmer, this time we’ll get going this season with a good plan, good information and everything you need to know to start right, keep going in the right direction, and finish the season strong and healthy. Don’t miss this timely and informative program.

Speakers this time include Shane Gebauer, General Manager and long time hobby beekeeper from Brushy Mountain with a southern perspective, Kim Flottum from Bee Culture Magazine, author and long time hobby beekeeper with a northern perspective, and Marygael Meister, founder of DenverBees, and hobby beekeeper with a mountain perspective.

Together these three voices cover much of the country’s different climates, geographys and practices. Be sure and tune in and be ready with questions if what you want to know isn’t covered. There will be time for question, and answers like always, so be prepared.
Below are instructions for signing up for this practical, informative and FREE Webinar.
Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/814801226

Title: Year 2 - Build them up, keep them healthy, and produce honey
Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

Dancing Bees

2011-02-04T18:09:00.000-08:00

Bee Dances

Since bees are deaf, they don’t use verbal language to communicate. Instead, they dance to share information and to make requests. (Bees receive the input both by sight and by feeling the vibrations dancing bees cause). Here are several of the most common bee dances:

Round Dance
Purpose: To inform other bees of nectar within 10 meters.
In this dance, the bee: Runs in small circles.

Cleaning Dance
Purpose: To ask another bee for a grooming.
In this dance, the bee: Stamps her feet and shakes her body.

Joy Dance
Purpose: To celebrate, for example, when a new queen emerges from her cell.
In this dance, the bee: Places her front legs on one another and pulses her abdomen up and down

Massage Dance
Purpose: To request a massage…even a bee needs a massage sometimes!
In this dance, the bee: Moves her head in a certain angle. Other bees respond by pulling her leg joints and touching her sides.

Alarm Dance
Purpose: When a food source is contaminated, bees dance to warn others of the danger.
In this dance, the bee: Vibrates vigorously and runs in a zigzag, spiral motion.

Tremble Dance
Purpose: To inform other bees that a large load of nectar has arrived in the hive for processing.
In this dance, the bee: Walks leisurely and wiggles their legs, causing their bodies to quiver and tremble.

Shake Dance
Purpose: To inform house bees to help the foragers collect nectar from a particularly rich source.
In this dance, the bee: Foragers shudder in front of one housebee at a time, to notify up to 20 per minute.

Whir Dance
Purpose: To motivate the colony to leave the hive and swarm.
In this dance, the bee: Runs in zigzags, whirs its wings and shakes its body.
Waggle Dance
Purpose: To explain the distance, direction and desirability of a nectar source farther than 10 meters.
In this dance, the bee: Makes two semi-circles and then runs the diameter of the circle. The straight side of the semi-circle shows direction, the running speed shows distance and the intensity shows the nectar’s sweetness and quantity.

Dr. Bee

2011-01-19T20:42:00.000-08:00

Something new we've added to our bee guild meetings is " Ask Dr. Bee". A panel of experienced guild members will be at the hall at 6:30 pm to answer your questions, one on one. The guild meeting will start at 7:00 pm.

Package Bee Orders 2011

2011-01-14T10:28:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The time has come to consider whether you wish to purchase packaged bees for 2011. The packaged bees will be available to all Bee Guild members in good standing (dues paid up for 2011 ).
The Bee Guild is again arranging the purchase and distribution of the packages. This year they will be 3lb packages with Italian queens included. The cost will be $70 (slightly higher than last year). The approximate delivery date will be just after the 1st of April. The delivery date may move a week or so due to weather issues and Almond pollination in the central valley.
The Guild will be accepting prepayment for the packages beginning immediately. Those of you wishing to purchase the package bees will need to get full and final payment to Edgar (Treasurer) no later than the March 7th Bee Guild meeting.
We will be accepting payment(s) at both the February 7th and the March 7th meetings. Or you may send your payments to Edgar by U.S. Mail.
Please make checks payable to:
SCVBG
and mail them to:
Edgar Lo

1388 Suzanne Ct.

San Jose, CA, 95129

January 2011 Meeting

2011-01-04T22:23:00.000-08:00

Had a great turn out for our first meeting of the year and several new members. Alan did a great job going over the basic set up of keeping bees.
Next month we will cover how to capture a swarm and splits.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T21:31:00.000-08:00

Wishing all the beekeepers a very Merry Christmas!

Bee Guild Holiday Party

2010-12-01T09:05:00.000-08:00

Remember this coming Monday (December 6, 2011) is the Bee Guild's Holiday party and board election. Party starts at 7:00 pm. Please bring a pot luck dish to share. The guild will be providing the plates, cups, drinks along with a ham and turkey.
The church policy is no alcohol may be served.

Bee Hive Scale

2010-11-16T18:46:00.000-08:00

(They should have asked the guys at the Santa Clara Valley Bee Guild to design this)

There is currently a NASA-sponsored nation-wide research project that asks volunteer beekeepers to take daily weight measurements of their bee hives. The data is used to estimate when nectar flows begin in order

to answer how changing climate effects honey bees.

The goal is to build an accurate, electronic bee hive scale for under $50 that allows anyone to weight 4 hives per minute - up to 250 lbs each - without materially disturbing the colony.
In my first year as a beekeeper, I had 2 out of 3 hives swarm. I think. I experienced a Tulip Poplar nectar flow. I think. I saw bees gather nectar - some days more than other days. I think. I say, I think, because I am led to believe that these things happened and I saw evidence that they did occur but I cannot be sure. And if they did occur, I cannot tell you if it was more or less than previous occurrences. But if I could have weighed the hive once or twice a day, I would have known for sure:
* I would know the population of the runaway swarm ...estimated at 3500 bees per pound.
* I would know the mass of nectar (and pollen) gathered during the day and of water evaporated at night. One pound equals roughly 1.04 US pints.
* I would know the number of bees foraging by monitoring the loss of weight in bees leaving in the morning.
* I would know the rate of growth of daily nectar collection as a nectar flow began.
* I could compare my hives with the hives of others and with my own hives in previous years.
Lord Kelvin said, "To measure is to know." If I could weigh a hive, I would know a lot more than I do now...
How to Build Link

Santa Clara Bee Guild Holiday Potluck Party - 12/6/2010

2010-11-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

We will be hosting our annual holiday guild potluck on Monday December 6, 2010 at the Willow Glen Baptist Church. We will also be electing new board members. If you interested in volunteering to be on the board, please contact any current board member.
The guild will provide the plates, utensils and drinks. Our rental agreement with the church is that no alcohol be served.

Jeremy Rose - Guild Guest Speaker - November 1, 2010

2010-10-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

Jeremy Rose, author of "Beekeeping in Coastal California" will be the guild guest speaker for our November 1, meeting.

Jeremy also a partner in the beekeeping company called "The California Bee Company, LLC" which exists to promote the health and well-being of honey bees. "We keep healthy bee hives using natural management methods. As an ongoing effort we are breeding healthy, gentle queen bees that have mite-resistant behaviors. Starting in 2011, we will be selling queen bees that are locally adapted to the California Coast." The California Bee Company also strives to encourage small-scale beekeeping, and in 2010 published Beekeeping in Coastal California, a concise book that describes beekeeping methods as well as the flowers used by honey bees in this unique area of the world.

Also This Week - Serge Labesque

2010-10-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Also this week:

FROM THE SAN MATEO BEEKEEPERS CLUB:
Special Guest Speaker:
Serge Labesque
Thursday October 7th at 7:30 pm
Doors open at 7pm but
NO BEEginners Corner

SERGE LABESQUE – OUR SPEAKER
THIS THURSDAY. VISITORS WELCOME!
We hope everyone has gotten the message that Serge will be our guest speaker this month. He’ll continue on the topic of Winter Prep, which Lothar Schicker also discussed last month. Bring pencil and paper for notes and questions: Serge has a wealth of information to share and promises to save time for a Q&A after his formal slide presentation.The last time Serge visited was April 2009 and we had one of our largest meeting turn-outs ever. “Serge’s goal is to maintain bee colonies by relying on the natural strength of local strains of bees, by completely eliminating the need for antibiotics or chemical compounds for pest and disease control, and through techniques that allow beekeepers to be self-sufficient practitioners.”

Beekeepers’ Guild of San Mateo County
Monthly General Meetings occur on the first Thursday of the month. Location: 1st Congregational Church, 751 Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont, CA 94002 ** GENERAL PUBLIC WELCOME **

October guest speaker - Dr. Eric Mussen

2010-09-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

Mussen is known for his expertise on honey bees and Africanized honey bees, including colony management, pollination, mite control and insecticide damage. His research interests focus on managing honey bees and wild bees for maximum field production, while minimizing pesticide damage to pollinator populations.
A member of the UC Davis faculty since 1976, Mussen received his bachelor's degree in entomology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and his master's and doctorate degrees in entomology from the University of Minnesota.

Mussen touts the importance of bees in pollinating crops, besides producing honey. "If for some reason we were to lose all of our honey bees, California would be out about $6.1 billion worth of crops," he said. "The nation would be out about $14 billion worth of crops and your diet and my diet wouldchange significantly because about a third of the food we consume everyday is the product of honeybee pollination."

The guild will be hosting Dr. Eric Mussen on
Monday, October 4, 2010
Willow Glen Baptist Church

1292 Minnesota Avenue,

San Jose CA 95125

6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.

Article from "Catch the Buzz"

2010-09-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

As keepers of honey bees in populated urban and suburban areas, we have a vested interest in ensuring that the USDA does not replace one potential problem with another. It could become a disasterous for us in Northern California, presently free of Africanized honey bees, if the USDA permitted honey bee colonies from Mexico to enter the US for almond pollination. I would think it highly likely that the dominant genes of apis mellifera scutellata would enter our already-limited honey bee gene pool.

Bee Culture Editorial:

The Almond Board today sent the message below to their handlers.

We do not yet have confirmation from USDA APHIS and are awaiting official word. But if honey bee importation from Australia is halted, as we have felt it should be from the beginning, the push for bees from somewhere else will intensify. Mention has been made of bees from Mexico or from Canada. The negotiations and dealing to make either of those work will be interesting to watch.

If African bees from Mexico are allowed to come to the U.S., will they cause problems in orchards? Will they come as colonies and return, or as packages and simply stay here like the bees from OZ?

Would Canada allow U. S. bees to venture north, as honey producers, pollinators or simply as queens in return for the chance at California's Gold? Would they bring colonies down early in the season…like next month…to overwinter in preparation for spring?

But would any of them actually want to come to Almond country and take the CCD gamble?

But the biggest question of all...Will there be enough U.S. bees next spring to meet the needs of the Almond Industry?

These scenarios bring out the good, the bad and the ugly side of all of this. Please stay tuned, the outcome will affect your beekeeping and honey packing business this season.

From The Almond Board to their Handlers: We received a heads up that USDA's Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will be halting the importation of all honey bees from Australia. The ban will take effect the date the Federal Register Notice appears, which should be in the next 2 weeks.

APHIS reconsidered the potential risk that imported Australian honey bees may pose of introducing new pests and diseases to honey bees in the U.S. Based on the continuing spread of a non-native bee (Apis cerana) in Australia and the uncertainties about what new viral diseases it may be spreading among bee populations in Australia, APHIS believes honey bee imports from Australia pose an unacceptable risk of introducing new diseases in the United States.

The ones that got away

2010-09-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

Before Lothar (bee guild member) could remove these bees, the condo management had them exterminate. There is now some discussion on what the "law" is about killing none threatening bee colonies or feral bees. There is something on the books but we are still unclear on what it means. Will have to give it to one of our more legal wise guild members.

Bee Guild Picnic 2010

2010-09-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

Our annual beekeeper picnic is

Sunday September 19, 2010

at the Craft's house
16380 Harwood
Los Gatos 95032
RSVP to Wayne Craft by September 15th
spaceIR@aol.com

Picnic is from 3:00 PM to whenever.
It is a potluck.
Bring a dish for about 8 people.
The club will furnishes:
Main course - BBQ chicken and beef
plates, silverware and cups
bottles of water
lemonade and tea.

I have plenty of tables, but only about 20 chairs, so those people who have folding chairs might bring them.
People with shades should arrive at 2:30 to set up.

We will have a super drawing. In addition to the five club door prize items including cases of honey jars, de-capping knife and a frame lifter tool, people have donated other cases of jars, beekeeper gloves, new swarm trap, a feeder, a candle mold, and lots of other stuff.

If you have any new stuff or extremely good condition used
stuff you wish to donate for the door prize drawing bring it along.

Workshop with Randy Oliver

2010-08-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

We hosted Randy Oliver (noted bee expert and author) this past weekend. It was a very informative class for both newbies and the old timers. Everyone attending had a great time. Yes, Randy does not suit up when working with bees.
We are looking forward to having him back next year.

Haagen Dazs Hibey Haven

2010-08-19T20:35:00.001-07:00

The bee research department is having a party to celebrate the first

birthday of a bee garden. Here's the first paragraph of the website
announcement:
Garden tours, hands-on demonstrations, educational speakers and children’s
activities will mark the grand opening celebration of the Häagen-Dazs Honey
Bee Haven, set from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 11 at the Harry H.
Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, Bee Biology Road, University of
California, Davis.
More details here.
http://beebiology.ucdavis.edu/HAVEN/havenopening.html

Randy Oliver - Workshop

2010-08-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

The emails have been sent to all those who have signed up and paid for the upcoming workshop with Randy Oliver on Saturday August 21, 2010. If you have not received it yet, let Lisa Itatani know ASAP.

There are still a few more spots left if you would like to attend.

The bees that went to Sunset magazine

2010-08-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

Photos of the bees that went to Sunset magazine's hives.

Sunset Magazine 2010

2010-08-04T13:06:00.000-07:00

(from the Sunset magazine blog 7/28/2010)

Wa-a-ay back in June we introduced the new queen Flora. We were so proud and happy.

And then, a month later, our hopes were dashed. We opened Flora, expecting a booming hive and found nothing. No sign at all that we had a mated queen. Sure, there were bees working away, but where were all the eggs, larvae, and capped brood? All we could find were cells half full of honey.
Our mentors all suggested finding a queen-right swarm (a swarm of bees with their queen) and combining them with our now queenless hive.
About two weeks after our discovery, Doug Smith, beekeeper with the Santa Clara Valley Beekeepers Guild, let us know he was was cutting out a hive that had been living in a garage wall for the last six months. Did we want it?
Indeed we did! Doug graciously put those garage bees into one of our empty bee boxes, along with their garage queen and some comb filled with larvae and brood. Then in the evening, when all of the foragers had finally come home for the night, one of our favorite blog readers, Tina K. (Rescuer of Nugget) wrapped the whole package up nice and neat so we could take it back to Sunset that night.
The next day we opened up Flora so that we could combine new hive and old hive, and what did we find?
The hive was bursting with brood! Queen Flora had laid eggs out to the edges of the frames, even taking over territory usually reserved for a ring of honey (that's why Kimberley is smiling in the photo at the top of this post). Now the hive is full of bees, and every afternoon at 2, a cloud of young bees hovers at the entrance as they take their orientation flights.

Unfortunately, our old friends, the varroa mites, seem to be multiplying (see the little red bumps on the backs of the bees in the red circles?).
But as you can see, except for the mites, the Lang hives are doing well, with Fauna stacked taller than we stand. She's filling those three supers with honey.
And we have this completely unrelated box full of swarm bees that we are adopting (that's the new hive, on top of the blue box that houses Flora. We have to make an ant-proof stand for her).
We'll need a name for the new hive. Readers, any suggestions? sunset blog link

Bee Memorial - Only in California

2010-07-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

Some idiot killed several hive in an urban garden near San Francisco. They sprayed the hives with some type of pesticide making sure not only to kill all the bees but contaminate the boxes. Today the newspaper reported that bee keepers held a memorial and burial for the fall bees. At first I thought how silly but from a public relations view point, it was a good move.
Hopefully more people will be made aware of the need for honey bees and what they do for our food supply. Here's the link to the article. newspaper article

Local Colony Removal 2010

2010-06-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

Please note there is a difference between a “swarm” and an established “colony”. The pictures depict a thriving colony that had been living on the exterior limb of a plum tree for at least 6 months.
Colony: A community of bees that has established residency for a period of time. Fairly permanent residence marked by construction of comb to support development of new bees and storage of food resources.
Swarm: A temporary cluster of bees that remains tightly clumped together for several hours to several days while scout bees search surroundings for a more habitable/permanent location. Once the scout bees identify a better location, they quickly depart leaving only a handful of scout bees that were in another location when the main swarm departed.

Beekeeping Webinar - June 1, 2010

2010-05-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

BEEKEEPING WEBINAR INFORMATION

On Tuesday, June 1, 2010, there will be a FREE webinar for everybody and anybody just starting out with bees this year. This is especially geared to those who tuned in earlier this year for our Urban Beekeeper Workshop with Cindy, Cameo and and Toni.
Entitled 6 Weeks as a Beekeeper, Now What?, the discussion covers what your bees should be doing now, what issues to look for that are problems now, and anything that might come up in the near future that you can prepare for now. We’ll be evaluating your queen’s productivity, examining brood patterns and balance, along with making sure there isn’t a drone laying queen or laying workers mucking up the works. Plus, we’ll be looking at IPM programs and options for varroa and other issues. Supering? You bet, it’s time to give those bees more room, or if not, we’ll look at why not. And in some places this year, feeding is still an issue…we’ll explore that too. Some may even have a crop ready to harvest, so we’ll take a look at those issues, along with getting ready to harvest… ;which most of us hope to do in just a little bit. This isn’t for Beginner’s only though, so if you just want a refresher or what to find out what the newest information is on any of these topics, come on along.
Kim Flottum, from Bee Culture magazine, and Shane Gebauer, General Manager and long time beekeeper from Brushy Mountain Bee Supply are hosting this Free Webinar. How to register is below.
Title: 6 weeks as a beekeeper...Now What?
Date: Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM EDT
Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/960734619

Open Invitation From the Gilroy Bee Guild - Top Bar

2010-05-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

At the Gilroy Bee Guild meeting on Tuesday May 11, 2010 they will be examining a top bar hive.

The meeting will be held at the Gilroy Grange on Swanson Lane in Gilroy at 7:00 PM.

I will bring my top bar hive and we will go thru it. I checked it out this afternoon and it's looking good, almost too good. Bring a veil - mandatory to view the top hive.

Also, Kathy will be demonstrating the making of lip balm and candles

Directions:

Going east on Leavesly from Monterey, Swanson is the first right after crossing Monterey. The Grange Hall is almost at the end of Swanson on the right.
Traveling west on Leavesly, make a right at the light at the gas station on the corner of Forest and Leavesly and follow the street around 2 right hand turns. The Grange Hall is just past the 2nd right turn on the left.

If you have questions, please phone me at:
408-644-2382
Wayne

Save The Date - Randy Oliver All Day Workshop August 21, 2010

2010-05-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

The Santa Clara Bee Guild will be offering an all day workshop with Randy Oliver, beekeeping expert and teacher on Saturday August 21, 2010 in Los Gatos CA. Workshop fee $35.00 (includes lunch) More details to follow.

"Randy Oliver has kept bees for over forty years and now practices small commercial beekeeping in the Sierra Nevada foothills in Grass Valley, California, running about 500 colonies in an interstate migratory operation. He also researches worldwide scientific literature and beekeeping practices applying his knowledge to practical beekeeping in this country with a series of published beekeeping journal articles covering such topics as: management of the varroa mite, bee nutrition, nosema disease, and the critical pollination of the immense California almond crop.

He holds a bachelors and a masters degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine and Humboldt State University, respectively. He has presented beekeeping classes and seminars since 1980, and is a popular speaker on beekeeping issues, maintaining a website with worldwide readership at scientificbeekeeping.com. He is a local naturalist and teaches science classes twice a week for elementary students."

Bee Guild Phone Book

2010-05-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

Don't get left bee-hind. Sign up now to be in the bee guild's 2010 phone book. Deadline May 20, 2010

Name
Snail Mail Address
Email Address
Phone Number

email itatani@yahoo.com

Soap Making

2010-05-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

We had a great presentation on how to make soap using honey and bees wax by Janet Baxter at our May guild meeting. All the members attending the meeting were given soap samples to take home. Very fun night!

Update on bee survey

2010-05-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

CATCH THE BUZZ
AIA Reports Winter Losses Just Over 33%
April 22, 2010

Dennis vanEngelsdorp1, Jerry Hayes2, Dewey Caron3, and Jeff Pettis4.This is a preliminary analysis, and a more detailed final report is being prepared for publication at a later date.

The Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA) and USDA-ARS Beltsville Honey Bee Labconducted a survey to estimate winter colony loses for 2009/2010. Over 22.4% of thecountry’s estimated 2.46 million colonies were surveyed.A total loss of 33.8% of managed honey bee colonies was recorded. This compares tototal losses of 29%, 35.8% and 31.8% recorded respectively in the winters of 2008/2009,2007/2008 and 2006/2007.

In all 4,207 beekeepers responded to the on-line survey and an additional 24 werecontacted by phone. This response rate is orders of magnitude greater than previous yearsefforts which relied on phone or email responses only (2008/2009 n=778, 2007/2008n=331, 2006/2007 n=384).

On average responding beekeepers lost 42.2% of their operation, this is an 8 point or 23%increases in the average operational loss experienced by beekeepers in the winter of2008/2009.

Average losses were nearly 3 times greater than the losses beekeepers reported that theyconsidered acceptable (14.4%). Sixty-one percent of beekeepers reported losses in excess of what they would consider acceptable.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is characterized, in part, by the complete absence ofbees in dead colonies and apiaries. This survey was not designed to differentiate betweendefinitive cases of CCD and colonies lost as the result of other causes that share the“absence of dead bees” symptom. Only 28% of operations reported that at least some oftheir dead colonies were found dead without dead bees. However this group lost a totalof 44% of their colonies, as compare d to the total loss of 25% experienced by beekeeperswho did not report losses indicative of CCD.

Responding beekeepers attributed their losses to starvation (32%), weather (29%), weakcolonies in the fall (14%), Mites (12%), and poor queens (10%). Only 5% of beekeepersattributed CCD as the major cause for their losses.

It is also important to note that this survey only reports on winter losses and does notcapture the colony losses that occurs throughout the summer as queens or entire coloniesfail and need to be replaced. Preliminary data from other survey efforts suggest that these“summer” losses can also be significant. All told the rate of loss experienced by theindustry is unsustainable.

1. Dennis vanEngelsdorp, The Pennsylvania State University/Apiary Inspectors ofAmerica (AIA), Past-President dennis.vanengelsdorp@gmail.com 717-884-21472. Jerry Hayes, Florida Department of Agriculture, AIA Past President,hayesg@doacs.state.fl.us 352 372-35053. Dewey Caron, Oregon State Univ., carond@hort.oregonstate.edu 302 353-99144. Jeff Pettis USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD,jeff.pettis@ars.usda.gov, 301 504-8205

Caging a queen

2010-04-27T21:47:00.000-07:00

top photo is the mating field. Second photo is caging a queen for shippment. The queen has mated and started to lay eggs, so she's good to go.

Queen Bee Grafting Yard

2010-04-27T21:44:00.000-07:00

Photo of where the queen bees are grafted.

Olivarez Honey Bees 2 Annual Hobbyist Day

2010-04-27T21:39:00.000-07:00

Two of our guild members went to Olivarez Honey Bees Warehouse for their hobbyist day on April 17, 2010 in Orland. There were bee demos,guest speakers,tours and a tasty bbq

Another Swarm

2010-04-07T16:01:00.000-07:00

An email from one of our Guild members
"Check out our new family. They arrived today. Gustavo heard them coming and within an hour they decided to take up residence on our beekeeping table.How convenient. He found the queen in a smaller bunch on the ground, picked her up with a stick and put her the box. Then, Voila, youknow the rest of the story".

Bee Survey

2010-03-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

CATCH THE BUZZ
Take the survey. Get Counted.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Beekeeper:
The Apiary Inspectors of America and the USDA-ARS Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory are seeking your help in tabulating the winter losses that occurred over the winter of 2009-2010. This continues the AIA/USDA survey efforts from the past 3 years which has been important in quantifying the losses of honey bees for government, media, and researchers.
This year’s survey is faster, easier and does not require your time on the phone. It is all web based and automatic, just fill and click. This survey will be conducted until April 16th, 2010. Please take a few moments to fill out our winter loss survey at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/beeloss0910

If you have any questions or concerns please email beeloss@gmail.com., or Honeybee.Survey@aphis.usda.gov
Thanks in advance for your assistance.

Jeff Pettis; USDA-ARS Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory
Dennis vanEngelsdorp; Penn State University
Jerry Hayes; Florida Department of Agriculture
Dewey Caron; University of Delaware and Oregon State University

The Swarms Are Here

2010-03-18T15:39:00.000-07:00

We are getting reports from our guild members that the swarms have arrived. Several have already been found new homes in guild members hives. This swarm was a "hot" one. The girls were not very happy when the beekeeper moved them. Several were able to get under his hood.

Package Bees - No more orders will be taken

2010-03-09T17:37:00.000-08:00

A few packages of bee are still available for $65. Please contact Tina at ttsbees@yahoo.com or Ed Lo. Mike from San Mateo has some reserved packages that can be purchased

UPDATE: No more orders for packages bees are being taken. 3/18/2010

Swarm 2010

2010-02-19T09:16:00.000-08:00

Small swarm Doug Smith picked up in Milpitas this week.

Free Beginner's Class

2010-02-03T08:18:00.000-08:00

Annual Free Beginner's Class
Mark your calendars!
The annual beginners class
will be on March 20 this year.
Contact Jill to register
bzwax@gmail.com

First Extraction of 2010

2010-02-03T08:07:00.000-08:00

Simple extraction done by Doug Smith

Packaged Bees 2010

2010-01-29T09:24:00.000-08:00

BEE PACKAGES:

Packages will be delivered in early April 2010. Payment will be required by the meeting in March.

They will be supplied by Olivarez Honey Bees, http://www.ohbees.com. The package size will be 3 pounds at $65 each.

TO RESERVE A PACKAGE, please send an email to kingbee@uvasgold.com with the Subject line containing 2010 BEE PACKAGE REQUEST

Looking to the 2 frame extractor

2010-01-23T21:43:00.000-08:00

We are looking for the guild member who has the two frame extractor. If you have it, please call Doug Smith at 408 802 1331.

How many bees in a pound

2010-01-21T09:45:00.000-08:00

"There are 95 bees in a pint and 190 bees in a quart, which is exactly 2 pounds of bees."
Wonder if someone really counted to make sure.

Bee Webinar

2010-01-19T14:08:00.000-08:00

Free Webinar On Urban Beekeeping
Sunday, January 24, 2010 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EST
________________________________________

We will hear from 3 experienced Urban Beekeepers. Learn from these people and issues they confront and mistakes they have make.

Toni Burnham has been an urban beekeeper for 5 years, starting with 2 still-thriving hives on her Capitol Hill rooftop. She now manages 10 hives in the city and the suburbs, mentors about a dozen other urban beekeepers, participates in teaching at several local short courses, and is Vice President of the Maryland State Beekeepers Association. One of her great privileges in 2009 was an invitation to inspect the beehive managed by Charlie Brandts at the White House. She has blogged her beekeeping experiences at http://citybees.blogspot.com

Cameo Wood currently owns a beekeeping supply & honey shop in the Mission district of San Fran cisco, California called Her Majesty's Secret Beekeeper. I enjoy this a great deal, as I'm helping to create food, pollinate flowers and fruit trees in my city, and I am contributing to making the world a little better. She keeps a few hives in the Mission and Castro districts of San Fran cisco , and is working on putting up new hives all the time! She has only been working with bees for the last year, but this has been her life and full time job since she started building her store in October of 2008.

Cindy Bee (yes, it’s really her last name) is a beekeeper near Atlanta , Georgia . She is a past President and currently on the Board of Directors for the Metro Atlanta Beekeepers’ Association. They meet in the heart of downtown Atlanta where there are a good number of beekeepers who have their hives in small backyards there. As a club, they’ve had beehives at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens , Zoo Atlanta, and other inner city locations. Cindy has a fulltime business removing bees from within structures for the past 14 years, and most of her removals are in the Atlanta area neighborhoods.

Register Online: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/153470658
This message brought to you by Bee Culture, The Magazine Of American Beekeeping.

Looking for the two frame extractor

2010-01-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

We are looking for the guild member that has the two frame extractor. The last person that had it, can't remember who they past it on to. So if you have it please call Doug at (408) 802-1331 so we can update the list.

Bee Guild Yahoo Group

2010-01-07T09:06:00.000-08:00

One of the bee guild members started a Yahoo group. This is not a official Bee Guild site but a nice forum to post questions, chat or topics of interest to our members.

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/SantaClaraValleyBeekeepersGuild/

Wayne Pitts set up a facebook page in need of more members. Here's the link

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=98158388875

January 4, 2010 Bee Guild Meeting

2009-12-30T09:45:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year,

MEETING INFO:
Our January 4, 2010 meeting will be held at the West San Jose Library,
1243 San Tomas Aquino Road, San Jose 95117
From 6:30 -9:30 PM
Our speaker will be Lothar Schicker discussing Late Winter/Early Spring Hive Maintenance

The 6:30 start time is to allow for a little swarming before the actual meeting at 7:00 PM

DUES:
Dues, $15 for an individual or family, are now due for calendar year 2010.Technically we can't do any financial transactions at the library, so please mail your dues to our treasurer, Ed Lo.
Ed Lo
1388 Suzanne Ct.
San Jose, CA 95129
Please include your name, phone number, address, both US Mail and email with your check.

BEE PACKAGES:
Packages will be delivered in early April 2010 Payment will be required bythe meeting in March. They will be supplied by Olivarez Honey Bees, http://www.ohbees.com/ The package size will be 3 pounds at $65 each.

SWARM LIST:
The swarm list has been purged. New signups are required to be added to the list. Information needed is:
NamePhone numberArea to be serviced
(This year there are some requirements to be added to the list.)
All dues must be current. If you have been previously on the list, the all dues paid requirement is all you need. If you haven't been on the list, we assume that you do not have experience collecting swarms and request that you ride along on at least 2 swarm captures prior to requesting being added to the list. Above all, safety is the most important item. Don't try to capture a swarm that will require a trip to the hospital for repairs to your body. The"free" bees aren't worth the pain, misery, and cost. Kaiser's emergency roomminimum is $100. A 3 pound package is $65. Buy a package and save $35. I generally update the list on Sunday evening, so there may be up to a 6 day delay between your request and its posting.

CONTACTING YOUR OFFICERS:
Click on the Contacts link in the left hand frame at http://www.beeguild.org/ and send us a message.

See you at the library,Wayne

A Little Bee Keeping House Cleaning

2009-12-20T08:29:00.000-08:00

The Guild board met this past week to go over the meeting topics for 2010, budget and by-laws update. So here are some of the highlights:

1) Membership dues will now be a flat $15.00 per household due at the beginning of the year.
2) Swarm list will be cleared and all members must sign up again at the start of 2010. There are requirements for new members who wish to be added to the list which will be discussed at the next meeting.
3) Election of a parliamentarian to the board at the January meeting. If interested please contact a board member or email me at litatani@pacbell.net
4) The Guild meetings will begin at 6:30 for those who wish to socialize or speak to other bee keepers before the speaker's presentation at 7:30. There will also be an hour after the meeting depending on the speaker.
5) Copies of the by-laws will be available and the updates will be voted on by the membership.

Bee Guild Holiday Party

2009-12-03T09:35:00.000-08:00

The Santa Clara Bee Guild and Morgan Hill Bee Guild will be co-hosting it's annual holiday potluck party on Sunday, December 13 at the Gilroy Grange. The Guilds will provide Honey Baked Ham and dessert. Please bring your favorite beverage and a dish that can serve 8 or more people.
RSVP to: kingbee@uvasgold.com by 12/10/09
Gilroy Grange
8191 Swanston Lane
Gilroy CA
Directions from Santa Clara/San Jose:
101 South Leavesley Road exit, westBe in the left lane as you pass the 3rd light. Swanston has a left turnaccess about 200 feet after the 3rd light. (if you get to railroad tracks,make a U-turn and Swanston is the first right.) Turn left onto Swanston. Pass ABC Roofing Supply on the right.The Grange Hall is on the right hand side. It's a historic school buildingWe will eat about 6PM. The Hall will be open at 5.

At this party the Santa Clara Guild will elect it's new board members, so if you're interested contact a current board member.

Local Bee Keeper Need Help

2009-12-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

Guild member Therese McCoy were keeping bees on property that was burnt out this past year in the Santa Cruz Mountain fires.Their two colonies survived - even though everything around was burned, including the cabin where they stored ALL their beekeeping supplies.They are interested in buying any kind of basic equipment - as if starting fresh (hive tool, frame grip, wooden ware etc.)If anyone has extra equipment they’d be willing to sell, please contact Therese McCoy at:theresemccoy@hotmail.com

Photo and Doll by:
Wee-mee Whimsies

John Hood

2009-11-29T16:26:00.000-08:00

We just received word that John Hood passed away. He was a long time member of the Santa Clara Bee Guild. Our condolences to his wife Dolores and family. The Bee Guild will be making a donation to the Heifer Bee Hive program in memory of John.

Something for every bee keeper

2009-11-23T08:03:00.000-08:00

Here's the link to the latest pin up bee calendar.
All the proceeds goes to the Sunflower project which helps provide bee loving flower seeds and honey bee awareness to the general public.
http://www.greatsunflower.org/

Another Photo From Nepal

2009-11-23T07:47:00.000-08:00

This was a building right across the street from the very small airport in Chitwan that I flew out of to catch my flight in Kathmandu.

Nepal Bees

2009-11-21T09:56:00.000-08:00

This hive was at the river lodge camping area I was at when I went rafting down the Seti river in Nepal. The ends are sealed with clay mud. It has two openings but there was a problem with the translation so I never found out why. The hive was in narrow alley between the dining hall and kitchen. The bees were everywhere but the cooking staff didn't seem to even notice them.

Nepal Bee

2009-11-14T21:53:00.000-08:00

I finally learned to use the macro feature on my camera. I only saw bees around the lower level trail lodges flower beds while I was in Nepal. The marigolds grow to the size of tall shrubs and the bees were busy working on them. I never saw them on the trails or in the big city of Kathmandu.

Bees in Nepal

2009-11-11T18:07:00.000-08:00

I went trekking in Nepal this month and came across a small village up in the mountians call "bee village". Almost all the houses in the village have hollowed out trees hanging under the eves, with either mud or wood planks covering the ends. Most of the hives were empty and I can only guess because they has just harvest the honey in October or they leave them out in hopes the bees come and set up shop. When I showed interest in the hives, the elderly beekeeper went up and whacked at the hive. I can only guess to make the bees more active for my photos. They get about 2 liters of honey from each hive. I not sure what is done with the beeswax, since that part didn't make it through the translation from my guide.

Lothar's Swarm 2009

2009-10-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

Attached is the image of my October 8, 2009 bee swarm. The swarm settled around 3 PM and by 7:30 PM I provided the bees with a new home and now I will have to feed them. First they will get drivert sugar and a half pound pollen patty then 2:1 syrup with Fumagilin.
This swarm came out of one of my colonies but I could not determine which one. I hope that the virgin queen in the source hive will find mates this late in the year.
Lothar

Heifer Project Donation

2009-10-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

The Bee Guild voted to donate $120.00 to the Heifer International Bee Hive program. Our donation will provided four hives to those signed up for the program.
Here's the link if you would like more information or if you wish to make a donation. http://www.heifer.org/

Essential Oils and Bees

2009-10-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

Eric Mussen talked a little on the use of essentials oils in the reduction of some RNA viruses. Eric did stress caution since it's a fine line between being helpful and deadly for the bees.

Guild member Wayne Crafts is putting together a booklet (base on his notes and research) on the use of essentials oils in beekeeping. He will make copies available for the guild members.

Here is a link to a site Eric Mussen suggested to find out more about essential oil use.
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/naturaloils.html

October Guild Meeting Highlights

2009-10-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

Just some of the misc. information from the Bee Guild meeting last night.
Our speaker was Eric Mussen who is always a wealth of information. More on that later.

Guild member, Jim Campbell would like to take a survey on how many hives each of us have. If you would like to participate please email fuzzy.campbell@spcglobal.net

Marc Vallancey has arranged for a local brewery to make up a batch of beer honey for the Guild if we provide the honey. Alan Henninger volunteered to donate 5 gallons to the cause. After the beer is made, the guild members are welcome to a tasting at the brewery. Email Marc for more information. marc@vallancey.com

The guild is looking for a portable P.A. system for our next meeting. Please let us know if you have one for us to borrow.

October Meeting at Harry's Hofbrau in San Jose

2009-10-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

Our next guild meeting will be at Harry's Hofbrau on Saratoga Ave in San Jose. October 5 at 7:00 pm. Dr. Eric Mussen will be the speaker. The meeting will be held in one of the private rooms at the restaurant.

Guild BBQ on Sunday

2009-09-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

Remember the Bee Guild BBQ is this Sunday.

Guild BBQ

2009-09-09T10:09:00.000-07:00

It's time to have our annual BBQ! This year it will once again be held at the Craft's residence at 16380Harwood Los Gatos 95032. The Guild will provide meat and drinks, please bring a potluck dish that can serve 8 hungry beekeepers and a chair for each attendee. Spouses are welcome. Pleae RSVP Carolyn at (408) 266-0945 so we can have enough meat for everyone. If you have a shade canopy, please bring it for setup around 1:30PM and the party will start at 2:00 pm. What day, did I forget that? It's September 20, from 2 'til ?

Proteins Cited In Bee Colony Collapses

2009-09-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

News article from Associated Press - Washington

Researchers have a new clue to the collapse of honey bee colonies across the country: damage to the bees "internal "factories" that produces proteins. Theories about the cause of bee colony collapse have included viruses, mites, pesticides, and fungi.

The new study of sick bees disclosed fragments of ribosomal RNA in the gut, an indication of damage to the ribosomes, which make proteins that are necessary for life, according to a study in today's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

RNA, which is made from DNA is central to protein production.

The sick bees suffered an unusually high number of infections with viruses that attack the ribosome, the researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Campaign and the US Department of Agriculture reported.

"If your ribosome is compromised, then you can't respond to pesticides, you can't respond to fungal infections or bacteria or or inadequate nutrition, because the ribosome is central to the survival of an organism. you need proteins to survive," said May R. Berenbaum, the head of the department of entomology at Illinois, in a statement.

The researchers said the varroa mite, which was accidentally introduced to the United States in 1086, is a carrier of viruses that damage the ribosomes.

The mite may act as a tipping factor leading to ribosome breakdown, the researchers said.

The study was funded by the Department of Agriculture.

Do The Honey Bee

2009-08-31T20:07:00.000-07:00

Here's the link to the full story about the youtube video.

Bee Guild BBQ

2009-08-31T16:40:00.000-07:00

The bee guild BBQ is set for September 20, 2009
2:00 pm
hosted by Wayne and Carolyn Craft. 16380 Harwood Los Gatos 95032
It's a pot luck so please plan to bring a side dish for at least 8 people and your own chair.

RSVP 408- 266-0945

New Book - Farm City by Novella Carpenter

2009-08-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

This is a fun book about a woman who started a farm in a vacant lot in the middle of one of the rough areas in Oakland. She is also a bee keeper with one hive up on her deck. It's a fun book to read - a little on the gritty side but very entertaining.

Getting Ready for Fall

2009-08-10T07:15:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder that the Bee Guild will be meeting tonight at the Saratoga Library at 7:00pm.

Lothar will be presenting "getting your hives ready for fall".

We are also looking to see if anyone would like to host the guild's BBQ and potluck in September. Contact Charles or Lisa if you would like to volunteer.

Bee My Wife or Are They Nuts?

2009-07-27T18:30:00.001-07:00

Bee my wife
A Chinese couple have got married wearing clothes made of thousands of living bees.
Li Wenhua and Yan Hongxia are both enthusiastic beekeepers and work for the Nanhu forestry commission at Ning’an city in northern China.
And despite the fact that most of their pals kept their distance, the couple were still delighted with their new clothes.
Husband Li said: "I have been working with bees for two decades and it was the obvious choice for us for our big day.
"I also wanted to set a world record for the biggest coat of bees - I put a queen bee on each of us but the only thing is it was impossible to count how many bees we had - I don't know if a guess is enough?"
His wife added: "It was an amazing feeling to have a carpet of living bees moving over my body.
"I could feel them as they moved around - it was amazing. I have always loved bees but this was a totally new experience."

Guild Field Trip - Rabbit Foot Meadery

2009-07-21T23:45:00.000-07:00

The guild will be going on a field trip Wednesday to the Rabbit Foot Meadery in Sunnyvale. We've booked the place for after hours from 7:00 - 9:00. It will be more a social than the usual lecture (at last at this point) format we have. Remember there is a cover charge of $5.00 per person. We will have some snacks but if you would like to bring some along to that would be great. See you there.

No Meeting Tonight

2009-07-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

Remember there is no Guild meeting tonight. We have a field trip instead to the Rabbit Foot Meadery in Sunnyvale on Wednesday July 22, 7:00 - 9:00.

Bees hit the big leagues

2009-07-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

Here's the link to the story about the swarm that stopped a big league baseball game down in San Diego this week. Hope this well help people understand you can have them removed and not killed when they come to visit.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/The-Padres-buzz-is-back-Wait-it-s-just-a-swa?urn=mlb,174480

Heifer International Bee Project

2009-06-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

The Bee Guild has been asked by some of our members about donating to the Heifer International bee program. Here is a link to an article written by a Heifer staff member.
http://www.causecast.org/news_items/7821-business-is-buzzing
It's a very interesting organization with a long history of helping communities develop skills to be able to support and help themselves along with future generations.
The Guild board is considering this and would like input from our members.

Questions to ask before you decide to take me home

2009-06-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

If you're new to beekeeping and thinking about capturing your first swarm (it's late in the season for swarms now) here is a basic list of questions you should ask before you head out the door.
1) Is it bees and not wasps?
2) How long have they been in that location? Helps to know if it's a swarm or colony. Sometimes you can tell by how long they have been there.
3) Location of bees, how high up and what type of access will you have to them
4) Name, Phone and address
By asking these simple questions you will know if your up for the job or if someone else on the swarm list should be called. It's also important that you have your own equipment - ladders, boxes and pruning shears on hand.
Part of the mission of the Bee Guild is to help educate the general public on the importance of honey bees and relocate swarms to a more productive site. Explaining what you are doing to the homeowner is a very important part of the process too.