Deconstructing Dinner,

This spring Beekeepers discovered a 90% loss on Vancouver Island. Deconstructed Dinner has an interview with Paul van Westendorp, provincial apiculturist, ministry of agriculture & lands, Province of British Columbia and Bob Liptrot, co-owner, Tugwell Creek Honey Farm & Meadery (Sooke, BC) about the collapse. You can listen online or if you have a slow connection you can download the program.

OH MY GOD! Run for you lives.

Too venomous to allow to exist.

In case you missed it...

Kim Flottum editor of Bee Culture Magazine and author of The Backyard Beekeeper. will be the keynote speaker at Bee Buzz this weekend. Rich Fisher interviewed him this week on Studio Tulsa. You can listen to the Interview online.

Big Bee Buzz Starts Tonight.

Registration Starts at 5:30.

Eastside Christian Church.

15th and Harvard

Countdown to Bee Buzzzzzzz

Bee Buzzz is March 19 and 20th. This is the annual NEOBA Trade Show and Workshop. Cost is $25.00 for Friday night and Saturday.

Friday:

5:30pm Registration.
6:00pm Opening Announcements and Welcome.
7:00om BBQ Dinner.

Saturday:

8:30am to 4pm
Speakers and Vendors and Pot Luck Lunch.

It will be held at Eastside Christian Church, 15th & Harvard Ave.

This is a good opportunity to get to know the Honey Bee community here in North East Oklahoma. If you are thinking about getting started with Honey Bees you might find some local Beekeepers who still have some Bees for sale.

Regular NEOBA meetings are the second Monday of the month at Eastside Christian Church at 6:30 pm. This meeting will be the annual plant exchange.

Honey Report for December.

We had a very interesting NEOBA meeting last week. The December meeting is a time to reflect on the previous year and share your accomplishments or disasters. I didn't feel when about half the beekeepers complained about little or no Honey this year. I ended the year with one hive (hopefully) having enough honey stored to survive the winter and one in chaos. Not sure if they will make it or not. The big topic at the meeting was a desire to built up the bee industry here in Northeastern Oklahoma. So with that in mind, if you want to start keeping Honey Bees now is the time you place your orders. I limited experience has me to recommend buying Okie survivor stock. Usually you can find bees for sale on Craigslist, or you can hookup with someone on the NEOBA Group. Here is the USDA Honey Report for December

October Honey Report

The USDA Honey Report for October. I think this year was hit and miss for local Beekeepers. I didn't get any honey from my hives. I did get stung 3 times when I was moving the hives to my new location. I am seeing lots of pollen coming in so the Bees have adjusted to the move and seem to be foraging.

Colony Collapse Disorder????

Is it Cell Phone Towers or Not. The article from India caught me by surprise. This claim was debunked in the United States, and Europe some time ago. In fact I can't seem to find anything newer the 2007 debunking the "Cell Tower" theory. I can tell you about my own experience. Being in an Urban area, my hives are surrounded by Cell Towers, and other sources of electromagnetic energy. My Bees seem to be able to leave and return.

I have two of of these spiders living over my compose bin.

I have always called them Orb spiders. I guess in doesn't matter what you call them just don't kill them. The two living over my compose bin eat an incredible amount of house flies.