Fall 2011 Volume 27 #3 BRITISH COLUMBIA HONEY PRODUCERS
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Fall 2011 Volume 27 #3 Promoting and Encouraging Beekeeping in British Columbia since 1920 BCHPA Website: www.bcbeekeepers.com BRITISH COLUMB IA H ONEY PRODUC ERS' A SSOC IATION Publications Mail Sales Agreement No.40828130 Inside: • Formic Acid Registered • Production Stats 2010 • Queen Differentiation Factor • Looking for Love • Site C Threatens Beeyard • Homemade Queen Cages • Canada's Top Chef Allen Garr Catching a Swarm at YVR • Queen Rearing Recap Photo taken by Chris Comeau of Vancouver, BC • DAY Project Update • VSH Quick Tests • Honey Bee Emotions? • AGM Speaker Profiles To: • Magic Bus Book Review • Day of the Honey Bee Photos • Vanishing Bees Film Review VOLUME 27, #3 FALL 2011 1 • AGM Registration Form Letter from the editors . We have just recently returned from a trip to Quebec, where known. We have we were fortunate to be able to spend some time with fam- an update on the ily and friends that we don't get to see very often. Ian grew progress of the up in a small town in the Eastern Townships amongst a close DAY project, knit circle of families that have managed to maintain a special as well as notes connection, throughout many years of not being in as close of from the recent proximity as they once were. Lives have changed, the kids have workshop which took place within the framework of the DAY all grown up and are strewn around the globe, but it's easy to goals. This workshop provided tools for breeders to aid in stock see that the links between them have remained strong. selection in regards to Varroa resistance and tolerance. Dr. Ste- As we settled down to dinner one evening with a few of phen Pernal, who led the workshop, has also provided us with these fne folks, Ian's mom Ione, who was carrying the last detailed background information on the technique. bowl of food over from the kitchen, stopped in her tracks just The queen rearing workshops that were held by the BCHPA as she reached the table. She laid her hand on her chest and this spring are reported on here; many beekeepers are coming spoke a single word - 'naches' (pronounced with a hard 'ch' as out to learn various methods of raising queens, and take advan- in Bach) - a Yiddish word which means joy. She took in the tage of the benefts of association. curious looks, and then went on to explain that her mother had Here also is an account of a feld day which took place in often expressed her happiness this way, when surrounded by Grand Forks, the frst of it's kind in BC. A grand attempt was the atmosphere created by good friends and loved ones. She made and the results were not as hoped for, but much was came from a Russian background and grew up on the Lower learned by those who came out and there is even greater enthu- East Side of Manhattan where she spent a great deal of time siasm for another attempt next year. with the Jewish families in her neighborhood. She worked in These and many more examples of the benefts of collabora- their homes and came to learn their culture and language inti- tion can be found inside, not the least of which is the hard work mately, a collaboration that enabled her to survive a childhood that the executive of the BCHPA has done to put together this that wasn't always easy and gave her an alternate frame of ref- year's AGM. This is our best chance of the year to get together erence to see the world from. The infuence she felt from them and make our association work the way it should; our partici- was so great that she managed to pass some of their ways of pation and input are a vital part of what makes it a democratic expression on to her own children. organization. It's like coming together with extended family - it That's the essence of joining forces - unexpected strengths isn't always easy, and it often involves coming a long way to a or insights can be created when diverse points of view come space outside of our comfort zone - but in the end it somehow together, and the knowledge that is gained can be passed along becomes clear that the connection is in many ways an essen- again and again. Within our industry it is an essential part of tial part of who we are, and that we could not accomplish the moving forward, and in this issue, we bring you a few instanc- things we do without that 'family' of people to work with and es of people coming together to share ideas, build upon exist- learn from. ing principles, and in one case, head out in search of the un- We look forward to seeing you there! ❀ ADVERTISING AND DEADLINE INFO: BeesCene is published quarterly (February, May, August, November) by the British Columbia Honey Producers’ Association (BCHPA). BCHPA represents BC beekeepers and is the voice of 100% of the managed BC honey bee colonies nationally through the Canadian Honey Council. BeesCene is delivered free of charge to all members. Non-member subscriptions are welcomed: $50/year (Canadian funds). Deadline for submissions: 15th of the month prior to publication (i.e. July 15th for the Aug. issue). A complimentary sample copy will be sent on request. RATES FOR COLOUR: ADVERTISING RATES: Spot Full Process 1x Cdn 4x Cdn $25/issue $75/issue Book annually $75/year $250/year Business directory $27.50 $82.50 1/8 page $68.75 $206.25 and save 25%! ADVERTISING & 1/4 page $137.50 $412.50 EDITORIAL CONTACT: Heather Sosnowski 1/2 page $275.00 $825.00 Editor, Advertising, Full page $550.00 $1650.00 BeesCene Covers $605.00* $1815.00* 12180 Hislop Road, * Note: Cover availability varies; preference is given to annual booking. Telkwa, BC V0J 2X1 Classifieds: maximum 50 words ~ $22/per issue tel 250-877-3495 email: [email protected] UponPublisher: receiving BC Honey your Producers’ invoice Associationplease make cheques payable to BCHPA. Graphic Design and Layout: Jill Schick - [email protected] Publications Mail Sales Agreement No. 40828130 Additional Editing and Proofing: Ian Bissonnette – [email protected] Return undeliverable Canadian Printer: Gazette Press, St. Albert AB addresses to: P.O. Box 1650, Comox, B.C. V9M 8A2 2 VOLUME 27, #3 FALL 2011 VOLUME 27 #3 FALL 2011 In This Issue BRITISH C OLUMBIA H O N E Y PRO D U C E RS' ASSO CIATIO N Message from the President 5 Passings - John Niblock 28 Beelines from BCMA 6 Honey Bee Cognition Research 29 From the UBC Research Lab 9 AGM Speaker Profles 30 Canadian Honey Council Report 11 BCBBA Directory 32 DCA Field Day 12 Tolerating Pesticides 33 Clips From the Past 16 Children’s Book Review: Inside a Beehive 34 News from Hudson’s Hope 17 Day of the Honey Bee Photos 36 Builder’s Corner 19 Calendar of Events 38 Dale Mackay’s Honey Cakes 20 Film Review 39 Spring Queen Rearing Workshop Review 22 Regional Reports 41 Motions for the Floor 23 Club Contacts 43 DAY Project Workshop Update 24 Membership Form 44 Varroa Sensitive Hygiene Testing 26 Classifeds & Advertiser Index 47 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN BEESCENE ARE THE Your First Choice OPINIONS OF THE AUTHORS AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED TO BE THOSE OF THE BCHPA. For Healthy Bees FUMAGILIN – B OXYTET–25 • FOUL BROOD MIX APISTAN/CHECKMITE+ FORMIC ACID • BEE-REPEL Our cover story: "Being an urban beekeeper in Vancouver for SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR OXALIC ACID more than 15 years I have managed to pick up swarms in some OPTIMISER APPLICATOR FOR O.A. pretty interesting places besides the usual high tree branches BEE SHAKERS and garden walls. On Saturday July 9 I was called out to Vancouver International Airport's South Terminal to pick up From Bee Supply Dealers or a swarm on the wing tip of what I'm told was a Gulfstream Medivet Pharmaceuticals Ltd. 200 jet, a small corporate plane. It was a small secondary swarm that settled on the wing tip and was reachable while I 4 - 55 - 9th Avenue S.E. stood on the ground next to the plane, while major jets were High River, Alberta T1V 1E6 landing not far away. You could say I caught them just as they Telephone 403-652-4441 Fax 403-652-3692 were planning to leave town. The swarm now makes its home [email protected] www.medivet.ca at VanDusen Botanical Gardens." - Allen Garr VOLUME 27, #3 FALL 2011 3 BCHPA CENTRAL EXECUTIVE AND EXECUTIVE AT LARGE 2011 President Stan Reist north oKanaGan R.W. Bob Chisholm 6124 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, BC V9T 2L6 331 Valley Rd, Kelowna, BC V1V 2E5 tel 250.390.2313 fax 250.390.5180 tel 250.762.2203 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] 1st Vice-President Wayne Neidig s outh oKanaGan Blair Tarves PO Box 1650, Comox, BC V9M 8A2 208 Ritchie Drive, Cawston, BC V0X 1C2 tel 604.591.1385 tel 250.499.2555 email: [email protected] s outh VancouVer island Brian Scullion 226 Ontario St, Victoria, BC V8V 1N2 2nd Vice-President Barry Denluck tel 250.385.7129 PO Box 1650, Comox BC V9M 8A2 email: [email protected] tel 250 598-1159 email: [email protected] n orth VancouVer island Larry Lindahl PO Box 1491, Lake Cowichan, BC V0R 2G0 secretary Brenda Jager tel 250.749.6425 email: [email protected] PO Box 1650, Comox, BC V9M 8A2 tel 250.755.5834 sunshine coast Allan Cobbin email: [email protected] 2737 Lower Road, Roberts Creek, BC V0N 2W4 tel 604.886.7006 email: [email protected] treasurer Pauline Thompson PO Box 1650, Comox BC V9M 8A2 Fraser Valley Courtney White tel 250.339.3423 4530 198 Street, Langley BC V3A 1E8 email: [email protected] tel 604.309.1684 email: [email protected] Prince GeorGe John Phillips 2595 Ellison Drive, Prince George, BC V2M 3S2 terrace-sMithers Yvette Favron tel 250.564.6531 P.O Box 275, Terrace, BC.V8G 4A6 email: [email protected] tel 250.638.1533, fax 250.638.1151 email: [email protected] cariboo reGion Kurt Williams 615 Hodgson Rd, Williams Lake BC V2G 3P8 boone, hodGson, WilKinson trust Fund tel 250.305.5081 email: [email protected] Dr.