Our March meeting was a record breaker. Between the Beekeeping 101 class and the regular meeting and annual meeting we had many people coming and going, but it seems the head count exceeded 100! What a great accomplishment for our club and heads of our committees and fellow beekeepers to see the growth of this long-lived organization.

There was a line of members to pay their dues and to date we have 130 paid members and many more on the mailing list who have not yet paid. Please send in your dues as soon as possible, it is making these great programs available to you and we have lots of great things in store this year.

We welcome new members Irina Potapova, James Purtee, Maria Hoffman, Don Pelchuck, Lasha Tartarashvili, Thomas Hancock, Steve Chapey, Walter Doroski Jr., Suzanne Cahill, Jo Rambo, and Adolf Koenig to our club. And if anyone knows Judith Landry please have her contact me. She paid dues but I did not receive an information sheet and cannot send her the newsletter since I do not have her email.

I am looking forward to getting my bees this weekend. It is sad not to see anyone flying, so I have sugar syrup ready and waiting, and my flowering quince is all in bloom in anticipation.

Due to an overwhelming request from northern and western beekeepers who have not had adequate good weather opportunities to inspect all their colonies, the Bee Informed Partnership is extending the National Online Winter Loss and Management Survey until April 30th. It is hoped this allows many more beekeepers to participate and join the thousands who have already participated. All beekeepers are encouraged to take the survey !

Click the link and take the survey!
http://10.selectsurvey.net/beeinformed/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=BIP2012

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

Last month was the end of our fiscal year, so after our guest speakers (the wonderful Dean and Ramona Stiglitz) completed their presentation (the “Microbial Culture of the Hive") we held our annual meeting. Each of the Club’s board members had an opportunity to talk about what was accomplished during the past year, what their respective goals are for the coming year, and answer questions from our members.See More...

Interested in beekeeping, but not sure of what's involved? Attend our free beekeeping for new-bees class: Beekeeping 101.
Before our regular monthly meeting, from 1:00 to 1:45 you learn some of the basics of beekeeping and find out if it's right for you.
Our meetings are held at Smithtown Historical Society Frank Brush Barn, 211 East Main Street (Route 25), Smithtown.

Here is the proposed class schedule for this year:
Lesson 1: March - Selecting the Right Equipment for your Beekeeping Experience
Lesson 2: April – Starting a Hive of Bees and Overwintered Colony Revival
Lesson 3: May – Colony Buildup and Swarm Prevention
Lesson 4: June – Honey Production and Processing
Lesson 5: July – Queen Replacement and Colony Multiplication
Lesson 6: September – Fall Preparation
Lesson 7: October – Winter Preparation
Lesson 8: November – Spring Preparation

You can read the April newsletter from the Empire State Honey Producers Association here:
http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=84212338dd107852d694d9b24&id=386bb64e2d&e=acb4090199

Heckscher State Park, Saturday, April 27, 11-4
Family oriented festival in celebration of Earth Day. Children's crafts, environmental displays, pony rides, nature walks, and more.

LIBC will have a booth at this event. To volunteer to be a Club Ambassador at this event, send us an email to let us know what hours you can volunteer.

Are you a science hobbyist?

We need your help with a new National Science Foundation sponsored research study that will investigate the characteristics and educational experiences of people who are active in science hobbies. More and more people are engaging in science hobbies; schools and science centers would like to know more about the characteristics of science hobbyists and how these organizations might better support hobbyists’ networking and education.

What will happen if you take part in the study?

The information gained from this research can help science educators and researchers understand how to better teach science in schools and museums, and how to design better community-based science programs. Participation in this study is voluntary. Information you provide will be anonymous. If you complete the survey, you may elect to enter a drawing for a $100 Target gift card.

Survey Link: http://tinyurl.com/NCSUhobbysurvey

Thanks!
Dr. Gail Jones
North Carolina State University

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

It’s time for some reader participation. I want everyone who reads this column (that’s right, all three of you), to sit up and exclaim, “I am the future of beekeeping.”See More...

What a great meeting we had last month! Standing room only with 83 members in attendance. The panel discussion of four of our Master Beekeepers was lively as was the discussion which followed. When you get four Masters together you get at least 10 different opinions. Add new beekeepers and seasoned beekeepers it made for an interesting meeting. As always the refreshments were delicious. Thank you for all who brought the tasty treats. The swap and sale had some interesting items. Hopefully that will be an ongoing event.See More...

What a great meeting we had last month! Standing room only with 83 members in attendance. The panel discussion of four of our Master Beekeepers was lively as was the discussion which followed. When you get four Masters together you get at least 10 different opinions. Add new beekeepers and seasoned beekeepers it made for an interesting meeting. As always the refreshments were delicious. Thank you for all who brought the tasty treats. The swap and sale had some interesting items. Hopefully that will be an ongoing event.See More...

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

Hopefully you got all your seeds ordered and are ready for your spring gardening.See More...

Saturday, March 2: 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
"Grow Your Own Honey: Gardening for Beekeepers"
New York Botanical Garden class given at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, NY
http://conted.nybg.org:8080/WebModule/jsp/ed2df.jsp?df1=slayout:133GAR270&df7=search__eierman

Sunday, April 7: 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
"The Honey Bee Garden: Gardening for Urban Beekeepers"
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
https://classes.bbg.org/CourseStatus.awp?&course=13WAEGARHBG

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

Well, I guess it’s that time of the year again. Actually it’s past that time of the year, but I suppose January it’s still early enough to make resolutions for the rest of the year. I guess I can just start with that list of resolutions from last year, there’s probably a few on there that I never ”resolved.” Now where is that? Ah, here it is, right where I left it last year.See More...

There will be novice classes in 2013 at the following locations:
Bridgehampton, East Meadow, Huntington, Riverhead, and Saint James.

For more information: http://www.longislandbeekeepers.org/guide/novice/novice.html

Looking for beekeeping equipment? Queens? Bees?
Check our Classifieds page.

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

Last year I wrote about poinsettas and how to keep them alive and well after the holiday season. (Look it up). Last month I wrote about houseplants.
Today I like to call your attention to: OrchidsSee More...

We have a double-header for the January meeting.See More...

Happy New Year everyone. I hope you all are ready for the busy year we have planned for you. See More...

For those who could not attend the last Queen Rearing Group meeting, here are the minutes of the meeting.See More...

The Ontario-Finger Lakes Beekeepers Association and Finger Lakes Beekeepers Club will be hosting the 3rd Annual Geneva Bee Conference.See More...

By Juergen Jaenicke
(Research from the internet and other sources)

It isn't difficult to make your yard, garden or even patio space a haven for honey bees. You'll be helping these insects as well as being able to watch them collect their nectar and pollen right in your own backyard.See More...

We need your help to spread the good word about honey bees and beekeeping on Long Island.
Every year the Club participates at various events on Long Island where we set up tent, exhibit an observation hive, display sample equipment, hand out information, and answer questions about bees and beekeeping. We need knowledgeable and enthusiastic members, like you, to help the Club at these events.
We're asking our members to volunteer a small amount of their time to be a Club Ambassador. Upcoming events are listed below and on our Special Events web page. You can send us an email or sign up at our next meeting, to let us know which event and what hours you can volunteer.
No one can spread the word about the importance of honey bees and beekeeping better than a beekeeper!

The Planning Committee for the 2013 Conference & Short Course is proud to introduce not one, but two, keynote speakers for our annual event!

Dr. Mark Winston, Simon Fraser U. & Mr. Brian Snyder, PA Association of Sustainable Agriculture
The keynotes will be delivered on Wednesday, August 7, 2013 . . . but wait, let me take a step back for those of you who haven't been to an EAS Conference week before.

The format of this annual event follows:
The "Short Course" normally spans Monday and Tuesday. In 2013, two tracks will be offered and there is an extra day for some of the course topics to overflow into Wednesday.

On Wednesday, though, the Conference and Worshop Series begins with the keynote addresses and ends with a social gathering at a near-by picnic ground.
If you're not too tired by quittin' time on Thursday, you should attend the annual Auction Dinner, which is a fundraiser for the research grants that EAS awards each year.

Throughout most of the week, your favorite vendors of beekeeping supplies, books and gadgets will be on hand with their wares. In the same vendor area will be bee fabric for the quilters, bee art & jewelry and much, much more!

And, oh yeah - there's a HONEY SHOW with prestige and prizes to be won. Admit it, you're proud of your bees' work! So bring it, enter it and show it off!
By Friday, you will have met so many new and interesting people, you will want one last chance to get together with them before it's over - the Annual Banquet!

Pennsylvania's own Maryann Frazier is ably organizing the program for Wed. through Fri. Invited speakers are confirming their intention to be with us and pinning down the titles of their talks and workshops. Check the EAS website often for confirmed speakers, lodging information and other updates.

There's so much to see and do in and around West Chester, PA that you may want to make it your family vacation! Spend a day or two touring together in Philadelphia, Valley Forge or Dutch Country. By Wednesday, they'll know their way around on their own and you can get back to the conference! Or stick around an extra day at the end and enjoy the PA State Beekeepers Association Picnic, complete with a "hive crawl" and mead tasting, in a nearby urban area on Saturday August 10.

Pennsylvania beekeepers will welcome you warmly! See you in August!

You can find a copy of Howland Blackiston's presentation from November, Mead Madness, including the recipes, in our Digital Library.

We are looking forward to our Holiday Party. Please remember that we usually have a grab bag of bee related gifts valued up to $20. There will also be a raffle for a gift basket and some great door prizes. This is a wonderful time for meeting and talking and having fun with fellow beekeepers in a relaxed setting with lots of good food. Please let me know as soon as possible if you plan to attend.See More...

Check our Special Events page to see the many beekeeping events scheduled for 2013.

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

In Part 1 of this column, I wrote about some of the ways and means our outreach program helps to educate the general public about the benefits of bees and beekeeping.

Here in Part 2, I will be writing about how important the Club’s outreach program is in combating one of the chief threats to beekeeping: ignorance.See More...

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

There isn't much left for you to do in your garden, but rake leaves and water.
Make sure your evergreens get plenty of water. The more water the better they will overwinter.
Your mums need deadheading and water.
You can rake your leaves and put them in bags or you can do as I do and dig a big hole and rake them all in the hole and mix with your fertilizer next year or as mulch and spread over your vegetable beds.
Keep things clean! Rake out under the bushes and beds. The cleaner your garden, the better your start in the spring.
So what do you do with your "green thumb" in the winter? How about some houseplants?See More...

Here is the birthday cake my niece Mandy made for me for my birthday this month. The queen bee on top is wearing a crown! My kids surprised me with a lovely party and it was wonderful to have my whole family together for this milestone celebration. See More...

Howland Blackiston, Mead Madness: How to Make Honey Wine at Home
Doors open at 1:30, the meeting starts promptly at 2:00

Smithtown Historical Society Frank Brush Barn, 211 East Main Street (Route 25), Smithtown, at 1:30 PM.

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

This just in: Impatiens are suffering from a "blight", that makes them lose their leaves and kills them. See More...

This has been a busy month for the club for our education and outreach and lots of fun. We sponsored booths at the Old Bethpage Village Restoration and spoke to many school groups and families. See More...

Inspired by the recent revival of the "I Love NY" campaign by New York State, Pat Bono had designed an "I Love NY Honey" logo for ESHPA. Stickers, banners & t-shirts will be available at the ESHPA Picnic. Please contact Pat@ESHPA.org if you would like to download a version of the logo for your website or to print promotional items.

Local Honey, beeswax candles, soap, and lip-balm all make great gifts for the holiday. Check out our list of local beekeepers and see what they have to offer at a location near you.

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

Autumn is a busy season for the Club and its volunteers. Within the past few weeks our Outreach Director, Marianne Sangesland, has been coordinating the Club’s educational displays at the Second Annual NYC Honey Festival in Rockaway, the Long Island Fair at Old Bethpage, the Theodore Roosevelt Nature Center Fall Wildlife Festival at Jones Beach, and the Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park Fall Garden and Harvest Festival in Oakdale. See More...

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

I just walked thru my garden, a walk I take every morning and picked up three more tomatoes. (Everything seems to be too early or too late this year.) I make sure, that I always carry my clippers with me on my walk. There is always something that needs cutting.See More...

As I have done for many years, Labor Day weekend has always been my honey extracting time. Thanks to Giuseppe Caso who came to help me with the lifting I was able to open the hives on a hot day with a pleasant breeze...See More...

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

It lasted for seven years. I guess I shouldn't complain, since I never had to pay for it. But still...See More...

From the New York Times:
Beautifying the D Line
Christopher Russell, 52, a Manhattan sculptor, is one of 10 artists commissioned by the M.T.A. Arts for Transit and Urban Design program in its latest project to enhance New York subway stations.

Mr. Russell was entrusted with designing bronze gates, 7 feet high and 6 feet wide, at the Ninth Avenue Station in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. The gates depict honeybees crawling on hives, and the posts of adjacent fences will have honeybees resting on 17 finials shaped like flower heads.

The gates are expected to be presented in the fall after the station, an Arts and Crafts-style copper-roofed structure built in 1916, has been fully renovated. Although the gates are operable, riders will not pass through them, but will simply admire them (or tremble in their presence).

Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/02/garden/a-sculptor-creates-a-stop-on-the-bee-train-qa.html?_r=1

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

1. Don’t prune or fertilize trees or shrubs now; otherwise unnecessary late growth will be promoted. The new growth will not be hardy this winter...See More...

My bees seemed to have gotten a late start due to the new frames that I gave them. I had to throw away a lot that were ruined by the small hive beetle. But they finally got caught up and seemed to be doing well...See More...

"I am developing a market on Long Island at The Milleridge Inn in Jericho and
would love to team up with you and your members. Lange Eylandt Market will
showcase a handful of select vendors found on Long Island and across the
region.

Dating back to the 17th century, The Milleridge Inn is one of the oldest
buildings on Long Island. Settled by Quakers, Jericho has a rich history in
farming. That being said there is little evidence of that industry in 2012.
I grew up on Long Island and can tell you the area is in desperate need of
good, healthy, natural food AND a throw back to craft.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Cheers!"

Danielle Franca Swift
646-244-9555

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

Every spring I watch people buy all kinds of annuals. They lug home flats of impatiens, marigolds, zinnias, etc. Annuals are, in the strictest sense, plants that complete their life cycle in one season. These plants can germinate, grow, flower, and set in one year or less. Which means, they have to be replaced every year.See More...

Well we had another fantastic meeting last month. There were 55 members attending and 10 new members joined us. We welcome new members: Jane and Jon Sherman, John Holden, Linda Payoski, The Duclay Family- Thierry, Veronica, Kilian, Sean, Jennifer and Maya.See More...

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

Life unfolds. Like undoing an origami crane or trying to flatten a crumpled ball of paper. Sometimes it opens along sharply folded lines; other times it only comes undone with torn creases and frayed edges. But each act of unfolding reveals something new inside. At times something pleasant, occasionally unexpected, now and then sad. Nevertheless, undoing the fold forever leaves an enduring wrinkled crease in the paper.See More...

Dear Members of the Long Island Beekeepers Club,
It is with great sadness that we tell you of the death of Dave Alexander, after a long and valiant battle against cancer. Our thoughts and sympathies are with his wife Moira and their family. Dave served on the Club Board as Corresponding Secretary up until 2011 and was a fixture at Club meetings. He will be missed by his fellow beekeepers.

The wake will be at the Nolan Taylor-Howe Funeral Home, 5 Laurel Avenue, Northport, on Saturday, June 30, from 7:00 to 9:00, and Sunday from 2:00 to 5:00 and 7:00 to 9:00. The Funeral Mass will be held on Monday.

In lieu of flowers Moira has asked that donations of Bee Hives be made to Heiffer International (www.Heiffer.org) in Dave's memory.

Thanks to Grace for these photos of Frank Kiss retrieving a swarm on June 23, 2012.See More...

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

Not everyone has the space or the strength to dig an herb garden. That’s where container gardening comes in.
Herbs give so much pleasure for so little work. They look good, often smell good and usually taste good. Best of all, they thrive with little fuss.See More...

Busy bees were buzzing around the hive today. I was going to open them up but by the time I got home from church it clouded over so I decided to wait till tomorrow. Instead I hung out in the hammock and was delighted to see the hummingbird return after two years. See More...

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

Honey bees use a mechanical device similar to an accelerometer to sense gravity.See More...

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

I repeat this every year and cannot stress it too much! You can’t grow anything worthwhile in poor soil! Lime your soil for proper pH balance.See More...

UPDATE: Check out “Liquid Gold” in this month’s May issue in LI Pulse Magazine.
http://www.lipulse.com/dining-nightlife/article/liquid-gold/

This past weekend, Pulse Magazine did a photo shoot and interview with Club member Wayne Vitale at his apiary, Spy Coast Bee Farm.
Here are some photos of the, well, of the photo shoot.


Wayne says: "It was a gorgeous spring day and the bees were gentle, as always. The visitors from Pulse were pleasantly surprised upon entering the real world of the honey bee. We were all intoxicated with the good vibes of each other's company and nature's blessing of the honey bee."

Look for the article in the May issue of Pulse Magazine.

The perfect beekeeper is he who, although still as enthusiastic as he was at the outset, knows how to apply, in time, the lessons which experience has taught him and to adapt himself with tact to circumstances.See More...

The perfect beekeeper is he who, although still as enthusiastic as he was at the outset, knows how to apply, in time, the lessons which experience has taught him and to adapt himself with tact to circumstances.See More...

What a fantastic meeting we had last month. I hope you were there to enjoy a full house of over 50 members and a line all the way down the hall to pay dues! Thank you all for paying so promptly. See More...

by Anne Frey

How good are your honey, candles, mead, photos and baked goodies? Bring your efforts with you to EAS in Burlington and show them off! Have you ever had a customer tell you your honey was the best she had ever tasted? Are you proud of your candles? Join in with others this summer and strut a little. The EAS Short Course and Conference will be held August 13-17, and the Honey Show is Thursday the 16th.See More...

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

I'm happy to report that our Club's website has been as busy as a, well, you know.

From January 1st of 2011 to January 1st of this year we've had 11,233 visitors to the website (that’s right – over 11,000 visitors! That’s 2,000 more than in 2010). Out of those visitors 7,967 were first-time visitors and the remaining 3,266 were people who came back for another look. That's an average of about 22 new visitors to the website every day. Our best day last year was on May 9th when we had 107 visitors.See More...

Sean’s bees were flying on Tuesday, last night it snowed. The bulbs have their stems poking up, and this weekend the forecast is for more snow. This is the craziest winter ever! Next week my schedule is to finally clean up the mess from the small hive beetle. I had some success selling 1980 Smurfs on E-Bay, so I ordered some new brood chambers. My old ones had all the corners split and broken, the bees had too many entrances. I found an item I never saw before, hive corners. I’m going to try them and hope that will protect the new equipment. The hardest part will be taking my door handles off the old boxes and putting them on the new. We had started using them when Clifford had his stroke and could no longer hold onto the hive easily. I find it so much easier to grab onto the handles that I continue to use them. It will be nice to have some new equipment after so long.

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

2012 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the Club. We’re going to start things off in February with taking the first couple of steps in our reorganization of the Club, kick off our Local Nuc and Queen Rearing Program, and we’ll have our first guest speaker of the year.See More...

Happy New Year fellow beekeepers. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Are you preparing your hives for the spring? With the unseasonable weather we are having our bees may be ready before we know it.
Our Board of Directors met this week and are planning the activities of the club for the coming year. So far we have two great speakers planned with several others contacted and waiting for confirmations. Please mark your calendars for our meeting dates so you won’t miss the chance to hear our excellent guests.
I have already received a few checks from members renewing their dues. Thank you. The sooner we receive them the better we can plan our budget. We also welcome new members Margaret Lindner, Jennifer DeFazio, and Philip Ioco.

Would you be interested in participating in a regional (Long Island) Queen and Nuc production project with the club?

• African bees were found in Georgia last year. How long are we going to be able to import southern packages and nucs onto the island?
• There are many who believe that locally raised bees are going to be necessary to continue beekeeping in the northern areas.
• There is evidence from a study in Maine that locally produced bees are better investments than either southern packages or nucs.
• West Virginia has been fostering a locally produced bee program for several years and it is now up and running.
• Larry Connor has been encouraging local clubs to organize local queen production for bees adapted to the local micro-climate.

Several individuals in the northeast have been producing local queens and nucs for several years. We would like to get those interested in participating in such an endeavor to get together to discuss.
The first meeting to discuss this possibility, the possible methods of organizing, investment necessary and the workings will be held at the home of Ray Lackey, 1260 Walnut Avenue, Bohemia, NY 11716-2176, on Saturday February 4, at 7:00 PM. You are requested to RSVP if coming at lackeyray@tianca.com.

9:30 am- 5 pm Saturday March 31, 2012, in the Huxley Theater in the NY State Museum, within the Cultural Education Center. 222 Madison Ave., Albany NY

Speakers : Maryann Frazier of Penn State University and Randy Oliver of Scientific Beekeeping will enlighten us with 6 consecutive presentations.
See More...

Novice classes are held in Holtsville, Riverhead, St. James, and Bridgehampton.

Master Beekeeper Ray Lackey, Long Island Beekeepers Club, is offering a number of beekeeping courses in 2012 for the absolute beginner, novice beekeeper. We are planning a number of different locations and meeting schedules so that you can pick the one that is best for your schedule and/or area. Our instructor has been keeping bees on Long Island for 28 years. He regularly speaks at garden clubs, schools and bee clubs on beekeeping and bees.

We have two different novice class formats:
1) One-day Crash Course, 7.5 hours class-time, 8:15 AM to 4:15 PM on Saturday, February 25.
2) Season-long Class - Monthly evening class of 1.5 hours preceded by an hour in the bee yard over 9-months, February through October, following the bee year.

First year costs for starting a bee hive are approximately $600. Help ensure your success and preserve your investment by taking a class to get you started right! We must have at least 15 at a site to continue with that class so pick a class and tell your friends! If the class is cancelled due to insufficient registration, I will contact you with option of other classes or tear up check. No checks will be deposited until the class is a go.

Crash Course: This is a condensation of the season-long class without any bee yard time. You can take the course to improve your beekeeping, start your bees this year or in preparation for a possible future start. The fee is $100.00, including text book, Pizza lunch and snacks at breaks. If you are taking the season long course but want an up-front summary so that you know what you are getting into, or if you have taken the season-long class and want a review, cost is $50 to attend this class (no book provided).

Season-long Class - The fee is $200.00 for the entire course of approximately 30 hours, including text book. You can take the course to improve your beekeeping, start your bees this year in parallel with the class or in preparation for a possible future start. Pick the session that best fits your schedule and location. Class comments from last year emphasized the benefit of the bee yard time.

For more information on this or other beekeeping classes, or to register for the novice classes, please go to:
http://www.tianca.com/tianca2a1.htm
Or Call Ray Lackey at 631-567-1936

Each class will only go forward if a minimum of 15 are registered by February 7.

Nucleus colonies of Honeybees are also available from Ray. For more information, visit:
http://www.tianca.com/tianca2a2.htm

I hope you are all getting ready with your holiday preparations. My family can expect some wonderful lip balm, new chocolate-orange flavor, and hand lotion bars. See More...

Well another honey judging contest is over with lots of new members proudly displaying the fruits of their hives. Thanks to Ray for all his work to judge the entries and explaining his critiques. It is difficult to learn that we have made mistakes in submitting our entries so it is these opportunities that we can learn how to improve our techniques in bottling our honey, or molding our candles and wax, or shooting that particular photograph. See More...

Thanks to Charlotte DiStefano.See More...

Congratulations to all the Winners!

Light Honey
First prize-Jessica James
Light Amber Honey
First prize-David Dew, Second prize- Joan Mahoney, Third Prize-Jessica James
Amber Honey
First prize-Charlie DiStefano, Second prize-Stephen McDonough, Third prize- Debra Schramm
Dark Honey
First prize-David Dew, Second prize- Giussepe Caso
Comb Honey
First prize-Charlie DiStefano
Novelty Packaged Honey
First prize-Arthur Nelson
Novelty Beeswax
First Prize-Charlie DiStefano
Frosted Cake
First prize- Charlotte DiStefano
Soft Cookies
First prize- Jessica James
Candy
First prize-Jessica James
Gadget
First prize-Jessica James
Arts & Crafts
First prize- Arthur Nelson, Second Prize- George Schramm
Photography
First prize- Moira Alexander, Second prize- Conni Still

To members of the Long Island Beekeepers Club, Inc.: In accordance with Article IX of the proposed Bylaws, let this statement serve as notification of intended ratification of the document titled “Bylaws of the Long Island Beekeepers Club,” dated October 18, 2011, as the bylaws of Long Island Beekeepers Club, Inc. Said document is the proposed text of the Bylaws, and has been included in the Club’s newsletter for November 2011 and published on the Club’s web site.

For a guided tour of the proposed Bylaws, see the President's Message for November 2011.

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

One year ago, in this space, I announced that the Long Island Beekeepers Club had incorporated as a not-for-profit under New York State law, thus making it easier for us to operate in today’s world and assuring the long-term viability of our organization. In conjunction with this announcement, we also started revising the Club’s Bylaws.See More...

I am sorry I was not able to attend the Long Island Fair at the Bethpage Restoration Village. I understand a good time was had by all. Congratulations to Ray Lackey, Moira Alexander and Donal Peterson for their winning honey entries. I hope we will see those at our club honey judging contest. Please note the change of time for that meeting. We will begin early so we will have plenty of time since we must vacate the building by 4:30 PM.See More...

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

The design and construction of the perfect bee house has always held a certain fascination for me. A small shed to store beekeeping equipment would certainly free up some room in the garage, and a place to secure the hives and provide some additional protection from the elements wouldn’t be bad. Also, having a single location to keep the bees and the equipment together would be convenient; no more schlepping everything out to the beeyard.See More...

Alexander the Great: Conquered the world, then died thousands of miles from home - his men carried his preserved body home for burial in a golden coffin filled with honey.
Aristotle: This Greek beekeeper and scientist used simple hives with wooden strip top-bars. Some of his observations about bees were pretty clever, others were dead wrong.
Ben Franklin: With everything from bi-focals, lightning, and the US Constitution in his realm of interests, it is not surprising he is mentioned by Thomas Wildman as a patron for Wildman's 1768 Treatise on the Management of Bees.
Brigham Young : A very famous American beekeeper... His interest in bees led to Utah being called the 'Beehive State' and having skep hives as emblems.
Charles Butler: This naturalist and beekeeper realized the "King Bee" is a "Queen Bee" - he wrote Feminine Monarchie. In 1609, he discovered that drone bees are male bees.

The LIBC has set up a Yahoo Group to allow members to exchange ideas and information. Group membership is only available to members in good standing.


Click to join the Long Island Beekeepers Club Yahoo Group (Members Only)

The Club also has a Facebook page!

For our Club’s first meeting in 2011 we were honored to have Dr. Thomas D. Seeley as our guest speaker. Dr. Seeley is a Professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell University, where he teaches courses in animal behavior and does research on the functional organization of honeybee colonies. His presentation at our meeting focused on his current research into swarm intelligence, as discussed in his latest book, “Honeybee Democracy.”

Presentations like Dr. Seeley’s help the Club to achieve its objective to further the general knowledge and success of its member beekeepers and to provide a forum for cooperation among beekeepers and those that work to improve the welfare of beekeeping and honeybees.

As a non-profit organization, the Long Island Beekeepers Club is solely dependent on the contributions of its members in order to bring eminent speakers, such as Dr. Seeley, to Long Island. As a beekeeper you’re aware of the beneficial impact bees have in the pollination of fruits, vegetables, and flowers, and how important it is that we continue to provide educational programs for the promotion of beekeeping, and bee products and services for beekeepers on Long Island. We can only continue our mission through your financial support.

So please renew your membership today by visiting our Membership page here on the website. We have information on where to send your check, or how to pay your dues quickly and easily online, right now. Thank you for your continued support.

Executive Board
Long Island Beekeepers Club

Local news item on the statewide effort to establish a standard definition of honey in New York:
http://rochester.ynn.com/content/politics/552910/beekeepers-lobby-for-movement-on-honey-bill/?ap=1&MP4

Empire State Beekeepers are also circulating an online petition:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/support-pure-honey-in-new-york-state.html

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

As an architect, one of my primary responsibilities is to communicate. Typically, I have two audiences to communicate with: the client and the construction contractor. For the client, I would use renderings and models to communicate the intended appearance of the building. For the contractor, drawings and specifications communicate the knowledge necessary to construct the building appropriately. In both cases the instruments of communication need to be clear, concise, correct, and complete, and convey the intended work results, but the drawings and specifications are more technically oriented and require specialized knowledge, while the renderings and models are intended for a more general audience. But in both cases the goal is the same: to communicate the appropriate understanding of how the building will look when it is complete.See More...

By Charlie Hall, Ocean State Follies, presented at EAS/RI July 27, 2011

13. The windshield of your vehicle has at least two yellow dots on it.

12. You pull over and check the bees on the wildflowers just to see if they are YOUR bees, and you can tell the difference.See More...

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

1. Don’t prune or fertilize trees or shrubs now; otherwise unnecessary late growth will be promoted. The new growth will not be hardy this winter......See More...

Courtesy of Wayne Vitale, Spy Coast Bee Man

• One cup of sugar syrup (50/50)
  • One cup of white vinegar
  • Brown banana peels

Pour mixture into a two liter plastic soda bottle with a one and half inch diameter hole cut out just below the neck of the bottle.
Let bottle with mixture ferment in cool dark place for twenty four hours.
Place bottle with rope for hanging. Replace every two weeks.
I have three bottles hanging in my Apiary and one in my honey barn.

Dear LI Beekeepers:

Long Island Farm Bureau and its agricultural partners are planning a one day Farmers Market event on August 5th from 12:00-5:00 PM at the Suffolk County Farm in Yaphank. We would like to invite your participation in this event. If you would be interested in being a participant, please let us know and we will happily furnish you with the paperwork to become a vendor. Paperwork is easy and not at all involved.

As time is short, please let us know if you are interested.
Deadline for paperwork is August 2nd.

Newsday has had small blurps about our event. Perhaps you have seen it.

Thanks for your time.

Ceil Carpenter
LI Farm Bureau
104 Edwards Ave-S#3
Calverton, NY 11933
631-727-3777
ccarpenter@lifb.com
www.grownonlongisland.com

Carl Flatow wants to create a little buzz for someone he admires.

Since September 2009, Mr. Flatow has been lobbying for a postage stamp honoring Rev. Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth, a towering figure in the history of beekeeping.

"The guy was an American hero, an icon really," says Mr. Flatow of the reverend, who patented the first movable frame bee hive in the U.S. in 1852.

Mr. Flatow, 60 years old, rallied support from beekeepers across the country, wrote letters and gathered signatures, hoping a stamp would be issued in time for the 200th anniversary of Rev. Langstroth's birth, last December.

Read More at http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903461104576458703778752160.html
#articleTabs=article

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

1. Blossom-end rot on tomatoes is caused by moisture fluctuations. Regulation of soil moisture and mulch will help.
   2 Be aware of aphids and horn worms causing damage on tomato plants. Use a recommended insecticide for aphids if infestation is severe and remove the hornworms by hand.....

See More...

Supporting local beekeeping by becoming a member of the Long Island Beekeepers is now just a click away, and renewing your membership couldn't get any easier.

The Club now accepts credit cards, so now you can pay your membership dues online, safely and securely.

Just visit our "Membership" page, then click on the "Beecome a Member" button and you will be automatically transfered to a secure PayPal-hosted page where you can complete the payment for your membership using American Express, Discover, MasterCard, or Visa, or if you have a PayPal account, you can use that too.

Your credit card information remains safe and secure with PayPal's encrypted website; the Club does not store, nor have access to, your credit card data.

Still not convinced that becoming a member with your credit card is safe and secure? Then visit our "Membership" page for more information about PayPal, including how to create a secure account of your own.

With the increasing interest in building and maintaining top-bar hives, we've added a web page on our website where members can exchange ideas and information. For more, visit our new forum by clicking on the link in the menu on the left.

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

1. Plant roses only in places that get at least six hours of sunshine daily – roses love sunlight, especially morning sun....See More...

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

If you were fortunate enough to be able to attend our meeting in May, you saw a presentation by our guest speaker, Sam Comfort of Anarchy Apiaries, discussing, among other topics, top-bar hives. See More...

Read about our Club's Vice-president in this article on Three Village Patch:
"Wayne Vitale is the Spy Coast Bee Man, a beekeeper whose sale of honey plays second fiddle to his main, expressly stated goal of “bringing bees back to the world.”"
Read More...

Anarchy Apiaries is proud to announce the first ever Beekeeping Bootcamp. A three day beekeeping intensive based in Germantown, NY, Friday – Sunday, May 20-22.
See More...

CATCH THE BUZZ: Mining the Honey Bee Genome

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, One Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY

What does it mean for a community that focuses on one organism to have that organism's genome sequenced? Just ask researchers who gathered this week at the Honey Bee Genomics and Biology Meeting at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island, New York. It's the first time such a conference has been held since the honey bee genome was sequenced, and over the course of the past three days it's become abundantly clear that this is a field transformed, greatly expanded and diversified from just four years ago.

Read More...

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

(With apologies to Raymond Chandler and Philip Marlowe.)

It looked like another dark and stormy night. So I took off my wet sunglasses and squinted at the bright sunshine of a cool spring day. The Kingsley Apiary was, and is, on Olive Street, near Sixth, on the west side. The garden in front of it had a fresh coating of immaculate green sod. A hatless pale man with a face like a halibut was planting dandelions into the sod and looking as if it was breaking his heart.See More...

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

1. Make second and third sowings of beets, carrots, peas, radishes, spinach, lettuce and onions...See More...

Read the Newsday article "Long Island Beekeepers Help the Planet" which features the LI Beekeepers Club: http://tinyurl.com/43dlbak

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

Most vegetables and ornamental plants thrive in a slightly acid soil with a soil pH reading between 6.0 and 6.9. A proper soil preparation, before planting, is a vital step toward gardening success. See More...

Again we had a standing room only meeting....See More...

Long Island Beekeepers Club Monthly Meeting Minutes, March 20, 2011
Holbrook Ecology CenterSee More...

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

At the end of this month, on April 30 and May 1, New York State will be hosting a Spring Festival at Heckscher State Park. The Club has been invited to participate by setting up a table at the event to promote the benefits of bees and beekeeping. Since one of the goals of the Club is to educate not just beekeepers but also the general public, this will be a great opportunity (one of many I hope) to fulfill that mission.See More...

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

On October 11, 2010, a man in Georgia, who was operating a bulldozer, unintentionally aggravated a colony of bees and received over 100 stings and died of cardiac arrest. The Georgia Department of Agriculture collected samples of the bees and submitted them to a laboratory for testing. Nine days later the laboratory confirmed that the bees were Africanized honeybees (AHBs). Fortunately, it appears that this was an isolated incident and AHBs are not established in the state of Georgia at this time.See More...

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

1. Send for those seed and nursery catalogs so you can plan your garden in advance...See More...

I really hope that snow has an insulating property...See More...

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

If anyone was under the impression that climate change, also known as global warming, was going to be a good thing for honeybees, you need only look outside today (December 27, 2010) at blizzard conditions and below freezing temperatures for a reality check. See More...

Check out these fascinating videos on bee behavior and culture newly posted on the Science Friday website:
http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/201012245

(Thanks to Club member, Carl Flatow, for the link.)

Cerise Mayo, a beekeeper in Red Hook and Governors Island, found that her wandering bees were returning with mysterious red stripe.
Read how the mystery was solved at the New York Times online: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/nyregion/30bigcity.html

by Grai St.Clair Rice, Ulster County Beekeepers Association

There should be no surprise that politics and lobbying often effects how public monies are being spent, whether federal, state or local funds. And, in an agricultural state as large as New York, beekeepers and small farmers are often left in the dust of commercial and market driven interests. The current budget crunch adds additional pressure. The NYS Agriculture Budget was one of the first to be finalized by the senate and signed by the governor this summer. The numbers say a lot, but there are hidden messages and deals in the offing. See More...

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

These are challenging times. When the Suffolk County Farm Bureau Bee Club was formed in 1949, composing some bylaws, electing officers, and distributing responsibilities was probably more than sufficient to create a thriving club of local beekeepers who wanted to share ideas and pass down knowledge to the next generation. The current version of the club still works the same way to achieve similar goals, but in today’s world organizations need a form of official recognition just to accomplish seemingly simple tasks like making purchases or even having a bank account. See More...

The importance of bees has never been greater than now...See More...

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

It’s clean up time! Remember the cleaner and neater your garden is in the fall, the better you will find it in the spring! I’m just filling my sixth bag with old foliage and dead wood (tomorrow is yard waste day), and the sweat is running down my forehead. I have taken out my hearing aids so they will not get wet. This serves a dual purpose, they stay dry and I can’t hear Brigitte.See More...

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

In 2006, a piece of amber, which is fossilized tree resin, from an amber mine in the Hukawng Valley of northern Myanmar (Burma) was found containing a bee and four kinds of flowers. The amber has been dated to 100 million years ago; a length of time that tests the limits of human imagination. See More...

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

1. Plant or transplant evergreens (narrow-and broadleaved) this month. Soak immediately after planting. Mulch!
2...See More...

I am a very happy beekeeper this year. I had a very successful harvest, almost finished bottling my crop of lovely amber honey. See More...

New York State Apiary Inspectors have been sampling apiaries for Nosema disease for three years. Nosema is a fungus that infects bees reducing overall bee health. Traditionally New York has had infestations of Nosema apis which had moderate impact on colonies and the fungus would not generally survive into fall. In 2009 44% of sampled apiaries had Nosema. Commercial beekeepers continue to have the largest rate of infestation of Nosema at 59%.
Read more at: http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/PI/PIHome.html

Wednesday, November 10th, 6:30p at Artisanal Premium Cheese Center, Manhattan, NY
Read More...

By Wayne Vitale, LIBC Vice-president

I feel that preparation for wintering bees should begin in June with an assessment of hives for brood, stores and mites.
Winters on Long Island typically last from November to March and we want to strengthen bees so they produce more bees in order to keep the hives strong through winter and into spring.See More...

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

1. Don’t prune or fertilize trees or shrubs now; otherwise unnecessary late growth will be promoted. The new groth will not be hardy this winter.
2...See More...

I have been a busy beekeeper on my virtual farm, Farmville. I have 4 virtual bee hives and they contain 200 bees with only one queen for 4 hives. Not beekeeper accurate, but fun nonetheless. See More...

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

Poison Ivy can grow almost anywhere; you can find it in almost any garden, roadside, thicket, woods, park or even along sandy beaches.See More...

The record breaking heat wave has kept our bees busy and hopefully finding lots of wonderful flowers and nectar to give us lots of honey this season. When I checked my hives last, the propolis was so sticky from the heat it was stretchy and gooey!See More...

By George B. Schramm, LIBC President

If you own one of the new ‘smart phones’, like the iPhone, or had a chance to play with someone else’s, you have probably noticed that the phone responds to gravity. For example, the image on the screen will orient itself automatically in response to the position in which you hold the phone; hold it horizontally and the image will display horizontally; rotate the phone vertically and the image responds appropriately. This occurs because inside the phone there is a microelectromechanical device called an accelerometer. See More...

Hasn't everyone here been in a smoker lighting contest? It used to be standard entertainment at beekeeper summer picnics.See More...

Time flies! It's an old saying, but in today's fast-paced world, it's never been so true. Before we know it, our bees are all grown up—out on their own or off to swarm. Most beekeepers realize the rewards of close ties with their hive. Yet the demands of jobs and day-to-day household activities can be stressful and tiring. So, it's easy for quality time with our bees to get squeezed out.See More...

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

Here we are, its Memorial Day weekend and our garden is partially planted. (Brigitte did the job) The peas are blooming, cucumbers are looking good and we put in pepper and tomato plants. Hopefully, we will not have a repeat of the tomato blight we had last year and will have a great harvest.See More...

Beekeeping season is in full swing. I hived my nuke last week and checked on them over the weekend. They were busy as could be. I added a honey super to my overwintered hive and all the girls seem to be happy.See More...

Beekeeping is a diverse hobby. It lends itself to a variety of interests beyond the basics of keeping bees; which in itself is difficult enough, so developing a curiosity in other bee-related activities can be a welcome diversion. See More...

Our Club’s website has been overwhelmed with emails from people looking to purchase local honey, and other hive products, from our members. We have a page on the website that lists members that sell honey, so if you’re interested in being included on the list, visit the Local Honey page, scroll down to the bottom, and submit your information: http://www.longislandbeekeepers.org/honey/honey.html

Master Beekeeper, and LIBC member, Rich Blohm, appeared on the National Public Radio's Science Friday with host Ira Flatow on April 2nd. You can listen to the show and see a video of Rich removing a hive of bees from inside the wall of a house at: http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/201004024
LIBC member, Carl Flatow, shot and produced the video.

It is a beautiful Spring day. The bees are out in full force, checking out the crocuses and daffodils ( I only have one!) and all the lovely spring flowers. I must do a replant of my spring bulbs, that lonely daffodil looks totally lost. See More...

Long Island Beekeepers Club Monthly Meeting Minutes, March 21, 2010
Holbrook Ecology CenterSee More...

Members of the International Sisterhood of Egglayers, Local 1851, are set to vote this week on a strike action against SweetBee Honey Corporation.
At issue is SweetBee’s new mandatory retirement age of two years for queen bees. The policy was announced on March 1, and drew an ominous hum of indignation from egglayers across the company’s 1200-hive operation.

“It’s completely arbitrary – it’s not even a matter of individual ability,” buzzed Myrtle, a 26-month-old queen who declined to give her last name. “They just assume we’re too old and can no longer do the job.”

Read More at: http://home.ezezine.com/1636/1636-2010.04.01.12.27.archive.html

Long Island is a magical place with a remarkable diversity of ecosystems, so what a beekeeper in Glen Cove is doing around the apiary during one particular month of the year will be quite different from what the beekeeper in Montauk is doing.See More...

By Juergen Jaenicke, MG
(Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension)

We just love them in our garden and like to share about them with you. Hellebores bloom from February-May making them the perfect perennial for extending the garden season.See More...

West Virginia has become the first state in the nation to pass a law giving beekeepers immunity from liability for ordinary negligence.See More...

On March 16th, New York City’s board of health voted to lift a ban against beekeeping, legalizing the hives of hundreds of residents who have tended bees in defiance of the law.
Read more at: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/bring-on-the-bees/?ref=earth

In 1159, John of Salisbury, Bishop of Chartres, wrote: "Dicebat Bernardus Carnotensis nos esse quasi nanos, gigantium humeris insidentes, ut possimus plura eis et remotiora videre, non utique proprii visus acumine, aut eminentia corporis, sed quia in altum subvenimur et extollimur magnitudine gigantean."See More...