1. Art and Diseño

Volume 13, Issue 11
norfolkbees.org
January 2014
President’s Message
Shortly after I took over as President, a 7 year member of NCBA mentioned to me
that
blh he had observed that we were losing our more advanced beekeepers from the
club. He noticed that people hung around for a few years after bee school and then
faded away. It seemed that we were not doing enough in the way of education and
programs to hold their interest. I saw his point. Shortly after that, I had a
conversation with Dan Conlon – he said that it is a known phenomenon in bee clubs
– 2 to 3 years of active participation, and then they start choosing which meetings
they attend and soon are out of sight.
I took this to heart, and set out to make NCBA more interesting to the more
advanced beekeepers. We obviously need bee school, and beginners need a lot of
instruction on the basics to ensure survival of their first colonies and keep them in
beekeeping. I get that. But we also need to provide intermediate (and higher) level
education for the more advanced members. We have some good programs lined up
for regular meetings – Mary Duane, Dan Conlon, and Ed Karle will be speaking. We
have an intermediate class with Erin Forbes – the class filled to capacity within 12
hours of being announced.
So, if you are an intermediate to advanced beekeeper, especially one that has been
slowly slipping away from NCBA, I’d like to hear from you about your wishes for
educational programs, both for regular meetings and special programs on
weeknights or weekends. Please suggest topics and/or speakers. Really, please let
me know. We want you back!
Email [email protected]
Next Club Meeting
February 2, 2015
400 Main Street
Walpole, MA
7:30
Club Meetings:
Board Members:
President
February 2, 2014
Mary Duane, EAS Master Bee Keeper
Spring Preparation
Ed Szymanski
[email protected]
Vice President
Dave Shaner
March 2, 2014
Don Conlon, Warm Colors Apiary
Genetics – Russian Bees
www.warmcolorsapiary.com
[email protected]
Treasurer
Eileen Walther
[email protected]
Recording Secretary
April 6, 2014
Ed Karle
Photo Quiz
Julie Norian
May 4, 2014
Ed & Marian Szymanski – Planting for the Bees
George Johnson – Mead Making
June 2014
Club Picnic
Editor Monthly Newsletter
Board Meeting:
The board of directors meets the 3rd Monday of
each month (except July & August). Held 7:00 pm at
the Woodside Montessori, 350 Village St. in Millis.
All members are welcome and encouraged to
attend. This is where decisions that guide how the
club is run are made. Your input is invaluable.
Events
[email protected]
Corresponding Secretary
Dana Wilson
Anne Kittredge
[email protected]
[email protected]
Bee School Director
Tony Lulek
[email protected]
Members at Large
Judy Cox
Bob Johnson
Jessica Chen
Committees:
Extractor
Debbie LaPlante
[email protected]
Librarian
Eric Studer
Door Prize/Raffle
Kathy Varney
IT/Web/Facebook
Ed Szymanski
Apparel
Susan Robinson
Historian
The board of directors is looking for someone in
helping to preserve the club’s history. If interested
contact Ed Szymanski or any other board member.
The Queen Stewardship Program
committee met last week. There will be
an equipment building "party" on 2/22
from 10 am to 4pm. It will be held at
club member Henry Hahn's workshop at
56 R Elliott Street in Natick and there
will be a pot luck lunch.
Read at Your Own Risk
Now that I have your attention I would
like to ask a favor of you. The board
would like to know what the readership
level is of the monthly newsletter. So if
you have read this far please click on or
paste the following email address
[email protected], in the send to
line, and send an email to let us know
that you do read this newsletter.
If you feel ambitious you can also give
the board some feedback.
How frequently do you open the
monthly newsletter?
Do you have a favorite section?
Is there anything you like to see added
or more of? Any other suggestions that
you might have?
Thank you for taking the time and giving
your feedback.
Dana Wilson
Corresponding Secretary
Club Membership: "Go to
www.norfolkbees.org to download
renewal/enrollment form.
Oooh, a blank spot!
Any club members that would like
to submit articles for publication
Raffle Table
could find their name here in lights!
A reminder that that the club is in need
of, and appreciates, all items brought to
the raffle table. Bear in mind to keep the
items of good quality and as bee related
as possible. Membership dues offset less
than half of the club’s yearly budget.
This fund raising effort helps to close
that gap. Besides there are some very
nice items and we have fun!
Do you have a blog about the bees?
Farmer’s Markets
Do you participate in Farmer’s Markets?
Let us know where and what day and time of
the week and we will publish where we can
find you!
Tell us all about it!
Perhaps you are an artist?
A photographer?
Draw us a bee! Send your best
photo! Words of wisdom!
Honey Extractors
The club has 6 extractors for club use. Contact
Debbie LaPlante [email protected] if you would
like to use one.
Snack Table
Snacks are provided for free at the monthly club
meeting. Thanks to all of you who bring in sweets.
Contact Julie Norian at [email protected] or
Susan Packenham - [email protected] Susan would
like it if you could bake something for November!
Board Meeting Highlights
The Queen Stewardship Program
committee met last week. There will be
an equipment building "party" on 2/22
from 10 am to 4pm. It will be held at
club member Henry Hahn's workshop at
56 R Elliott Street in Natick and there
will be a pot luck lunch.
Bee School IS FULL!
Club Membership
Club membership runs form the calendar year. From
January 1st through December 31st. Dues of $15.00
are collected at with the September’s club meeting
for the up coming year or they can be mailed to:
Eileen Walther
23 A Street
Wrentham, MA 02093
The dues of $15.00 are for both the individual and
family. If you attend Bee School the $50.00 fee
include a year’s membership in the club.
New Newsletter Sections
Board meeting notes, news & new ideas!
Please see the last pages of the Newsletter!
Bee School may be full but there is a
great article at the end of the
newsletter that I totally enjoyed
reading. I hope you enjoy it as much as
I did! It is all about why bees choose
certain type of space for their hives.
Baked Honey Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken
breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black
pepper, to taste
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup Panko*
For the honey garlic sauce
1/3 cup honey, or more, to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha, optional
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
(continued)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a
9x13 baking dish or coat with nonstick
spray.
Season chicken with salt and pepper, to
taste. Working in batches, dip chicken into
eggs, then dredge in Panko, pressing to
coat.
Add chicken to prepared baking dish. Place
into oven and bake until golden brown and
crisp, about 15-20 minutes.
In a medium saucepan over medium high
heat, combine honey, garlic, soy sauce and
Sriracha, if using. In a small bowl, combine
cornstarch and 1/3 cup water. Stir mixture
into the saucepan until thickened, about 1-2
minutes. Stir in chicken and gently toss to
combine.
Serve immediately, garnished with green
onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Looking for a FEW GOOD MEN AND WOMEN,
and some KIDS TOO!
The Norfolk County Mosquito Control visited our club last year upon an
invitation from Scott Mofford. Over the past year I have been talking and
meeting with Dave Lawson. They have put in a plan to test the effects of
a pesticide called Duet on the honeybees. Three of their people will be
attending bee school this year. They have also designated a place on
town land in Medfield that they can use for testing. They will be
purchasing 9 hives in total. They have asked me to approach the club to
put a group together that will be their mentors. I will not be part of this
group as I will be busy with the queen rearing, but this is also a great
opportunity to really work on developing your own skills and
management. They are especially interested in treatments used in the
hives. They will be testing all components of the hives throughout the
entire season. If you are interested, please contact me and we will put
this group together. Thanks Tony Lulek
Tony Lulek
www.littlebeehivefarm.com
h. 508-893-7970
c. 617-281-8867
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Crispy Baked Tofu with Honey-Sesame Glaze
Ingredients
Brown rice
Roasted Brussels sprouts
1½ pound Brussels sprouts
1½ tablespoons olive oil
Fine grain sea salt
Extra crispy baked tofu
1 (15 ounce) block of organic extra-firm tofu
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon arrowroot starch or cornstarch
Spicy honey-sesame glaze
¼ cup reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey (maple syrup also works)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 to 3 teaspoons chili garlic sauce or sriracha (depending on how spicy you like it)
Garnish
2 tablespoons sesame seeds and fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Instructions
Position your oven racks in the lower third and upper third of the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook rice according to directions.
Drain tofu and gently squeeze out some of the water. Slice the tofu in half lengthwise so you have two one-inch
thick slabs. Press and drain well.
Cut the sprouts in halves lengthwise. Toss the sprouts with olive oil. On a large baking sheet, arrange the sprouts
in an even layer, flat sides down, and sprinkle with sea salt.
Cut tofu into small pieces. Whisk together 1 tablespoon olive oil and tamari, then drizzle it over the tofu and toss
to coat. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch over the tofu, and toss the tofu until the starch is evenly
incorporated. Arrange the tofu in an even layer on a baking sheet on parchment paper.
To bake the sprouts and tofu: Transfer the pan of Brussels sprouts to the lower oven rack, and the pan of tofu to
the top rack. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing the contents of each pan halfway through cooking, until the
sprouts and tofu are deeply golden on the edges.
To make the glaze: In a small saucepan, whisk together the glaze ingredients (start with 1 teaspoon chili garlic
sauce or sriracha and add more to taste). Bring the glaze to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring often and
reducing heat as necessary, until the glaze is reduced by about half (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat.
Pour the sesame seeds into a small dry pan. Toast for about 4 to 5 minutes over medium-low heat, shaking the
pan frequently to prevent burning, until the seeds are turning golden and starting to make popping noises.
Divide rice onto four plates. Top each plate with sprouts and tofu and drizzle with glaze. Finish each plate with a
very generous sprinkling of sesame seeds and a small handful of chopped cilantro.
NEW! Members in good standing may now insert a small classified ad in our newsletter for FREE!
Please keep it simple and relevant to Bee Keeping, Bee Products, Home/Cottage Industries that you think
would interest other members. Please email to [email protected]
Woods Beekeeping Supplies
Custom Hive stand and Screened Bottom Board
Built as one piece instead of two separate pieces
for stability. They are made with galvanized 1/8”
screen and white plastic slide-in tray to count
mites. Glued and screwed together for long lasting
durability.
Slatted Racks
Completely assembled, glued and nailed. This gives
the bees more room in the hive on rainy days and
when they are all in for the night making them less
likely to think about swarming due to crowding.
Supers
Made out of pine; with pre-drilled finger joints,
and handles cut into boards, comes unassembled.
Deep, Medium and Shallow available.
Inner Cover
Ventilated, wooden inner cover.
Outer Cover covered with Tin
Made from ¾ exterior plywood, completely
assembled, glued and screwed. Cover comes with
tin cover to protect from outdoor elements.
Complete Hive Setup
Includes screened bottom board, two deep supers,
20 frames with wax foundation, inner cover and
outer cover.
Hive Frames–Deep, Medium, and Shallow
Wooden frame, made out of pine, held together
with 10 nails. (Does not include wire or
foundation).
Browse or shop our online store
www.woodsbees.com
401-305-2355
FULLY STOCKED RETAIL STORE
POLLEN PATTIES
WITH 15% REAL POLLEN
SINGLE DOSE FUMAGILIN-B
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HIVE TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES
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HIVE COMPONENTS
FOUNDATION
WOODENWARE
EXTRACTING EQUIPMENT
JARS AND CONTAINERS
BULK HONEY
GIFT CERTIFICATES
BOOKS
A NEW BOOK! Published by our member Noah Wilson-Rich
“I was just reading the latest NCBA newsletter, and noted an invitation for club members to submit a
free classified ad. I recently wrote a book about bees, “The Bee: A Natural History” published through
Princeton University Press. Perhaps we could include a note about this?”
THE BEE
A Natural History
Noah Wilson-Rich
With contributions from Kelly Allin, Norman Carreck & Andrea Quigley
Hardcover | $27.95 | ISBN: 9780691161358
224 pp. | 8 x 9
Noah Wilson-Rich, Ph.D.
Founder & Chief Scientific Officer
The Best Bees Company
839 Albany Street (rear)
Boston, MA 02119
[email protected]
(office/lab) 617.445.2322
http://www.bestbees.com
Twitter: @bestbees
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bestbees
location but such colonies seldom
Extra, extra!
survive the winter in temperate climates.
Tropical bees survive with such nests
Found an interesting article for newbees!
more frequently. A darkened enclosure
The Bee Nest (Basic Bee Biology for
is needed for efficient wax secretion .
Beekeepers)
worker wax glands secrete more wax
and bees build more comb in darker
Apis mellifera is a cavity nester.
sites compared to bees exposed to light.
Understanding the basic nest ecology
Honey bees search for suitable cavities
has led to an effective and efficient,
for their nest. Usually the searching is
man-made hive . the Langstroth hive.
done by scout bees from a swarm. The
The natural or feral nest (and beekeeper
European bees seldom move very far
hive) has these five features:
from the original homesite. From





Sheltered, darkened enclosure
Small, defensible entrance
Size of adequate volume
Hexagonal beeswax cells molded into
parallel comb separated by bee space
Separation of brood (a central sphere)
and food (to the top and sides).
A tree cavity is a common nest site in
numerous studies their nest selection
criteria involve:


the temperate area. Maple, oak and ash
trees are commonly available but bees
will select virtually any tree if a suitable
cavity is present. Knotholes are the


most common types of opening but
cracks or other openings can also be
used. Bees prefer openings high in a
tree, but will nest wherever the cavity is
available. Most tree nests are in live
trees; the cavities are the result of
fungal action on the inner wood.
Since beeswax comb is fragile, shelter
is important for successful winter
survival of a bee colony. Occasionally a
bee colony will build in an exposed

Volume . bees prefer 40 liters (range 20
to 100 liters). Tropical bees prefer
smaller cavities and will nest in the
open more readily.
Height from ground . bees seem to
prefer higher sites than those at ground
level or close to the ground. Usually 3
meters (9 feet) is ideal.
Exposure . sites in the open exposed to
wind or full sun are less preferred.
Entrance size & position . bees
definitely prefer smaller entrance holes,
openings at the bottom of the cavity
and southward facing exposures.
Cavity quality . bees prefer dry,
unoccupied sites. They are attracted to
smell of previous bee occupancy.
extensive amounts of propolis, almost
sealing the entrance area. Most nests
have a single entrance.
Worker bees manufacture the only
necessary nest material - beeswax. The
beeswax is molded into parallel
beeswax sheets termed combs. Most of
the comb consists of worker cells. The
cells are six-sided (hexagonal) and have
a three-part bottom pyramid shape.
Cells are horizontal facing both
directions from a central midrib that
provides important comb strength. The
cells slope slightly upward and are
planed to minimum thickness with a rim
of extra wax at the top of the cell walls
for ease in walking.
The hexagonal cells are of two sizes worker cells are used to rear worker
A Typical Natural Bee Nest from: Seeley, T. D.,
Morse, R. A. (1976). The nest of the honey bee
bees and for storage of honey and
(Apis mellifera L.). Insectes Sociaux 23: 494-
pollen. They average about five cells per
512.
linear inch. Bees also construct some
drone cells in their comb. Drone cells
average about four per linear inch; they
When scout bees search for a new
homesite, they enter potential cavities
and walk inside to measure dimensions.
Because most cavities are in trees, the
usual cavity is a tall cylinder. Once a
homesite is selected, the swarm moves
in. They may use propolis to smooth
are larger than worker cells but are still
six-sided and otherwise similar to
worker cells. Drone cells are used to
raise drones and can be used for honey
storage. When in a feral nest, bees build
mostly worker cells and only about 15%
drone-size cells.
the entrance and inner wall areas of
In the natural nest, bees build several
their nest and may reduce the size of
parallel combs at one time. As the
the entry area with propolis. Some bee
colony expands, additional combs are
races such as Caucasians use
added. When building their comb, bees
adhere to a basic principle in spacing;
temperature requirements of the
they leave approximately 1 cm or 3/8 of
growing larvae. (Immature larvae need a
an inch (the height of a bee) between
temperature of 90-95° F or 32-36°C for
combs. We call this space "bee space."
optimal development.) Honey (stored as
The comb is suspended from the top of
food) is above and to the sides of this
the nesting cavity. Spaces less than 3/8"
central brood-rearing area.
are filled with propolis. If the space is
larger than 3/8", the bees will attempt to
fill the space with comb.
Pollen, needed to feed the larvae, is
stored in empty cells in the brood area
and immediately to the outside of the
In the sheltered, darkened cavity, the
active brood-rearing area. This central
bees separate the area where they store
sphere of brood expands or contracts
their food and the area where they rear
depending on the time of the season.
their brood (brood = egg, larval and
Cite:
pupal stages of bees). The brood is
reared in the lower portion of the
beeswax comb in a compact, spherical-
https://www.extension.org/pages/21753/thebee-nest-basic-bee-biology-forbeekeepers#.VM1BOGB0ycw
shaped section because of the
Bee Pied Piper?