Beekeepers fear sting of imported Australian hives

By GARANCE BURKE (Associated Press Writer)


ATWATER, California - Beekeepers who are battling a mysterious ailment that led to the disappearance of millions of honeybees now fear the sting of imported Australian bees that they worry could outcompete their hives and might carry a deadly parasite unseen in the United States.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has allowed shipments of Australian bees to resume despite concerns by some of its own scientists.

Australia had been airfreighting the insects across the Pacific for four years to replace hives devastated by the perplexing colony collapse disorder. But six weeks ago the Australian government abruptly stopped the shipments, saying it could no longer be certain the country was free of a smaller, aggressive bee that has infested areas near the Great Barrier Reef, U.S. officials said.

Early this month, the USDA decided to permit the bee shipments to resume with some precautions, and the first planeloads arrived in San Francisco last Monday.

Beekeeper Ken Haff of Mandan, North Dakota, says he fears the foreign hives could kill off his apiary.

"We've got enough problems with our own bee diseases that we don't know how to treat, and they open the border to a whole new species that could carry God knows what," said Haff, a vice president of the American Honey Producers Association. "That's a total slap in the face for us."

Shad Sullivan, a bee wholesaler in California's Central Valley, said that in the four years he has imported bees from Australia, he has found that the hearty imports outlive domestic bees that have been weakened by pesticides, pests and diseases.

"If the bees were truly carrying something that bad, I would have been the first to get it," Sullivan said as a thick cloud of the buzzing insects flew overhead. "I just haven't seen those kinds of devastation."

Domestic honeybees feed on most flowering plants, and are vital pollinators for many food crops.

However, domestic bee stocks have been waning since 2004, when scientists first got reports of the puzzling illness that has claimed up to 90 percent of commercial hives and has been labeled colony collapse disorder.

That's also the year the USDA allowed imports of Australian hives, and scientists have been investigating whether Australia was a source of a virus tied to the bee die-off.

Entomologists also fear that the aggressive bee species found near Australia's Great Barrier Reef could carry a deadly mite, said Jeff Pettis, the USDA's top bee scientist.

"This could be a threat worldwide, because if those bees are moving around the chances are this mite would move with it," Pettis said. "We just don't need another species causing problems."

The Australian government has adopted emergency controls to quarantine and destroy the aggressive bees and has never detected that mite, according to materials provided by Chelsey Martin, counselor for public affairs at the Australian Embassy in Washington.

U.S. agriculture officials say they also are taking precautions.

Agricultural officials started sampling Australian bees last week after they were released in the Central Valley.

"Bees from Australia make great sense," said Wayne Wehling, a senior entomologist in the USDA's permit unit. "But we certainly don't want to bring any economic impacts onto our honeybees that we don't already have or introduce any new pests or disease."

Government officials said they do not know how many Australian bees have been imported, but hive importer Sullivan estimates that he has sold 110,000 hives since 2005.

On Wednesday, a USDA inspector in a protective suit collected samples of bees at Sullivan's operation.

"Hopefully this will ease the minds of people who have their own hives here," said inspector John Iniguez. "We're trusting Australia that they're clean. Now we just want to confirm that."

Tips for a Successful Beekeeping Startup Business

If there's one insect in the world that does so much for so little, it's the bee. Bees are very useful for many products and by-products and as such, are ideal for a business. If you're looking to start a beekeeping business, here are some important information you can use for your startup:

Learn about beekeeping.
Never go into a business you don't understand. Beekeeping needs a few specialized skills and knowledge, particularly because you will be dealing with a live source of your products. You should, for example, know how bee containers are designed for maximum use and production. You should also be able to know what harvesting entails, what types of products you can expect and how to process these products.

Most importantly, you should learn how to handle bees. You need to understand their nature, how they behave, what they like, how they thrive and how to protect them.

Scout for a location.
Location is crucial to the success of your beekeeping startup business. Ideal locations should be shady (have sufficient trees and shrubs with nearby flower beds or fields) and flat. In some areas, beekeeping is considered illegal. It's important to get in touch with a local agency to find out if the area you want to build your business in is legally zoned.

If you want to look for locations that allow beehives, check with a beekeeping organization in your area or a nationally-affiliated group. They can guide you about locations that you can consider. When it comes to the area, you can buy or rent.

Find a bee supplier.
Bees are sold by container. Containers weigh around 1 kilogram to 2 kilograms. A one-kilogram container will contain around 9,000 bees. Try to purchase your bees during the early months of the year. By March or April, your supplier should be able to ship them out to you, most likely through postal service. You'll probably have to pick up the bees yourself.

Maintain a number of colonies.
The number of colonies you have will depend on how many of you will be taking care of the bees. For every 500 to 1000 bee colonies, you'll need one beekeeper who has sufficient knowledge about the operation. If you want more bee colonies, make sure you have trained beekeepers working for you.

Buy the right supplies.
Purchase containers where the queen bees will be kept, along with the frame where the hive will be housed. If you know how to handle these bees carefully, you should have no problems regarding their transport and transfer. Some equipment you will need include:

- hives or wooden frames
- fume boards
- feeders
- queen excluders
- screens
- vehicles for transport
- brush
- smoker
- coveralls (preferably white), gloves and hat with veil

The main product from a beekeeping business is honey. If you're a startup, this is probably the most important thing you must know how to handle other than the bees themselves. You'll need equipment for extraction and processing, which will include the extractor, some sieves and a settling tank.

Market.
If you're starting a beekeeping business, you'll be glad to know that the main product – which is honey – has excellent storage qualities. It doesn’t spoil easily and is a very versatile product to process and sell. It also has a high demand, provided, of course that you know how and where to market it.

Given a good location, sufficient knowledge and good management practices, there's no reason why your beekeeping startup business shouldn't succeed.

Chemtrails and CCD

Chemtrails may also be one of the primary contributory factors in the collapse of honey bee colonies worldwide. Albert Einstein clearly knew the importance of the honey bee when he said: "If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live."
There are currently three main hypothesis for the purpose of chemical spraying in the skies: weather modification, population control, and testing of biological agents on the general populace.



This 5-minute video serves only as an introduction to the phenomenon of chemtrails. I encourage you to research this subject in more detail to gain a fuller picture of what chemtrails contain, their impact on the environment, and the history of aerial spraying that has taken place in many countries. A good place to start your research is: http://www.CuttingThroughTheMatrix.com

Organic Beekeeping

Organic beekeeping methods involve a set of treatments that use natural materials to promote honeybee colonies. It uses specialized beekeeping practices and honeybee nutritional supplements in order to enhance the growth of honeybees. Everything utilized in organic beekeeping can be handled or eaten safely by both beekeeper and the honeybees.

Organic beekeeping uses the methodology of traditional naturopathy that does not allow use of pesticides for promoting colonization of honeybees. When bees are exposed to these poisonous substances, their immune system can get adversely affected and eventually it may weaken. As a result they become more vulnerable to diseases. Therefore, organic beekeeping prohibits use of substances that can cause harm to honeybees and beekeepers. When providing solutions to diseases in a strong honeybee colony, substances used are wholesale, healthful and nutritious.

In organic beekeeping, it is essential to maintain the health of the bees. This is done by giving them nutritional supplements rich in trace minerals and proteins. Honeybees show is mainly due to nutritional deficiencies and toxic burden. Organic beekeeping methods deliver medicinal elements that offer nutritional values for the bees.
Organic beekeeping practices include:

* Honey bee nutrition
* Promote honeybee gardens
* Prudent Winter preparation
* Brood Spraying

In case you want to do organic beekeeping in your backyard or farmhouse but don't have the slightest idea about it, then you can join organic beekeeping classes. Here you will provide lot of information about beekeeping including how to spot the queen and clip its wings. In these classes, you will be explained about the various beekeeping practices. You will also come to know about the conventional hive structure. Experts on successful organic beekeeping can give you some useful tips

You can also take the help of Internet in case you want to know more about organic beekeeping. Bees are very important animals as they have developed an excellent process to make honey. Use of pesticides can be dangerous for bees, hence organic beekeeping does not recommend use of such substances.

Artificial breeding methods are literally killing these bees as they make use of insecticide; hence, there is an urgent need to promote organic beekeeping methods. Organic honey is a bit costly as honey to be labeled as organic; manufacturers have to meet stringent organic conditions and standards during honey production which include source of nectar, bees management, honey extraction process, processing temperature, transportation and packaging materials. Organic honey is thoroughly tested to make sure that it is free from residues of environmental pollutants such as pesticides. Only after going through all these details and confirming that no pesticides were used, the honey is certified as organic.

Organic honey farming has to meet extensive and rigorous monitoring of certification body. Regular analysis of honey samples is done to make sure that it is not contaminated with chemical residue.

Although organic beekeeping can be a tedious job, it is extremely beneficial for the bees. Honey produced by these methods is far more superior in taste than honey that is made by conventional methods

Commercial Beekeeping

Beekeeping has been a much sought after activity since ancient times. However, beekeeping as a serious profession is fast gaining popularity nowadays. There are various types of beekeepers. Some people merely pursue it as a hobby rather than a full time vocation. Commercial bee keeping is fast on the rise with it being the sole source of income for many. Commercial bee keeping means devoting all your time to this profession and making it a means of earning your daily bread. You can also hire beekeepers that can take care of your farm and bees.

Commercial bee keeping has a number of aspects. It involves varied processes, which require many efforts. Firstly investing in beekeeping is the major hurdle. If you plan to start beekeeping on a commercial basis, you need to invest a lot initially. You should also take advice of experienced commercial beekeepers when you decide to embark on this path.

There are certain beekeeping rules and regulations that need to be followed. Your bees need ample space to find their food and roam about freely. Commercial bee keeping involves renting or buying a certain amount of land exclusively for your bees. The bees should be kept in clean and hygienic conditions.
Commercial bee keeping also requires ample space for storage purposes. There are plenty of equipments required during the process of extracting the honey and your bees also require food that can be stored in this place.

Commercial beekeepers buy packets of bees with the queen bee. They fill the hives with these bees and start the further processes. Beekeepers need to keep a constant watch on the bees and avoid swarming of the bees.

There are numerous hives prepared for especially for the purpose for beekeeping. All these hives too need to be maintained and repaired in case of any damage. Commercial beekeepers have to extract honey during the spring season. After this season ends the bees thrive on honey and food that as been stored for them. The conditions too need to be maintained properly during the winter seasons as the cold winds may affect the bees.

Honey is extracted from the honeycombs by means of a honey extractor. However, before this the beekeepers have to ensure that the honeybees do not swarm around the comb. Honeybees are brushed off from the combs and sometimes bee repellents too are used. The honey that is extracted is collected in tanks and is then bottled in jars. This honey is then sold in markets.

Commercial bee keeping actually does not involve too many expenses. Only the initial investment proves to be a bit high. The commercial beekeepers earn their livelihood through production of beeswax, honey and pollination of crops.

Commercial beekeeping proves to be a great success in areas, which receive rain. So make sure that you choose suitable areas when you start with commercial farming. Beekeeping is an ideal profession for those who love being in nature and like the company of bees. Commercial beekeeping is an interesting occupation indeed and you can reap the benefits of this profession if pursued with enthusiasm and passion.

Beekeeping Suit

Beekeeping is a hobby for some people, while it is an interesting home business for some. If you are interested in starting this business, you need to know all about its accessories such as hive tool, smoker and bee suit and basic information about maintaining hives. Beekeeping suit is one of the important accessories required for this business.

Beekeeping suit is white coveralls with elastics in order to close off pant legs and cuffs in the sleeves, along with a veil and gloves. While working with the bees, you need a protection from their stings. These body care suits come with integrated veil and hood. They are quite reliable, easy to use, protective and comfortable.

Beekeeping suit is light, durable and comfortable. It is made from the quality material such as polyester or cotton and it is available in different sizes. Major features of beekeeper's suit are:

- It is totally safe and fully sealed with Velcro, elastic and double zippers offering more security.
- It has fully-integrated, convenient hood and veil. This suit offers great ventilation to feel comfortable.
- It has heavy duty, extra-long ankle zippers that enable you to use it easily with boots.
- It features double heavy-duty zippers from the crotch to chest offering better utility.
- The suit consists of extra utility pockets for better usefulness.
- Its additional unique hood support is helpful for ventilation, better head movement and safety.
- It can be easily washed.

The veil is the ultimate in safety, convenience and comfort. It is connected to the beekeeping suit with the zippers at the collar. It does not require extra hat, clumsy metallic zippers, no fumbling with draw strings or no breaking of draw strings. The veil enables free head movement and provides excellent visibility. Unique head-rib can keep the fabric away from your head-crown. The suit is provided with special pockets to hold the beekeeping tools as well as personal items. Zippers provided in the pants legs can make the suit easy to use and more comfortable.

Correctly sized, well-designed and properly worn beekeeping suit and gloves can offer comfortable and effective protection against the stings from bees, hornets and wasps. This suit can be used in different situations like beekeeping, africanized bee extermination, bee-swarm and colony removal, utility maintenance, commercial pest control and heavy-equipment contracting. Beekeeper's body suit offers following benefits:

- If worn properly, bee suit can keep the stingers away and protect you from the stings.
- A bee suit and gloves can help keep the stinging insects out of clothes due to suit's the zippers at the torso, collar and ankles, elastic cuffs at the ankles and wrists and Velcro seals at the front and back of the integrated hood.
- The white color of the beekeeper's suit is neutral, non-attractive in appearance. All stinging insects are usually attracted to darker areas of the body such as hair, ears, nose, eyes and mouth. The bee suit is white and hence, the bees hit the darker screened veil. However, they cannot penetrate the veil.

Beekeeping Kit

A bee keeping kit is the most important part of beekeeping. You will need all the protective gear and honey removing apparatus that you can get to give you sweet, sugary honey. It is a sweet source of nutrition and income for the whole family.

The basic bee keeping kits come with a hive that has its own specialties according to the one you order, a swarm box or catch box, beekeeping protective wear (that is, a veil and a suit), a hive tool, a smoker with a heater guard, PVC gloves with material arms and elbows, queen excluder and a bee brush.

The uses of each of the above items that are included in a bee keeping kit are as follows:

* The hive is where your bees are going to stay and make honey
* The swarm box is used to collect bees and keep them there
* Protective gear is a must if you want to avoid getting stung badly by the bees. Of especial use is the veil that keeps you head out of reach of the bees.
* A hive tool to a beekeeper is like a hammer to a carpenter. It is used to open hives, pry frames apart, scrape the wax and propolis from the hive parts.
* A smoker is useful to keep the bees at bay. The smoke when injected in the hive can make the bees think that there is a fire. So, they store up the honey in themselves and are less likely to bite you.
* A queen excluder, as the name suggests, is to exclude the queen bee from the other bees.
* PVC gloves are a part of the protective gear.
* The bee brush is used to brush bees away from the frame where you want to work. It gently moves the bees out of the way.

Along with a bee keeping kit you will need bees, too, if you are intent upon beekeeping! You can get them from a local beekeeper association or a vendor. There are some other things that you must keep in mind. You should be ready with all the equipment before you get the bees home. You should always keep referring to good beekeeping books and magazines to update your knowledge. Make a journal for keeping records of bee activities, the plants growing in the area and the important dates such as when the hives were medicated and the honey is harvested.

You should also have the phone and address of the local beekeepers association and the names and numbers of other beekeepers. If your budget allows you get some bee-sting cream, butane lighter for the smoker, a five gallon bucket with a cloth caddy to hold the tools, a sweatband, blank labels for jars and a honey recipe book.

As you advance in your beekeeping practices, you can take other tools and equipment that you may think suitable. Usually this basic bee keeping kit can last you long. You may not need replacements. Beekeeping is a profitable occupation that gives you honey and wax for sale. You can have the honey for your family too and still be able to sell. That's the beauty of it all. You can gain a lot from beekeeping besides sheer enjoyment.