From the journals of the Entomological Society of America:
Influence of Pollen Diet in Spring on Development of Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Colonies

A 3-year study on pollen and pollen-substitute feeding in spring suggests that there was little difference in effect between the two diets. Feeding the bees a pollen or a pollen-substitute, either one, helped the colonies to build up in the spring — however —

an investment in supplementing the pollen diet of colonies would be returned for situations in which large spring populations are important, but long-term improvement in honey yields may only result when spring foraging is severely reduced by inclement weather.

So, if I’m reading this right… the decision of whether a beekeeper wants to invest money in spring pollen feeding might depend on the likelihood of poor foraging weather, and how stressed the bees are likely to be (larger spring populations might be more important for commercial honey producers and pollination services).

The full report has a cost attached, but you can read the short Abstract online, free of charge.

Saturday, 12 May 2007
New Brunswick Beekeepers Field Day & Auction Sale
NBBA Bee Store, Maugerville, NB
10:00 a.m.

There will be a field day taking place on 12 May 2007 at the former Bee Store on Hwy 105 in Maugerville (Ruth & Dave McKinney’s). Fletcher and Mary Colpitts will be putting on a beekeeping demonstration at 10:00 a.m., and at 1:00 p.m. the NBBA will be holding an Auction Sale to dispose of the remaining inventory from the NBBA store. Refreshments will be served.

Inventory items for sale: beginner kits, glass jars, plastic squeeze jars, white or printed tubs, 30kg pails, wire screening, Quebec bee escapes, various sizes of nails, aluminum trays, hive stands, 5-inch feeders, wire embedders, marking inks andpens, wax melters, Jones gloves, crating staples, DE frames, Apistan strips, Fumagilin-B, caution tapes, various books on beekeeping, various frame parts, food grade grease, coil springs, bearings, electric knives, grafting needle, capping blades, wintering cases, plastic nuc boxes, smokers, complete covers, frame rests, strainer bags, motor, Jones bee suits, 5 3/4″ supers, electric heater, leather washers, moth crystals, frame-end repairs, queen catchers, eyelets and eyelet punches, gear and handle, feeder pail screen, and Jones hive tools.

Tuesday, 10 April 2007
Central Beekeepers Alliance Meeting
Agricultural Research Centre, Fredericton, NB
7:30 p.m.

Want to learn more about Beekeeping? Visitors and new beekeepers are always welcome! Most meetings include an educational session, group discussion, or hands-on demonstration for the benefit of beginning beekeepers in central New Brunswick. The Agricultural Research Centre (”Experimental Farm”) is on the Lincoln Road, Fredericton. Entry is around the back of the building.

The Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium continues to track Colony Collapse Disorder across the United States.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is the name that has been given to the latest, and what seems to be the most serious, die-off of honey bee colonies across the country. It is characterized by, sudden colony death with a lack of adult bees in/in front of the dead-outs. Honey and bee bread are usually present and there is often evidence of recent brood rearing. In some cases, the queen and a small number of survivor bees may be present in the brood nest. It is also characterized by delayed robbing and slower than normal invasion by common pests such as wax moth and small hive beetles.

Continue Reading »

The Ontario government recognizes that innovation will pave the way forward for the province’s agri-food sector, and Premier Dalton McGuinty took the opportunity to recognize farmer-innovators at the province’s Summit on Agri-Food on 8 March 2007.

“Ontario’s farmers have helped build a world-class agri-food sector in this province,” said Premier Dalton McGuinty. “By recognizing their hard work and investing in their innovative ideas, we can help farmers pursue new markets, attract investment and strengthen our rural communities.”

The first $100,000 Premier’s Award of Excellence for Agri-Food Innovation will go to David VanderDussen. VanderDussen developed Mite-Away II, an environmentally friendly product to protect honeybees from mite infestations, which is exported around the world.